Godard van Ginkel.
1644-1703
1st
earl of Athlone, Dutch general in the service of England, was born at Amerongen
on
the
4-6-
1644. He came of a noble family, and bore the title of Baron van Reede, being
the eldest son of Godart Adrian van Reede, Baron Ginkel. In his youth he entered
the Dutch army, and in 1688 he followed William, prince of Orange, in his
expedition to England. In the following year he distinguished himself by a
memorable exploit the pursuit, defeat and capture of a Scottish. regiment which
had mutinied at Ipswich, and was marching northward across the fens. It was the
alarm excited by this mutiny that facilitated the passing of the first Mutiny
Act. In 1690 Ginkel accompanied William III. to Ireland, and commanded a body of
Dutch cavalry at the battle of the Boyne. On the king’s return to England
General Ginkel was entrusted with the conduct of the war. He took the field in
the spring of 1691, and established his headquarters at Mullingar. Among those
who held a command under him was the marquis of Ruvigny, the recognized chief of
the Huguenot refugees. Early in June Ginkel took the fortress of Ballymore,
capturing the whole garrison of 1000 men. The English lost only 8 men. After
reconstructing the fortifications of Ballymore the army marched to Athlone, then
one of the most important of the fortified towns of Ireland. The Irish defenders
of the place were commanded by a distinguished French general, Saint-Ruth. The
firing began on June 19th, and on the 30th the town was stormed, the Irish army
retreating towards Galway, and taking up their position at Aughrim. Having
strengthened the fortifications of Athlone and left a garrison there, Ginkel led
the English, on July 12th, to Aughrim. An immediate attack was resolved on, and,
after a severe and at one time doubtful contest, the crisis was precipitated by
the fall of Saint-Ruth, and the disorganized Irish were defeated and fled. A
horrible slaughter of the Irish followed the struggle, and 4000 corpses were
left unburied on the field, besides a multitude of others that lay along the
line of the retreat. Galway next capitulated, its garrison being permitted to
retire to Limerick. There the viceroy Tyrconnel was in command of a large force,
but his sudden death early in August left the command in the hands of General
Sarsfield and the Frenchman D’Usson. The English came in sight of the town on
the day of Tyrconnel’s death, and the bombardment was immediately begun.
Ginkel, by a bold device, crossed the Shannon and captured the camp of the Irish
cavalry.
A few days later he stormed the
fort on Thomond Bridge, and
after difficult negotiations a capitulation was signed, the terms of which were
divided into a civil and a military treaty. Thus was completed the conquest or
pacification of Ireland, and the services of the Dutch general were amply
recognized and rewarded. He received the formal thanks of the House of Commons,
and was created by the king 1st earl of Athlone and baron of Aughrim. The
immense forfeited estates of the earl of Limerick were given to him, but the
grant was a few years later revoked by the English parliament. The earl
continued to serve in the English army, and accompanied the king to the
continent in 1693. He fought at the sieges of Namur and the battle of
Neerwinden, and assisted in destroying the French magazine at Givet. In 1702,
waiving his own claims to the position of commander-in-chief, he commanded the
Dutch serving under the duke of Marlborough. He died at Utrecht on the 11th of
February 1703, and was succeeded by his son the 2nd earl (1668—1719), a
distinguished soldier in the reigns’ of William III. and Anne.
On
the death of the 9th earl without issue in 1844, the title became extinct.
BATTLE OF
AUGHRIM :
In June 1691, the Williamite forces under General Ginkel finally
succeeded in crossing the Shannon at Athlone and the Jacobite army was pushed
back from the line of the Shannon. Galway and Limerick were now the only two
substantial towns in Jacobite hands. A French General called the Marquis de
Saint Ruth was put in charge of the Jacobite Army. He decided to make a stand at
the hill of Aughrim in County Galway. After a heroic fight the Jacobite Army was
finally crushed. Thousands of Jacobite soldiers were killed, including Saint
Ruth. Patrick Sarsfield, the commander of the cavalry gathered up what remained
of the army and retreated to Limerick. It seems that on his retreat from Aughrim
Sarsfield spent a night in a tavern in Ennis. This claim is based on the
discovery, in the last century of a receipt for a night’s lodging signed by
Patrick Sarsfield, which was discovered in the recess of a wall of a house in
Abbey Street. Clare Castle
: It would
appear that no substantial military action was fought in County Clare. In order
to put a quick end to the war, General Ginkel at this time promised that any
Jacobite commander who would surrender a castle or town would not have his lands
and property confiscated. It seems that this is what happened in the case of
Clare Castle as there is no evidence of a military action having been fought
there. And indeed the commander of the garrison, Teige McNamara, was afterwards
allowed to retain possession of his Tulla estates.
THE SIEGE OF LIMERICK : William, prince of orange was married to Mary, and were
fighting against JamesII. William and James were in England. William put General
Ginkel in command and General St.Ruth was put in command for James army.The
first siege was fought in Limerick.William surrounded Limerick ,but he had to
wait for great cannons so they could break down the wall.When a cavalry officer
called Patrick Sarsfield in James army heard that the weapons were on there way,
he called a troop of soldiers together from the city and ambushed the siege
train at Ballyneety.Most of the weapons were destroyed at the attack.William
failed to capture the city. The next sieges were in Athlone and in Aughrim. The
battle of Aughrim was the bloodiest battle in Irish history were St Ruth was
killed by a cannon ball. Patrick Sarsfield now became leader and re-treated to
Limerick after the battle at Aughrim. Sarsfield defended the city hoping that
help would come from France,but no help came so Sarsfield was forced to make an
agreement with General Ginkel,This agreement was "The Treaty of
Limerick".A few days later a fleet of French ships arrived to help the
Jacobites,but Sarsfield wouldn't break his word, so the fleet of ships were sent
back. Patrick Sarsfield and his soldiers went to France and more Countries to
fight there. They were known as the Wild Geese.TREATY OF LIMERICK : The Treaty
of Limerick was signed on 3 October 1691. Under it the Irish army was allowed to
go to France.
The Treaty of Limerick, 1691 ( Author: Baron Godert de Ginkel )
http://collectieutrecht.nl/view.asp?type=object&id=74
http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godard_van_Reede
http://www.dbnl.org/tekst/molh003nieu03_01/molh003nieu03_01_1542.php
07-12-2010