Sir Dudley Loftus (1561 – 1616) was an Irish landowner and

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

of the 16th and early seventeenth century. Loftus was born in

Rathfarnham Rathfarnham () is a Southside (Dublin), southside suburb of Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Ireland in County Dublin. It is south of Terenure, east of Templeogue, and is in the postal districts of Dublin 14 and Dublin 16, 16. It is between the Lo ...

County Dublin County Dublin ( or ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland, and holds its capital city, Dublin. It is located on the island's east coast, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. Until 1994, County Dubli ...

in 1561. He was the eldest son of Adam Loftus, the

Archbishop of Dublin The Archbishop of Dublin () is an Episcopal polity, archiepiscopal title which takes its name from Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Since the Reformation in Ireland, Reformation, there have been parallel apostolic successions to the title: ...

and Jane Purdon. As well as his duties in the

Church of Ireland The Church of Ireland (, ; , ) is a Christian church in Ireland, and an autonomy, autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. It is organised on an all-Ireland basis and is the Christianity in Ireland, second-largest Christian church on the ...

he was one of the most powerful political figures in late Tudor Ireland who served as

Lord Chancellor of Ireland The Lord High Chancellor of Ireland, commonly known as the Lord Chancellor of Ireland, was the highest ranking judicial office in Ireland until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. From 1721 until the end of 1800, it was also the hi ...

. He was married to Anne Bagenal, the youngest daughter of Sir Nicholas Bagenal, a leading figure of southern

Ulster Ulster (; or ; or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional or historic provinces of Ireland, Irish provinces. It is made up of nine Counties of Ireland, counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kingdom); t ...

who had developed the town of

Newry Newry (; ) is a City status in Ireland, city in Northern Ireland, standing on the Newry River, Clanrye river in counties County Down, Down and County Armagh, Armagh. It is near Republic of Ireland–United Kingdom border, the border with the ...

. It was a dynastic union between two powerful

Anglo-Irish Anglo-Irish people () denotes an ethnic, social and religious grouping who are mostly the descendants and successors of the English Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland. They mostly belong to the Anglican Church of Ireland, which was the State rel ...

families, which produced five children. He died in Dublin in January 1616. His wife later remarried Lord Sarsfield. His family had great influence in

County Wexford County Wexford () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and is part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. Named after the town of Wexford, it was ba ...

, which continued to the next generation when two of his sons Sir Adam Loftus and

Nicholas Loftus Nicholas Loftus (1592-1666) was an Irish politician and public official. He was the son of Sir Dudley Loftus and the grandson of Adam Loftus, the Archbishop of Dublin and an influential political figure in Tudor Ireland. His mother Anne Bag ...

were elected to the 1640

Parliament of Ireland The Parliament of Ireland () was the legislature of the Lordship of Ireland, and later the Kingdom of Ireland, from 1297 until the end of 1800. It was modelled on the Parliament of England and from 1537 comprised two chambers: the Irish Hou ...

. A grandson,

Arthur Loftus Sir Arthur Loftus (died 27 May 1665) was an Anglo-Irish politician and landowner. He was the son of Sir Adam Loftus and Jane Vaughan. His grandfather was Sir Dudley Loftus. He served as the Member of Parliament for County Wexford in the 1639� ...

, was also elected out of Wexford that year.Kearney p.236

References

Bibliography

* Kearney, Hugh F. ''Strafford in Ireland 1633-1641: A Study in Absolutism''. Cambridge University Press, 1989. 17th-century Irish politicians 16th-century Irish politicians People from Rathfarnham

Dudley Dudley ( , ) is a market town in the West Midlands, England, southeast of Wolverhampton and northwest of Birmingham. Historically part of Worcestershire, the town is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley. In the ...

Irish knights 1561 births 1616 deaths {{Ireland-bio-stub