Henri de Massue, Earl of Galway

Henri de Massue, Marquis de Ruvigny, since 1691 1st Viscount of Galway and 1st Baron Portarlington, since 1697 1st Earl of Galway ( born April 9, 1648 Paris, † September 3, 1720 ) was a French nobleman. As one of the leading Huguenots, he went to the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in exile in England. He took over important military duties and civilian posts.

Early years

He came from a Huguenot noble family and was the son of Henri Massue Marquis de Ruvigny and mother Marie Talle sky. His father was a French diplomat and ambassador in London, among others. He was also the general agent of the Huguenots at the court of Louis XIV only about him, the Protestants were sent petitions to the king yet. He sat down in vain for a better rights of his co-religionists.

He himself was an early one in the French Army and served from 1672 to 1675 under Turenne. Perhaps because of his relationship with the wife of William Russell sent him to Louis XIV secret negotiations to the court of Charles II of England. He succeeded his father as general agent of the Huguenots. He was also Colonel of the three Huguenot regiments of infantry. After the repeal of the Edict of Nantes in 1689 or 1690 he went with other Huguenots to exile in England.

Rise in exile

He has appeared as a major general in the service of King William III. He took part in the 1691 Battle of Aughrim against the Jacobites in Ireland and was a year later times, Commander in Chief in Ireland. In November of that year he was appointed Viscount Galway and Baron Portarlington. This involved large estates in Ireland. On this he moved to 600 Huguenot refugees. In 1693 he fought during the Nine Years' War at the Battle of Neerwinden. There he was wounded. A year later, now with the rank of lieutenant general, he commanded an English contingent in support of Victor Amadeus II of Savoy against the French in Italy. After this had changed sides, the troops of Massue were transferred to the Netherlands.

In 1697 he was raised to the Earl of Galway. Between 1697 and 1701 he played a leading role in Irish affairs as Lord Chief Justice of Ireland. After that he was temporarily without public posts.

Commander in Chief in Portugal and Spain

Last years

During the Jakobitenaufstandes in Ireland in 1715 he was again one of the Lords of Justice in Ireland. Since a large part of his Irish estates was returned to the previous owner and he had long since lost his French possessions, Parliament granted him an annual pension of 1500 pounds. He remained unmarried. Honorary side, he was appointed in 1704 to the Austrian Field Marshal.