Viscount Netterville

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Viscount Netterville was a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1622 for Nicholas Netterville, 1st Viscount Netterville (1581–1654), son of John Netterville of Dowth, County Meath. He was a favorite of King James I of England who in 1622 conferred the title on him "in consideration of his many good qualities".[1] He suffered hardship in the English Civil War when the English Parliament, after the failure of the Royalist cause, sequestrated his estates, along with those of his eldest son, John, the 2nd Viscount. During the Irish Rebellion of 1641 John, who was inclined to Roman Catholicism, was accused of favouring the rebels, and it does not seem that either side in the Civil War fully trusted him.[2]Possibly for this reason his son Nicholas, the 3rd Viscount, had some difficulty after the Restoration of Charles II in recovering his estates.[3] Because of Nicholas's loyalty to James II the estates were again forfeited, but were later restored to his son John, the 4th Viscount.[4]

Nicholas, the 5th Viscount, who succeeded in 1727, gained notoriety in 1743 when he was charged with the murder of Michael Walsh: he was tried by his peers and acquitted.[5]

His son John, the 6th Viscount, died at a considerable age in 1826, without issue. A distant cousin, James Netterville, made a successful claim to be recognised as 7th Viscount; and after his death, leaving only daughters, another distant cousin Arthur James Netteville made out his right to be recognised as 8th Viscount. The 8th Viscount had no son and on his death in 1882 the title became extinct.[6]

Viscount Netterville (1622)

References

  1. Cokayne, G. E. Complete Peerage Reprinted Gloucester 2000 Vol. VIII, p. 605
  2. Lodge, John & Archdall, Mervyn Peerage of Ireland Dublin 1789 James Moore Vol 4, pp. 212–3
  3. Lodge and Archdall; p. 215
  4. Lodge and Archdall p. 216
  5. O'Flanagan, J. Roderick The Irish Bar London, 1879; p. 14
  6. Burke's Extinct Peerages Reprinted Baltimore 1978 p.392