Captains of Ireland

1) Chief Captain of Ireland

In 1494, Gilbert Nugent, Baron of Delvin,was appointed Chief Captain of the King Henry VII forces in Ireland, at a salary of £200 a year,6 on June 25, three days after the entries of payment of army wages in Hattecliffe's accounts stop. 

According to the history of Henry VII's Relations with Scotland and Ireland 1485–1498
By Agnes Conway

2) Chief of all Irish forces of Dublin, Meath, Kildare, and Louth. 

RICHARD, 7th baron, had summonses to parliament in the years 1486, 1490, 1493, and 1498 and was constituted by the lord justices and council in 1496 as Commander and Leader in  Chief of all forces of Dublin, Meath, Kildare, and Louth.  

3) William Nugent, Baron Delvin - was Sheriff of Meath 1401

4) Christopher 8th Baron Delvin  - 1593 - Chief of Forces in Westmeath -  Summoned Parliament in 1585

5) Captainship of the Annaly Sleught William (or Sleughte William):

The Captainship of Sleught William was a hereditary title granted by Queen Elizabeth I in 1565 to Christopher Nugent, Baron of Delvin, giving him military and administrative authority over a key Gaelic territory in the Annaly region (modern County Longford). This grant formalized the Delvin family's role as Crown-recognized rulers of a historically Gaelic domain.

📜 Overview of the Grant

• Date: 1565

• Granted by: Queen Elizabeth I

• Recipient: Christopher Nugent, 6th Baron of Delvin

• Title: Captain of the Sleught William in the Annaly

• Territory Included:

  • Mostrim parish

  • Templemichael (Clangillernan)

  • Church lands in Ardagh and Ballymacormick

This grant is recorded in Morrin’s Calendar of Patent Rolls and is considered one of the rare examples of a Captainship — a title equivalent to a Chief of a Nation or Clan Leader, often granted to Gaelic or Anglo-Irish nobles ruling semi-autonomous regions.

🛡️ Who Were the Sleught William?

• Sleught William (also spelled Sleughte William or Sleught) refers to a Gaelic military host or clan, sometimes identified as Clan Liam.

• They were a powerful tribal group in the Annaly region, with roots in the Conmaicne and Uí Néill dynasties.

• The clan was part of the Gaelic resistance to English expansion during the 15th and 16th centuries.

👑 Role of the Delvin Family

• The Nugents of Delvin, originally Anglo-Norman, had by this time become indigenous to Ireland, intermarrying with Gaelic nobility and adopting local customs.

• As Barons of Delvin, they were granted the Captainship to govern Sleught William on behalf of the Crown.

• This gave them:

  • Military command over the clan

  • Judicial and administrative authority

  • Hereditary succession rights, passed through generations

Their dual identity — Gaelic in culture, but loyal to the English Crown — made them ideal intermediaries in a volatile frontier region.

⚖️ Legal and Historical Significance

• The Captainship functioned as a quasi-regal governorship, similar to a Lord Palatine or Lord Deputy, though not formally titled as such.

• It marked the transition from native sovereignty to Crown-administered feudalism.

• The grant laid the foundation for the Honour of Annaly–Longford, a feudal barony that persists in legal recognition under Irish property law.

To clarify, Sleught William (sometimes spelled Sleughte William or Sleught), also referred to as Clan Liam in some historical sources, was an important Gaelic group in the Annaly region (modern-day County Longford). This clan, or group, was led by the Delvin family in the context of the hereditary captaincy that was granted to them by the English Crown.

Key Points about Sleught William (or Sleughte William):

1. Sleught William (or Sleughte William) was a Gaelic term referring to a military host or clan in the Annaly region of Ireland.

2. The Delvin family, as Barons of Delvin, were appointed hereditary captains of this clan. This gave them the authority over the Sleught William (or Sleughte William) clan, which was an important Gaelic faction in the Westmeath and Longford areas.

3. This position as captain was hereditary, meaning it was passed down through the generations of the Delvin family, and they held significant influence over the local Gaelic tribes in the region, balancing their power with the authority of the English Crown.

4. The Sleught William or Sleughte William clan was part of the broader Gaelic resistance to English control during the 15th and 16th centuries, but the Delvins, as Anglo-Irish nobles, were aligned with English rule, leading to their role as captains over the clan.

Conclusion:

Sleught William (or Sleughte William) refers to the Gaelic clan or military group associated with the Annaly region, and the Delvin family held the hereditary captaincy over this clan. Their role as both Barons of Delvin and captains of Sleught William solidified their control over the region and their important position within the Anglo-Irish power structure.