Waleran de Wellesley

Waleran de Wellesley (died c. 1276) was a judge, statesman and landowner in thirteenth century Ireland. He was a member of the Privy Council of Ireland. He was the ancestor of the Duke of Wellington, and was the first of the de Wellesley family to settle in Ireland.

Wellesley family The de Wellesley family came from Somerset, and took their name from the town of Wells in that county, with which they had a close association He came to Ireland on "the King's business" in 1226. He also served for a short time as a justice "in banc" of the Bench. This may be an early reference to the Court of Common Pleas (Ireland), which is known to have existed in his last years, and was often called "the Bench" in the early period of its existence. In 1257 the English Crown ordered the payment to him of 20 marks for his expenses incurred in the King's service. By 1260 he was a member of the Privy Council of Ireland, in which capacity he, with the Lord Treasurer of Ireland and other councillors, witnessed an important charter that year.

He acquired property in Dublin, and considerable wealth: he granted lands to a priory in County Wexford in 1261. He was High Sheriff of Kildare in 1303. He was killed in a skirmish with a Gaelic clan the same year. He married after 1317 Elizabeth, widow of Walter l'Enfant the younger, Lord of Carnalway, Naas, the Chief Judge of the Justiciar's Court. William Wellesley was granted Carbury Castle, County Kildare and the lands and lordship of Carbury in 1382.