Robert Clements, 1st Earl of Leitrim

Robert Clements, 1st Earl of Leitrim (25 November 1732 – 27 July 1804)[1] was an Irish nobleman and politician.

Robert Clements, later First Earl of Leitrim, by Pompeo Batoni, about 1753-1754

Son of Cavan Borough MP Nathaniel Clements, Deputy Vice Treasurer and Teller of the Irish Exchequer, Clements served as High Sheriff of Leitrim in 1759, having been the previous year appointed as Controller of the Great and Small Customs for the Port of Dublin.

In 1765, he was elected to the Irish House of Commons for Donegal County, exchanging this seat for that of Carrick in 1768. In the former year he also married Lady Elizabeth Skeffington, eldest daughter of Clotworthy Skeffington, 1st Earl of Massereene. He was subsequently Commissioner of the Revenue between 1772 and 1773, and three years later returned MP for Donegal County again.

Having been appointed governor of Counties Leitrim and Donegal in 1777 and 1781 respectively, Clements was ennobled as Baron Leitrim, of Manor Hamilton in 1783. He was subsequently created Viscount Leitrim in 1794, and Earl of Leitrim in 1795.[1] In 1801, he was elected as one of the original Irish representative peers,[2] and was admitted to the Irish Privy Council the following year.

Lord Leitrim died aged 71 in London, and was buried in Dublin.

References

  1. Collen, G.W. (1840). Debrett's Peerage of Great Britain and Ireland. London. p. 444. Accessed 5 February 2020.
  2. Cook, C. & Stevenson, J. (1980). British Historical Facts 1760-1830. London and Basingstoke: The Macmillan Press Ltd. p. 52.
Parliament of Ireland
Preceded by
Sir Ralph Gore, 6th Bt
Andrew Knox
Member of Parliament for Donegal County
1765–1768
With: Andrew Knox
Succeeded by
John McCausland
Alexander Montgomery
Preceded by
Robert French
Dudley Cosby
Member of Parliament for Carrick
1768–1777
With: Henry Sandford 1768–1776
Nathaniel Clements 1767–1777
Edward Sneyd 1777
Succeeded by
Edward Sneyd
Robert Tighe
Preceded by
John McCausland
Alexander Montgomery
Member of Parliament for Donegal County
1776–1783
With: Alexander Montgomery
Succeeded by
Henry Vaughan Brooke
Alexander Montgomery
Political offices
New title Representative Peer for Ireland
1800–1804
Succeeded by
The Earl of Enniskillen
Peerage of Ireland
New creation Earl of Leitrim
1795–1804
Succeeded by
Nathaniel Clements

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