Nicholas St Lawrence, 11th Baron Howth facts for kids
Nicholas St Lawrence, 11th Baron Howth (1597–1643) was an Anglo-Irish nobleman who lived in the 1600s. His family, the Lords of Howth, had been important in Irish politics for over a hundred years. However, Nicholas preferred a quieter life at home. During the English Civil War, he stayed loyal to the English Crown. Because of this, he lost much of his property. The difficulties he faced during the war are thought to have made him ill and led to his early death.
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Early Life
Nicholas was the older son of Christopher St Lawrence, 10th Baron Howth (who died in 1619) and Elizabeth Wentworth (who died in 1627). His mother's family lived at Gosfield Hall in Essex, England. Nicholas's childhood was likely not very happy because his parents had a lot of problems and separated when he was young. Nicholas and his mother were not very close. In her will, his mother mentioned forgiving him for some "great grief" he had caused her, but we don't know the details of what happened.
Life as a Nobleman
Nicholas became the Baron Howth when he was 22 years old. By then, he was already married and had several children. He wanted to live a "quiet and domestic life," but he still took part in some political events.
In 1625, he offered a "free gift" to King Charles I. He also helped on a committee to raise money to support troops.
A Peer's Trial
In 1627, another nobleman, Lord Dunboyne, was accused of a serious crime. He had been in a fight over family inheritance and someone died. Lord Dunboyne said he had the privilege of peerage. This meant he had the right to be tried by other noblemen, not by a regular court. Lord Howth was one of the judges in this trial. Most of the judges, including Lord Howth, found Lord Dunboyne not guilty.
Speaking Up for Ireland
In 1629, Lord Howth joined other nobles to protest against high taxes in Ireland. In 1630, he asked the English Crown to call the Irish Parliament together. When the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford, finally called the Irish Parliament in 1634, Lord Howth was an important member. He served on two key committees.
Fighting Pirates
Lord Howth took his duties as Lord of the Peninsula and Port of Howth very seriously. He spent a lot of time trying to stop piracy, which was a big problem in Ireland during the 1600s. The English Navy gave him a ship called the Ninth Lyon's Whelp. This ship had sixteen guns. It was also used to escort important government officials to and from Ireland. However, the ship wasn't very good at stopping pirates because its crew often argued and sometimes refused to follow orders. The Whelp was wrecked in a river in 1640.
Civil War and Death
When the Irish Rebellion of 1641 began, Lord Howth and other leaders from the Pale (an area around Dublin) met with the government officials. They promised to be loyal to the King. They also complained that Dublin was not ready to defend itself.
Early in the English Civil War, the Irish Royalist leader, the Earl of Ormond, relied a lot on Lord Howth. Howth Castle was even used as Ormond's military headquarters. Lord Howth helped send Ormond's messages to England.
Because of his loyalty to the King, Lord Howth's property suffered greatly. He lost the money from his lands in Tyrone and Monaghan. He complained that his estate was "altogether wasted and burned." The stress of these problems seems to have made him very ill, and he died in December 1643.
Family Life
Nicholas married Jane Montgomery when he was just 18. Jane was the only daughter of George Montgomery, who was the Bishop of Derry. This marriage was not based on love. Jane was very wealthy, and Nicholas's old family name impressed her father. Nicholas's father saw the marriage as a way to solve his own money problems.
Nicholas and Jane seemed to be happy together. However, Jane, like her mother, reportedly did not like living in Ireland. They had seven children:
- Adam and Nicholas, who died when they were young.
- William St Lawrence, 12th Baron Howth, who became the next Baron.
- Susanna (who died in 1664), who married her cousin, Michael St Lawrence. They had a son named Richard.
- Frances, who married her cousin, Sir James Montgomery. He was a famous military leader.
- Elizabeth and Margaret, who never married.
Character
Historians describe the 11th Baron Howth as a quiet, home-loving man. He was fair in religious matters and was highly respected by his neighbors and family.
