Colonel Hon. Richard Coote, M.P.

By Frank Meehan
Source Laois Yearbook 1989

Richard Coote was born in February 1643, the eldest son of Charles, 1st Earl of Mountrath, by his second wife Jane, daughter of Sir Richard Hannay. In 1660 he was appointed jointly with his half brother Charles, 2nd Earl of Mountrath, for their lives Collectors and Registar-General for all taxes and cessed in Thomand and Connaught.

Under the Acts of Settlement in 1673 he was granted land in Dublin, Meath, Kildare, Galway, Kilkenny, Limerick, Kerry and Roscommon to the extent of nearly 23,000 acres. He took up residence in Tullaghmaine the former residence of Sir Robert Roth, son of David Roth, M.P. for the City of Kilkenny and grandson of Robert Roth, M.P. for the County of Kilkenny in 1585.

In 1675 he was appointed Lord Lieutenant for County Kilkenny and a Commissioner of Appeals. He refused to back King James II and was put under attainder by Kings James II's Parliament. His estates were restored by King William III. He married Penelope, eldest daughter of Sir William Parsons, M.P. for Wicklow. They had one son Charles who died young and four daughters. His youngest daughter married four times. He was elected to the first Parliament of William and Mary for the County of Kilkenny in October 1692 and sat till Parliament was dissolved on 5th September 1693. He again stood in the election of 1695 but was defeated. He died 1700.

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