Sir Walter Coppinger facts for kids
Sir Walter Coppinger (died 1639) was an important person from County Cork, Ireland. He was part of the Irish nobility, which means he came from a powerful family. Sir Walter worked as a judge (called a magistrate) in Cork city. He was also a lawyer and owned a lot of land. His family was one of the most well-known in Cork. Even though his family was of Hiberno-Norse background (meaning they came from Vikings who settled in Ireland), he did not like the English people settling in Cork. He was known for being very determined and tough in his dealings.
Sir Walter Coppinger was the oldest son of James Coppinger. His great-grandfather, Stephen Coppinger, was the first person to represent Cork city in the Parliament of Ireland in 1560. Stephen was also the Mayor of Cork twice. Sir Walter worked as a moneylender. This meant he lent money to people. If people could not pay him back, he would take their land or property. Because of this, he gained a lot of land. This made him quite unpopular, and people in Cork still remember him for this today.
Contents
Sir Walter's Land and Legal Fights
Sir Walter Coppinger was involved in many land deals and legal battles. He often tried to gain more land and property.
Taking Over Cloghan Castle
In 1594, Sir Walter bought the rights to a manor and castle called Cloghan. This was near Carbery, in County Cork. He bought it from two brothers, Charles and Donogho McCormucke McTeige McCartye. Years later, Charles said that the deal was not fair. He tried to get the court to say that it was only a loan, not a sale. But in 1633, the court decided that the land and castle truly belonged to Sir Walter.
Cork City's Wine Mortgage
In 1609, the Mayor of Cork city needed money to pay debts. So, the Mayor used the city's future wine earnings as a loan. This meant that a part of all wines coming into the city would go to the lenders. This loan would continue until the Mayor paid back £125. Sir Walter Coppinger was one of the people who helped with this loan. In October of the same year, Sir Walter was given an important job. He became the Serjeant of the Mace. This person helps keep order in official meetings.
Conflict Over Baltimore Town
Sir Fineen O'Driscoll was a local lord in Cork. He was loyal to the English government. He was even knighted in 1587 for helping capture Spanish ships. Sir Walter's younger brother, Richard Coppinger, was married to Sir Fineen's daughter, Eileen.
In 1600, Sir Fineen allowed English settlers, called "planters," to come to his lands. He gave Sir Thomas Crooke the right to start a new town called Baltimore. This town grew very quickly. However, Sir Walter did not like this settlement at all. He was a strong Roman Catholic and had his own ideas for developing West Cork. Sir Walter caused problems for the settlers by making legal claims to their lands.
In 1610, they reached an agreement. Crooke, Coppinger, and O'Driscoll agreed to let the settlers lease Baltimore for 21 years.
Court Cases About Baltimore
In 1616, Crooke and the settlers took Sir Walter to court. They went to the Court of Castle Chamber, which was like a high court in Ireland. They said Sir Walter had done many aggressive things against them. The court found Sir Walter guilty of one charge of causing a disturbance (a riot). But he was found innocent of the other charges. This court was not always very effective, so this decision did not change much.
In 1618, Crooke felt he could not get fair treatment in the Irish courts. So, he asked the Privy Council in London for help. This was a group of advisors to the King. Crooke asked them to protect the settlers from Coppinger's "greedy desire to take their lands." He said Coppinger used both "violent disturbances" and false claims to their land titles.
No clear decision was made at that time. Crooke asked the new King, King Charles I, again in 1626. The King saw that the Irish court was divided on the issue. So, he ordered a hearing in the Star Chamber, another high court in England. The case was still going on when Crooke died in 1630. It seems the authorities did not want to decide for either Coppinger or the settlers. After Crooke died, Sir Walter Coppinger gained control of Baltimore.
Taking Ballincollig Castle
In 1618, a family called the Barrets borrowed £240 from Edmond Coppinger. They used Ballincollig Castle as a guarantee for the loan. The loan was later given to Sir Walter. In 1630, Sir Walter paid an extra £790 and took ownership of the castle and its lands. Later, in 1644, the castle was taken by Cromwell's forces. After 1690, the castle was not used and slowly fell apart.
Mayor of Cork Election
In 1630, Sir Walter Coppinger was one of three people chosen to run for Mayor of Cork. The other two were Sir William Sarsfield and Sir Randall Clayton. However, none of them won the election.
