Christopher St Lawrence, 9th Baron Howth

Christopher St Lawrence, 10th Baron Howth (c. 1568–1619) was an Irish statesman and soldier of the Elizabethan and Jacobean era. His personal charm made him a favourite of two successive English monarchs, and he was also a soldier of great courage and some ability, who fought under the Earl of Essex and Lord Mountjoy during the Nine Years' War. However, his bitter quarrels with the Lord Deputy of Ireland, his feuds with other leading families of the Anglo-Irish Pale, and his suspected involvement in the conspiracy which led to the Flight of the Earls, damaged his reputation. He is best remembered for the legend that he was kidnapped by the "Pirate Queen" Granuaile when he was a small boy.

Early life He was born about 1568, the eldest son of Nicholas, 9th Baron Howth, and his first wife Margaret, fifth daughter of Sir Christopher Barnewall of Turvey by his wife Marion Sherle. According to the legend of Granuaile he spent his childhood at Howth Castle, although his parents lived for some years at Platten in Meath. While his father was a devout and open Roman Catholic, at a time when it was politically dangerous to admit to such beliefs, the son converted to the Protestant faith sometime before 1605: his enemies maintained this was purely a matter of expediency, not religious conviction. Certainly, in later years he was happy to form an alliance with the Catholic nobility and seems to have briefly returned to the Catholic faith in 1606–7.

Granuaile According to a celebrated legend, which probably has some basis in fact, in about the year 1576 Granuaile, the so-called Pirate Queen of Galway, arrived unannounced at Howth Castle at dinner-time, only to find the gates barred. Annoyed at the discourtesy, she took young Christopher hostage until his family apologised. To make amends, the Howth family pledged that in future the castle gates would always be open at dinner-time, and that an extra place would always be set at table for unexpected guests.

Soldier Christopher acquired a considerable reputation as a soldier, and was active on the Government side throughout the Nine Years' War, the most serious threat to the authority of the English Crown in Ireland for several generations: the rebellion was led by Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone.

In 1595 Christopher accompanied his father on an expedition against the O'Byrnes of Wicklow, and showed his courage by capturing two men. It is likely that he did offer to fight Essex's main opponents at Court, Sir Robert Cecil and Lord Grey de Wilton, and caused controversy when he publicly pledged Essex's health. On his first appearance in Court, he was so drunk that he was arrested overnight. Summoned before the Privy Council on the charge of having threatened Cecil, he denied it and was let off with an order to return to Ireland. To the jibe that he was an Irishman, he replied with unexpected dignity with a description of the awkward position of the Anglo-Irish: "an Irishman in England, an Englishman in Ireland", and asked that he be judged only for his service to the Crown. Elizabeth I consented to receive him, and though she scolded him for his "scornful journey", he clearly made a good impression on her. She granted his request to postpone his return, ordered payment of his arrears of wages, and on his return to Ireland she wrote that he was one who was "well deserved in her service". He was also reconciled with Robert Cecil.

Service with Mountjoy In 1600 he was sent to assist Sir George Carew in his military campaign in Connaught.

His widow remarried Sir Robert Newcomen, first of the Newcomen baronets of Keenagh, County Longford, and died in 1627.

Character Those who knew Christopher St Lawrence best, like Chichester and Moore, often judged him most harshly, describing him as foolish, treacherous, quarrelsome, violent and irresponsible. Clearly, he lacked the political skills of his father, who retained the respect of both his peers and the Crown throughout his career: arguably he inherited a strain of mental instability from his grandfather. On the other hand, Christopher's courage and military skill were never seriously disputed: and a man who gained the friendship of Elizabeth I, James I, Robert Cecil, Essex and Mountjoy cannot have entirely lacked good qualities.