Henry Boyle, 1st Earl of Shannon, PC (Ire) (1682 – 28 December 1764) was a prominent Irish politician.
Boyle was the second son of Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Boyle, second son of Roger Boyle, 1st Earl of Orrery. His mother was Lady Mary O'Brien, daughter of Murrough O'Brien, 1st Earl of Inchiquin. In, 1707, he was elected to the Irish House of Commons for Midleton, a seat he held until 1713, and then sat for Kilmallock from 1713 to 1715. Between 1715 and 1756 he represented County Cork. He quickly gained a prominent role in Parliament and Sir Robert Walpole is said to have styled him "the King of the Irish House of Commons". In 1733 Boyle was admitted to the Irish House of Commons and appointed Chancellor of the Irish Exchequer. Later that year he was also made Speaker of the Irish House of Commons. He held these posts until 1756, when he was dismissed by the British government. As a way of compensation he was raised to the Peerage of Ireland as Baron Castle Martyn, Viscount Boyle, of Bandon, and Earl of Shannon. He also acted several times as Lord Chief Justice of Ireland.
Lord Shannon married, firstly, Catherine, daughter of Chidley Coote, in 1715. After her death in 1725 he married, secondly, Lady Henrietta Boyle, youngest daughter of Charles Boyle, 3rd Earl of Cork and 2nd Earl of Burlington, in 1726. Lord Shannon died in December 1764, in his 82nd year, and was succeeded in his titles by his son from his second marriage, Richard.
References
- Stephen, Sir Sidney; Lee, Sir Sidney (editors). The Dictionary of National Biography: From the Earliest Times to 1900 - Volume II Beal-Browell. Oxford University Press.
- Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990.
| Parliament of Ireland | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by St John Brodrick Robert Foulke |
Member of Parliament for Midleton 1707 – 1713 With: Robert Foulke |
Succeeded by Arthur Hyde Jephson Busteed |
| Preceded by John Ormsby Robert Oliver |
Member of Parliament for Kilmallock 1713 – 1715 With: Sir Philips Coote |
Succeeded by Kilner Brasier George King |
| Preceded by John Perceval Alan Brodrick |
Member of Parliament for Cork County 1715 – 1756 With: St John Brodrick 1715–1728 Sir Matthew Deane, 3rd Bt 1728–1747 Arthur Hyde 1747–1756 |
Succeeded by Arthur Hyde Charles Boyle, Viscount Dungarvan |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Ralph Gore |
Speaker of the Irish House of Commons 1733 – 1756 |
Succeeded by John Ponsonby |
| Peerage of Ireland | ||
| New creation | Earl of Shannon 1756 – 1764 |
Succeeded by Richard Boyle |
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