Anthony St Leger (Lord Deputy of Ireland)
Encyclopedia
Sir Anthony St Leger was Lord Deputy of Ireland
during the Tudor period
.
The eldest son of Ralph St Leger, a gentleman of Kent
and Elizabeth Haut. He was educated abroad and at the University of Cambridge
. He quickly gained the favour of King Henry VIII
, and in 1537 was appointed president of a commission of enquiry into the condition of Ireland
. In the course of this work, he obtained much useful knowledge of the country.
On 7 July 1540, Anthony was appointed Lord Deputy of Ireland and tasked with the repression of disorder. He moved against the Kavanaghs, permitting them to retain their lands only by accepting feudal tenure on the English model. By a similar policy he exacted obedience from the O'Mores, the O'Tooles and the O'Conors in Leix and Offaly; and having conciliated the O'Briens in the west and the Earl of Desmond
in the south, he carried an act in the Irish parliament in Dublin conferring the title of King of Ireland
on Henry VIII and his heirs. Conn O'Neill
, who had remained sullenly hostile, was forced to submit.
St Leger's policy was generally one of moderation and conciliation—more so than Henry VIII wished. He recommended The O'Brien, when he gave token of a submissive disposition, for the title of Earl of Thomond; O'Neill was created Earl of Tyrone
; an administrative council was instituted in the province of Munster
; and in 1544 a levy of Irish soldiers was raised for service in Henry VIII's wars. St Leger's personal influence was proved by an outbreak of disturbance when he visited England in 1544, and the prompt restoration of order on his return some months later. St Leger retained his office under Edward VI
, and again effectively quelled attempts at rebellion by the O'Conors and O'Byrnes. From 1548 to 1550, Anthony was in England, and returned charged with the duty of introducing the reformed liturgy into Ireland. His conciliatory methods led to his recall in the summer of 1551. After the accession of Queen Mary
he was again appointed Lord Deputy in October 1553, but a charge of keeping false accounts caused him to be recalled for the third time in 1556. He died while the accusation was still under investigation.
As a man St. Leger seems to have been quarrelsome and unpopular : certainly he was on very bad terms with other leading figures in the Dublin administration, particularly John Alan
, the Lord Chancellor of Ireland
, and George Browne, the Archbishop of Dublin
. Following complaints by St. Leger, Alan was removed from office and although he was later reinstated the two men found it impossible to work together.The Archbishop accused St. Leger of treasonable words, giving Alan as his source, but the charge came to nothing when Alan, perhaps surprisingly , refused to confirm the report.
By his wife Agnes, daughter of Hugh Warham, a niece of Archbishop William Warham
, Anthony had three sons:
According to the Irish Genealogical Office, Kildare Street, Dublin, Sir Anthony St Leger KG held office as the King's Deputy (Lord Deputy) in Ireland for five not three terms as commonly held. His terms of office were as follows :
1st term: 7 July 1540 to 10 February 1544
2nd term: 3 July 1544 to 1 April 1546
3rd term: 7 November 1546 to 21 May 1548
4th term: 4 August 1550 to 23 May 1551
5th term: 1 September 1553 to 26 May 1556
See Also:
For Sir William St Leger, see:
Lord Deputy of Ireland
The Lord Deputy was the King's representative and head of the Irish executive under English rule, during the Lordship of Ireland and later the Kingdom of Ireland...
during the Tudor period
Tudor dynasty
The Tudor dynasty or House of Tudor was a European royal house of Welsh origin that ruled the Kingdom of England and its realms, including the Lordship of Ireland, later the Kingdom of Ireland, from 1485 until 1603. Its first monarch was Henry Tudor, a descendant through his mother of a legitimised...
.
The eldest son of Ralph St Leger, a gentleman of Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
and Elizabeth Haut. He was educated abroad and at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
. He quickly gained the favour of King Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
, and in 1537 was appointed president of a commission of enquiry into the condition of Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. In the course of this work, he obtained much useful knowledge of the country.
On 7 July 1540, Anthony was appointed Lord Deputy of Ireland and tasked with the repression of disorder. He moved against the Kavanaghs, permitting them to retain their lands only by accepting feudal tenure on the English model. By a similar policy he exacted obedience from the O'Mores, the O'Tooles and the O'Conors in Leix and Offaly; and having conciliated the O'Briens in the west and the Earl of Desmond
Earl of Desmond
The title of Earl of Desmond has been held historically by lords in Ireland, first as a title outside of the peerage system and later as part of the Peerage of Ireland....
in the south, he carried an act in the Irish parliament in Dublin conferring the title of King of Ireland
King of Ireland
A monarchical polity has existed in Ireland during three periods of its history, finally ending in 1801. The designation King of Ireland and Queen of Ireland was used during these periods...
on Henry VIII and his heirs. Conn O'Neill
Conn O'Neill, 1st Earl of Tyrone
Conn O'Neill, 1st Earl of Tyrone King of Tír Eógain, c. 1480–1559.-Biography:A son of Conn Mór, King of Tír Eógain, grandson of Henry Ó Néill, the King of Tír Eógain, was the first of the Ó Néills whom the attempts of the English in the 16th century to subjugate Ireland brought to the front as...
, who had remained sullenly hostile, was forced to submit.
St Leger's policy was generally one of moderation and conciliation—more so than Henry VIII wished. He recommended The O'Brien, when he gave token of a submissive disposition, for the title of Earl of Thomond; O'Neill was created Earl of Tyrone
Earl of Tyrone
The Earl of Tyrone is a title created three times in the Peerage of Ireland.It was first created as part of the Tudor attempt to establish a uniform social structure in Ireland by converting the Gaelic kings and chiefs into hereditary nobles of the Kingdom of Ireland...
; an administrative council was instituted in the province of Munster
Munster
Munster is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the south of Ireland. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial purposes...
; and in 1544 a levy of Irish soldiers was raised for service in Henry VIII's wars. St Leger's personal influence was proved by an outbreak of disturbance when he visited England in 1544, and the prompt restoration of order on his return some months later. St Leger retained his office under Edward VI
Edward VI of England
Edward VI was the King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death. He was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine. The son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Edward was the third monarch of the Tudor dynasty and England's first monarch who was raised as a Protestant...
, and again effectively quelled attempts at rebellion by the O'Conors and O'Byrnes. From 1548 to 1550, Anthony was in England, and returned charged with the duty of introducing the reformed liturgy into Ireland. His conciliatory methods led to his recall in the summer of 1551. After the accession of Queen Mary
Mary I of England
Mary I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death.She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547...
he was again appointed Lord Deputy in October 1553, but a charge of keeping false accounts caused him to be recalled for the third time in 1556. He died while the accusation was still under investigation.
As a man St. Leger seems to have been quarrelsome and unpopular : certainly he was on very bad terms with other leading figures in the Dublin administration, particularly John Alan
John Alan
Sir John Alan, or Alen was a leading statesman in Ireland in the mid -sixteenth century. he held the offices of Master of the Rolls in Ireland , Chancellor of the Exchequer of Ireland and Lord Chancellor of Ireland.- Family :...
, the Lord Chancellor of Ireland
Lord Chancellor of Ireland
The office of Lord Chancellor of Ireland was the highest judicial office in Ireland until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. From 1721 to 1801 it was also the highest political office of the Irish Parliament.-13th century:...
, and George Browne, the Archbishop of Dublin
Archbishop of Dublin
The Archbishop of Dublin may refer to:* Archbishop of Dublin – an article which lists of pre- and post-Reformation archbishops.* Archbishop of Dublin – the title of the senior cleric who presides over the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin....
. Following complaints by St. Leger, Alan was removed from office and although he was later reinstated the two men found it impossible to work together.The Archbishop accused St. Leger of treasonable words, giving Alan as his source, but the charge came to nothing when Alan, perhaps surprisingly , refused to confirm the report.
By his wife Agnes, daughter of Hugh Warham, a niece of Archbishop William Warham
William Warham
William Warham , Archbishop of Canterbury, belonged to a Hampshire family, and was educated at Winchester and New College, Oxford, afterwards practising and teaching law both in London and Oxford....
, Anthony had three sons:
- William St Leger. He died before his father. He was father to Sir Warham St Leger (d. 1600) and grandfather to William St LegerWilliam St Leger-Life:He was a grandson of Anthony St Leger. He took part in the Flight of the Earls in 1607, when Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone, and Rory O'Donnell, 1st Earl of Tyrconnell, together with more than ninety of their family and followers, the chief of the Gaelic and Catholic resistance in Ireland, fled...
(d. 1642), president of Munster. - Warham St LegerWarham St Leger-Life:He was second son of Sir Anthony St Leger by his wife Agnes, daughter of Sir Hugh Warham, brother of Archbishop William Warham, and was born probably about 1525. His eldest brother, William, was disinherited; the third brother, Sir Anthony St Leger, was made Master of the Rolls in Ireland in...
. - Anthony St Leger,who became Master of the Rolls in IrelandMaster of the Rolls in IrelandThe office of Master of the Rolls in Ireland originated in the office of the keeper of the Rolls in the Irish Chancery and became an office granted by letters patent in 1333. It was abolished in 1924....
in 1593.
See also
- A biography of Sir Anthony St Leger will be found in Athenae Cantabrigienses, by Charles Henry CooperCharles Henry CooperCharles Henry Cooper was an English antiquarian.-Life:Born at Marlow, Buckinghamshire, he was descended from a family formerly of Bray in Berkshire. He was privately educated in Reading. In 1826 he settled in Cambridge, and in 1836 was elected coroner of the borough...
and Thompson CooperThompson CooperThompson Cooper was an English journalist, man of letters, and compiler of reference works. He became a specialist in biographical information, and is noted as the most prolific contributor to the Victorian era Dictionary of National Biography, for which he wrote 1423 entries.-Life:Thompson Cooper...
(Cambridge, 1858)
According to the Irish Genealogical Office, Kildare Street, Dublin, Sir Anthony St Leger KG held office as the King's Deputy (Lord Deputy) in Ireland for five not three terms as commonly held. His terms of office were as follows :
1st term: 7 July 1540 to 10 February 1544
2nd term: 3 July 1544 to 1 April 1546
3rd term: 7 November 1546 to 21 May 1548
4th term: 4 August 1550 to 23 May 1551
5th term: 1 September 1553 to 26 May 1556
See Also:
- Calendar of State Papers relating to Ireland, Hen. VIII-Eliz.
- Calendar of Letters and Papers of the Reign of Henry VIII.
- Calendar of State Papers (Domestic Series), Edward VI-James I
- Calendar of Carew Manuscripts
- J O'Donovan's edition of Annals of Ireland by the Four Masters (7 vols., Dublin, 1851)
- Richard Bagwell, Ireland under the Tudors (3 Vols., London, 1885–1890)
- JA FroudeJames Anthony FroudeJames Anthony Froude , 23 April 1818–20 October 1894, was an English historian, novelist, biographer, and editor of Fraser's Magazine. From his upbringing amidst the Anglo-Catholic Oxford Movement, Froude intended to become a clergyman, but doubts about the doctrines of the Anglican church,...
, History of England (12 vols., London, 1856–1870).
For Sir William St Leger, see:
- Strafford's Letters and Despatches (2 vols., London, 1739)
- Thomas CarteThomas CarteThomas Carte was an English historian.-Life:Carte was born near Clifton upon Dunsmore...
, History of the Life of James, Duke of Ormonde (6 vols., Oxford, 1851) - History of the Irish Confederation and the War in Ireland, edited by J. T. Gilbert (Dublin, 1882–1891).