# Nicholas Preston, 6th Viscount Gormanston

Nicholas Preston, 6th Viscount Gormanston (1606–1643) sat in the House of Lords of the Irish Parliament of 1634–1635 and sided with the insurgents after the Irish Rebellion of 1641.

## Birth and origins

Nicholas was born about 1608, the eldest son of Jenico Preston and his wife Margaret St. Lawrence. His father was the 5th Viscount Gormanston. His father's family descended from Robert Preston, 1st Baron Gormanston whose ancestors had come from Preston, Lancashire, England, some generations before. His mother was a daughter of Nicholas St Lawrence, 9th Baron Howth.
Family tree :
| | | | | Christopher 4th Viscount Gormanston d. 1600 | Christopher 4th Viscount Gormanston d. 1600 | Christopher 4th Viscount Gormanston d. 1600 | Christopher 4th Viscount Gormanston d. 1600 | Christopher 4th Viscount Gormanston d. 1600 | Christopher 4th Viscount Gormanston d. 1600 | | | Catherine FitzWilliam | Catherine FitzWilliam | Catherine FitzWilliam | Catherine FitzWilliam | Catherine FitzWilliam | Catherine FitzWilliam |
| | | Jenico 5th Viscount Gormanston 1585–1630 | Jenico 5th Viscount Gormanston 1585–1630 | Jenico 5th Viscount Gormanston 1585–1630 | Jenico 5th Viscount Gormanston 1585–1630 | Jenico 5th Viscount Gormanston 1585–1630 | Jenico 5th Viscount Gormanston 1585–1630 | | | Margaret St. Lawrence d. 1637 | Margaret St. Lawrence d. 1637 | Margaret St. Lawrence d. 1637 | Margaret St. Lawrence d. 1637 | Margaret St. Lawrence d. 1637 | Margaret St. Lawrence d. 1637 | | | Nicholas 1st Viscount Barnewall 1592–1663 | Nicholas 1st Viscount Barnewall 1592–1663 | Nicholas 1st Viscount Barnewall 1592–1663 | Nicholas 1st Viscount Barnewall 1592–1663 | Nicholas 1st Viscount Barnewall 1592–1663 | Nicholas 1st Viscount Barnewall 1592–1663 | | | Thomas 1st Viscount Tara 1585–1655 General | Thomas 1st Viscount Tara 1585–1655 General | Thomas 1st Viscount Tara 1585–1655 General | Thomas 1st Viscount Tara 1585–1655 General | Thomas 1st Viscount Tara 1585–1655 General | Thomas 1st Viscount Tara 1585–1655 General |
| Nicholas 6th Viscount c. 1608 – 1643 | Nicholas 6th Viscount c. 1608 – 1643 | Nicholas 6th Viscount c. 1608 – 1643 | Nicholas 6th Viscount c. 1608 – 1643 | Nicholas 6th Viscount c. 1608 – 1643 | Nicholas 6th Viscount c. 1608 – 1643 | | | Mary Barnewall | Mary Barnewall | Mary Barnewall | Mary Barnewall | Mary Barnewall | Mary Barnewall | | | Mabel Barnewall | Mabel Barnewall | Mabel Barnewall | Mabel Barnewall | Mabel Barnewall | Mabel Barnewall | | | Christopher 2nd Earl Fingall d. 1649 | Christopher 2nd Earl Fingall d. 1649 | Christopher 2nd Earl Fingall d. 1649 | Christopher 2nd Earl Fingall d. 1649 | Christopher 2nd Earl Fingall d. 1649 | Christopher 2nd Earl Fingall d. 1649 | | | Anthony 2nd Viscount d. 1649 | Anthony 2nd Viscount d. 1649 | Anthony 2nd Viscount d. 1649 | Anthony 2nd Viscount d. 1649 | Anthony 2nd Viscount d. 1649 | Anthony 2nd Viscount d. 1649 |
| | | Jenico 7th Viscount d. 1691 | Jenico 7th Viscount d. 1691 | Jenico 7th Viscount d. 1691 | Jenico 7th Viscount d. 1691 | Jenico 7th Viscount d. 1691 | Jenico 7th Viscount d. 1691 | | | Margaret Caryll | Margaret Caryll | Margaret Caryll | Margaret Caryll | Margaret Caryll | Margaret Caryll | | | Nicholas Preston | Nicholas Preston | Nicholas Preston | Nicholas Preston | Nicholas Preston | Nicholas Preston | | | Elizabeth Preston | Elizabeth Preston | Elizabeth Preston | Elizabeth Preston | Elizabeth Preston | Elizabeth Preston |
| | | | | | | Mary Preston d. 1750 | Mary Preston d. 1750 | Mary Preston d. 1750 | Mary Preston d. 1750 | Mary Preston d. 1750 | Mary Preston d. 1750 | | | | | Jenico 8th Viscount d. 1697 | Jenico 8th Viscount d. 1697 | Jenico 8th Viscount d. 1697 | Jenico 8th Viscount d. 1697 | Jenico 8th Viscount d. 1697 | Jenico 8th Viscount d. 1697 | | | Anthony 9th Viscount d. 1716 | Anthony 9th Viscount d. 1716 | Anthony 9th Viscount d. 1716 | Anthony 9th Viscount d. 1716 | Anthony 9th Viscount d. 1716 | Anthony 9th Viscount d. 1716 |
| XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | Subject of the article | Subject of the article | Subject of the article | Subject of the article | Subject of the article | Subject of the article | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | Viscounts Gormanston | Viscounts Gormanston | Viscounts Gormanston | Viscounts Gormanston | Viscounts Gormanston | Viscounts Gormanston | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | Earls of Fingall | Earls of Fingall | Earls of Fingall | Earls of Fingall | Earls of Fingall | Earls of Fingall | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | Viscounts Barnewall | Viscounts Barnewall | Viscounts Barnewall | Viscounts Barnewall | Viscounts Barnewall | Viscounts Barnewall | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | Viscounts Tara | Viscounts Tara | Viscounts Tara | Viscounts Tara | Viscounts Tara | Viscounts Tara |

## Marriages and children

Preston married Mary Barnewall. She was a daughter of Nicholas Barnewall, 1st Viscount Barnewall and Lady Bridget FitzGerald. Her family was Old English.
Nicholas and Mary had two sons:
* Jenico (died 1691), his successor
* Nicholas, married his cousin Elizabeth Preston, daughter of Anthony Preston, 2nd Viscount Tara
—and two daughters, who do not seem to be known by name.

## 6th Viscount and House of Lords

Preston succeeded his father in 1630 as the 6th Viscount Gormanston. Gormanston, as he was now, sat in the House of Lords during the two Irish parliaments of King Charles I.

### Parliament of 1634–1635

The Irish Parliament of 1634–1635 was opened on 14 July 1634 by the new Lord Deputy of Ireland, Thomas Wentworth (the future Lord Strafford), who had taken office in July 1633. Gormanston took his seat on the day of opening, the 14 July 1634. Wentworth asked to vote taxes: six subsidies of £50,000 (equivalent to about £10,600,000 in 2023) were passed unanimously by both houses. The parliament also belatedly and incompletely ratified the Graces of 1628, in which the King conceded rights for money.

### Parliament of 1640–1649

The Irish Parliament of 1640–1649. was opened on 16 March 1640 by Christopher Wandesford, whom Strafford, as Wentworth was now called, had appointed Lord Deputy. Strafford arrived two days later. Gormanston was there on the 18 March.
In its first session the parliament unanimously voted four subsidies of £45,000 (about £10,100,000 in 2023) to raise an Irish army of 9000 for use by the King against the Scots in the Second Bishops' War. On 3 April 1640 Strafford left Ireland.
The Lords sent a separate delegation for their grievances. Gormanston was part of it.

## Death

Gormantown died on 29 July 1643, aged about 35. He was posthumously outlawed on 17 November 1643. He was succeeded by his elder son Jenico as the 7th Viscount Gormanston.