Richard Bingham 1528
Sir Richard Bingham (1528 – 1599) was an English soldier and naval commander who served under Queen Elizabeth I during the Tudor conquest of Ireland and was appointed Governor of Connacht.
In 1579, Bingham was first sent to Ireland in 1579 to aid in the suppression of the Second Desmond Rebellion. In 1584 he was appointed governor of the Irish province of Connacht, an office which led him into great controversy for the rest of his career. He oversaw the 1585 Composition of Connacht which fell into general rebellion the following year. In September 1588, Bingham ordered that all Spanish Armada refugees landing on the coast of Connacht should be brought to Galway and put to death there.
Bingham's reputation has suffered on account of the harshness of his rule in Connacht, and he became the image of a cruel governor, lording it over the Irish without regard to justice or mercy. His apologists insist that everything he did during his tenure in that province was within the letter of his authority. A cenotaph was erected in his name in Westminster Abbey.
Bingham married in 1588 but left no male issue. His nephew, Sir Henry Bingham, 1st Baronet - son of George - succeeded to his estate.
| Additional Information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 1st Jan 1528 | |
| Date of Death | 19th Jan 1599 | |
| Associated Building (s) | Bingham's Castle | |
| Mother (First Name/s and Maiden) | Alice ? | |
| Father (First Name/s and Surname) | Richard Bingham of Dorset | |
| Townland born | Dorset | |
| Spouse (First Name/s and Maiden/Surname) | Sarah Heigham (nat.1565; ob.1634) of Suffolk in January 1588 | |
| Number of Children | ||
| Place of Death | Dublin | |
