Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition/Arthur Annesley, Earl of Anglesea

ANGLESEA, Arthur Annesley, Earl of, lord privy seal in the reign of King Charles II., the son of Sir Francis Annesley, Lord Mount-Norris, and Viscount Valentia, in Ireland, was born at Dublin 10th July 1614. He was for some time at the university of Oxford, and afterwards studied law at Lincoln s Inn. In the beginning of the civil war he sat in the parliament held at Oxford ; but afterwards became reconciled to the opposite party, and was sent commissioner to Ulster in 1645, to oppose the designs of the rebel Owen Roe O Neal. He was president of the council of state after the death of Cromwell, and was principally concerned in bringing about the Restora tion. He succeeded to his father s titles in 1660, and in 1661 was enrolled in the English peerage as Lord Annesley of Newport- Pagnell, Bucks, and Earl of Anglesea. During Charles s reign he was employed in various important affairs, was made treasurer of the navy, and for some time held the office of lord privy seal. Annesley was a person of great abilities and of very extensive learning, and was well acquainted with the constitution and laws of England. In his lifetime he published, several works, chiefly of a polemical and political character. He died in April 1686.