Curse ofCromwell:The Siege

Curse ofCromwell:The Siege

War of the Two

KingsDermot Poyntz Lee Grace

“� e Catholics of Ireland do undertake a war for the reinthroning their banished king. Why should they do this, since they had been oppressed by the precedent monarch, for whom they did that which no subjects had ever done: they maintained war on their own cost for several years against their common enemy, Oliver Cromwell and other regicides and usurpers, till at last they were totally subdued and deprived of all they had in the world. � e sad remembrance of the aforesaid oppression (never was the like since the creation) should make the Irish Catholic nobility to rejoice rather (according to the dictates of � esh and blood) at the misfortunes of an ensuing king of England, especially of the immediate successor and brother of their oppressor. But Catholic religion is one thing, and heresy is another. Wherefore Catholics will still be Catholics, and so the Irish must lay aside all resentments that thwart their allegiance.”

Nicholas Plunkett – A Light to the Blind

ISBN: 978-0-9566558-2-0

Book jacket art & design by Lee Grace

Poyn

tz &

Gra

ceM

occu

Pre

ssW

ar o

f the

Tw

o K

ings

7mm spine

7mm spine

9 780956 655820

ISBN 978-0-9566558-2-0

CoverBack

7mm spine Inner rightInner Left

7mm spine

� e Jacobites Jean-Antoine de Mesmes, Comte d’ AvauxAntoine de Mesmes, Count d’Avaux, was Louis XIV’s ambassador to the Jacobite court at St Germains, and was sent to Ireland as James’ adviser. Diplomacy was the birthright

of his family. His immediate forbears had signed many treaties on behalf of France. D’Avaux had been ambassador at � e Hague, and therefore knew the Prince of Orange.

Conrad de RosenFrench o� cer who came to Ireland with James. Shortly after his arrival James made

him a Marshal. De Rosen was Russian. He was considered a good cavalry leader, but no general. De Rosen had a savage nature and an inclination towards ruthless war.

Alexandre de Rainier de Droué, Marquis de BoisseleauFrench o� cer who was made governor of Cork. Was tasked with drilling Irish recruits. De Boisseleau was governor of Limerick during the siege in 1690, and conducted the

engineering operations of the city’s defence.

Antonin Nompar de Caumont, Comte de Lauzun� is French courtier and soldier acquired the command of the French forces in Ireland,

because he had helped escort James’ wife, Queen Mary Beatrice, to France in 1688, during William of Orange’s invasion of England.

John Drummond, Earl of MelfortServed as Secretary of State in Scotland under James II from 1684 until 1688. A convert to Roman Catholicism, he � ed to France and attended James as Secretary of State in Ireland. He was in con� ict with the Duke of Tyrconnell and the French

ambassador Count d’Avaux over policy.

� e Williamites

William III, Prince of Orange, Stadtholder of the United Dutch ProvincesIn response to the French invasion of the United Dutch Provinces in 1672, the existing Dutch government was overthrown and William became Stadtholder, Captain-General, and Admiral for life. William devoted himself to containing France, & built up an anti-

French coalition from amongst Louis XIV’s enemies.

Friedrich Hermann, Duke of SchombergSchomberg served in Dutch, Swedish, French, & Portuguese armies. Following the end of the war in Iberia he returned to France, and became a French citizen. When

Louis XIV declared Protestantism illegal & revoked the Edict of Nantes, Schomberg took a position in William of Orange’s army along with many other French Calvinist

Protestants, known as Huguenots.

James Stuart/James IIJames was the second son of Charles I. Deeply scarred by his father’s execution

he spent his exile in the service of both France and Spain. In 1660 the Stuart monarchy was restored and James returned to England as the Duke of York. James openly acknowledged his conversion to Roman Catholicism. He succeeded to the

throne when his brother, Charles II, died.

Duke of TyrconnellRichard Talbot was born around 1622 at Carton in County Kildare. He became a colonel in the French army, joined the Ormond Party in Ireland, and fought against Owen Roe O’Neill. Talbot was one of the few survivors of Cromwell’s

sack of Drogheda. He entered the service of the Duke of York (later James II) and returned to England with him at the Restoration. Also known as ‘� ghting Dick

Talbot’ and ‘lying Dick Talbot’, he was made Lord Lieutenant of Ireland by King James in 1686.

Patrick Sars� eldPatrick Sars� eld came from noble Irish blood on both sides of his family. His

mother was the daughter of Rory O’Moore, who helped organise the rebellion of 1641. His paternal lineage stemmed from the Normans. An ancestor, William

Sars� eld, Mayor of Dublin, was knighted by Sir Henry Sidney in 1566, for his services against Shane O’Neill. Sars� eld bore a commission in the English

Life Guards, and retired with James II to France. He was created Earl of Lucan, Viscount Tully, and Baron of Rosberry by James in 1691.

Lieutenant General Richard HamiltonRichard Hamilton was the � fth son of George Hamilton of Roscrea. He enlisted in Charles II’s Life Guards regiment, but transferred to a French regiment when

Catholics were barred from public and military o� ces. Hamilton helped persuade Tyrconnell to remain loyal to James, and was placed in command of a small

Jacobite army.

Justin McCarthy, Viscount MountcashelMountcashel entered the English army at an early age and attained the rank

of Lieutenant-General. However, his military powers were marred by defective sight. In 1688, or early 1689, he was appointed Muster-Master General and Lord

Lieutenant of the County of Cork by Tyrconnell.

War of the Two Kings

Script by Dermot Poyntz

Artwork by Lee Grace

To my parents Anne & Christopher Poyntz.

To the memory of my father David ‘Davy’ Grace.

Published by Moccu Press, 2011Email: moccupress@yahoo.comWebsite: www.moccupress.com

ISBN: 978-0-9566558-2-0

Copyright © 2011 Moccu PressIllustration Copyright © 2011 Lee Grace

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or utilised in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or in any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing

from the publisher.

Printed by New Pearl River Printing, Guangzhou City, China.

3

3

4 5

4 5

6 7

6 7

8 9

8 9

10 11