Richard FitzGibbon, 3rd Earl of Clare

Anglo-Irish politician and noble

The Right Honourable

The Earl of Clare

Member of Parliament
for County Limerick
In office
1818–1841
Personal details
Born| 2 October 1793
Mountshannon House, County Limerick
Died| 10 January 1864(1864-01-10) (aged 70)
Kensington, London
Resting place| St. Peter's Church, Aungier Street, Dublin
Alma mater| Harrow School
Military service
Allegiance| United Kingdom
Branch/service| British Army
Years of service| 1808–1814
Rank| Captain
Unit| 1st Foot Guards
2nd Ceylon Regiment
Battles/wars|

* Napoleonic Wars
* Peninsular War
* Second Battle of Porto
* Battle of Talavera

Richard Hobart FitzGibbon, 3rd Earl of Clare (2 October 1793 - 10 January 1864) was an Anglo-Irish politician and noble.

Born at Mountshannon House in County Limerick, FitzGibbon was educated at Harrow School.[1] He joined the British Army, and was present at the Second Battle of Porto and Battle of Talavera.[2]

At the 1818 UK general election, he stood in County Limerick for the Whigs, winning the seat. He rarely spoke in Parliament, and did not always vote in line with the Whig leadership. In turn, they offered him little support, but he nevertheless held his seat, sometimes describing himself as an independent. He served until 1841, when he stood down.[2] He was appointed Governor of Limerick in 1818, and later served twice as Lord Lieutenant of Limerick.

In the 1820s, FitzGibbon had a child with Diana Woodcock, who was then married to Maurice Crosbie Moore. He obtained a divorce in 1825, by act of the House of Lords, and FitzGibbon and Woodcock immediately married. However, Moore secured custody of FitzGibbon's illegitimate child, despite stating that he was doing so purely out of vindictiveness. The couple had one legitimate child, John Charles Henry FitzGibbon, Viscount FitzGibbon, who was killed in the Battle of Balaklava in 1854.[1] In 1851, FitzGibbon succeeded his brother as the Earl of Clare. He died in 1864.[2]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "FITZGIBBON, Hon. Richard Hobart (1793-1864), of Mount Shannon, co. Limerick". The History of Parliament. Houses of Parliament. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
2. ^ a b c Stenton, Michael (1976). Who's Who of British Members of Parliament. Vol. 1\. Hassocks: Harvester Press. p. 141\. ISBN 0855272198.

Parliament of the United Kingdom

Preceded by

Windham Quin
William Odell

|  Member of Parliament for County Limerick
1818–1841
With:  Windham Quin 1818–1820
Standish O'Grady 1820–1826, 1830, 1830–1835
Thomas Lloyd 1826–1830
James Hewitt Massy Dawson 1830
William Smith O'Brien 1835–1841  | Succeeded by

William Smith O'Brien
Caleb Powell

Honorary titles
Preceded by

The Earl of Clare

|  Lord Lieutenant of Limerick
1851–1854  | Succeeded by

The Earl of Dunraven and Mount-Earl

New title |  Lord Lieutenant of Limerick
1831–1848  | Succeeded by

The Earl of Clare

Preceded by

The Lord Muskerry

|  Governor of Limerick
1818–1831  | Became Lord Lieutenancy
Peerage of Ireland
Preceded by

John FitzGibbon

|  Earl of Clare
1851–1864  | Extinct