Sir Henry Wallop (c. 1540 – 14 April 1599) was an
English statesman.
He was the eldest son of Sir Oliver Wallop (d. 1566) of
Farleigh Wallop in
Hampshire. Having inherited the estates of his father and of his uncle,
Sir John Wallop, he was knighted in 1569 and was chosen
member of parliament for
Southampton in 1572. His connection with
Ireland, began in 1579, when he was appointed vice-treasurer of that country; this position was a very thankless and difficult one, and Wallop appears to have undertaken it very unwillingly.
However, he reached
Dublin and was soon immersed in the troubles caused by the rebellion of Gerald Fitzgerald, earl of Desmond, finding, in his own words, it was "easier to talk at home of Irish wars than to be in them." In July 1582 he and
Adam Loftus, archbishop of Dublin, were appointed lords justices, and they were responsible for the government of Ireland for just two years, after which they were succeeded by
Sir John Perrot.
Sir Henry continued to fill the office of vice-treasurer, and at
Enniscorthy, where he had secured a lease of lands, he set up a colony of Englishmen and opened up a trade with
Madeira. As a member of the Irish council he quarrelled with Perrot, and then from 1589 to 1595 he was in England, entertaining
the queen at Farleigh Wallop in 1591. Having returned to Ireland he was sent to
Dundalk to attempt to make peace with
Hugh O'Neill, earl of Tyrone, but this proved a vain errand. At length, after many entreaties, he was...
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