Richard Bellings
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Sir Richard Bellings (1613–1677) was a lawyer and political figure in 17th century Ireland and in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. He is best known for his participation in Confederate Ireland, a short-lived independent Irish state, in which he served on the governing body called the Supreme Council. In later life, he also wrote a history of the Confederate period, which is one of the best historical sources on the Confederation.
Early life
Richard was born at Bellinstown in 1613.
In October 1641, rebellion broke out in the northern province of
The Confederate Politician
Bellings was one of the chief movers behind the creation of the Confederate Catholics of Ireland which sought to bring the anarchic rebellion under social control and to organise Irish Catholic armies in self-defence. Bellings was voted onto the Supreme Council as secretary (the Confederation's executive branch) in 1642. However, Bellings, like his colleagues on the Supreme Council, was a conservative Confederate. Because of his Old English background, he had little time for the initial Ulster-Irish rebellion. Also given his social standing, he detested social rebellion, calling it, "the violent fury of a rude and desperate multitude". He also strongly disapproved of the killing of Protestants in the early phases of the rebellion.
Bellings was a committed
Bellings spent 1644–45 as the Confederates' ambassador in continental Europe, visiting France, Spain and the
Bellings and his colleagues, which included Peter Valesius Walsh, were temporarily arrested and detained in Kilkenny Castle,[2] but were released in time to conclude a new Omonde Peace with the Royalists in 1648. However, by this time it was too late to help the English Royalists and the English Parliament turned its attention on Ireland, re-conquering it in 1649–1653. See Also Cromwellian conquest of Ireland. Bellings managed to flee to the Royalist court in exile in France but his lands were confiscated in bulk by the Parliamentarians. In fact, they had been devastated in the wars anyway, as they lay directly on the route to Dublin taken by the contending armies.
Restoration
After the
He died in September 1677[3] and was buried at Mulhuddart, near Dublin, near his wife. His tomb, which was enclosed by a wall has no inscription visible upon it.[4]
His son, another Richard Bellings, gained fame as the secretary to Catherine of Braganza.[5]
Notes
- ^ Webb 1878, p. 15: "... born at Bellinstown, County of Dublin, in 1613."
- ^ Bagwell 1909, p. 129: "Rinuccini then proceeded to imprison the old Supreme Council. Mountgarret's eldest son Edmond, Belling, the secretary and historian, Lord Muskerry … were among those confined in the castle."
- ^ O'Donoghue 1913, p. 416, line 43: "He died in 1677 …"
- ^ Ball 1920, p. 43: "He appears to have resided in Dublin, whence after his death in September 1677, his body was carried to Mulhuddart to be inyterred near his wife. His tomb which was enclosed by a wall, was well known 50 years later, but no inscription was visible on it."
- ^ The Role of Anti-Catholicism in England in the 1670s
References
- OCLC 458582656. – 1642 to 1660
- Ball, Francis Elrington (1920). A History of County of Dublin. Vol. 6. Dublin: Printed at the University Press. – Southern Fingal
- O'Donoghue, D. J. (1913). "Bellings, Sir Richard". In OCLC 1157968788.
- Webb, Alfred (1878). "Belling, Sir Richard". Compendium of Irish Biography. Dublin: OCLC 122693688.