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Richard Boyle, 2nd Earl of ShannonKP,PC (Ire) (30 January 1727 – 20 May 1807), was anIrish peer andMember of Parliament. He representedDungarvan andCounty Cork, and succeeded his father as Earl of Shannon.[1][2]
He was the elder surviving son ofHenry Boyle, 1st Earl of Shannon, and his second wife, Lady Henrietta Boyle (1700–1746).[2] His maternal grandparents wereCharles Boyle, 2nd Earl of Burlington, and Juliana Noel.[3]
Boyle was educated atTrinity College Dublin.[4] In 1749, he entered theIrish House of Commons, representingDungarvan until 1761. He was then elected forClonakilty as well asCounty Cork and sat for the latter constituency until 1764 when he succeeded his father in the titles.[1][2] According to the "Blackwell Companion to Modern Irish Culture" (1998) by William John McCormack[5] and Patrick Gillan, Richard "did not possess the political talent which had enabled his father to dominate the Irish House of Commons for so long."[6]
He served in thePrivy Council of Ireland from 1763 to 1770. In 1766, Shannon was commissionedMaster-General of the Ordnance of theKingdom of Ireland. He resigned his post in 1770. In 1774, Shannon was again appointed Privy Councilor, serving to 1789. The same year he was appointed Muster-Master-General of the royal military forces in the Kingdom of Ireland. He maintained his position to 1781. That year he became JointVice-Treasurer of Ireland, an office held in commission with other politicians to 1789.[2] In the later office Shannon served underWilliam Cavendish, 5th Duke of Devonshire, the activeLord High Treasurer of Ireland.
In 1783, Shannon was among the Founders of theKnights of St Patrick. In 1786, Shannon was createdBaron Carleton in thePeerage of Great Britain. The title would keep being inherited by later Earls of Shannon.[2] According to the "Blackwell Companion" this was a reward for political services toKing George III. Shannon "remained a force in domestic politics" and supported the governments ofDublin Castle. In other words, Shannon actively supported the continuedBritish rule in Ireland throughout the 1770s and 1780s.[6] At the time theIrish Volunteers, the local Irish militia, played a part in both military and political matters of the island. TheConstitution of 1782 also increased the legislative freedom of the Irish Parliament. British administration relied in part to their continued support.
In 1789, Shannon retired from all his political offices. The "Blackwell Companion" considers this a direct result of theRegency crisis of 1788.[6] In the summer of 1788 the mental health of George III deteriorated, but he was nonetheless able to discharge some of his duties and to declare British Parliamentprorogued from 25 September to 20 November. During the prorogation George III became deranged, posing a threat to his own life, and when Parliament reconvened in November the King could not deliver the customarySpeech from the Throne during theState Opening of Parliament. Parliament found itself in an untenable position; according to long-established law, it could not proceed to any business until the delivery of the King's Speech at a State Opening.[7] The administration ofWilliam Pitt the Younger,Prime Minister of Great Britain, outlined formal plans for installing a Regency. However, their authority to do so was questionable. Shannon "broke with the administration" during the Crisis.[6]
The "Blackwell Companion" notes that he was back in the political fold by the middle of the 1790s, continuing to support the governments of Dublin Castle.[6] In 1793, he was appointed a Privy Councilor for the third and final time. He served to his death in 1807. Also in 1793, Shannon was appointedFirst Lord of the Treasury for the Kingdom of Ireland.[2] The "Companion" notes his strong support of theAct of Union 1800 which created theUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The authors point that the Act would result in "the abolition of his parliamentary base".[6]
His letters to his son, Henry, dating in large part to the 1798 period, were published in 1982.[8]
On 15 December 1763, Richard married Catherine Ponsonby.[1][2] Her parents wereJohn Ponsonby,Speaker of theIrish House of Commons from 1756 to 1771, and his wife Lady Elizabeth Cavendish.[9] Lady Elizabeth was a daughter ofWilliam Cavendish, 3rd Duke of Devonshire, and his wife Catherine Hoskins.[10] Her maternal grandparents were John Hoskins and Catherine Hale.[11]
Richard and Catherine had two children:[2]
| Parliament of Ireland | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forDungarvan 1749–1761 With:Robert Roberts 1749–1758 Robert Boyle-Walsingham 1758–1761 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forCounty Cork 1761–1764 With:Richard Townsend | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forClonakilty 1761 With:Sir Richard Cox, Bt | Succeeded by |
| Peerage of Ireland | ||
| Preceded by | Earl of Shannon 1764–1807 | Succeeded by |
| Viscount Boyle 1764–1807 | ||
| Baron Castle Martyr 1764–1807 | ||
| Peerage of Great Britain | ||
| New creation | Baron Carleton 1786–1807 Member of theHouse of Lords (1786–1807) | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
