House of Cromwell

The Hon Gregory Cromwell, son of Thomas, Earl of Essex, was summoned to Parliament in 1539 as LORD CROMWELL (his father was attainted and beheaded in July, 1540); and, being a servant of HENRY VIII, was created Baron Cromwell in 1540.

He married Elizabeth, daughter of Sir John Seymour, sister of Edward, Duke of Somerset. His eldest son,

HENRY CROMWELL, 2nd Baron, married Lady Mary, daughter of John, Marquess of Winchester. 

His elder son, EDWARD CROMWELL, 3rd Baron, was with the Earl of Essex in his expedition at sea against the Spaniards in the reign of ELIZABETH I, and joined in the insurrection three years later, which cost Lord Essex his head.

Lord Cromwell, however, received a special pardon in 1601.

His lordship married twice. Having alienated his estates in England by sale, he purchased the barony of Lecale, in Ulster, from Mountjoy Blount, Earl of Devon (or, possibly, made an exchange thereof).

The 3rd Baron died in Ulster and was succeeded by his son, THOMAS CROMWELL, 4th Baron, who was, in 1624, advanced as Viscount Lecale; and, in 1645, further advanced to the dignity of EARL OF ARDGLASS.

His lordship remained firmly attached to the interests of the King during the civil wars, notwithstanding his friendship with the Earl of Essex. He was succeeded, in 1653, by his eldest son,

WINGFIELD CROMWELL,  5th Baron and 2nd Earl of Ardglass; taken prisoner when fighting against the Parliamentarians at Chester, 1649. Buried at Ilam, Staffordshire.

His only son, THOMAS CROMWELL, 6th Baron and 3rd Earl, who married Honora, daughter of the Most Rev Michael Boyle, Lord Archbishop of Armagh, and Lord Chancellor of Ireland. Lord Ardglass died in 1682, without male issue, and was buried at Ilam, when his honours reverted to his uncle,

VERE ESSEX CROMWELL, 7th Baron and 4th Earl. This nobleman married Catherine, daughter of James Hamilton, MP for Bangor, County Down (nephew of James, Viscount Claneboye).

His lordship died at Newcastle, County Down, in 1687, and was interred at Downpatrick, when the earldom and viscountcy expired, and his remaining dignities and honours devolved upon his daughter,

ELIZABETH CROMWELL,  as Baroness Cromwell, in which rank her ladyship assisted at the funeral of Queen MARY and the coronation of Queen ANNE. Lady Cromwell married Edward Southwell Esq, principal secretary of state for Ireland, and had issue,

EDWARD SOUTHWELL, who, in right of his mother, succeeded to the Barony of de Clifford.

Lady Cromwell died in 1709 and the Barony of Cromwell was stated to have become vested in the sisters and co-heirs of EDWARD, LORD DE CLIFFORD, son and successor of Edward, Lord de Clifford, mentioned above.

The colours of Downpatrick High School's crest are taken from the arms of Lady Elizabeth Cromwell (1674-1709), daughter of the 4th Earl and owner of the Downpatrick estate.

Lady Elizabeth was wife of the Rt Hon Edward Southwell, MP for Kinsale. Southwell was a well known benefactor of the town.

The Earls of Ardglass were landlords of most of the barony of Lecale. The lands of Lecale were held, prior to the Reformation, either by the great religious corporations in Downpatrick or by the descendants of planters.

The Church lands, having become vested in the Crown, were leased to the Earl of Kildare and, after the expiration of that lease, came into the possession of the Cromwell family, Earls of Ardglass.

They still form the Downpatrick estate, except large portions of them that have been sold or leased off by the Cromwells or their descendants.

Throwley Old Hall, Staffordshire, was a seat of the Cromwells through marriage. Elizabeth, the last of the Meverells, married Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII's chief minister, responsible for the disillusion of the monasteries. A descendant of them was Oliver Cromwell, the Lord Protector.

The writer and poet Charles Cotton married into the Cromwell family in 1669 – his 2^nd wife Mary was a widow of Wingfield Cromwell. He spent time fishing the local river with his great friend Izaak Newton and building his famous fishing lodge on the River Dove.

Following the Cromwells the house passed to the last Baron de Clifford, Edward Southwell, who sold to Sir Samuel Crompton in 1790, who let the property to the reputable Phillips family.

  
Several members of the family are interred at Down Cathedral. The 1st Earl held Dundrum Castle between 1605-36.

Ardglass arms courtesy of European Heraldry.