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Antrim, Earl of (I, 1620 - 1791)

Creation: let.pat. 12 Dec 1620

Extinct: 29 Jul 1791

Family name: MacDonnell

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Arms:

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Randal MacSorley [MacDonnell], 1st Viscount Dunluce later 1st Earl of Antrim, PC

2nd but 1st surv. son and heir of Sorley Buie MacDonnell, Lord of the Route, co. Antrim, by his wife Lady Mary O'Neill, only dau. of Con Baccach [O'Neill], 1st Earl of Tyrone

born

mar.

1604 his cousin Lady Alice O'Neill (b. c.1583; d. aft. 19 Aug 1663), dau. of Hugh [O'Neill], 2nd Earl of Tyrone, by his second wife Joanna O'Donnell, dau. of Hugh McManus O'Donnell

children

1. Hon Randal MacDonnell, later 2nd Earl of Antrim later 1st Marquess of Antrim

2. Hon Alexander MacDonnell, later 3rd Earl of Antrim

1. Lady Anne MacDonnell (d. bef. 22 Oct 1676), mar. (1) Hon Christopher Nugent, styled Lord Delvin, 1st son and heir ap. of Richard [Nugent], 1st Earl of Westmeath, and (2) bef. 18 Jan 1626/7 William [Fleming], 14th Baron Slane, and had issue by both husbands

2. Lady Mary MacDonnell (d. aft. 23 Aug 1661), mar. (1) 1625 Lucas [Dillon], 2nd Viscount Dillon, and (2) aft. 1629 Oliver [Plunkett], 6th Baron Louth, and had issue by both husbands

3. Lady Rose MacDonnell, mar. Hon George Gordon, 3rd son of John [Gordon], 13th Earl of Sutherland

4. Lady Catherine MacDonnell, mar. Hon Edward Plunkett (dvp. 1668), 1st son and heir ap. of Patrick [Plunkett], 9th Baron Dunsany, and had issue

died

10 Dec 1636 (bur. with his father at Bonamargy)

created

28 May 1618 Viscount Dunluce, co. Antrim

12 Dec 1620 Earl of Antrim

suc. by

son

note

knighted 1602; Lord Lieutenant of Co. Antrim 1620; Privy Councillor [I] 1620

Randal [MacDonnell], 2nd Earl of Antrim later 1st Marquess of Antrim

born

1609

mar. (1)

Apr 1635 Lady Katherine Villiers, suo jure Baroness de Ros (widow of George [Villiers], 1st Duke of Buckingham; d. Oct 1649), only dau. and hrss. of Francis [Manners], 6th Earl of Rutland, by his first wife Frances Bevill (widow of Sir William Bevill, of Kirkhampton, co. Cornwall), 3rd dau. and cohrss. of Sir Henry Knyvett, of Charlton, co. Wiltshire

mar. (2)

bef. 20 Mar 1655/6 Rose O'Neill (d. aft. 4 Jan 1689/90), dau. of Sir Henry O'Neill, of Shane's Castle, co. Antrim, by his wife Martha Stafford, dau. of Sir Francis Stafford, Governor of Ulster

died

s.p. 3 Feb 1682 (bur. at Bonamargy)

created

26 Jan 1644/5 Marquess of Antrim

suc. by

brother

note

knighted 1639; on his death the Marquessate of Antrim became extinct

Alexander [MacDonnell], 3rd Earl of Antrim, PC

born

1615

mar. (1)

Lady Elizabeth Annesley (dsp. 4 Sep 1672' bur. in St John's Church, Dublin), 2nd dau. of Arthur [Annesley], 1st Earl of Anglesey, by his wife Elizabeth Altham, sister and cohrss. of Simon Altham, of Acton, co. Middlesex, and 1st dau. of Sir James Altham, of Oxhey, co. Hertford

mar. (2)

Helena Burke (d. 7 Oct 1710; bur. in Christ Church, Dublin), 3rd dau. of Sir John Burke, of Derrymaclaughna, co. Galway, by his wife Lady Mary Bourke, 1st dau. and cohrss. of Richard [Bourke], 6th Earl of Clanricarde

children by second wife

1. Hon Randal MacDonnell, later 4th Earl of Antrim

1. Lady Mary MacDonnell, mar. Henry Wells, of Brambridge, Otterbourne, co. Hampshire

died

9 Jun 1699 (bur. at Holywell, co. Flint)

suc. by

son by second wife

note

attainted by Cromwell 1641 but restored 1660; Privy Councillor [I] 1685; Lord Lieutenant of Co. Antrim; a supporter of King James II, attainted and restored 1697

Randal [MacDonnell], 4th Earl of Antrim

born

1680

mar.

Hon Rachel Skeffington (mar. (2) Robert Hawkins-Magill, of Gill Hall, co. Down; d. 14 Apr 1739), 1st dau. of Clotworthy [Skeffington], 3rd Viscount Massereene, by his wife Rachel Hungerford, 1st dau. by his first wife of Sir Edward Hungerford KB, of Farley Castle, co. Somerset

children

1. Hon Alexander MacDonnell, later 5th Earl of Antrim

1. Lady Helena MacDonnell (d. Jun 1783)

died

19 Oct 1721 (bur. in Christ Church, Dublin)

suc. by

son

note

Alexander [MacDonnell], 5th Earl of Antrim, PC

born

22 Jul 1713

mar. (1)

10 Apr 1735 Elizabeth Pennefeather (dsps. 18 Mar 1736/7; bur. in Christ Church, Dublin), dau. of Matthew Pennefeather MP, Comptroller and Accountant General of Ireland, by his wife Catherine Beresford, 2nd dau. of Sir Randal Beresford, 2nd Bt. MP

only child by first wife

1. Lady ..... MacDonnell (b. 7 Feb 1736; d. an infant)

mar. (2)

2 Jan 1739 his second cousin Anne Plunkett (d. 15 Jan 1755; bur. at Bonamargy), 1st dau. and cohrss. of Hon Charles Patrick Plunkett MP, of Dillonstown, co. Louth (by his wife Elizabeth Stratford, sister of John [Stratford], 1st Earl of Aldborough, and only dau. of Edward Stratford, of Baltinglass, co. Wicklow, and Great Belan, co. Kildare), son of Matthew [Plunkett], 7th Baron Louth

children by second wife

1. Hon Randal William MacDonnell, later 6th Earl of Antrim later 1st Marquess of Antrim

2. Lady Rachel MacDonnell, mar. 13 Aug 1777 Joseph Sanford

3. Lady Elizabeth Helena MacDonnell (d. 1796), mar. 22 Aug 1777 as his third wife Lt Col James Callander of Craigforth, and had issue

mar. (3)

5 Jul 1755 Catharine Taylor (widow of James Taylor; bur. 27 Sep 1794 in St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin), yst. dau. of Thomas Meredyth, of Newtown, co. Meath, by his wife Catharine Baldwin

died

13 Oct 1775 (bur. at Ballycastle, co. Antrim)

suc. by

son by second wife

note

Privy Councillor; Governor of Co. Antrim

Randal William [MacDonnell], 6th Earl of Antrim later 1st Marquess of Antrim, KB PC

born

4 Nov 1749

mar.

3 Jul 1774 Hon Letitia Trevor (widow of Hon Arthur Hill-Trevor MP, only son and heir ap. by his second wife of Arthur [Hill later Hill-Trevor], 1st Viscount Dungannon; d. 7 Dec 1801), 1st dau. of Harvey [Morres], 1st Viscount Mountmorres, by his first wife Lady Letitia Ponsonby, 4th dau. by his first wife of Brabazon [Ponsonby], 1st Earl of Bessborough

children

1. Lady Anne Catherine MacDonnell, later suo jure Countess of Antrim

2. Lady Letitia Mary MacDonnell (b. 11 Feb 1778; d. unm.)

3. Lady Charlotte MacDonnell, later suo jure Countess of Antrim

died

29 Jul 1791 (bur. at Bonamargy)

created

19 Jun 1785 Viscount Dunluce and Earl of Antrim, with a special remainder, failing heirs male of his body, to his daughters in order of seniority, and the heirs male of their bodies respectively

18 Aug 1789 Marquess of Antrim (with no special remainder)

suc. by

daughter (in the 1785 creations only)

note

Member of Parliament for co. Antrim 1768-75; Sheriff of co. Antrim 1771; Knight of the Bath 1779; nom. Knight of St Patrick 1783 but relinquished the honour as he was unwilling to give up the Order of the Bath; Privy Counsellor [I] 1786

On the death of the 1st Marquess of Antrim the Viscountcy of Dunluce (cr. 1618), the Earldom of Antrim (cr. 1620) and the Marquessate of Antrim (cr. 1789) all became extinct. He was succeeded in the second Earldom of Antrim (cr. 1785) by his eldest daughter, Lady Anne Catherine MacDonnell

Last updated 11 Oct 2010

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