Richard FitzGibbon, 3rd Earl of Clare

Richard Hobart FitzGibbon, 3rd Earl of Clare (2 October 1793 – 10 January 1864) was an Anglo-Irish politician and noble.

The Earl of Clare
Member of Parliament
for County Limerick
In office
1818–1841
Personal details
Born2 October 1793
Mountshannon House, County Limerick
Died10 January 1864(1864-01-10) (aged 70)
Kensington, London
Resting placeSt. Peter's Church, Aungier Street, Dublin
Alma materHarrow School
Military service
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Branch/serviceBritish Army
Years of service1808–1814
RankCaptain
Unit1st Foot Guards
2nd Ceylon Regiment
Battles/wars

Born at Mountshannon House in County Limerick, FitzGibbon was educated at Harrow School.[1] He joined the British Army, and was present at the Second Battle of Porto and Battle of Talavera.[2]

At the 1818 UK general election, he stood in County Limerick for the Whigs, winning the seat. He rarely spoke in Parliament, and did not always vote in line with the Whig leadership. In turn, they offered him little support, but he nevertheless held his seat, sometimes describing himself as an independent. He served until 1841, when he stood down.[2] He was appointed Governor of Limerick in 1818, and later served twice as Lord Lieutenant of Limerick.

In the 1820s, FitzGibbon had a child with Diana Woodcock, who was then married to Maurice Crosbie Moore. He obtained a divorce in 1825, by act of the House of Lords, and FitzGibbon and Woodcock immediately married. However, Moore secured custody of FitzGibbon's illegitimate child, despite stating that he was doing so purely out of vindictiveness. The couple had one legitimate child, John Charles Henry FitzGibbon, Viscount FitzGibbon, who was killed in the Battle of Balaklava in 1854.[1] In 1851, FitzGibbon succeeded his brother as the Earl of Clare. He died in 1864.[2]

References

edit
  1. ^ a b "FITZGIBBON, Hon. Richard Hobart (1793-1864), of Mount Shannon, co. Limerick". The History of Parliament. Houses of Parliament. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  2. ^ a b c Stenton, Michael (1976). Who's Who of British Members of Parliament. Vol. 1. Hassocks: Harvester Press. p. 141. ISBN 0855272198.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for County Limerick
1818–1841
With: Windham Quin 1818–1820
Standish O'Grady 1820–1826, 1830, 1830–1835
Thomas Lloyd 1826–1830
James Hewitt Massy Dawson 1830
William Smith O'Brien 1835–1841
Succeeded by
Honorary titles
Preceded by Lord Lieutenant of Limerick
1851–1854
Succeeded by
New title Lord Lieutenant of Limerick
1831–1848
Succeeded by
Preceded by Governor of Limerick
1818–1831
Became Lord Lieutenancy
Peerage of Ireland
Preceded by Earl of Clare
1851–1864
Extinct