Sir Gilbert Ireland (1624 – 30 April 1675) of Hale Hall, Lancashire was an English politician who sat in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...

at various times between 1654 and 1675. Ireland was the son of John Ireland of Hutt and Hale and his wife Elizabeth Hays, daughter of Sir Thomas Hays, alderman of London.Le Neves Pedigrees of the Knights
/ref> He was a grandson of Sir Gilbert Ireland who brought the giant John Middleton to court. He inherited both the house at Hutt and Hale Hall on the death of his father in 1633. In 1645, he was one of committee appointed by parliament to assess taxes in Lancashire. He was

High Sheriff of Lancashire The High Sheriff of Lancashire is an ancient office, now largely ceremonial, granted to Lancashire, a county in North West England. High Shrievalties are the oldest secular titles under the Crown, in England and Wales. The High Sheriff of Lanca ...

in 1648. In 1654, Ireland was elected Member of Parliament for

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...

in the

First Protectorate Parliament The First Protectorate Parliament was summoned by the Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell under the terms of the Instrument of Government. It sat for one term from 3 September 1654 until 22 January 1655 with William Lenthall as the Speaker of the H ...

, and was re-elected in 1656 for the

Second Protectorate Parliament The Second Protectorate Parliament in England sat for two sessions from 17 September 1656 until 4 February 1658, with Thomas Widdrington as the Speaker of the House of Commons (United Kingdom), Speaker of the House of Commons. In its first sess ...

. In 1659, he was elected MP for

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

in the

Third Protectorate Parliament The Third Protectorate Parliament sat for one session, from 27 January 1659 until 22 April 1659, with Chaloner Chute and Thomas Bampfylde as the Speakers of the House of Commons. It was a bicameral Parliament, with an Upper House having a po ...

. Ireland was re-elected MP for Liverpool in April 1660 for the Convention Parliament. He was knighted at the Restoration on 16 June 1660. In 1661 he was re-elected MP for Liverpool for the

Cavalier Parliament The Cavalier Parliament of England lasted from 8 May 1661 until 24 January 1679. With the exception of the Long Parliament, it was the longest-lasting English Parliament, and longer than any Great British or UK Parliament to date, enduring ...

and sat until his death in 1675. In 1674 he moved into Hale Hall after completing alterations to the house. He hid the gables on the north front of the Jacobean building behind a brick parapet which was ornamented with stone medallions and other features and arched over the recesses between the bays. On the tower he placed a stone tablet inscribed "Built by Sir Gilbert Ireland, Knt, and Dame Margt, Ao dI 1674". He was elected

Mayor of Liverpool From 2012 to 2023, the mayor of Liverpool was the executive mayor of the city of Liverpool in England. The office was abolished in 2023 and its functions were replaced with the leader of Liverpool City Council. The mayor of Liverpool was previ ...

in 1674, but died during his year of office. Ireland had married Margaret Ireland, daughter of Thomas Ireland of Beausey, Lancashire, but died without issue. Hale Hall passed to his nephew, also Gilbert.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ireland, Gilbert 1624 births 1675 deaths High sheriffs of Lancashire Mayors of Liverpool Members of the Parliament of England (pre-1707) for Lancashire English MPs 1654–1655 English MPs 1656–1658 English MPs 1659 English MPs 1660 English MPs 1661–1679 Members of the Parliament of England (pre-1707) for Liverpool People from Childwall