Robert Nugent, 1st Earl Nugent

Robert Craggs-Nugent, 1st Earl Nugent PC (1702 - October 13, 1788), Irish politician and poet, son of Michael Nugent and Mary, daughter of the ninth Lord Trimlestown, was born at Carlanstown, Co. Westmeath. He succeeded his father in the Carlanstown property on the 13 May 1739.

He married firstly, 14 July 1730, Emilia (died in childbirth 16 August 1731), daughter of the fourth Earl of Fingall. They had one son, Edmund, who became a Lieutenant-Colonel and the father of two illegitimate sons (later Field Marshal Sir George Nugent, 1st Baronet, and Admiral of the Fleet Sir Charles Edmund Nugent) before dying in 1771.

Robert Nugent married secondly, 23 March 1736, Anna (died 22 November 1756), daughter of James Craggs, the secretary of state, and sister of the Right Honourable James Craggs, whereupon Robert Nugent adopted the surname of Craggs-Nugent. She had already been twice given in marriage, but Robert, who was born a Roman Catholic, had abandoned his Church very early in life. He was tersely described by Richard Glover as a jovial and voluptuous Irishman who had left popery for the Protestant religion, money and widows.

His wife's property included the borough of St Mawes in Cornwall, and Nugent sat for that constituency from 1741 to 1754, after which date he represented Bristol until 1774, when he returned to St Mawes. In 1747 he succeeded Lord Doneraile as Comptroller of the Household to the Prince of Wales. Nugent lent the Prince large sums of money, which were never repaid; the appointments and peerages he received later in life have been attributed to the wish of the Prince of Wales's son, George III, to compensate Nugent.

Robert Craggs-Nugent served as a Lord of the Treasury from 1754 to 1759, and was made a Privy Counsellor in 15 December 1759. He was Vice-Treasurer of Ireland from 1759 to 1765, First Lord of Trade from 1766 to 1768, and Vice-Treasurer of Ireland again from 1768 to 1782. In 1768 he was made a member of the Irish Privy Council.

He married in 2 January 1757 Elizabeth (died 29 January 1792), widow of the fourth Earl of Berkeley, who brought him a large fortune. His support of the ministry was so useful that he was created in 1767 Viscount Clare, and in 1776 Earl Nugent, both Irish peerages.

Lord Nugent was the author of some poetical productions, several of which are preserved in the second volume of Dodsley's "Collections" (1748). The earldom descended by special remainder to the earl's son-in-law, George Nugent-Temple-Grenville, 1st Marquess of Buckingham, and so to his successors, the dukes of Buckingham and Chandos.

References

*1911

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