Sir Robert Needham later 1st Viscount of Kilmorney 1598

Robert Needham, 1st Viscount Kilmorey (c. 1565 – 1631) was an English politician and a peer in the peerage of Ireland.

Biography

He was the eldest son of Robert Needham of Shavington Hall, near Adderley, in Shropshire, educated at

Shrewsbury School Shrewsbury School is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school in Shrewsbury. Founded in 1552 by Edward VI by royal charter, to replace the town's Saxon collegiate foundations which were disestablished in the sixteenth century, Shrewsb ...

(1577) and

St John's College, Cambridge St John's College, formally the College of St John the Evangelist in the University of Cambridge, is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge, founded by the House of Tudor, Tudor matriarch L ...

(1582) and trained in the law at the

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in 1583. He served in Ireland and was knighted by the

Lord Deputy of Ireland The Lord Deputy was the representative of the monarch and head of the Irish executive (government), executive under English rule, during the Lordship of Ireland and then the Kingdom of Ireland. He deputised prior to 1523 for the Viceroy of Ireland ...

in 1594. He succeeded his father in 1603, inheriting Shavington Hall at Adderley, Shropshire. He was appointed a Justice of the Peace for Shropshire by 1596, a deputy lieutenant of the county in 1600 and

High Sheriff of Shropshire This is a list of sheriffs and high sheriffs of Shropshire The high sheriff, sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the high sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of t ...

for 1606–07. He was a member of the Council in the Marches of Wales in 1609 and vice-president of the council in 1614. He was a

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(MP) of the

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for

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in 1593 and 1604. He was created Viscount Kilmorey in 1625. He died in 1631 and was buried at Adderley. He was succeeded by his elder son,

Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of ''Hrōþ, Hruod'' () "fame, glory, honour, prais ...

Family

Viscount Kilmorey was married four times: *He married, firstly, Jane Lacy, daughter of John Lacy, circa 10 August 1586. cites They had a son

. cites *He married, secondly, Anne Doyley before 14 October 1594. *He married, thirdly, Catherine Robinson, daughter of John Robinson. *He married fourthly 1629/31 the twice widowed

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, daughter of Ambrose Smith of Cheapside.

Estate

In 1613, Needham received a grant of the Barony of Orhera (also known as Orier Bar) and other lands in

County Armagh County Armagh ( ) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland and one of the traditional thirty-two counties of Ireland. It is located in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster and adjoins the southern shore of Lough Neagh. It borders t ...

from King James I, recognizing his service and loyalty. This grant established him as the 1st Feudal Baron of Orhera, County Armagh. He was created Viscount Kilmorey in the Peerage of Ireland by King Charles I on 18 April 1625.

Family

Needham was married four times. His first marriage was to Jane Lacy, daughter of John Lacy, around 10 August 1586, with whom he had a son, Robert. He subsequently married Anne Doyley before 14 October 1594, then Catherine Robinson, daughter of John Robinson, and finally, between 1629 and 1631, he married Dorothy, daughter of Ambrose Smith of Cheapside, who had been widowed twice before. Needham's will, dated 22 December 1630 and probated on 2 March 1631/1632, mentions his wife Dorothy, his son Robert, his sisters Dorothy Chetwood, Mary Vernon, Jane Hocknell, and Maude Aston, as well as his grandchildren Robert Needham, Charles Needham, George Needham, Eleanor Needham, Mary Needham, Susanna Needham, and Frances Cotton. His sons-in-law, Sir Rowland Cotton and Sir William Owen, are also referenced.

Notes

Sources

* * * * 1560s births 1631 deaths People educated at Shrewsbury School Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge High sheriffs of Shropshire English MPs 1593 English MPs 1604–1611 English justices of the peace Viscounts in the Peerage of Ireland Peers of Ireland created by Charles I {{1604-England-MP-stub