The Cosby Family
Francis Cosby was granted the estate for his role in supressing the Irish natives. LB wrote this article about him.
Sir Francis Cosby was born in 1510. He lived in Nottinghamshire. Francis Cosby became a soldier and served in the English forces. He married in 1530 to lady Mary Seymour and they had three sons. He came to Ireland in 1535. He was appointed lord deputy in early 1536. He was received the manor of Kildare. He received a 21 year lease on the land of the dissolved nunnery of Hogges in the western fringes of the Pale. In mid 1540’s he fought against O’Connors and O’Moore lords of the midlands. In 1563 he received about 2000 acres at Stradbally. The O’Moores did not receive land and went to war with the settlers.(Francis Cosby). As a reward for his hard work against his opponents he was transferred from Monasterevin to Maryborough (Portlaoise). In April 1564 he was made sheriff. In 1564 he moved to Stradbally. By 1563 he had divorced Mary and had remarried Elizabeth Palmer and had one daughter with her.
Francis Cosby terrorised the local people of Stradbally and charged illegal rents on English and Irish landholders. His estate increased to 4000 acres because the English settlers left and he was able to buy their land cheaply.
During 1560’s Cosby and Rory Oge O’Moore worked together. Francis Cosby’s brother in law Sir Henry Sidney killed two of Rory Oge’s cousins. Francis Cosby stopped Henry from killing Rory. Francis Cosby would regret this because Rory got O’Moores and O’Connors back together to fight against the crown. The war was irregularly taking place over eight years. This war was very violent with a lot lives lost. The Queen twice ordered that Francis Cosby was dismissed from his commands because of his allies with Rory Oge.
In 1577 Francis Cosby’s son Alexander was captured. The royal forces rescued him. In March 1578 Francis Cosby summoned O’Moores relations to a parley. Around seventy people arrived unarmed and Francis Cosby’s men killed them. This took place in Mullaghmast. Rory Oge was killed in June that year. O’Moores party could not survive without the seventy people that died.
In 1580 Francis Cosby went to Wicklow on a campaign against rebel forces he was ordered there by Lord Deputy Arthur Grey. Francis Cosby was concerned about the land and his his loyalty of the Deputy. Francis Cosby was killed in the early stage of the battle, maybe by the deputy. Local tradition says that rebel commander Fiach MacHugh O’Byrne’s men carried Cosby’s body away as a trophy. Fiach MacHugh O’Byrne was a brother in law of Rory Oge whose sister was killed by Cosby’s men.
Francis Cosby was succeeded by his eldest son Alexander who was killed along with his son Francis by rebel forces led by Uaithne O’Moore son of Rory Oge, at the battle of Stradbally bridge on 19th May 1596.
Francis Cosby terrorised the local people of Stradbally and charged illegal rents on English and Irish landholders. His estate increased to 4000 acres because the English settlers left and he was able to buy their land cheaply.
During 1560’s Cosby and Rory Oge O’Moore worked together. Francis Cosby’s brother in law Sir Henry Sidney killed two of Rory Oge’s cousins. Francis Cosby stopped Henry from killing Rory. Francis Cosby would regret this because Rory got O’Moores and O’Connors back together to fight against the crown. The war was irregularly taking place over eight years. This war was very violent with a lot lives lost. The Queen twice ordered that Francis Cosby was dismissed from his commands because of his allies with Rory Oge.
In 1577 Francis Cosby’s son Alexander was captured. The royal forces rescued him. In March 1578 Francis Cosby summoned O’Moores relations to a parley. Around seventy people arrived unarmed and Francis Cosby’s men killed them. This took place in Mullaghmast. Rory Oge was killed in June that year. O’Moores party could not survive without the seventy people that died.
In 1580 Francis Cosby went to Wicklow on a campaign against rebel forces he was ordered there by Lord Deputy Arthur Grey. Francis Cosby was concerned about the land and his his loyalty of the Deputy. Francis Cosby was killed in the early stage of the battle, maybe by the deputy. Local tradition says that rebel commander Fiach MacHugh O’Byrne’s men carried Cosby’s body away as a trophy. Fiach MacHugh O’Byrne was a brother in law of Rory Oge whose sister was killed by Cosby’s men.
Francis Cosby was succeeded by his eldest son Alexander who was killed along with his son Francis by rebel forces led by Uaithne O’Moore son of Rory Oge, at the battle of Stradbally bridge on 19th May 1596.
The Battle of the Bridge
Written by OB, CB, AF & BMThe History of the Battle of Stradbally Bridge -- 17/18th of May 1596.
Owney MacRory O'More, chieftain of Leix, was proceeding thru the Stradbally area with his troops (which usually included men of the O'Duinn and O'Dempsey Clans) and demanded passage for his men over the Stradbally Bridge, which crosses over the river of the same name, in the middle of the village. His request, which was considered as a formal challenge to fight, was refused.
The infamous Alexander Cosby, who had been granted by Queen Elizabeth an extremely large area -over 1300 acres plus several town lands and the Monastery of Stradbally - - of the former O'Moores territories, and at the time, was the appointed Chief of the Kerne, proceeded to defend the bridge (and his own lands), taking with him his eldest son Francis, who was married to Helena Harpoole of Shrule, by whom he had a son, William, born but nine months before. Dorchas Sydney , Alexander's wife, who would never allow herself to be called a Cosby, and her daughter-in-law, placed themselves at a window in the abbey, overlooking the bridge - where they could observe the action.
For some time they beheld their husbands bravely maintaining their ground. At length, after some furious engagements, Alexander Cosby, as he was pressing forward was shot, and and dropped down dead. Upon this his kern with melancholy outcries, began to give way. Francis Cosby, the son, apprehensive of being abandoned, endeavored to save his own life by leaping over the bridge, but at the very moment he cleared the battlements on the bridge, he was also shot, and fell dead into the river.
An interesting anecdote to this story has to do with the two Cosby wives while observing the battle. As their two husbands were killed, one of them called out of the window to the other witnesses "Remember my husband (i.e. Francis) did not fall first, consequently, the estate descended to him and is now the property of my eldest son". Thus, young William of nine months became owner of all the Cosby properties.
Owney MacRory O'More, chieftain of Leix, was proceeding thru the Stradbally area with his troops (which usually included men of the O'Duinn and O'Dempsey Clans) and demanded passage for his men over the Stradbally Bridge, which crosses over the river of the same name, in the middle of the village. His request, which was considered as a formal challenge to fight, was refused.
The infamous Alexander Cosby, who had been granted by Queen Elizabeth an extremely large area -over 1300 acres plus several town lands and the Monastery of Stradbally - - of the former O'Moores territories, and at the time, was the appointed Chief of the Kerne, proceeded to defend the bridge (and his own lands), taking with him his eldest son Francis, who was married to Helena Harpoole of Shrule, by whom he had a son, William, born but nine months before. Dorchas Sydney , Alexander's wife, who would never allow herself to be called a Cosby, and her daughter-in-law, placed themselves at a window in the abbey, overlooking the bridge - where they could observe the action.
For some time they beheld their husbands bravely maintaining their ground. At length, after some furious engagements, Alexander Cosby, as he was pressing forward was shot, and and dropped down dead. Upon this his kern with melancholy outcries, began to give way. Francis Cosby, the son, apprehensive of being abandoned, endeavored to save his own life by leaping over the bridge, but at the very moment he cleared the battlements on the bridge, he was also shot, and fell dead into the river.
An interesting anecdote to this story has to do with the two Cosby wives while observing the battle. As their two husbands were killed, one of them called out of the window to the other witnesses "Remember my husband (i.e. Francis) did not fall first, consequently, the estate descended to him and is now the property of my eldest son". Thus, young William of nine months became owner of all the Cosby properties.
The Cosby Family Tree
This powerpoint was put together by LB, BKM & RB. It shows the Cosby Family Tree with the information we could find.
cosby_family_tree.pptx | |
File Size: | 2033 kb |
File Type: | pptx |