Nicholas Barnewall, 1st Viscount Kingsland

Nicholas Barnewall, 1st Viscount Kingsland (1592–1663), belonged to the family of Barnewall, or De Berneval.

After the subjection of Ireland in the time of Henry II, Michael de Berneval, who served under Strongbow, obtained large grants of land at Beerhaven, County Cork, of which the O'Sullivans had been dispossessed. Here the Bernevals flourished in great prosperity until the reign of John, when the Irish rose against them, and destroyed every member of the family but one, who happened to be in London learning the law. The latter, returning to Ireland, was settled at Drumnagh, near Dublin, where his posterity remained until the reign of James I.

Various members of the family distinguished themselves, chiefly in the law and in parliament. Nicholas, born in 1572, was son of Sir Patrick Barnewall. He was thirty years old when his father died (1622), and he represented the county of Dublin in the Irish parliaments of 1634 and 1639. When the rebellion of 1641 broke out, he was appointed to command such forces as he could raise, which were to be armed by the state for the defence of Dublin county. ‘Dreading,’ says Lodge, ‘the designs of the Irish, he fled into Wales with his wife, several priests, and others, and stayed there till after the cessation of arms was concluded, returning in Captain Bartlett's ship 17 March 1643.’

A conversation on board this ship with his cousin Susanna Stockdale, reported by Lodge, points to the fact that his sympathies were rather with the Roman catholics in Ireland than the Protestants, and it is there said that he was very intimately acquainted with some that were near the queen. It may therefore be that Charles I was influenced by Queen Henrietta in creating Barnewall baron of Turvey and viscount of Kingsland in 1645, ‘as being sensible of his loyalty and taking special notice both of his services in Ireland and those of his son Patrick in England.’

Lord Kingsland died at Turvey 20 August 1663. He married Bridget, daughter of the twelfth earl of Kildare, by whom he left five sons and four daughters.

References

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Barnewall, Nicholas (1592-1663)". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.