William O'Shaughnessy
Encyclopedia
Early life
William O'Shaughnessy was a member of the Uí Seachnasaigh (O'ShaughnessyO'Shaughnessy
Ó Seachnasaigh, O'Shaughnessy, collectively Uí Sheachnasaigh, clan name Cinél nAedha na hEchtghe, is a family surname of Irish origin.The name is found primarily in County Galway and County Limerick...
) of Cenél Áeda na hEchtge
Cenél Áeda na hEchtge
Cenél Áeda na hEchtge was a trícha cét Cenél Áeda na hEchtge (also Cenél Áeda, Kenloth, Kinalethes, Kenealea, Kinelea)was a trícha cét Cenél Áeda na hEchtge (also Cenél Áeda, Kenloth, Kinalethes, Kenealea, Kinelea)was a trícha cét (later a cantred, (a branch of the Uí Fiachrach Aidhne) and which...
in south County Galway
County Galway
County Galway is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the city of Galway. Galway County Council is the local authority for the county. There are several strongly Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county...
. His father was The Ó Seachnasaigh, Roger O'Shaughnessy
Roger O'Shaughnessy
Roger O'Shaughnessy, The O'Shaughnessy , was a Captain in the Irish army of James II of England. He was present at the Battle of the Boyne, dying ten days after...
, while his mother was Helen O'Brien, daughter of Conor mac Donogh O'Brien, a son of Donogh O'Brien, 4th Earl of Thomond
Donogh O'Brien, 4th Earl of Thomond
Donogh O'Brien, 4th Earl of Thomond and Baron of Ibrickan was an Irish nobleman and soldier noted for his loyalty to the English Crown...
. He was born at the family home in the town of Gort
Gort
Gort is a town in south County Galway in the west of Ireland. An Gort is the official Irish name for the town, as defined by the Placenames Commission. In spoken Irish, however, the town is known by its traditional name Gort Inse Guaire. It lies just north of the border with County Clare on the...
.
From about 1689 he was captain of a company of one hundred members of his clan and retainers. In spring 1690 he left for France to serve in the regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
of Daniel O'Brien. Upon his father's death in July 1690 following the Battle of the Boyne
Battle of the Boyne
The Battle of the Boyne was fought in 1690 between two rival claimants of the English, Scottish and Irish thronesthe Catholic King James and the Protestant King William across the River Boyne near Drogheda on the east coast of Ireland...
, he became The Ó Seachnasaigh, but because of the defeat of his side in the Williamite War in Ireland
Williamite war in Ireland
The Williamite War in Ireland—also called the Jacobite War in Ireland, the Williamite-Jacobite War in Ireland and in Irish as Cogadh an Dá Rí —was a conflict between Catholic King James II and Protestant King William of Orange over who would be King of England, Scotland and Ireland...
, his ancestral property was forfeited
Forfeiture (law)
Forfeiture is deprivation or destruction of a right in consequence of the non-performance of some obligation or condition. It can be accidental, and therefore is distinguished from waiver; see waiver and forfeiture....
and he was never able to return home.
In the service of France
James II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
, or his successors, regain the throne of Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
and Ireland. He was present at the siege of Montmelian
Montmélian
Montmélian is a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.-Population :-External links:*...
(1691); with the French army in Italy (1692); and fought at the Battle of Marsaglia
Battle of Marsaglia
The Battle of Marsaglia was a battle in the Nine Years' War, fought in Italy on 4 October 1693 between the French army of Marshal Nicolas Catinat and the Allied army of Duke Victor Amadeus II of Savoy ....
in 1693. At the conclusion of the siege of Valenza in 1696, he was promoted to Commandant
Commandant
Commandant is a senior title often given to the officer in charge of a large training establishment or academy. This usage is common in anglophone nations...
of the Third Battalion of the Regiment of Clare.
The Peace of Ryswick brought an end to the War of the League of Augsburg in 1697. This meant the disbanding of two of the regiment's three battalions, though O'Shaughnessy was kept on, been appointed captain of the regiment's Grenadiers.
With the outbreak of the War of the Spanish Succession
War of the Spanish Succession
The War of the Spanish Succession was fought among several European powers, including a divided Spain, over the possible unification of the Kingdoms of Spain and France under one Bourbon monarch. As France and Spain were among the most powerful states of Europe, such a unification would have...
, the Regiment of Clare re-recruited and served in the German theatre during the opening years of the war. He was present at the following actions at this time: Kehl
Kehl
Kehl is a town in southwestern Germany in the Ortenaukreis, Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the river Rhine, directly opposite the French city of Strasbourg.-History:...
, Munderkingen
Munderkingen
Munderkingen is a town in the district of Alb-Donau in Baden-Württemberg in Germany. It is situated on the Danube, 9 km southwest of Ehingen, and 31 km southwest of Ulm....
and the first battle of Blenheim
Battle of Höchstädt
The first Battle of Höchstädt was fought on 20 September 1703, near Höchstädt in Bavaria, and resulted in a French-Bavarian victory under Marshal Villars against the Austrians under General Limburg Styrum.-Prelude:...
, all in 1703. The following year saw the defeat of the French at the second battle of Blenheim
Battle of Blenheim
The Battle of Blenheim , fought on 13 August 1704, was a major battle of the War of the Spanish Succession. Louis XIV of France sought to knock Emperor Leopold out of the war by seizing Vienna, the Habsburg capital, and gain a favourable peace settlement...
. However, Clare and the other Irish regiments performed with honour in the debacle
Debacle
A débâcle is an event that turns out as a disaster. It is also the name of:*Debacle: The First Decade an album by the Violent Femmes*La Débâcle a novel by Emile Zola* A 2009 Nike SB skateboarding video...
, with one commentator stating "It was the regiment of Clare that sustained the retreat of the French army, and thus covered itself with glory."
The Regiment performed a similar task two years later at the Battle of Ramillies
Battle of Ramillies
The Battle of Ramillies , fought on 23 May 1706, was a major engagement of the War of the Spanish Succession. For the Grand Alliance – Austria, England, and the Dutch Republic – the battle had followed an indecisive campaign against the Bourbon armies of King Louis XIV of France in 1705...
, preventing the Dutch and English from completely wiping out the army. The regiment lost thirty-eight officers and three hundred and twenty-six soldiers out of a total of eight hundred men. Because of the death of regimental Major O'Carroll, O'Shaughnessy was promoted to that rank with effect 4 July 1706, and in September to lieutenant-colonel. He and his men fought at Oudenaarde, Malplaquet
Battle of Malplaquet
The Battle of Malplaquet, fought on 11 September 1709, was one of the main battles of the War of the Spanish Succession, which opposed the Bourbons of France and Spain against an alliance whose major members were the Habsburg Monarchy, Great Britain, the United Provinces and the Kingdom of...
and other engagements until the end of the war in 1714. In April 1721 he became a Brigadier
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
and made Marechal de Camp in 1735. Though now in his sixties he continued to participate actively in battle till the years prior to his death. He was appointed commander of the garrison at Gravelines
Gravelines
Gravelines is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.It lies at the mouth of the river Aa 15 miles southwest of Dunkirk. There is a market in the town square on Saturdays. The "Arsenal" approached from the town square is home to an extensive and carefully displayed art collection....
in 1743 but died two months later in January 1744.
Opposing him at the Battle of Malplaquet
Battle of Malplaquet
The Battle of Malplaquet, fought on 11 September 1709, was one of the main battles of the War of the Spanish Succession, which opposed the Bourbons of France and Spain against an alliance whose major members were the Habsburg Monarchy, Great Britain, the United Provinces and the Kingdom of...
was Sir Thomas Prendergast, 1st Baronet, who had been granted O'Shaughnessy's Irish lands. Prendergast was killed in this battle.
Personal life
Major-General O'Shaughnessy was of the Uí Fiachrach AidhneUí Fiachrach Aidhne
Uí Fhiachrach Aidhne was a kingdom located in what is now the south of Co. Galway.-Legendary origins and geography:...
dynasty, making him a direct descendant of Fiachrae
Fiachrae
Fiachrae was an Irish prince, the son of the high king Eochaid Mugmedón by his wife Mongfind, sister of Crimthann mac Fidaig. He was ancestor of the Uí Fiachrach dynasties of Connacht. He lived in the late 4th century....
mac Eochaid Mugmedon
Eochaid Mugmedon
-Biography:According to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, Eochaid was a High King of Ireland, best known as the father of Niall of the Nine Hostages and ancestor of the Uí Néill and Connachta dynasties...
(fl. early 5th century). He married Maire Jacqueline Francoise de Gauville on 15 February 1729 at Aire-sur-la Lys. They had no children. His mother, Lady Helen, died at Fiddaun Castle
Fiddaun Castle
Fiddaun Castle is a tower house in Tubber, County Galway, in Ireland.-History:Fiddaun is a mid-16th century Irish tower house in the Kiltartan barony of the Uí Fiachrach Aidhne, one of four O'Shaughnessy castles. This tower house is most noted for its well preserved inner bawn wall and situated...
in 1729, after which it was abandoned.
His cousin successor as The Ó Seachnasaigh, Bishop Colman O'Shaughnessy, O.P. (1736–1748) of Ossory
Ossory
The Irish geographical name Ossory can refer to:* Kingdom of Osraige* Roman Catholic Diocese of Ossory* Church of Ireland diocese of the Bishop of Ossory* A prophet of the Omnian religion in Terry Pratchett's Discworld...
, who died in 1748, tried in vain for decades to recover their lands from Sir Thomas Prendergast and his heirs, but without success. He in turn was succeeded by Robuck O'Shaughnessy, and lastly by Robuck's son, Joseph, who died about 1780. With the death of Joseph O'Shaughnessy, the senior line of the family apparently died out.
The register of death of the church of Saint Willibrord
Willibrord
__notoc__Willibrord was a Northumbrian missionary saint, known as the "Apostle to the Frisians" in the modern Netherlands...
, Gravelines, states that:
On 2 January 1744, there died in the communion of our mother church, having had the holy sacraments administered to him Missire Guillaume O Shaughnussy, knight of the order of St. Louis, lieutenant-colonel of the Irish regiment of Clare, marechal de camps et armess of the king, employed at Gravelines in the service of his majesty; he was a native of Gort-inchygory, county Galway, province of Conought in Ireland, aged seventy years, married to Dame Maire Jacqueline Gauville. He was inhumed in the chancelChancelIn church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
of the church by me, cure and dean, on the fourth of this month, in the present of John Baptist de Lalande, brigadier of the king's armies and the king's lieutenant at Gravelines, Monsieur Thomas Maguire, captain of the regiment of Clare, and of James O Shaughnussy, cadet in the defunct's company and his relative;