Francis Taaffe, 3rd Earl of Carlingford
Encyclopedia
Francis Taaffe, 3rd Earl of Carlingford (1639 – August 1704), was 4th Viscount Taaffe
, of Corren and 4th Baron of Ballymote and an army commander and politician from Irish descent in the service of Emperor Ferdinand III
in the Austrian
capital Vienna
and later of Duke Charles IV of Lorraine
in Nancy.
Francis Taaffe was born at Ballymote in Ireland
, the second son of Theobald Taaffe, 1st Earl of Carlingford
, who after the Battle of Worcester
had accompanied King Charles II of England
in exile in 1652, and Mary White. After the death of his elder brother, Francis received the titles of Earl of Carlingford
and Viscount Taaffe
, both belonging to the Peerage of Ireland
.
By the agency of King Charles, Francis Taaffe studied at at the University of Olomouc in Moravia
, and became a page
at the Imperial
court in Vienna. He began a military career as a commander in the Imperial forces during the Franco-Dutch War
and became a most intimate friend of the Lorrainian duke Charles IV, who from 1670 had to cope with the occupying troops of King Louis XIV of France
. Taaffe rose to the rank of Field Marshal
, having greatly distinguished himself at the 1683 Battle of Vienna
and in other campaigns of the Great Turkish War
, 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 Duke Leopold of Lorraine
.
In 1676 he married Helena Maximiliana von Traudisch. He died without children in August 1704 in Nancy, where he is buried at the Cathedral.
Viscount Taaffe
The title Viscount Taaffe, of Corren, was created in the Peerage of Ireland in 1628, together with the subsidiary title Baron Ballymote. From the 18th century onwards, the Viscounts Taaffe also held the title Count Taaffe in the Holy Roman Empire...
, of Corren and 4th Baron of Ballymote and an army commander and politician from Irish descent in the service of Emperor Ferdinand III
Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand III was Holy Roman Emperor from 15 February 1637 until his death, as well as King of Hungary and Croatia, King of Bohemia and Archduke of Austria.-Life:...
in the Austrian
Archduchy of Austria
The Archduchy of Austria , one of the most important states within the Holy Roman Empire, was the nucleus of the Habsburg Monarchy and the predecessor of the Austrian Empire...
capital Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
and later of Duke Charles IV of Lorraine
Charles IV, Duke of Lorraine
Charles IV was Duke of Lorraine from 1624 to 1634, when he abdicated under French pressure in favor of his younger brother, and again from 1661 until 1675.- Biography :...
in Nancy.
Francis Taaffe was born at Ballymote in 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...
, the second son of Theobald Taaffe, 1st Earl of Carlingford
Theobald Taaffe, 1st Earl of Carlingford
Theobald Taaffe, 1st Earl of Carlingford , known as 2nd Viscount Taaffe, of Corren and 2nd Baron of Ballymote between 1642 and 1661, was a Royalist officer who played a prominent part in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, and accompanied Charles II in exile...
, who after the Battle of Worcester
Battle of Worcester
The Battle of Worcester took place on 3 September 1651 at Worcester, England and was the final battle of the English Civil War. Oliver Cromwell and the Parliamentarians defeated the Royalist, predominantly Scottish, forces of King Charles II...
had accompanied King Charles II of England
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
in exile in 1652, and Mary White. After the death of his elder brother, Francis received the titles of Earl of Carlingford
Earl of Carlingford
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 .-Taaffe Family History:...
and Viscount Taaffe
Viscount Taaffe
The title Viscount Taaffe, of Corren, was created in the Peerage of Ireland in 1628, together with the subsidiary title Baron Ballymote. From the 18th century onwards, the Viscounts Taaffe also held the title Count Taaffe in the Holy Roman Empire...
, both belonging to the Peerage of Ireland
Peerage of Ireland
The Peerage of Ireland is the term used for those titles of nobility created by the English and later British monarchs of Ireland in their capacity as Lord or King of Ireland. The creation of such titles came to an end in the 19th century. The ranks of the Irish peerage are Duke, Marquess, Earl,...
.
By the agency of King Charles, Francis Taaffe studied at at the University of Olomouc in Moravia
March of Moravia
The March or Margraviate of Moravia, was a marcher state, sometimes de facto independent and varyingly within the power of the Duchy, later Kingdom of Bohemia...
, and became a page
Page (servant)
A page or page boy is a traditionally young male servant, a messenger at the service of a nobleman or royal.-The medieval page:In medieval times, a page was an attendant to a knight; an apprentice squire...
at the Imperial
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
court in Vienna. He began a military career as a commander in the Imperial forces during the Franco-Dutch War
Franco-Dutch War
The Franco-Dutch War, often called simply the Dutch War was a war fought by France, Sweden, the Bishopric of Münster, the Archbishopric of Cologne and England against the United Netherlands, which were later joined by the Austrian Habsburg lands, Brandenburg and Spain to form a quadruple alliance...
and became a most intimate friend of the Lorrainian duke Charles IV, who from 1670 had to cope with the occupying troops of King Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
. Taaffe rose to the rank of Field Marshal
Field Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
, having greatly distinguished himself at the 1683 Battle of Vienna
Battle of Vienna
The Battle of Vienna took place on 11 and 12 September 1683 after Vienna had been besieged by the Ottoman Empire for two months...
and in other campaigns of the Great Turkish War
Great Turkish War
The Great Turkish War refers to a series of conflicts between the Ottoman Empire and contemporary European powers, then joined into a Holy League, during the second half of the 17th century.-1667–1683:...
, and was a member of the Order of the Golden Fleece
Order of the Golden Fleece
The Order of the Golden Fleece is an order of chivalry founded in Bruges by Philip III, Duke of Burgundy in 1430, to celebrate his marriage to the Portuguese princess Infanta Isabella of Portugal, daughter of King John I of Portugal. It evolved as one of the most prestigious orders in Europe...
. He was sent on many important diplomatic missions, and at the end of his life was chancellor and chief minister to Duke Leopold of Lorraine
Leopold, Duke of Lorraine
Leopold , surnamed the Good, was Duke of Lorraine and Bar from 1690 to his death.-Early life:Leopold Joseph Charles Dominique Agapet Hyacinthe was the son of Charles V, Duke of Lorraine, and his wife Eleonora Maria Josefa of Austria, a half-sister of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor.At the time of...
.
In 1676 he married Helena Maximiliana von Traudisch. He died without children in August 1704 in Nancy, where he is buried at the Cathedral.
Literature
- G.E. Cokayne, Vicary Gibbs, H.A. Doubleday, Geoffrey H. White, Duncan Warrand and Lord Howard de Walden, Hrsg.: The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct or Dormant, new ed., Band III, page 29.