Charles MacCarty, Viscount Muskerry

Charles MacCarty, Viscount Muskerry (1633 or 1634 – 1665), called Cormac in Irish, commanded a royalist batallion at the Battle of the Dunes during the interregnum. He was heir apparent to Donough MacCarty, 1st Earl of Clancarty but was killed at the age of 31 in the Battle of Lowestoft, a sea-fight against the Dutch, during the Second Anglo-Dutch War, and thus never succeeded to the earldom.

Charles MacCarty
Viscount Muskerry (courtesy title)
Born	1633 or 1634
Died	3 June 1665
Spouse(s)	Margaret Bourke
Detail Issue Frances & Charles
Father	Donough, 1st Earl of Clancarty
Mother	Eleanor Butler

Birth and origins

Cormac (Charles) was born in 1633 or 1634,[lower-alpha 1] probably at Macroom Castle, County Cork, Ireland, his parents' habitual residence. He was the eldest son of Donough MacCarty and his wife Eleanor (or Ellen) Butler. He is also known as Cormac[3][4][5] and this seems to have been his original name whereas Charles seems to be a later English or French adaptation. At the time of his birth, his father was the Viscount Muskerry, but he would later become the Earl of Clancarty. His father belonged to the MacCarthy of Muskerry dynasty, a Gaelic Irish family that descended from the kings of Desmond.[6] Charles's mother (1612–1682)[7] was the eldest sister of James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormond.[8] Her family, the Butler dynasty, was Old English and descended from Theobald Walter, who had been appointed Chief Butler of Ireland by King Henry II in 1177.[9] Charles's parents were both Catholic.

Family tree

Charles (Cormac) MacCarty with wife, parents, and other selected relatives. Charles 1st Viscount Muskerry d. 1641 Margaret O'Brien Thomas Butler Viscount Thurles d. 1619 Elizabeth Pointz Donough 1st Earl 1594–1665 Eleanor Butler 1612–1682 James Butler 1st Duke Ormond 1610–1688 Helen d. 1722 Charles Viscount Muskerry c. 1633 – 1665 d.v.p.* Margaret Bourke d. 1698 Justin Viscount Mount- cashel c. 1643 – 1694 Margaret d. 1703 Callaghan 3rd Earl c. 1638 – 1676 Elizabeth Fitz- Gerald d. 1698 Charles 2nd Earl 1663–1666 Donough 4th Earl 1668–1734 Legend XXX Charles MacCarty XXX Duke of Ormond XXX Earls of Clancarty *d.v.p. = predeceased his father (decessit vita patris) Also see the lists of siblings and children in the text.

Charles (Cormac) listed among his brothers
He was the eldest of three brothers: Charles, also known as Cormac (1633 or 1634 – 1665) Callaghan (c. 1638 – 1676), succeeded his brother's son as the 3rd Earl of Clancarty[10] Justin (c. 1643 – 1694), fought for the Jacobites and became Viscount Mountcashel[11][12]

Charles's (Cormac's) sisters
Helen (died 1722), married 1st John FitzGerald of Dromana and 2ndly the 7th Earl of Clanricarde[13] Margaret (died 1703), married Luke Plunket, 3rd Earl of Fingal[14]

Childhood

At the time of his birth, Ireland was in a period of peace between the end of Tyrone's Rebellion (1593–1603) and the Irish Rebellion of 1641. His father, after some hesitation, joined the Confederates in March 1642[15] and was appointed commander of the Confederate Munster army. In October 1645 Giovanni Battista Rinuccini, the papal nuncio visited Macroom Castle where he was living.[16]

Departure to France

in May 1647, when Cormac was but 13 years old, his father sent him to France with a regiment to take service in Louis XIV's army.[17] Cormac sailed from Waterford on 15 May 1647.[18] France was, at that time, fighting Spain in the Franco-Spanish War (1635–1659). Cormac probably changed his name to Charles while being in France or later in Restoration England.

He was a moderate and in August 1647 laid down his command of the Munster army.[19]

His father also sent his wife to security in France, probably accompanied by Callaghan's younger brother, Justin, and his sisters. His mother lived with her sister Mary Butler, Lady Hamilton, in the convent of the Feuillantines in Paris.[20] He seems to have kept Callaghan with him in Ireland.

His father took up arms again to fight Cromwell and surrendered his last stronghold, Ross Castle, to Edmund Ludlow on 27 June 1652, disbanding his 5000-men strong army.[21][22] One of his sons, probably Callaghan, was with him in Ross Castle and was given to Ludlow as a hostage to guarantee his father's compliance with the terms.[23]

Condé-sur-l'Escaut

In France Charles and his Irish regiment were part of the garrison of Condé-sur-l'Escaut when the town was taken by the Spanish shortly after their victory over the French at the Battle of Valenciennes on 16 July 1656.[4][3]

King Charles II, in exile in the Spanish Netherlands since March 1656,[24] sent the Marquess of Ormond, Cormac's uncle, to ask him to join him with his regiment. He refused to change side without having laid down his commission in proper form.[25] Having done this, however, he obeyed his king and changed side together with his regiment, thereafter serving Charles II in Spanish pay. This regiment was then called the Duke of York's regiment after Charles II's brother the Duke of York and future James II.

Battle of the Dunes

He fought with his regiment at the Battle of the Dunes on 14 June 1658 where it formed part of the English royalist army under the Duke of York that fought together with the Spanish on the losing side against the victorious French and Protectorate English.[26]

On 27 November 1658 his father was created Earl of Clancarty by Charles II in Brussels. By this advancement, the title of Viscount of Muskerry became the highest subsidiary title of the family, which was then given as courtesy title to the Earl's heir apparent. In consequence, Charles was styled Viscount Muskerry thereafter.[27]

Restoration

At the Restoration Lord Muskerry, as he now was, did not accompany the King to Dover in May 1660 but stayed with his regiment at Dunkirk until at least during 1661 but left before the Sale of Dunkirk in November 1662.[28] His father, Earl Clancarty, recovered his estates in the Act of Settlement 1662. In that year Muskerry was summoned to the Irish House of Lords as Viscount Muskerry.[29]

Marriage and children

In 1660 or 1661 Lord Muskerry married Margaret Bourke, a rich heiress, the only child of Ulick Burke, 1st Marquess of Clanricarde and Lady Anne Compton.[30][31]

Charles and Margaret had two children, a girl and a boy:

1. Frances (1662–1675), died young[32][33]
2. Charles (1663–1666), succeeded his grandfather as the 2nd Earl, but died as an infant[34][35]

Life at the Restoration court

Lord and Lady Muskerry frequently attended the court at Whitehall. In July 1663 they went with the court to take the waters at Tunbridge Wells during which visit the Muskerrys as well as Elizabeth Hamilton and Elizabeth Wetenhall stayed at nearby Somerhill House, which had been built by Lady Muskerry's grandfather, Richard Burke, 4th Earl of Clanricarde and had been given back to her at the Restoration.[36] This visit to Tunbridge is described by Antoine Hamilton in his semi-fictional Mémoires du comte de Gramont (written 1704–1710).[37]

The Mémoires du comte de Gramont (Chapter 7) tell how Elizabeth Hamilton made fun of Lady Muskerry by making her believe that the King had invited her to a masquerade and that she had to disguise herself as a Babylonian woman.[38] She was however not invited to this masquerade, which took place in February 1665.[39][40]

Death, succession, and timeline

The Second Anglo-Dutch War broke out on 4 March 1665. Muskerry was killed on 3 June 1665 in the Battle of Lowestoft, a naval engagement, on board of the flagship, the Royal Charles, by a cannonball, which also killed Charles Berkeley, 1st Earl of Falmouth.[41][1][42] He was 31 years old.[2] Muskerry was buried on 19 June with great pomp at Westminster Abbey.[43][44]

Muskerry had an infant son, also called Charles, who succeeded him as heir apparent and Viscount of Muskerry. However, the 1st Earl, his father, died on 4 August 1665[45] surviving him by only two months, and the younger Charles, therefore, succeeded as the 2nd Earl but died only about a year later, on 22 September 1666, still an infant. Thereupon Callaghan, his uncle, succeeded as the 3rd Earl of Clancarty.[46]

His widow made two further marriages: to Robert Villiers, and to Robert Fielding. She died in 1698 at Somerhill House.[47] Her widower made a scandalous and bigamous marriage to Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland, former royal mistress of Charles II.[48]

Timeline
How reliable each age is, depends on how well his birth date and the date of the event are known.
Age	Date	Event
0	1633 or 1634	Born, probably at Macroom Castle[lower-alpha 1]
8	1642, Mar	Father joined the confederates.[15]
11	1645, Oct	Rinuccini, the papal nuncio, visited Macroom Castle where he was living.[16]
13	1647, May	Went to France with a regiment.[17]
15	1649, 15 Aug	Oliver Cromwell landed in Dublin[49]
18	1651, early	His mother and his young siblings fled to France.[50]
18	1652, 27 Jun	His father surrendered Ross Castle to the Parliamentarians.[21]
22	1656, 2 Apr	Charles concluded the Treaty of Brussels with Spain.
23	1656	Surrendered to the Spanish at the capture of Condé-sur-l'Escaut[3]
24	1658, 14 Jun N.S.	Commanded a battalion at the Battle of the Dunes
24	1658, 3 Sep	Oliver Cromwell died.[51]
24	1658, 27 Nov	Became Viscount Muskerry as his father was promoted Earl of Clancarty[27]
26	1660, 29 May	Restoration of King Charles II[52]
28	1661	Came back to England and Ireland with the Restoration
28	1661, about	Married Margaret Bourke, only child of Ulick Burke, 1st Marquess of Clanricarde.[30]
29	1662	Daughter Frances born[33]
31	1665, 3 Jun O.S.	Killed at the Battle of Lowestoft, a naval engagement with the Dutch[1]

Notes

1. Knowing that Charles died on 3 June 1635,[1] aged 31,[2] he must have been born between the 4 June 1633 and the 3 June 1634.

1. Cokayne 1913, p. 215: "He d. v.p. being slain on board 'the Royal Charles' in a sea-fight against the Dutch, 3, and was bur. 22 June 1665 in Westm. Abbey."
2. Lainé c. 1830, p. 76 line 1: "... dans un combat naval livré aux Hollandais, le 13 juin 1665 [N.S.] à l'âge de trente-et-un ans."
3. Carte 1851, p. 654: "... soon after [1656] surrendered. There were in it [Condé] two Irish regiments commanded by Cormac MacCarty, eldest son of the Viscount Muskery ..."
4. Firth 1903, p. 71, line 1: "... lieutenant-colonel was Charles (or Cormac) MacCarty, eldest son of Lord Muskerry. Muskerry commanded an Irish regiment in French service which ... formed part of the garrison of Condé."
5. O'Hart 1892, p. 124: "... he had three sons:—1.Cormac; 2.Ceallachan ..."
6. O'Hart 1892, p. 122: "CORMAC MACCARTY MOR, Prince of Desmond (see the MacCarty Mór Stem, No. 115,) had a second son, Dermod Mór, of Muscry (now Muskerry) who was the ancestor of MacCarthy, lords of Muscry and earls of Clan Carthy."
7. Ohlmeyer 2004, p. 107, left column: "... Donough MacCarthy had married by 1641 Eleanor (or Ellen; 1612–1682), the eldest daughter of Thomas Butler, Viscount Thurles, and sister of James, later Duke of Ormond."
8. Lodge 1789b, p. 39, line 33: "Daughter Ellen, married to Donogh, Earl of Clancarthy, and dying in April 1682, AEt. 70, was buried 24 in the Chancel of St. Michan's church."
9. Debrett 1828, p. 640: "THEOBALD LE BOTELER on whom that office [Chief Butler of Ireland] was conferred by King Henry II., 1177 ..."
10. Cokayne 1913, p. 216, line 6: "CALLAGHAN (MACCARTY) EARL OF CLANCARTY etc [I.], uncle and h., being 2nd s. of the 1st Earl."
11. Cokayne 1893, p. 390: "THE HON. JUSTIN MACCARTY 3d and yst s. of Donough, 1st EARL of CLANCARTY [I.] by Eleanor, sister of James DUKE of ORMONDE ..."
12. Wauchope 2004, p. 111, left column: "c. 1643 – 1694"
13. Cokayne 1913, p. 233, line 2: "He [William] m. 2ndly Helen, widow of sir John FITZGERALD, of Dromana, co. Waterford (who d. 1662), da. of Donough (MACCARTY), 1st EARL of CLANCARTY [I.] by Eleanor ..."
14. Cokayne 1926, p. 386, line 26: "He [Luke Plunkett] m., before 1666, Margaret, da. of Donough (MACCARTY) EARL OF CLANCARTY [I.], by Eleanor, sister of James (BUTLER) 1ST DUKE OF ORMONDE, and da. of Thomas BUTLER, styled VISCOUNT THURLES."
15. M'Enery 1904, p. 172: "Lord Muskerry joined the insurgents early in March [1642]."
16. Meehan 1882, p. 136: "At the great gate of Macroom Castle he was received by the Lady Helena Butler, sister to Lord Ormond and wife of Lord Muskerry, who was then in Dublin." sfn error: no target: CITEREFMeehan1882 (help)
17. Carte 1851, p. 305, line 1: "... [Donough] had sent over a regiment under his eldest son Cormac Maccarty, then a youth but thirteen years old, who continued to serve abroad until the restoration."
18. Carte 1851, p. 305, line 4: "M. du Talon set sail on May 15 [1647] from Waterford with that regiment on board five ships that he had brought from Rochelle."
19. Coffey 1914, p. 194: "Early in August 1647 Muskerry laid down his command."
20. Clark 1921, p. 8: "... his [Anthony Hamilton's] mother and his aunt, Lady Muskerry, had apartments at the couvent des Feuillantines in Paris ..."
21. Ohlmeyer 2004, p. 107, right column: "he fought on before finally surrendering at Ross Castle (27 June 1652) and fleeing to the continent."
22. Firth 1894, p. 320, line 10: "Ross in Kerry; where the Lord Muskerry made his principal rendezvous, and which was the only place of strength the Irish had left, except the woods, bogs and mountains ..."
23. Firth 1894, p. 322, line 4: "... his son together with Daniel Obryan were delivered to me as hostages ..."
24. Fraser 1980, p. 147: "... Charles secured permission to come to Brussels, the capital of the Spanish Netherlands, arriving there in March 1656."
25. Stuart 1962, p. 223, line 20: "... he [Cormac] did not think he could with honour quit the Service of France in which he had engaged."
26. Webb 1878, p. 303, line 53: "Macarty, Charles, eldest son of preceding, took service in France and distinguished himself in the Low countries.."
27. Cokayne 1913, p. 215, line 2: "As reward for his services he was by patent dat. at Brussels 27 Nov., 1658, cr. EARL OF CLANCARTY, co. Cork [I.]"
28. Airy 1905, p. 104: "... in November 1662, to the great scandal of the Protestant powers ... Dunkirk was handed over to the French."
29. Cokayne 1913, p. 215, line 8: "CHARLES MACCARTY, s. and h. ap. in 1662, was sum. to the House of Lords [I.] in his father's Viscountcy as VISCOUNT MUSKERRY."
30. Cokayne 1913, p. 215, line 10: "He m. shortly after 2 Mar. 1659/60 and before May 1661, Margaret, only da. of Ulick ..."
31. Wills 1841, p. 78: "He [Ulick] ... had one daughter who married Charles, Viscount Muskerry."
32. Lodge 1789a, p. 137, line 1"... Frances, who died unmarried 24 December 1675;"
33. Lainé c. 1830, p. 77 line 7: "Françoise Mac-Carthy, née en 1662, morte le 24 décembre 1675;"
34. Cokayne 1913, p. 216, line 1: "CHARLES JAMES (MACARTY), EARL OF CLANCARTY, etc. [I.] grandson and heir, being only s. and heir of Charles (CLANCARTY) VISCOUNT MUSKERRY by Margaret, his wife, abovenamed. He, who was a ward of the Duke of Ormond, d. an infant 22 Sep. 1666 ..."
35. Lainé c. 1830, p. 77 line 4: "Charles-Jacques Mac-Carthy, né en 1663, vicomte de Muskery, puis 2e comte de Clan-Carthy, mort en minorité;"
36. Phippen 1840, p. 333: "At the restoration of Charles II. Summerhill returned to its rightful owner Margaret, the daughter of Ulick, Marquis of Clanrickard, and wife of Viscount Muskerry ..."
37. Hamilton 1930, p. 271: "Within two or three short miles of Tunbridge Wells, Lord Muskerry owned a fine country-house, called Summerhill."
38. Hamilton 1930, pp. 120–132.
39. Cunningham 1888, p. 127: "Chapter VII has ... the splendid masquerade, given by the queen, at which Lady Muskerry appeared in the Babylonian dress."
40. Evelyn 1901, p. 2: "2d February 1665. I saw a Masque performed at Court by six gentlemen and six ladies, surprising his Majesty, it being Candlemas day."
41. Pepys 1894, p. 430, line 8: "The Earl of Falmouth, Muskerry, and Mr Richard Boyle killed on board the Duke's ship, the Royall Charles, with one shot: their blood and brains flying in the Duke's face ..."
42. Hyde 1827, p. 398: "... killed on board the duke's own ship ... the Lord Muskerry, eldest son of the earl of Clancarty, a young man of extraordinary courage and exectation, who had been colonel of a regiment of foot in Flanders under the duke."
43. Webb 1878, p. 303, line 57: "... lost his life in the naval engagement under the Duke of York with the Dutch, 3rd June 1665; and was buried with great pomp in Westminster Abbey."
44. Chester 1876, p. 162: "1662 June 19 The Right Hon. Charles, Viscount Muskerry: in the same aisle [North] near the Earl of Marlborough."
45. Cokayne 1913, p. 215, line 6: "He [the 1st Earl] d. in London, 4 Aug. 1665."
46. Cokayne 1913, p. 216, line 4: "... d. an infant, 22 Sep. 1666."
47. Cokayne 1913, p. 215, line 19: "She died Aug. 1698, at Somerhill, near Tonbridge."
48. Turner 2004, p. 243, right column: "The duchess began proceedings in the London consistory court to annul her marriage to Feilding on account of his prior marriage to Mary Wadsworth, obtaining sentence on 23 May 1707. On 4 December 1706 Feilding was found guilty of bigamy ..."
49. Coffey 1914, p. 213: "Cromwell landed in Dublin on August 15th [1649]."
50. Millar 1890, p. 177, left column, line 46: "... the Marquis of Ormonde, whom he [George's father] followed to Caen in the spring of 1651 with his wife and family."
51. Firth 1888, p. 181, left column: "... he [Cromwell] died at three o'clock on the afternoon of 3 Sept. [1658] ..."
52. Seaward 2004, p. 127, right column: "… he sailed to England and on 29 May [1660] he entered London in triumph."

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