Rose MacDonnell, Marchioness of Antrim facts for kids
Rose MacDonnell, Marchioness of Antrim (1631–1695), was an important Irish noblewoman from the 1600s. She was born Rose O'Neill. Her family, the O'Neills, were a famous Irish family. Rose's father was Sir Henry O'Neill. Her mother, Martha Stafford, came from an English family.
Most of the O'Neill family were Catholic. But Rose was raised as a Protestant. This was unusual for her family. She had three brothers and one sister. Sadly, her siblings were unable to inherit their father's property. So, when her father died in 1638, Rose inherited his home, Shane's Castle, and his lands in County Antrim.
Her Marriage to a Marquess
Rose married Randal MacDonnell, Marquess of Antrim. This happened around 1652 or 1653. Randal's first wife had passed away in 1649.
Randal was a very wealthy and powerful landowner in Ireland. But he spent a lot of money and owed a lot of debt. Ireland was also going through very difficult times back then.
Helping Her Husband
Randal tried to stay neutral during the big changes in Ireland. He tried to help different groups talk to each other. After a major conflict, Randal faced problems.
Rose was a Protestant and brought her own lands to the marriage. This helped Randal gain trust with the new leaders in Ireland.
Clearing His Name
After the king returned to power in England, Randal was held in a famous prison. But he was later found innocent. He got his lands back, even though some people thought he had worked with the previous leaders.
Rose worked very hard to help her husband. She used her own lands to get money for his legal costs. She also wrote many letters to King Charles II. She asked the king and other important people to help Randal.
Later Life and Legacy
Randal, her husband, passed away in 1683. They did not have any children together. So, Randal's younger brother, Alexander, became the next Marquess.
Rose MacDonnell died on April 27, 1695. She left her property to her first cousin. Rose was buried with her parents in Carrickfergus.
