Richard Coote, 1st Earl of Bellomont

The Right Honourable The Earl of Bellomont
Engraved portrait of the earl, c. 1888
12th Governor of the Province of New York
In office 1698–1700/01
Preceded by	Benjamin Fletcher
Succeeded by	John Nanfan (acting)
3rd Governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay
In office 26 May 1699 – 17 July 1700
Preceded by	William Stoughton (acting)
Succeeded by	William Stoughton (acting)
Governor of the Province of New Hampshire
In office 31 July 1699 – c. 15 August 1699
Preceded by	Samuel Allen
Succeeded by	William Partridge (acting)
Personal details
Born	1636 Ireland
Died	5 March 1701 (aged 64–65) Province of New York
Religion	Protestantism

Richard Coote, 1st Earl of Bellomont (sometimes spelled Bellamont, 1636 – 5 March 1700/01), known as The Lord Coote between 1683–89, was a member of the English Parliament and a colonial governor. Born in Ireland, he was an early supporter of William and Mary, siding with them in the Glorious Revolution.

In 1695 he was given commissions as governor of the provinces of New York, Massachusetts Bay, and New Hampshire, which he held until his death. He did not arrive in the New World until 1698, and spent most of his tenure as governor in New York. He spent a little over a year in Massachusetts, and only two weeks in New Hampshire. His time in New York was marked by divisive politics resulting from Leisler's Rebellion (1689–91), and difficult and ultimately unsuccessful negotiations to keep the Iroquois from engaging in peace talks with New France. Frontier issues were also in the forefront during his time in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, where lumber and security from the Abenaki threat dominated his tenure.

He was a major financial sponsor of William Kidd, whose privateering was later deemed to have descended into piracy. Bellomont engineered the arrest of Kidd in Boston, and had him returned to England, where he was tried, convicted, and hanged.

Richard Coote was born in Ireland in 1636. He was the second son, but the first to survive infancy, of Richard Coote, third son of Sir Charles Coote, 1st Baronet, and Mary, daughter of Sir George St George. His father was created Baron Coote of Coloony in 1660 (on the same day as his uncle was created Earl of Mountrath), and he succeeded his father as Baron Coote on the latter's death on 10 July 1683.