Viscount Taaffe

Last updated

The Taaffe family arms Taffearms.jpg
The Taaffe family arms

The title Viscount Taaffe, of Corren, was created in the Peerage of Ireland in 1628, together with the subsidiary title Baron Ballymote. From 1661 to 1738, the Viscounts Taaffe were also the Earls of Carlingford.

Contents

From the 18th century onwards, the holders of these titles mainly lived in the Holy Roman Empire and subsequently in the Austrian Empire, where they also held the title of Graf Taaffe (German: Count Taaffe), the continental equivalent of an Earl. In 1919, as a consequence of siding with the enemies of Britain in World War I, the viscountcy was one of only three primary titles (together with the royal dukedoms of Albany and Cumberland) to be forfeit under the Titles Deprivation Act 1917. Also in 1919, the family's Holy Roman Empire title was no longer recognised by the new Austrian Republic, along with all other Austrian noble titles. In any case, with the death of the 12th Viscount's heir in 1967, all these titles, and any claims to them, are now extinct.

History

Taaffe's Castle and Carlingford Harbour Carlingford Lough and Mourne Mountains in background Taaffe's Castle and Carlingford Harbour - geograph.org.uk - 986404.jpg
Taaffe's Castle and Carlingford Harbour Carlingford Lough and Mourne Mountains in background

The Taaffes in Great Britain & Ireland

From the 13th century, the Taaffes had been one of the leading families in the north of Ireland. [1] Legend suggests that the whole Taaffe family moved from Wales (Britain) to Ireland around 1196; in Britain, they lived in the area currently known as Taff Vale. According to official Irish records, in 1320, William Taaffe had his seat at Smarmore Castle . Another branch of the family, which died out in about 1400, was based at Liscarton Castle in County Meath.

In 1628, Sir John Taaffe was raised to the Peerage of Ireland as Viscount Taaffe, of Corren, and Baron Ballymote. He left fifteen children, of whom the eldest, Theobald, who succeeded him as 2nd Viscount Taaffe, took a prominent part in the English Civil War and on the Restoration was created Earl of Carlingford . The 1st Earl was succeeded by his second son Nicholas, who had served in the Anglo-Spanish War, as 2nd Earl. [1] He was killed at the 1690 Battle of the Boyne fighting for the former King James II of England against William III of Orange, when his title was attainted and his estates forfeited. Another son Fr. James Taaffe O.F.M., a Franciscan priest and teacher, served as papal nuncio to Ireland, chaplain to the exiled queen mother Henrietta Maria, in Paris. [2]

The Taaffes in continental Europe

The 2nd Earl's younger brother, Francis, studied at the University of Olomouc (Olmütz) in the Imperial Margraviate of Moravia, and served at the court of Emperor Ferdinand III as well as under Duke Charles IV of Lorraine, whose most intimate friend he became. He rose to be a Field Marshal in the Habsburg Army, having greatly distinguished himself at the 1683 Battle of Vienna and in the other Turkish campaigns, and was a member of the Order of the Golden Fleece. He was sent on many important diplomatic missions, and at the end of his life was Chancellor and Chief Minister to the Duke of Lorraine. Despite the Jacobite connections of his family, Francis Taaffe was confirmed as 3rd Earl of Carlingford by King William III, and the attainder and forfeiture of the estates incurred by his elder brother was repealed. This favour he owed to his position at the court of the Holy Roman Emperor, William's most important ally in the Grand Alliance. [1]

On the 3rd Earl's death, his titles and estates went to his nephew Theobald, who succeeded as 4th Earl. His father had fallen during the 1689 Siege of Derry, and he had himself served with distinction in the Habsburg Army. [1]

On the 4th Earl's death in 1738, the Earldom of Carlingford became extinct; both the Imperial and Irish estates as well as the viscountcy of Taaffe went to a cousin, Nicholas, who succeeded as 6th Viscount while his Irish estates were claimed under the Act of 1703 by a Protestant heir, leading to a lengthy lawsuit. Like so many of his family, Nicholas Taaffe had been brought up in Lorraine, was Chancellor of Duke Leopold and joined the Habsburg Army; he fought in the Silesian Wars against Prussia. After years of fighting for his Irish estates, the case was ended by a compromise embodied in a private Act of Parliament, by which the estates were sold and one-third of the value given to Nicholas Taaffe. With the money he acquired the castle of Ellischau (Nalžovy) in Bohemia; he had also inherited other property in the Habsburg dominions. He was naturalised in Bohemia, and left on record that the reason for this step was that he did not wish his descendants to be exposed to the temptation of becoming Protestants so as to avoid the operation of the Penal Laws. [1] Nicholas Taaffe had a distinguished career in the Habsburg Army; he eventually rose to the rank of a Field Marshal, and was created Graf von Taaffe (Count of Taaffe) by Empress Maria Theresa. The Taaffe family thus held titles of nobility from different countries, governed by different rules. While the Irish titles descended according to strict primogeniture, the title of Count was under Austrian and Holy Roman Empire law and applied equally to all male-line descendants of the original grantee in perpetuity; male family members were thus styled Graf, female family members were styled Gräfin.

With the Taaffes now living mainly in the lands of the Habsburgs, a Committee of Privileges of the House of Lords in 1860 recognized the right of the family to hold the Irish title. [1]

Eduard Graf Taaffe, 11th Viscount Taaffe had a distinguished political career in the service of the Habsburgs and served for two terms as Minister-President of Austria under Emperor Francis Joseph I, leading cabinets from 1868 to 1870 and 1879 to 1893. Upon his death in 1895, his peerages passed to Heinrich Graf Taaffe, 12th Viscount Taaffe.

Loss of both titles

In World War I, Heinrich Graf Taaffe, 12th Viscount Taaffe and his family remained loyal to the Austrian monarch. Thus in 1919, the 12th Viscount was deprived of the viscountcy following the enactment of the Titles Deprivation Act 1917. Under the provisions of the Act, his heirs and successors were entitled to petition the British Crown for restoration of the title. However, on the death of his last male-line descendant Richard in 1967 no eligible heirs came forward and the title became extinct.

Independent of the legal situation in Britain, the monarchy was abolished in Austria on 12 November 1918, and on 28 April 1919 the newly established Republic of German-Austria under a coalition of the Social Democratic and Christian Social parties abolished all noble titles for Austrians through the Adelsaufhebungsgesetz, a law which still remains in effect. This meant that Heinrich Graf Taaffe was no longer recognised as such by the Austrian State, although in society circles and private newspapers, he still appeared as Count.

Peerages

Each person listed is the son of his predecessor, unless otherwise noted.

Viscounts Taaffe (1628)

Successor to the claim

Viscounts Taaffe and Grafs Taaffe

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Viscount Cobham</span> Viscountcy in the Peerage of Great Britain

Viscount Cobham is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain that was created in 1718. Owing to its special remainder, the title has passed through several families. Since 1889, it has been held by members of the Lyttelton family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Earl of Donoughmore</span> Title in the peerage of Ireland

Earl of Donoughmore is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It is associated with the Hely-Hutchinson family. Paternally of Gaelic Irish descent with the original name of Ó hÉalaighthe, their ancestors had long lived in the County Cork area as allies of the Mac Cárthaigh clan; they lost out during the times of Oliver Cromwell. One branch of the family converted to the Anglican Church and after inheriting territories through his mother and adding "Hutchinson" to Hely, became the Earl of Donoughmore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Viscount Valentia</span> Title in the peerage of Ireland

Viscount Valentia is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It has been created twice. The first creation came in 1621 for Henry Power. A year later, his kinsman Sir Francis Annesley, 1st Baronet, was given a "reversionary grant" of the viscountcy, which stated that on Power's death Annesley would be created Viscount Valentia. Annesley, a member of an influential Anglo-Irish family which descended from Newport Pagnell in the County of Buckinghamshire, was a favourite of James I, who granted him land in Ireland, notably the fort of Mountnorris in County Armagh. He was knighted in 1616, created a baronet, of Newport Pagnell in the County of Buckingham, in the Baronetage of Ireland in 1620 and Baron Mountnorris, of Mountnorris in the County of Armagh, in 1628.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Titles Deprivation Act 1917</span> United Kingdom legislation

The Titles Deprivation Act 1917 is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom which authorised enemies of the United Kingdom during the First World War to be deprived of their British peerages and royal titles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Taaffe, 12th Viscount Taaffe</span> Austrian landowner (1872–1928)

Heinrich Graf von Taaffe, 12th Viscount Taaffe was an Austrian landowner who until 1919 held hereditary titles from two different countries: he was a Count (Graf) in the nobility of Austria and a viscount in the Peerage of Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Earl of Clanricarde</span> Title in the Peerage of Ireland

Earl of Clanricarde is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of Ireland, first in 1543 and again in 1800. The former creation became extinct in 1916 while the 1800 creation is extant and held by the Marquess of Sligo since 1916.

Feldmarschall Nicholas Taaffe, Graf von Taaffe, 6th Viscount Taaffe and 6th Baron of Ballymote, was an Irish-born courtier and soldier who served the Habsburgs in Lorraine and Austria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ballymote</span> Town in County Sligo, Connacht, Ireland

Ballymote is a market town in southern County Sligo, Ireland. It is around 20 km south of Sligo town in the province of Connacht, which is in the north-west of Ireland. Ballymote lies in the barony of Corran. It is a commuter town with a strong history of independent enterprises along with firm local health, school, and transport services. Ballymote is on the main Dublin to Sligo Train Line, and 10 minutes from the N4 / N17 roads. The town serves a large hinterland area in south east County Sligo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eduard Taaffe, 11th Viscount Taaffe</span> Austrian statesman (1833–1895)

Eduard Franz Joseph Graf von Taaffe, 11th Viscount Taaffe was an Austrian statesman, who served for two terms as Minister-President of Cisleithania, leading cabinets from 1868 to 1870 and 1879 to 1893. He was a scion of the Irish Taaffe noble dynasty, who held hereditary titles from two countries: Imperial Counts (Reichsgrafen) of the Holy Roman Empire and viscounts in the Peerage of Ireland.

Taaffe can refer to:

The title of Earl of Carlingford was created in the Peerage of Ireland for Theobald Taaffe. The Earl bore the subsidiary titles Viscount Taaffe and Baron of Ballymote (1628).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Dillon, 4th Viscount Dillon</span> Irish viscount (1615–1673)

Thomas Dillon, 4th Viscount DillonPC (Ire) (1615–1673) held his title for 42 years that saw Strafford's administration, the Irish Rebellion of 1641, the Irish Confederate Wars and the Cromwellian Conquest of Ireland. He was a royalist and supported Strafford and Ormond. He sided with the Confederates for a while but was a moderate who opposed Rinuccini, the papal nuncio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Theobald Dillon, 1st Viscount Dillon</span> Irish viscount (died 1624)

Theobald Dillon, 1st Viscount Dillon, was an Irish military commander and adventurer. He held extensive lands in eastern Connacht and north-western Leinster, some acquired by sharp practices. He was a loyal supporter of Elizabeth I of England in her Irish wars.

Theobald Taaffe, 1st Earl of Carlingford, known as 2nd Viscount Taaffe, of Corren and 2nd Baron of Ballymote between 1642 and 1661, was an Irish Royalist officer who played a prominent part in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. Following the outbreak of the Irish Rebellion of 1641, the Catholic Taaffe remained loyal to the authorities in Dublin. He later joined the Irish Confederates, and was awarded command of the Munster Army. Taaffe was a supporter of the moderate faction, and strongly supported an alliance between the Confederates and Irish Royalists. After the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland, Taaffe accompanied Charles II in exile. Following the Restoration, he was created 1st Earl of Carlingford.

Christopher Plunket, 2nd Earl of Fingall and 11th Baron Killeen was an Irish politician and soldier. In 1641 he negotiated with the rebels on behalf of the Old English of the Pale and pushed them to join the rebellion. He fought for the rebels at the siege of Drogheda. He joined the Confederates and fought in their Leinster army, notably at Dungan's Hill. When the Confederates fused into the Royalist Alliance, he fought under James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormond in the Battle of Rathmines where he was wounded and taken prisoner. He died of his wounds two weeks later in captivity at Dublin Castle.

Francis Taaffe, 3rd Earl of Carlingford, was 4th Viscount Taaffe, of Corren, and 4th Baron of Ballymote and an army commander and politician of Irish descent in the service of Emperor Ferdinand III in the Austrian capital Vienna and later of Duke Charles IV of Lorraine in Nancy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Butler dynasty</span> Noble family of Ireland

Butler is the name of a noble family whose members were, for several centuries, prominent in the administration of the Lordship of Ireland and the Kingdom of Ireland. They rose to their highest prominence as Dukes of Ormonde. The family has produced multiple titles such as Baron Cahir, Baron Dunboyne, Viscount Ikerrin, Viscount Galmoye, Viscount Mountgarret, Viscount Thurles, Earl of Carrick, Earl of Kilkenny, Earl of Ormond, Earl of Ossory, Marquess of Ormonde and Duke of Ormonde. Variant spellings of the name include le Boteler and le Botiller. The Butlers were descendants of Anglo-Norman lords who participated in the Norman invasion of Ireland in the 12th century. The surname has its origins in the hereditary office of "Butler (cup-bearer) of Ireland", originating with Theobald Walter, 1st Chief Butler of Ireland. The arms of later family members depicted three cups in recognition of their original office.

Edward Charles Richard Taaffe (1898–1967), known as Richard, was an Irish gemmologist who found the first cut and polished taaffeite in November 1945.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corran (barony)</span> Barony in County Sligo, Ireland

Corran is a historic barony in south County Sligo in Ireland. It corresponds to the ancient túath of Corann.

Luke Plunket, 3rd Earl of Fingall (1639–1684) was an Irish soldier and politician. He was one of the signatories of the Catholic Remonstrance of 1661.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Wikisource-logo.svg One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain :  Headlam, James Wycliffe (1911). "Taaffe, Eduard Franz Joseph von, Count". In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica . Vol. 26 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 321–322.
  2. James Taaffe by Terry Clavin, Dictionary of Irish Biography.

Bibliography

Further reading