Baron La Poer

Baron La Poer is a title in the Peerage of Ireland held by the Marquess of Waterford.

Nicholas fitz John le Poer, of Kilmeadan, was summoned to the Parliament of Ireland on the 23 November 1375, the 22 January 1377/8 and the 11 September 1380. The first of these summonses was the basis of a peerage claim nearly four hundred years later by Katherine, Dowager Countess of Tyrone, a descendant of Nicholas's daughter Ellen, who had married David Poer or Power, known as "Davey Rothe".

The Lady Katherine Power was born on the 29 November 1701, the only child of James Power, 3rd Earl of Tyrone. On the 16 July 1717 she was married to Sir Marcus Beresford, 4th Baronet, MP for Coleraine. Katherine's father Lord Tyrone had died in 1704, when his earldom became extinct, and as the husband of his heiress Beresford was created Viscount Tyrone in 1720 and then Earl of Tyrone in 1746. He died in 1763, and was succeeded by his son George de la Poer Beresford.

On the 4 April 1763 the Dowager Countess of Tyrone presented a claim to the Irish House of Lords claiming to be Baroness La Poer, as heiress of Nicholas le Poer who had been summoned to Parliament in 1375 and had thereby, it was held, been created Baron Le Poer by writ. This claim was flawed on two counts. Firstly, a writ of summons to the Irish Parliament issued to a commoner did "not" automatically create a hereditary peerage, as was the case with a writ of summons to the English Parliament. Secondly, Katherine was not the genealogical heiress of Nicholas, but only of his daughter Ellen, as Nicholas had left sons whose descendants would have a superior claim. Nevertheless, the Irish House of Lords resolved the case in her favour on 9 November 1767. The change of title from Baron "Le" Poer to Baroness "La" Poer was justified by the fact that the claimant was female. This decision was confirmed by the King on 19 December 1767, limiting the succession to the descendants of Katherine's paternal grandfather Richard, who was stated to have sat as Baron Le Poer. However, this title was in fact the separate peerage of Baron Le Power and Coroghmore, created in 1535 for Richard, son of Sir Piers Power and great-grandson of Davey Rothe Power and his wife Ellen, daughter of Nicholas fitz John le Poer. The title awarded to Katherine was therefore in effect an entirely new peerage, though whether its creation should be dated from the Lords' resolution of 9 November 1767 or the royal confirmation of 19 December 1767 is uncertain.

The suo jure Baroness La Poer died in 1769 and was succeeded as 2nd Baron La Poer by her son George, 2nd Earl of Tyrone. He was further created Marquess of Waterford in 1789 and the titles remain united today in the person of his descendant John Hubert de la Poer Beresford, 8th Marquess of Waterford and 9th Baron La Poer.

Baron Le Poer, 1375

*Nicholas fitz John le Poer, Baron Le Poer

Baron La Poer, 1767

*Katherine Beresford, 1st Baroness La Poer
*George de la Poer Beresford, 2nd Baron La Poer
*"see Marquess of Waterford for subsequent holders."

ource

*George Edward Cokayne, "The Complete Peerage".