William Caulfeild, 2nd Viscount Charlemont facts for kids

William Caulfeild, 2nd Viscount Charlemont PC was an important Irish soldier and nobleman. He was born around 1655 and passed away on July 21, 1726. He held the title of Viscount Charlemont, which was a special noble rank in Ireland.

Early Life and Education

William Caulfeild was the son of William Caulfeild, who was the 1st Viscount Charlemont. His mother was Sarah Moore. William took over his father's title in 1671. He received his education at Trinity College, Dublin, which is a famous university in Ireland.

Supporting William of Orange

William Caulfeild was a strong supporter of William of Orange. This was during a time when William of Orange was fighting against King James II of England to become the King of Britain. Because of his support for William of Orange, King James's Parliament tried to take away William Caulfeild's titles and lands in 1689.

Military Career and Rewards

After William of Orange won, he rewarded William Caulfeild for his loyalty.

• William Caulfeild was put in charge of a group of soldiers called an infantry regiment.
• He was also given important jobs as the `Custos Rotulorum` (which means "Keeper of the Rolls") for County Tyrone and County Armagh. This job involved keeping important records and helping with local government.

After the war, his regiment was temporarily stopped. However, in 1701, he was given command of a new group of soldiers, the 36th Foot Regiment. In 1704, he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General.

Battles in Spain

William Caulfeild led his regiment to Spain. There, he took part in some important battles:

• The Siege of Barcelona in 1705. A siege is when an army surrounds a city to try and capture it.
• The attack on Fort Montjuïc, which was a strong fort near Barcelona.

Even though he was later removed from leading his regiment, he was still promoted in 1707 to Major-General. He was also made the Governor of Counties Armagh and Tyrone.

Family Life

On July 11, 1678, William Caulfeild married Anne Margetson. She was the only daughter of James Margetson, who was the Archbishop of Armagh. William and Anne had a large family with five sons and seven daughters.

Notable Family Members

• His oldest son was named James.
• Another son, Thomas, became an early Lieutenant-Governor of Nova Scotia, a region in Canada.
• One of William Caulfeild's great-granddaughters, Sophia Frances Anne Caulfeild, became a well-known writer, poet, and encyclopedist.

Later Life and Death

In May 1726, William Caulfeild was made a Privy Counsellor. This meant he became a special advisor to the King. However, he passed away in Dublin shortly after this appointment. He was buried in his family's vault in Armagh. His oldest son, James, took over his title as the 3rd Viscount Charlemont.