Thomas Southwell, 2nd Baron Southwell

Last updated March 07, 2019

Thomas Southwell, 2nd Baron Southwell PC (Ire), FRS (7 January 1698 – 19 November 1766),^[1] styled The Honourable from 1717 until 1720, was an Irish peer, politician and freemason.

The Privy Council of Ireland was an institution of the Kingdom of Ireland until 31 December 1800 and of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 1801 to 1922. It performed a similar role in the Dublin Castle administration in Ireland to that of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom in the government of the United Kingdom.

The President, Council and Fellows of the Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, commonly known as the Royal Society, is a learned society. Founded on 28 November 1660, it was granted a royal charter by King Charles II as "The Royal Society". It is the oldest national scientific institution in the world. The society is the United Kingdom's and Commonwealth of Nations' Academy of Sciences and fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, recognising excellence in science, supporting outstanding science, providing scientific advice for policy, fostering international and global co-operation, education and public engagement.

Background

He was the oldest son of Thomas Southwell, 1st Baron Southwell and his wife Lady Meliora Coningsby, eldest daughter of Thomas Coningsby, 1st Earl Coningsby.^[2] His uncles were William Southwell and Richard Southwell, his younger brother was Henry Southwell.^[3] In 1743, Southwell became Grandmaster of the Grand Lodge of Ireland, a position he held until the following year.^[4]

Thomas Southwell, 1st Baron Southwell PC (Ire), known as Sir Thomas Southwell, 2nd Baronet from 1681 to 1717, was an Irish peer and politician.

Thomas Coningsby, 1st Earl Coningsby PC of Hampton Court Castle, Herefordshire was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times from 1679 until 1716 when he was created a peer and sat in the House of Lords

William Southwell was an Irish politician and British Army officer.

Career

In 1717, Southwell entered the Irish House of Commons for Limerick County, the same constituency his father had represented before,^[1] and sat for it until 1720, when he succeeded him also as baron.^[5] In 1726, Southwell was sworn of the Privy Council of Ireland.^[6] He became a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1735^[7] and was Governor of County Limerick until his resignation in 1762.^[8]

The Irish House of Commons was the lower house of the Parliament of Ireland that existed from 1297 until 1800. The upper house was the House of Lords. The membership of the House of Commons was directly elected, but on a highly restrictive franchise, similar to the Unreformed House of Commons in contemporary England and Great Britain. In counties, forty-shilling freeholders were enfranchised whilst in most boroughs it was either only the members of self-electing corporations or a highly-restricted body of freemen that were able to vote for the borough's representatives. Most notably, Catholics were disqualified from sitting in the Irish parliament from 1691, even though they comprised the vast majority of the Irish population. From 1728 until 1793 they were also disfranchised. Most of the population of all religions had no vote. The vast majority of parliamentary boroughs were pocket boroughs, the private property of an aristocratic patron. When these boroughs were disfranchised under the Act of Union, the patron was awarded £15,000 compensation for each.

Limerick County was a constituency represented in the Irish House of Commons until 1800.

Fellowship of the Royal Society is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of London judges to have made a 'substantial contribution to the improvement of natural knowledge, including mathematics, engineering science and medical science'.

Family

In March 1719, he married Mary Coke, eldest daughter of Thomas Coke, and by her he had three sons.^[8] Southwell died at Craig's Court, Charing Cross, aged 68 and was succeeded in his titles by his eldest surviving son Thomas.^[8] His younger brother, Edmund Southwell, "lived in intimacy with"^[9] Samuel Johnson for many years, and was the first to introduce the great Shakespearean scholar Edmond Malone to him.^[9]

Charing Cross is a junction in London, England, where six routes meet. Clockwise from north these are: the east side of Trafalgar Square leading to St Martin's Place and then Charing Cross Road; the Strand; Northumberland Avenue; Whitehall; The Mall leading to Admiralty Arch and Buckingham Palace; and two short roads leading to Pall Mall.

Thomas George Southwell, 1st Viscount Southwell, styled The Honourable from birth until 1766, was an Irish politician and freemason.

Samuel Johnson, often referred to as Dr. Johnson, was an English writer who made lasting contributions to English literature as a poet, playwright, essayist, moralist, literary critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer. He was a devout Anglican and a generous philanthropist. Politically, he was a committed Tory. The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography describes Johnson as "arguably the most distinguished man of letters in English history". He is the subject of James Boswell's The Life of Samuel Johnson, described by Walter Jackson Bate as "the most famous single work of biographical art in the whole of literature".

Related Research Articles

Earl of Kingston is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1768 for Edward King, 1st Viscount Kingston. The Earl holds the subsidiary titles Baron Kingston, of Rockingham in the County of Roscommon, Viscount Kingston, of Kingsborough in the County of Sligo, Baron Erris, of Boyle in the County of Roscommon, and Viscount Lorton, of Boyle in the County of Roscommon, also in the Peerage of Ireland. He is also a baronet in the Baronetage of Ireland. Between 1821 and 1869 the earls also held the title Baron Kingston, of Mitchelstown in the County of Cork, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.

Earl of Limerick is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of Ireland, associated first with the Dongan family, then with the Pery family.

Viscount Southwell, of Castle Mattress in the County of Limerick, is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1776 for Thomas Southwell, 3rd Baron Southwell. The Southwell family descends from Thomas Southwell. In 1662 he was created a Baronet, of Castle Mattress in the County of Limerick, in the Baronetage of Ireland. He was succeeded by his son, the second Baronet. He represented Limerick County in the Irish Parliament. In 1717 he was created Baron Southwell, of Castle Mattress, in the County of Limerick, in the Peerage of Ireland. His grandson was the aforementioned third Baron, who was elevated to a viscountcy in 1776. Before succeeded in the barony he had represented Enniscorthy in the Irish House of Commons. His great-grandson, the fourth Viscount, served as Lord Lieutenant of County Leitrim between 1872 and 1878. As of 2010 the titles are held by his great-grandson, the seventh Viscount, who succeeded his uncle in 1960.

Viscount Langford, of Longford Lodge, was a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created on 19 February 1766 for Elizabeth Rowley. She was made Baroness of Summerhill at the same time, also in the Peerage of Ireland. She was the wife of Hercules Langford Rowley, a member of the Irish Privy Council, grandson of Sir John Rowley and Mary, daughter of Sir Hercules Langford, 1st Baronet. She was succeeded by her son, the second Viscount. He represented County Antrim and Downpatrick in the Irish Parliament. The title became extinct in 1796 on the death of the second Viscount. The Rowley estates were inherited by Clotworthy Taylor, fourth son of Thomas Taylor, 1st Earl of Bective by his wife Jane, daughter of Hercules Langford Rowley and the Viscountess Langford. He assumed by Royal licence the surname of Rowley in 1796 and in 1800 the Langford title was revived when he was raised to the Peerage of Ireland as Baron Langford. This title is still extant.

Thomas Taylour, 1st Earl of Bective KP, PC (Ire) was an Irish peer and politician.

The Pigot Baronetcy, of Patshull Hall in the County of Stafford, is a title in the Baronetage of Great Britain. It was created on 5 December 1764 for the politician and colonial administrator George Pigot, with remainder to his brothers General Robert Pigot and Admiral Hugh Pigot, and remains extant. On 19 January 1766 Pigot was further honoured when he was raised to the Peerage of Ireland as Baron Pigot, with normal remainder to the heirs male of his body. Lord Pigot was unmarried and on his death in 1777 the barony became extinct. He was succeeded in the baronetcy according to the special remainder by his brother, Robert, the second Baronet. He was a distinguished soldier.

William Flower, 1st Baron Castle Durrow PC (Ire) was an Anglo-Irish peer and politician.

Bowen Southwell was an Irish politician.

Richard Southwell was an Irish politician.

Henry Southwell, styled The Honourable from 1717, was an Irish politician and soldier.

Thomas Arthur Southwell, 2nd Viscount Southwell, styled The Honourable from 1766 until 1780, was an Irish peer and politician.

Marcus Beresford, 1st Earl of Tyrone, known as Sir Marcus Beresford, 4th Baronet, until 1720 and subsequently as The Viscount Tyrone until 1746, was an Irish peer, freemason and politician.

The Custos Rotulorum of County Limerick was the highest civil officer in County Limerick. The position was later combined with that of Lord Lieutenant of Limerick.

Edward King, 1st Earl of Kingston PC (I) was an Anglo-Irish politician and peer.

References

Notes

Sources

Boswell, James (1824). The life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D. London: G. Cowie.
Burke, John (1832). A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Peerage and Baronetage of the British Empire. II (4th ed.). London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley.
Johnston-Liik, Edith Mary (2006). MPs in Dublin: Companion to History of the Irish Parliament 1692–1800. Ulster Historical Foundation. ISBN 1-903688-60-4.
Lodge, Edmund (1838). The Genealogy of the Existing British Peerage (6th ed.). London: Saunder and Otley.
Lodge, John (1789). Archdall, Mervyn, ed. The Peerage of Ireland or A Genealogical History of the Present Nobility of that Kingdom. VI. Dublin: James Moore.
Lundy, Darrel (24 November 2009). "Thomas Southwell, 2nd Baron Southwell of Castle Mattress". thePeerage.com. Retrieved 8 January 2011. ^{[ unreliable source ]}
Rayment, Leigh (23 January 2010). "Privy Council of Ireland". Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page. Retrieved 8 January 2011. ^{[ unreliable source ]}
The Royal Society (2009). "Southwell; Thomas (1698–1766); 2nd Baron Southwell". Library and Archive catalogue. The Royal Society . Retrieved 8 January 2011.
Waite, Arthur Edward (2007). A New Encyclopedia of Freemasonry. I. Cosimo. ISBN 1-60206-641-8.

James Boswell, 9th Laird of Auchinleck, was a Scottish biographer and diarist, born in Edinburgh. He is best known for the biography he wrote of his friend and contemporary, the English literary figure Samuel Johnson, which is commonly said to be the greatest biography written in the English language.

International Standard Book Number Unique numeric book identifier

The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a numeric commercial book identifier which is intended to be unique. Publishers purchase ISBNs from an affiliate of the International ISBN Agency.

Parliament of Ireland
Preceded by Sir Thomas Southwell, 2nd Bt Robert Oliver	Member of Parliament for Limerick County 1717–1720 With: Robert Oliver	Succeeded by Eyre Evans Robert Oliver
Masonic offices
Preceded by The Lord Moore of Tullamore	Grandmaster of the Grand Lodge of Ireland 1743–1744	Succeeded by The Viscount Allen
Peerage of Ireland
Preceded by Thomas Southwell	Baron Southwell 1720–1766	Succeeded by Thomas Southwell

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[FOOTNOTEJohnston-Liik2006123-1] 1 2 Johnston-Liik 2006, p. 123.

[FOOTNOTEBurke1832465-2] Burke 1832, p. 465.

[FOOTNOTELundy2009-3] Lundy 2009.

[FOOTNOTEWaite2007400-4] Waite 2007, p. 400.

[FOOTNOTELodge1838462-5] Lodge 1838, p. 462.

[FOOTNOTERayment2010-6] Rayment 2010.

[FOOTNOTEThe_Royal_Society2009-7] The Royal Society 2009.

[FOOTNOTELodge178926-8] 1 2 3 Lodge 1789, p. 26.

[FOOTNOTEBoswell1824421–23-9] 1 2 Boswell 1824, pp. 421–23.