William Burke, 7th Earl of Clanricarde


William Burke, 7th Earl of Clanricarde, Irish peer, was the son of Sir William Burke, younger son of Ulick Burke, 3rd Earl of Clanricarde, and Joan O'Shaughnessy.
Burke had served with his brother Richard, the 6th Earl under their cousin, Ulick Burke, 5th Earl of Clanricarde, during the Irish Confederate Wars and they each succeeded to his title. He became Lord Lieutenant of County Galway in 1680 and its Chief Governor in 1687.

Birth and origins

William was a younger son of Sir William Burke and his wife Joan. His father was the third son of Ulick Burke, the 3rd Earl of Clanricarde. William's mother was a daughter of Dermot O'Shaugnessy of Gort.


William Burke had two sons:
It is likely that he also had sisters but nothing seems to be known about them.

First marriage

His first wife was Lettice Shirley, daughter of Sir Henry Shirley, 2nd Baronet, by Lady Dorothy Devereux and granddaughter of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex. She was born about 1617 and died on 25 Sep 1655. By her he had three sons including his heir, Richard.
Children with Lettice Shirley:
  1. Richard, became the 8th Earl of Clanricarde;
  2. John, became the 9th Earl of Clanricarde.
  3. Thomas, killed at the Siege of Buda, Hungary;

    Earl of Clanricarde

During William's childhood his uncle Richard had been Earl of Clanricarde, the 4th of his name. That uncle died on 12 November 1635 and was succeeded by his cousin Ulick as the 5th Earl and 1st Marquess. Ulick was a royalist during the Irish Confederate Wars and the Cromwellian Conquest of Ireland. He died in July 1657 and was succeeded by William's brother as the 6th Earl of Clanricarde. In July 1657 his brother Richard succeeded his cousin Ulick as the 6th Earl of Clanricarde. In 1666 his elder brother died and William eventually succeeded as the 7th Earl of Clanricarde.

Second marriage

His second marriage was to Helen MacCarty, daughter of Donough MacCarty, 1st Earl of Clancarty.
Among his children with Helen were:
  1. Ulick, was created Viscount of Galway and fell at the Battle of Aughrim fighting for the Jacobites;
  2. Margaret, first married Bryan Magennis, 5th Viscount of Iveagh, and then Thomas Butler of Garryricken;
  3. William, died childless in France;
  4. Honora, married 1st Patrick Sarsfield and 2nd the Duke of Berwick.

    Death, succession, and timeline

Lord Clanricarde died in October 1687 and was succeeded by his eldest son Richard as the 8th Earl of Clanricarde. His daughter Honora inherited a fortune of £3,500 from her father.