William Handcock, 1st Viscount Castlemaine
William Handcock, 1st Viscount Castlemaine,PC (Ire)(28 August 1761 – 7 January 1839) was an Irish MP and a supporter of the union of Ireland withGreat Britain.
Life
[edit]He was born inDublin, Irelandto ReverendRichard Handcockand Sarah Toler. In 1783, Handcock stood forAthlonein theIrish House of Commonsand represented the constituency until theActs of Unionin 1801. He was Constable and Governor of Athlone 1813–1839 and Governor of County Westmeath 1814–1831.
Handcock was killed on theNight of the Big Windin 1839 when the wind blew his bedroom shutters open at Moydrum Castle and hurled him “so violently upon his back that he instantly expired”.[1]
TheAustraliancity ofCastlemainein the state ofVictoriawas named in his honour by his nephew Captain W. Wright.
Family and title
[edit]On 20 March 1782 he married Lady Florinda Trench (3 August 1766 – 9 February 1851), born inTwyford, WestmeathtoWilliam Power Keating Trench, 1st Earl of ClancartyandAnne Gardiner, Countess of Clancarty.William and Florinda had no children,[2]and when Handcock was createdBaron Castlemaine,ofMoydrum(in thePeerage of Ireland) on 21 December 1812 the title had a specialremainder"failing heirs of his body to his brother".[citation needed]He was further createdViscount Castlemaineon 12 January 1822[3]but without aspecial remainder.
On his death the viscountcy became extinct. His barony passed to his brother, whose descendants still hold the title.
Arms
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References
[edit]- ^"The calm before the Big Wind of 1839 was particularly eerie".The Irish Times.Retrieved28 August2023.
- ^Lodge, Edmund.The Peerage of the British Empire As at Present Existing: Arranged and Printed from the Personal Communications of the Nobility.(p. 106) London: Saunders and Otley, 1839.googlebooksRetrieved 5 September 2009
- ^"No. 17781".The London Gazette.12 January 1822. p. 60.
- ^Burke's Peerage.1886.
Further reading
[edit]- Lodge, Edmund.The Peerage of the British Empire As at Present Existing: Arranged and Printed from the Personal Communications Of the Nobility, by Edmund Lodge, to Which Is Added a View of the Baronetage of the Three Kingdoms.(p. 85) London: Saunders and Otley, 1834.googlebooksAccessed 12 March 2008
- 1761 births
- 1839 deaths
- Irish MPs 1783–1790
- Irish MPs 1790–1797
- Irish MPs 1798–1800
- Members of the Parliament of Ireland (pre-1801) for Athlone
- Members of the Privy Council of Ireland
- Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Athlone
- UK MPs 1801–1802
- UK MPs 1802–1806
- UK MPs who were granted peerages
- Viscounts in the Peerage of Ireland
- Peers of Ireland created by George III
- Viscounts Castlemaine