Roger Boyle, 1st Earl of Orrery
Roger Boyle, 1st Earl of Orrery (
April 25,
1621 –
October 26,
1679),
British soldier,
statesman and
dramatist He was the 3rd surviving son of
Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork and Richard's second wife, Catherine Fenton. He was created
Baron of Broghill on
February 28,
1627. Boyle fought in the
Irish Confederate Wars - part of the
Wars of the Three Kingdoms and subsequently became known for his antagonism towards Irish Catholics and their political aspirations. He is also known as noted
playwright and writer on 17th century warfare. Roger Boyle was named after his father's first son who died aged nine.
The Boyle family settled in Ireland in the late 16th century - Richard Boyle becoming the Earl of Cork and acquiring large estates and wealth, largely at the expense of the local Irish lords. Roger Boyle was educated at
Trinity College, Dublin, and, according to
Wood, the
orrery, an astronomical instrumentinvented, or at least constructed, by
Graham, was named after the earl, also at Oxford.
He travelled in
France and
Italy, and coming home took part in the
Bishops Wars against the Scots. He returned to Ireland on the outbreak of the
rebellion in
1641 and fought with his brothers against the Irish rebels at the
battle of Liscarroll in September
1642. However, Boyle and the English in Ireland were left vulnerable by the outbreak of the
English Civil War. Although initially under the command of the Royalist marquis of Ormonde (later
James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde), Lord Broghill consented to serve under the parliamentary commissioners in
Cork against the
Irish Confederates. Boyle fought with the Parliamentarians until the execution of the king, when he retired altogether from public affairs and took up his residence at Marston in
Somersetshire.
Subsequently he originated a scheme to bring about the Restoration, but when on his way abroad to concert measures with
Charles he was unexpectedly visited by
Cromwell in London, who, after informing him that his plans were well known to the council, and warning him of the consequence of persisting in them, offered him a command in
Ireland against the rebels, which, as it entailed no obligations except faithful service, was accepted.
His assistance in Ireland proved invaluable during the
Cromwellian conquest of Ireland. Appointed master of the ordnance, he soon assembled a body of infantry and horse, and drove the rebels into
Kilkenny, where they surrendered. he also induced the Royalist garrison of Cork - English troops with whom had served earlier in the wars - to defect back to the Parliamentarian side. On
May 10,
1650 he completely defeated at
Macroom a force of Irish advancing to the relief of Cork, and joining Cromwell assisted in taking the latter place. On Cromwell's departure for Scotland he co-operated with
Henry Ireton, whom he joined at the
siege of Limerick. In 1651, he defeated an Irish force marching to Limerick's relief under Lord Muskerry at the
battle of Knocknaclashy - the final battle of the
Irish Confederate Wars - thus effecting the capture of the town.
By this time Broghill had become the fast friend and follower of Cromwell, whose stern measures in Ireland and support of the English and
Protestants were welcomed after the policy of concession to the Irish initiated by
Charles I. He was returned to Cromwell's parliaments of 1654 and 1656 as member for the
county of Cork, and also in the latter assembly for
Edinburgh, for which he elected to sit. He served this year as lord president of the council in Scotland, where he won much popularity; and when he returned to England he was included in the inner cabinet of Cromwell's council, and was nominated in
1657 a member of the new
house of Lords. He was one of those most in favour of Cromwell's assumption of the royal title, and proposed a union between the Protector's daughter Frances and Charles II.
On Cromwell's death he gave his support to
Richard; but as he saw no possibility of maintaining the government he left for Ireland, where by resuming his command in Munster he secured the island for Charles and anticipated Monk's overtures by inviting him to land at Cork. He sat for Arundel in the Convention and in the parliament of 1661, and at the Restoration was taken into great favor. On
September 5,
1660 he was created earl of Orrery. The same year he was appointed a lord justice of Ireland and drew up the Act of Settlement. He continued to exercise his office as lord-president of Munster till 1668, when he resigned it on account of disputes with the
duke of Ormonde, the
lord-lieutenant.
On
November 25, he was
impeached by the
House of Commons for "raising of money by his own authority upon his majesty's subjects," but the prorogation of parliament by the king interrupted the proceedings, which were not afterwards renewed. He married Lady Margaret Howard, 3rd daughter of
Theophilus, 2nd Earl of Suffolk, whose charms were celebrated by
Suckling in his poem "The Bride." By her he had besides five daughters, two sons, of whom the eldest, Roger (1646-1681 or 1682), succeeded as 2nd earl of Orrery.
In addition to Lord Orrery's achievements as a statesman and administrator, he gained some reputation as a writer and a dramatist. He was the author of:
An Answer to a Scandalous Letter ... A Full Discovery of the Treachery of the Irish Rebels (1662), printed with the letter itself in his
State Letters (1742)
*another answer to the same letter entitled
Irish Colors Displayed ... being also ascribed to him
Parlhenissa, a novel (1654)
English-Adventures by a Person of Honor (1676), whence
Otway drew his tragedy of the
OrphanTreatise of the Art of War (1677), a work of considerable historical valueThere are some poems, of little interest, including verses:
On His Majesty's Happy Restoration (unprinted)
On the Death of Abraham Cowley (1677)
The Dream (unprinted)
Poems on most of the Festivals of the Church (1681)Plays in verse, of some literary but less dramatic merit:
Henry V (1664), tragedy
Mustapha (1665), tragedy
Tryphon (acted 1668), tragedy
The Black Prince (1669), tragedy
Herod the Great (published 1694), tragedy
Altemira (1702), tragedy
Guzman (1669), comedy
Mr Anthony, comedyA collected edition was published in 1737, to which was added the comedy
As you find it.
The General is also attributed to him.
Authorities
State Letters of Roger Boyle, 1st Earl of Orrery, ed. with his life by. Th. Morrice (1742); Additional manuscripts (
Brit. Mus.) 25,287 (letter-book when governor of Munster), and 32,095 sqq. 109-188 (letters); article in the
Dict, of Nat. Biog. and authorities there collected; Wood's
Athenae Oxonienses, iii. 1200;
Biographia (
Kippis);
Orrery Papers, ed. by Lady Cork and Orrery (1893) (Preface);
Contemporary Hist. of Affairs in Ireland, ed. by John T Gilbert (1879-1880);
Cal. of State Pap., Irish and Domestic.
