William Flower (Irishtown MP)
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Sir William Flower (c.1600–c.1682) was an Anglo-Irish soldier, politician and landowner of the seventeenth century. He fought for Oliver Cromwell during the English Civil War but was imprisoned as a suspected Royalist, a suspicion later confirmed by the rewards he received after the Restoration of Charles II. His descendants still hold the titles Viscount Ashbrook and Baron Castle Durrow.[1]
He is said to have been born in Chepstow, Monmouthshire.[2] The Flowers (originally named Flore) were an old Rutland family who had been settled at Whitwell since the fourteenth century.[1] It is likely that William grew up in Ireland, where his father Sir George Flower spent his later years. George was a distinguished soldier and administrator, who ended his career as Governor and Constable of the new fort at Waterford, built in 1627.[3] William's grandfather was Francis Flower, a "gentleman in attendance" on Sir Christopher Hatton, Lord Chancellor of England 1587–91; Francis was a contributor to the play The Misfortunes of Arthur by Thomas Hughes.[1]
William succeeded to his father's estates about 1635; the principal family lands were at Durrow, County Laois and Finglas, County Dublin. He entered the Irish House of Commons as MP for Ballinakill in 1642, replacing Richard Fanshawe.[2] During the Civil War he was able to secure a position as an officer on the staff of the Cromwellian General Michael Jones, Governor of Dublin. However, he fell under suspicion of being a Royalist, who was in secret correspondence with James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde, the exiled Royalist leader. He was arrested in 1648 and sent to England, where he spent some years in prison.[2]
Restoration
At the Restoration, it became clear that had always been a committed Royalist, thus fully justifying the Cromwellians' suspicions of him. He was almost certainly one of the party who had been working quietly (and successfully) to ensure that there would be no serious opposition to the Restoration in Ireland, and he helped to secure Dublin Castle for the King in early 1660.[2] He re-entered the House of Commons as MP for St Canice (Irishtown), became a member of the Privy Council of Ireland, was knighted and received several grants of land under the Act of Settlement 1662, includes an estate at Ballybrittas, County Laois.[1] He was a Commissioner for paying off the arrears of army pay, and later a Commissioner of Excise Appeals. He received a fresh army commission, became a lieutenant colonel in the King's Regiment of Guards, and is said to have seen active service in Ulster in old age. He probably died in 1681 or 1682.