My wife's ancestors - Fitzwilliam - Contents

5th Viscount Fitzwilliam

• Sources yet to be consulted:
  • Some baptisms of St. Andrew's Church, Dublin, may be in [TCD] Ms 2062.
  • Memoirs of the Reign of George II, by Lord John Hervey (died 1743), pub 1848, ed. J.W. Croker, new edn 1931 by R. Sedgwick.

  • Letters from William Fitzwilliam (son of 5th Viscount), [BL] Add. MS. 19244, ff.22-45
  • Letters from John Fitzwilliam (son of 5th Viscount) and 6th Viscount, Newcastle papers, [BL] Add. MS. 32889, f.223
  • Correspondence of John, fourth Duke of Bedford, ed. Lord John Russell, vol.2,pp.105,406

  • Letters of Horace Walpole, ed. Peter Cunningham
    • vol.1, pp.301,303
    • vol.2, pp.188,270
    • vol.3, p.292
    • vol.8, p.58
    • vol.9, pp.205,266,323,328

Richard Fitzwilliam, 5th Viscount Fitzwilliam of Merrion (see here and here and here),
of Co.Dublin, born c.1677,
described as "about 17 years old in 1694",
his father was Catholic, and so was he at first,
succ 20th Feb 1704,
mar (settlement 26th Feb 1704) to Frances Shelley [Roman Catholic, born est c.1685, descendant of Fitzwilliam of England and of Edward III],

conformed to established church 1710 so could take part in political life,
took his seat in the Irish House of Lords 1710,
this was before the grand Irish Houses of Parliament were built in 1729, before that the Irish Parliament met at Chichester House on College Green (built before 1605, demolished and replaced with the new Parliament building 1729) and the Blue Coat School (built 1671, demolished and replaced in 1773),

unclear if daughters were bapt Protestant or Catholic before he conformed 1710,
[Burkes Peerage] has a bapt date for eldest dau in 1707, which presumably is only recorded if she was bapt Protestant,
[Complete Peerage] says eldest son bapt Protestant at St. Andrew's Church, Dublin in 1711,
[Ball, vol.2, 1903] says "children" were bapt there, but this cannot be checked since St. Andrew's baptism records were burnt in 1922,
younger sons were bapt Protestant at St. Peter's Church, Dublin in 1712-14,

he abandoned Merrion Castle 1710 [Pearson, 1998],
built new residence, Mount Merrion House, on "Mount Merrion", the hill overlooking Merrion and Dublin Bay, in 1711,
the children grew up Mount Merrion,
[Ball, vol.2, 1903] mentions a large PICTURE preserved in Mount Merrion of the three sons as boys playing in the grounds,
at the time of Queen Anne's death 1714, the Archbishop of Dublin, William King, was staying at Mount Merrion House working on the revision of his book,

became MP for Fowey (a rotten borough) in Jan 1727 [using [NJ] date format, at the time this was regarded as the end of 1726],
moved to England around 1726-27,
became follower of the Prince of Wales (shortly George II), his family became favourites at Court, the Prince succ as George II in June 1727,
The Lodge at Mount Merrion was built c.1727,
they rented Mount Merrion out (see [Ball, vol.2, 1903] for an account of the successive tenants),
Frances separated from her husband c.1730, entered a convent abroad,
the fact that she entered a convent indicates that she stayed Catholic, even as her children were bapt Protestant,
the 5th Viscount was MP for Fowey until 1734,
he lived Thorpe, Surrey,
his eccentric will dated 4 Oct 1742,
died 6th June 1743, at his house, Thorpe, Surrey, age c.66 yrs.

Frances returned from abroad c.1750,
she lived to see her grandson the 10th Earl of Pembroke elope in 1762, and have an illegitimate great-grandchild, Augustus Reebkomp,
outlived her daughter, who died 1769,
she died 11th Nov 1771, Old Burlington St, Mayfair, London (off Regent St, see map), age est c.86 yrs (NOT age 99 yrs),
bur 18th Nov, St.James' church, Piccadilly,
had issue:

1. Mary Fitzwilliam, bapt 8 Sept 1707 [Burkes Peerage],
   maid of honour before 1727 to Caroline, Princess of Wales (shortly the Queen),
   Caroline succ as Queen in June 1727,
   Mary is thought to be described as maid of honour to the Queen in letter of 1731,
   mar 1stly, 28th Aug 1733, to Henry Herbert, 9th Earl of Pembroke and had issue,
   Henry was descendant of Fitzwilliam of England,
   Henry died 1750,

   mar 2ndly, 4th Sept 1751, to North-Ludlow Bernard, Major of Dragoons,
   lived to see her son the 10th Earl elope in 1762, and have an illegitimate grandchild, Augustus Reebkomp,
   she died 13th Feb 1769, age 61 yrs,
   bur Wilton parish church with 9th Earl.

2. Frances Fitzwilliam,
   mar 23 May 1732 to George Evans, 2nd Baron Carbery and had issue,
   ancestors of Barons Carbery until 1807 (when this line died out and title went to cousins).
   See CARBERY in [Burkes Peerage].

1. Richard Fitzwilliam, 6th Viscount Fitzwilliam,
   bapt 24th July 1711, St. Andrew's Church, Dublin [Complete Peerage].

   
   

2. William Fitzwilliam,
   bapt 11 July 1712, St.Peter's church, Dublin [St. Peter's CoI par records],
   or poss. 11th Sept 1712.

   
   

3. John Fitzwilliam,
   bapt 28th Mar 1714 [St. Peter's CoI par records],
   became Lieutenant-general,
   MP for Windsor 1754-68.

Herman Moll's map of Dublin, 1714.
NAI is wrong to say this is John Speed, 1610.

Tapestry of King William at the Boyne (commissioned 1728).
House of Lords chamber of the Irish Houses of Parliament (which opened 1729).
Photo 2007. See larger and full size.
From Aapo Haapanen. See terms of use.
See more pictures.

 

The eccentric will of the 5th Viscount in 1742.
From The Mirror of literature, amusement, and instruction, Volume 28, 1836, no.798, 1 Oct 1836, p.223.

St.James' church, Piccadilly.
Burial place of Frances Shelley in 1771.
Engraving 1814. From here.
See images and modern satellite view.

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Children

The 6th Viscount was bapt 1711 at St. Andrew's Church, Dublin.
(It is possible that Mary Fitzwilliam was bapt here too in 1707.)
This was the old St. Andrew's church, where St. Andrew St meets Suffolk St, built 1670, called "The Round Church".
The above is it on 1829 to 1842 map.
It burnt down 1860, replaced by a new church on same site. See 1887 to 1913 map.
The new church is now a tourist office.

The younger children were bapt 1712-14 at St. Peter's Church, Aungier St, Dublin.
This was built 1685.
The above is it on 1829 to 1842 map.
It was totally re-built 1867. See 1887 to 1913 map.
It was demolished 1982 and is now totally gone.

 
   
The maids of honour to Queen Caroline are described by Lady Hervey (Mary Lepell) in a letter from Ickworth, 10 July 1731.
She describes them in allegory as like volumes in a library.
The fourth volume, "The Lady's Guide, or the Whole Art of Dress", is thought to refer to the unmarried Mary Fitzwilliam.
From Letters to and from Henrietta, countess of Suffolk, and her second husband, the Hon. George Berkeley: from 1712 to 1767, Volume 2, 1824.
It is fascinating that in the 1760s Kitty Hunter would have affairs and illegitimate sons with both Lady Hervey's son and Mary Fitzwilliam's son.

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• An anonymous anti-British writer called "Fear Cualann" writes an [Angry article against the Fitzwilliams in 1925] in the Catholic Bulletin.
  • He condemns their history as being based on oppression of the Catholic Irish, and he celebrates the demise of their estate.
  • He is particularly angry about the 5th Viscount becoming Protestant: "The pervert Viscount had his children baptised Protestants, in St Andrew's Church, Dublin. ... His wife, who was a staunch convert, dealt properly with him. She left him, entered a French Convent and lived there till the recreant husband went before his Creator and Judge. ... The pervert Irish peer was the builder of Mount Merrion House, or Castle. ... The pervert who built it deserted it, and went to live in England. Within a generation the male line died out; it ended up with three imbeciles. The title vanished: the property passed to an English Earl who married one of the Protestantised daughters of the pervert of 1710."