EARL OF

See also:

• EARL OF ROSSE
• ROSSE, WILLIAM PARSONS, 3RD EARL

ROSSE  , a title borne by the Irish family of Parsons . James Parsons, a native of Leicestershire, who flourished in the 16th century, was the father of Sir William Parsons (c . 1570-165o), one of the lords justices of Ireland . Having crossed to Ireland in early life, William Parsons became surveyor-general in 1602 and obtained land in various parts of the country . In 1620 he was made a baronet; in 1643 he was deprived of his office as lord justice, and he died early in 165o . His great-grandson, Sir Richard Parsons, bart . (c . 1657-r703), was created Baron Oxmantown and Viscount Rosse in x681, and Richard's son and successor, Richard (d . 1741), was made earl of Rosse in 1718 . The titles became extinct when Richard, the mid earl, died in August 1764 . Sir William Parsons had two brothers, Sir Lawrence and Sir Fenton Parsons . Sir Lawrence, second baron of the Irish exchequer, left a son, William (d .

1653), who defended

Birr Castle, King's County, for over a year against the Irish during 1 Figures again vary in different authorities . The above figure is that given by Berndt, Zahl im Kriege . the rebellion of 1641, and whose son, Sir Lawrence Parsons (d . 1698), was made a baronet in 1677 . This Sir Lawrence was a strong Protestant, and was found guilty of high treason, being attainted and sentenced to death during the brief period of James II.'s ascendancy in Ireland . He was not executed, however, and afterwards he took some part in the struggle against the supporters of James II . His descendant, Lawrence Harman Parsons (1749—1807), was created Baron Oxmantown in 1792, Viscount Oxmantown in 1795, and earl of Rosse in 18o6 . He died on the loth of April 1807, and was succeeded by his nephew Lawrence . Lawrence Parsons, 2nd earl of Rosse (1758—1841), the eldest son of Sir William Parsons, hart . (d . 1791), of Birr Castle, was born on the 21st of May 1758 . Educated at Trinity College, Dublin, he entered the Irish parliament as member for the university in 1782, and soon came to the front in debate .

A friend and follower of

Henry Flood, he has been described as " one of the very, very few honest men in the Irish House of Commons." He favoured some measure of relief to Roman Catholics and also parliamentary reform, a speech which he delivered on this question in 1793 being described by W . E . H . Lecky as " exceedingly valuable to students of Irish history "; but he disliked and opposed the union of the parliaments of Great Britain and Ireland . After this event, however, he represented King's County in the united parliament until 1807, and he was a representative peer for Ireland from 1809 to 1841 . He died at Brighton on the 24th of February 1841 . Rbsse wrote Observations on the Bequest of Henry Flood to Trinity College, Dublin, with a Defence of the Ancient History of Ireland (Dublin, 1795) . His eldest son was the astronomer William Parsons, 3rd earl of Rosse (see below) .