William St Lawrence, 14th Baron Howth

William St Lawrence, 14th Baron Howth (1688-1748) was an Irish peer and politician, who enjoyed the friendship of Jonathan Swift.

He was the eldest of the five sons of Thomas St Lawrence, 13th Baron Howth and his wife Mary Barnewall, daughter of the 2nd Viscount Barnewall of Kingsland. He lived for part of each year in Howth Castle, but spent much of his time at Kilfane House near Thomastown, County Kilkenny, where he could indulge his passion for sport .

He sat in the Irish House of Commons as MP for Ratoath between 1716 and 1727. He was regarded as a man of shrewd political judgement, and became a member of the Privy Council of Ireland in 1739.

Shortly after succeeding to the title he married Lucy Gorges, fourth daughter of General Richard Gorges of Kilbrew, County Meath, and his first wife Nicola Sophia Hamilton, daughter of Hugh Hamilton, 1st Viscount of Glenawly, and widow of Sir Tristram Beresford, 3rd Baronet.

Lucy was more than twenty years her husband's junior, having probably been born shortly before her mother's death in 1713. They had two sons, Thomas St Lawrence, 1st Earl of Howth, and a younger son William (died 1749), a professional soldier; and one daughter Mary (1729-1787), who married Sir Richard Gethin, 4th Baronet, and was the mother of Sir Percy Gethin, 5th Baronet.

His marriage to Lucy led to a friendship between Lord Howth and Jonathan Swift, who greatly admired Lady Howth, whom he called "my blue-eyed nymph". Swift became a regular visitor to Howth Castle, exchanged numerous letters with Lord Howth, and at Howth's request had his portrait painted by Francis Bindon. Swift's regard for Lady Howth led him to importune his friend Eaton Stannard, the Recorder of Dublin, to use whatever influence he had on behalf of her brother Mr. Hamilton Gorges, who was standing for Parliament in 1734. Swift ruefully remarked that "I know of no other lady whose commands I would not have disobeyed on such an occasion", the more so since her brother was a complete stranger to him.

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