Notes:

RUVIGNY, HENRI DE MASSUE, MARQUIS DE, afterwards EARL OE GALWAY(1648-1720), was born at Paris on the oth of April 1648, and was the sonof the 1st Marquis de Ruvigny, a distinguished French diplomatist, and arelative of Rachel, the wife of Lord William Russell. He saw serviceunder Turenne, who thought very highly of him. Probably on account of hisEnglish connections he was selected in 1678 by Louis XIV. to carry outthe secret negotiations for a compact with Charles II., a difficultmission which he executed with great skill. Succeeding his father asgeneral of the Huguenots, he refused Louiss offer, at the revocation ofthe Edict of Nantes, to retain him in that office, and in 1690, havinggone into exile with his fellow Huguenots, he entered the service ofWilliam III. of England as a major-general, forfeiting thereby his Frenchestates. In July 1691 he distinguished himself at the battle of Aughrim,and in 1692 he was for a time commander-in-chief in Ireland. In Novemberof that year he was created Viscount Gaiway and Baron Portarlington, andreceived a large grant of forfeited estates in Ireland. In 1693 he foughtat Neerwinden and was wounded, and in 1694, with the rank oflieutenantgeneral, he was sent to command a force in English pay whichwas to assist the duke of Savoy against the French, and at the same timeto relieve the distressed Vaudois. But in 1695 the duke changed sides,the Italian peninsula was neutralized, and Gaiways force was withdrawn tothe Netherlands. From 1697 to 1701, a critical period of Irish history,the Earl of Galway (he was advanced to that rank in 1697) was practicallyin control of Irish affairs as lord justice of Ireland. After some yearsspent in retirement, he was appointed in 1704 to command the alliedforces in Portugal, a post which he sustained with honor and successuntil the battle of Almanza in 1707, in which Galway, in spite of careand skill on his own part, was decisively defeated. But he scrapedtogether a fresh army, and, although infirm, was reappointed to hiscommand by the home government. After taking part in one more campaign,and distinguishing himself by his personal bravery in action, he retiredfrom active life. His last service was rendered in 1715, when he was sentas one of the lords justices to Ireland during the Jacobite insurrection.As most of his property in Ireland had been restored to its formerowners, and all his French estates had long before been forfeited,parliament voted him pensions amounting to 1500 a year. He died unmarriedon the 3rd of September 1720. The English peerage died with him, but notthe French marquisate.1

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