lyo COMPLETE PEERAGE annesley II. 1770. 2 and I. Francis Charles (Annesley), Viscount FART DOM n 1 Glerawly and Lord Annesley of Castle Wellan [I.], L ■-' s. and h., i. 27 Nov. 1740. M.P. for Downpatrick I. 1789. 1761-70. Took his seat in the House of Lords I Mar. 1 77 1. On 17 Aug. 1789 (") he was cr. EARL ANNESLEY C") of Castlewellan, co. Down (*=) [L], with a spec, rem., failing heirs male of his body, to his br. Richard Annesley in like manner. He took his seat on the Earls' Bench 21 Jan. 1790. He m., 8 Feb. 1766, Mary, (a fortune of ;^30,ooo) da. and h. of Robert Grove, of Ballyhim- mock, CO. Cork, by Mary, only child of Richard Rylands, of Dungarvan. She t/. 25 Aug. 1 79 1. He subsequently went through the marriage cere- mony at Mountpanther, co. Down, with a woman who was already married, viz. Sophia Connor, wife of one of his gate-keepers. By her (besides a son l>. before^ he had 2 sons b. after this ceremony, both of whom, as well as their mother, assumed the rank to which a legit, marriage would have entitled them. ('^) He d. s.p. legit., 19 Dec. 1802, at Mountpanther afsd., and was bur. at Kilmegan, afsd., aged 62. Will pr. 1 803, Prerog. Ct. [I.]. EARLDOM [I.] IL BARONY [I.] in. 1802. 2 and 3. Richard (Annesley), Earl An- nesley, ^c. [I.], 3rd, but 2nd surv. br. and h., inherited the Earldom according to the spec. rem. He was b. 14 Apr. 1745 ; Bar- rister at Law, Dublin 1770 ; was M.P. C') [I.] for Coleraine 1776-83, and for St. Canice of it is she is very good humoured, but will be familiar : her husband is very like the Duke of Bedford, and well enough." She writes of them again in Nov. 1752, " They are very rich and know it, and spend their lives in increasing not enjoying their fortune ; but he is a very honest man in all his dealings, still would be more agreeable as well as more useful if he thought less of his possessions. His lady suits him exactly; she does not want sense, and is comical enough is a satirical way." V.G. {*) See note sub ii Earl Cadogan. C) See note sub i Marquess of Waterford. C^) See note " b " on previous page. C) The elder of these 2 sons was bap. " George de la Poer Beresford. " He was a student in the Royal Military Coll., Sandhurst, Berks, where he d. unm., and was bur. 1 8 Feb. 1814, at Sandhurst, as " George, Earl of Annesley, aged 15." The yr s., called " the Hon. Francis Charles Annesley, " d. an infant, 9 Mar. 1 803, at the residence of " the Countess Annesley " [i.e. his mother), in Sackville St., Dublin. This so called Countess d. in Paris about 1852. Her ist s. by the Earl {b. before the marriage ceremony) d. at sea, aged 14. By Dorothy Mcllroy the Earl had 4 other sons, b. in his wife's lifetime, one of whom was living 1855. These last four are here mentioned because they are so often confused with the three sons of Sophia Connor, two of whom claimed to be legitimate as above mentioned. (') " In his parliamentary exhibitions, Mr. Annesley is but little befriended by his voice, as it is feeble, indistinct, confined, and inharmonious, with a childishness of tone uncommon and ofiFensive ; whilst his management of it is very defective in that art which would conceal its deficiencies, and meliorate its harshness. Variety is the most striking characteristic of his delivery, as he frequently passes, with a very sudden
