Nicholas Loftus facts for kids

Nicholas Loftus (born 1592, died 1666) was an important Irish politician and public official. He lived a long time ago, during the 1600s. He helped manage money for the government in Ireland.

Nicholas came from a powerful family. His father was Sir Dudley Loftus. His grandfather was Adam Loftus, who was the Archbishop of Dublin. An archbishop is a very important church leader. Adam Loftus was also a big political figure in Ireland during the time of the Tudor kings and queens.

Nicholas's mother was Anne Bagenal. She came from a leading family in Ulster, led by Sir Nicholas Bagenal. Later, his mother married a famous judge named Lord Sarsfield. This made Lord Sarsfield Nicholas's stepfather.

Nicholas Loftus's Career in Government

Nicholas Loftus had an older brother named Sir Adam Loftus. Adam became the Vice-Treasurer of Ireland. This meant he was in charge of a lot of the government's money. Nicholas worked under his brother.

Nicholas was given an important job in the Irish Treasury. His title was Clerk of the Pells. This job involved keeping records of money paid to the government.

Serving in Parliament

Nicholas Loftus was also elected to the Parliament of Ireland. This was like being a member of parliament today, helping to make laws.

He was elected in 1613 and again in 1634. He represented a place called Fethard in County Wexford. In 1640, he represented the wider County Wexford area in Parliament.

Nicholas Loftus's Family Life

In 1623, Nicholas Loftus married Margaret Chetham. Margaret's father, Thomas Chetham, was a rich landowner from England. He also owned land in Hacketstown, County Wicklow, in Ireland.

Nicholas and Margaret had a very large family. They had fourteen children in total! Six of their sons and five of their daughters grew up to be adults.

After Nicholas Loftus passed away in 1666, his oldest son, Sir Nicholas Loftus, took over his father's estates. Later, Nicholas's grandson, Nicholas Loftus, 1st Viscount Loftus, inherited the family lands. This happened because his uncle's direct family line ended.