# Richard Preston, 1st Earl of Desmond

Sir Richard Preston, 1st Earl of Desmond (died 1628) was a favourite of King James VI and I of Scotland and England. In 1609 the king made him Lord Dingwall. In 1614, he married Elizabeth Butler, the only child of Black Tom, the 10th Earl of Ormond, and in 1619 he was created Earl of Desmond.

## Background and early life

Richard was the third son of Richard Preston of Whitehill in Midlothian, near Edinburgh. His family was gentry of the Edinburgh area and owned Craigmillar Castle in the late 16th and early 17th century.

## Royal favourite

His family placed Richard (the younger) as a page at the King's court in Edinburgh where he is mentioned in that capacity in 1591. King James had a series of personal relationships with male courtiers, called his favourites, suspected to have been the king's homosexual partners. Esmé Stewart, whom he made Earl and Duke of Lennox, seems to have been the first. After the Raid of Ruthven in 1582, the King was forced to exile Lord Lennox to France.
Richard, the page, gained the king's special favour in the 1580s or 1590s after Lennox's departure. When James acceded the English throne as James I in 1603, Richard accompanied him to England and was knighted at the King's coronation in London on 25 July 1603 in the old elaborate ceremony that included the bathing of the new knight. He then was made a groom of the privy chamber. In 1607, Preston was appointed constable of Dingwall Castle in Scotland. He bought the barony of Dingwall and on 8 June 1609 the King created him Lord Dingwall. In London the King met in 1608 Robert Carr who became his favourite and seems to have supplanted Lord Dingwall, as he was now, in that role.
In 1609 Preston attended the Accession day tournament, and presented a pageant of an artificial elephant, designed by Inigo Jones, which made its way slowly around the tiltyard. A tournament of tilting was held on New Year's Day 1614, to celebrate the wedding of Robert Carr and Frances Howard. The bride's team wore "murrey" and white and the groom's team were in green and yellow. Preston rode in murrey in the team of Ludovic Stewart, 2nd Duke of Lennox (the son of Esmé Stewart), with the professionals Sigismund Zinzan and Henry Zinzan.

## Marriage and child

Family tree :
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | James 10th Earl d. 1529 | James 10th Earl d. 1529 | James 10th Earl d. 1529 | James 10th Earl d. 1529 | James 10th Earl d. 1529 | James 10th Earl d. 1529 |
| | | | | | | | | James 9th Earl 1496–1546 | James 9th Earl 1496–1546 | James 9th Earl 1496–1546 | James 9th Earl 1496–1546 | James 9th Earl 1496–1546 | James 9th Earl 1496–1546 | | | Joan FitzGerald d. 1565 | Joan FitzGerald d. 1565 | Joan FitzGerald d. 1565 | Joan FitzGerald d. 1565 | Joan FitzGerald d. 1565 | Joan FitzGerald d. 1565 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Thomas 10th Earl c. 1531 – 1614 Black Tom | Thomas 10th Earl c. 1531 – 1614 Black Tom | Thomas 10th Earl c. 1531 – 1614 Black Tom | Thomas 10th Earl c. 1531 – 1614 Black Tom | Thomas 10th Earl c. 1531 – 1614 Black Tom | Thomas 10th Earl c. 1531 – 1614 Black Tom | | | Elizabeth Sheffield | Elizabeth Sheffield | Elizabeth Sheffield | Elizabeth Sheffield | Elizabeth Sheffield | Elizabeth Sheffield | | | John of Kilcash d. 1570 | John of Kilcash d. 1570 | John of Kilcash d. 1570 | John of Kilcash d. 1570 | John of Kilcash d. 1570 | John of Kilcash d. 1570 | | | Katherine MacCarthy | Katherine MacCarthy | Katherine MacCarthy | Katherine MacCarthy | Katherine MacCarthy | Katherine MacCarthy |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Theobald Viscount Tulleophelim d. 1613 | Theobald Viscount Tulleophelim d. 1613 | Theobald Viscount Tulleophelim d. 1613 | Theobald Viscount Tulleophelim d. 1613 | Theobald Viscount Tulleophelim d. 1613 | Theobald Viscount Tulleophelim d. 1613 | Elizabeth Butler c. 1585 – 1628 | Elizabeth Butler c. 1585 – 1628 | Elizabeth Butler c. 1585 – 1628 | Elizabeth Butler c. 1585 – 1628 | Elizabeth Butler c. 1585 – 1628 | Elizabeth Butler c. 1585 – 1628 | Richard Preston 1st Earl Desmond d. 1628 | Richard Preston 1st Earl Desmond d. 1628 | Richard Preston 1st Earl Desmond d. 1628 | Richard Preston 1st Earl Desmond d. 1628 | Richard Preston 1st Earl Desmond d. 1628 | Richard Preston 1st Earl Desmond d. 1628 | Walter 11th Earl 1559 – 1633 'Beads' | Walter 11th Earl 1559 – 1633 'Beads' | Walter 11th Earl 1559 – 1633 'Beads' | Walter 11th Earl 1559 – 1633 'Beads' | Walter 11th Earl 1559 – 1633 'Beads' | Walter 11th Earl 1559 – 1633 'Beads' | Helen Butler d. 1631 | Helen Butler d. 1631 | Helen Butler d. 1631 | Helen Butler d. 1631 | Helen Butler d. 1631 | Helen Butler d. 1631 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Thomas Viscount Thurles d. 1619 d.v.p.* | Thomas Viscount Thurles d. 1619 d.v.p.* | Thomas Viscount Thurles d. 1619 d.v.p.* | Thomas Viscount Thurles d. 1619 d.v.p.* | Thomas Viscount Thurles d. 1619 d.v.p.* | Thomas Viscount Thurles d. 1619 d.v.p.* | | | Elizabeth Pointz 1587–1673 | Elizabeth Pointz 1587–1673 | Elizabeth Pointz 1587–1673 | Elizabeth Pointz 1587–1673 | Elizabeth Pointz 1587–1673 | Elizabeth Pointz 1587–1673 |
| | | | | | | | | Elizabeth Preston 1615–1684 | Elizabeth Preston 1615–1684 | Elizabeth Preston 1615–1684 | Elizabeth Preston 1615–1684 | Elizabeth Preston 1615–1684 | Elizabeth Preston 1615–1684 | | | James 1st Duke 1610–1688 | James 1st Duke 1610–1688 | James 1st Duke 1610–1688 | James 1st Duke 1610–1688 | James 1st Duke 1610–1688 | James 1st Duke 1610–1688 | | | | | | | | | | | Richard of Kilcash 1615–1701 | Richard of Kilcash 1615–1701 | Richard of Kilcash 1615–1701 | Richard of Kilcash 1615–1701 | Richard of Kilcash 1615–1701 | Richard of Kilcash 1615–1701 |
| Thomas 6th Earl Ossory 1633–1680 d.v.p.* | Thomas 6th Earl Ossory 1633–1680 d.v.p.* | Thomas 6th Earl Ossory 1633–1680 d.v.p.* | Thomas 6th Earl Ossory 1633–1680 d.v.p.* | Thomas 6th Earl Ossory 1633–1680 d.v.p.* | Thomas 6th Earl Ossory 1633–1680 d.v.p.* | | | Emilia von Nassau 1635–1688 | Emilia von Nassau 1635–1688 | Emilia von Nassau 1635–1688 | Emilia von Nassau 1635–1688 | Emilia von Nassau 1635–1688 | Emilia von Nassau 1635–1688 | | | | Richard 1st Earl Arran 1639–1684 | Richard 1st Earl Arran 1639–1684 | Richard 1st Earl Arran 1639–1684 | Richard 1st Earl Arran 1639–1684 | Richard 1st Earl Arran 1639–1684 | Richard 1st Earl Arran 1639–1684 | | | Elizabeth Countess of Chesterfield 1640–1665 | Elizabeth Countess of Chesterfield 1640–1665 | Elizabeth Countess of Chesterfield 1640–1665 | Elizabeth Countess of Chesterfield 1640–1665 | Elizabeth Countess of Chesterfield 1640–1665 | Elizabeth Countess of Chesterfield 1640–1665 | | | Walter of Garryricken d. 1700 | Walter of Garryricken d. 1700 | Walter of Garryricken d. 1700 | Walter of Garryricken d. 1700 | Walter of Garryricken d. 1700 | Walter of Garryricken d. 1700 |
| XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | Richard Preston | Richard Preston | Richard Preston | Richard Preston | Richard Preston | Richard Preston | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | Earls & dukes of Ormond | Earls & dukes of Ormond | Earls & dukes of Ormond | Earls & dukes of Ormond | Earls & dukes of Ormond | Earls & dukes of Ormond | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | Earls of Desmond | Earls of Desmond | Earls of Desmond | Earls of Desmond | Earls of Desmond | Earls of Desmond |
In 1614 the King arranged for Lord Dingwall a marriage with the rich heiress Lady Elizabeth Butler, only daughter of the Black Tom, the 10th Earl of Ormonde and widow of Theobald Butler, 1st Viscount Butler of Tulleophelim, who died childless in January 1613.
The King imposed this marriage on Black Tom, Elizabeth's father, who did not want the royal favourite for a son-in-law but could not oppose the King's will. Black Tom died soon after the marriage on 22 November 1614.
Richard and Elizabeth had an only child:
* Elizabeth (1615–1684), married James Butler and became Duchess of Ormond.

## Later life and death

On 19 July 1619 Lord Dingwall was created Earl of Desmond. The Earldom of Desmond had originally been held by the Hiberno-Norman FitzGerald dynasty who were stripped of the title after the failure of the Second Desmond Rebellion against Queen Elizabeth I of England. After Richard Preston's death, the title again became extinct but, under the terms of letter patent issued by James I in 1622, it was immediately re-created for George Feilding (son of the Earl of Denbigh) who was intended to marry Preston's daughter.
Alfred Webb tells us of this creation of the earldom of Desmond that:
   Thomas Butler, 10th Earl of Ormond, in right of his mother, Joan FitzGerald, daughter of the 11th Earl of Desmond, claimed the Earldom after the death and attainder of all the heirs male. When his daughter was married to James I.'s Scotch favourite, Sir Richard Preston, the title was conferred on him. When the only child of the latter, a daughter, was about to be married to the son of the Earl of Denbigh, the title was passed to the intended bridegroom. The marriage never took place; yet the title was retained [by] the Earls of Denbigh.
On 26 May 1623, King James I made the young James Butler, the future Duke of Ormond, a ward of Lord Desmond, and placed James at Lambeth, London, under the care of George Abbot, archbishop of Canterbury to be brought up as a Protestant.
His wife, Elizabeth Butler died on 10 October 1628 in Wales. On 28 October 1628 Lord Desmond was drowned on a passage between Dublin and Holyhead.
Timeline :
| As his birth date is uncertain, so are all his ages. |||
| Age | Date | Event |
| 0 | 1580, estimate | Born, near Edinburgh |
| 10–11 | 1591 | Page at the court in Edinburgh. |
| 22–23 | 1603, 24 Mar | Accession of King James I, succeeding Queen Elizabeth I |
| 26–27 | 1607 | Made constable of Dingwall Castle. |
| 28–29 | 1609, 8 Jun | Became Lord Dingwall. |
| 33–34 | 1614 | Married Elizabeth Butler. |
| 33–34 | 1614, 22 Nov | Father-in-law, Thomas Butler, 10th Earl of Ormond, died at Carrick. |
| 34–35 | 1615, 25 Jul | Daughter born. |
| 38–39 | 1619, 16 Jul | Became Earl of Desmond |
| 44–45 | 1625, 27 Mar | Accession of King Charles I, succeeding King James I |
| 47–48 | 1628, 10 Oct | Wife died in Wales. |
| 47–48 | 1628, 28 Oct | Drowned on a passage between Dublin and Holyhead |