Nicholas Bagenal facts for kids

Sir Nicholas Bagenal (1509 – February 1591) was an English soldier and important leader. He became the Marshal of the Army in Ireland during the time of the Tudor era kings and queens. This meant he was a top military commander.

Growing Up and Early Adventures

Nicholas Bagenal was born in 1509. He was the second son of John Bagenal, who was a tailor and also the Mayor of Newcastle-under-Lyme. His mother was Eleanor Whittingham. Nicholas had an older brother, Sir Ralph Bagenal, who worked for King Henry VIII.

In 1538, Nicholas faced some trouble with the law in England. Because of this, he went to live in Ireland. While there, he met Con O'Neill, 1st Earl of Tyrone, a powerful Irish leader. With Tyrone's help, Nicholas received a pardon from the King in 1542.

He returned to England in 1544. Soon after, he joined a military campaign in France. The Bagenal family also had connections with the Irish government through Sir Patrick Barnewall. This connection likely helped Nicholas get involved in military service. Later, a town in Ireland, Bagenalstown in County Carlow, was named after his family.

A Career in Ireland's Military

In 1547, King Edward VI appointed Nicholas Bagenal as the Marshal of the Army in Ireland. This was a very important military job. In 1551, he helped remove Scottish invaders from an area called Dufferin. He was made a knight that same year.

In 1552, he was given lands around Newry and Carlingford, County Louth. However, when Queen Mary I came to power, Nicholas lost his job as Marshal. He was also fined a large sum of money.

When Queen Elizabeth I became queen, things changed again. In 1559, Nicholas was elected to Parliament for Newcastle-under-Lyme. He also tried to get his Marshal job back. In 1565, Queen Elizabeth I reappointed him as Marshal.

Nicholas Bagenal faced challenges in his role. For example, in 1580, he was involved in a military defeat at Glenmalure. In 1584, he was leading soldiers at Carrickfergus when they were ambushed at Glenarm, forcing them to retreat.

His son, Henry Bagenal, also became a soldier and helped his father. In 1583, Henry was set to take over the Marshal position from his father. Nicholas Bagenal continued to serve as a chief commissioner for the government of Ulster. In 1585, he was elected to the Irish Parliament for County Down.

By 1586, some people felt Nicholas was too old for his duties. He eventually resigned from his Marshal job in 1590, asking for his son Henry to take over.

Sir Nicholas Bagenal likely died in February 1591, probably at Newry Castle or Green Castle. He is thought to be buried in Saint Patrick's church, which he may have helped build.

Sir Nicholas Bagenal's Family

Sir Nicholas Bagenal married Eleanor Griffith. They had at least nine children. Some were born in Newry Castle, and his son Henry was born in Carlingford.

His children included:

• Sir Henry Bagenal: He followed in his father's footsteps and became Marshal. He was a key figure in the Nine Years War in Ireland. Sadly, he was killed in battle in 1598 at the Battle of Yellow Ford.
• Dudley Bagenal: He became a significant landowner in County Carlow. The Bagenal family of Bagenalstown are his descendants.
• Mabel: She married Hugh O'Neill, 2nd Earl of Tyrone, a powerful Irish leader. Their story is famous in Irish history. Mabel is sometimes called "the Helen of Troy of the Elizabethan Wars" because of her beauty and the drama surrounding her marriage.
• Mary: She married Patrick Barnewall, continuing the family's connection to the Barnewall family.
• Frances: She married Oliver Plunkett, 4th Baron Louth.
• Anne Sarsfield, Viscountess Sarsfield: She married twice, first to Dudley Loftus and then to Dominick Sarsfield, 1st Viscount Sarsfield.

Nicholas Bagenal's grandson, also named Nicholas Bagenal, later became a Member of Parliament for Anglesey in Wales.