William O'Brien, 4th Earl of Inchiquin

William McWilliam O'Brien, 4th Earl of Inchiquin, KB, PC(I) (1700 18 July 1777) was an Irish peer and politician.

Background

O'Brien was the eldest son of William O'Brien, 3rd Earl of Inchiquin and his wife, Mary (née Villiers), sister of the 1st Earl of Jersey, and inherited his father's titles in 1719. He founded the predecessor of the present day Royal Cork Yacht Club, the Water Club of the Cork Harbour, in 1720.

Political career

Inchiquin was Whig Member of Parliament for Windsor from 1722 to 1727, for Tamworth from 1727 to 1734, for Camelford from 1741 to 1747 and for Aylesbury from 1747 to 1754. In 1725, he had been appointed a Knight Companion of the Order of the Bath. From 1740 to 1741, he was Grand Master of the Premier Grand Lodge of England, Governor of County Clare from 1741 to 1777 and Custos Rotulorum of County Clare from 1762 to 1767. From 1744 to 1751, he was a Lord of the Bedchamber to Frederick, Prince of Wales and admitted to the Privy Council of Ireland in 1753. On his death in 1777, without surviving male heirs, his titles passed to his nephew, Murrough O'Brien, who was later created Marquess of Thomond.

Family

On 29 March 1720, he married his cousin, Lady Anne Hamilton, the eldest daughter and heiress of George Hamilton, 1st Earl of Orkney, and his wife Elizabeth (née Villiers). His wife became 2nd Countess of Orkney in her own right in 1737. They had five children:

He married, secondly, Mary Moore, daughter of Stephen Moore, 1st Viscount Mount Cashell and Alicia Colville, on 12 October 1761

Additionally, Inchiquin was feted by antiquarians and many of the works of Irish history produced at this time are dedicated to him; as an Anglican deriving his lineage from an old Gaelic family, he was a politique choice for those wishing to disseminate their work in Ascendancy Ireland and Hanoverian Britain.

References

    Parliament of Great Britain
    Preceded by
    Sir Henry Ashurst
    Samuel Travers
    Member of Parliament for Windsor
    17221727
    With: Earl of Burford 17221726
    Lord Vere Beauclerk 17261727
    Succeeded by
    Lord Vere Beauclerk
    Viscount Malpas
    Preceded by
    Hon. Francis Willoughby
    Hon. George Compton
    Member of Parliament for Tamworth
    17271734
    With: Thomas Willoughby
    Succeeded by
    Lord John Sackville
    Hon. George Compton
    Preceded by
    Sir Thomas Lyttelton
    Hon. James Cholmondeley
    Member of Parliament for Camelford
    17411747
    With: Charles Montagu
    Succeeded by
    The Earl of Londonderry
    Samuel Martin
    Preceded by
    Charles Pilsworth
    Hon. William Stanhope
    Member of Parliament for Aylesbury
    17471754
    With: Edward Willes
    Succeeded by
    Thomas Potter
    John Willes
    Masonic offices
    Preceded by
    Lord Paisley
    Grand Master of the
    Premier Grand Lodge of England

    17261727
    Succeeded by
    The Lord Coleraine
    Peerage of Ireland
    Preceded by
    William O'Brien
    Earl of Inchiquin
    17191777
    Succeeded by
    Murrough O'Brien
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