Henry Boyle, 1st Baron Carleton

Henry Boyle, 1st Baron Carleton PC (12 July 1669 – 31 March 1725) was an English politician of the early eighteenth century. The son of Charles Boyle, 3rd Viscount Dungarvan, Boyle was educated at Westminster School and entered the army under the auspices of his uncle, the Tory politician Lord Rochester. However, Boyle himself became a Whig, and in 1688 deserted the army of James II in favour of the Prince of Orange. In 1689, he was elected to th... more

Henry Boyle, 1st Baron Carleton PC (12 July 1669 – 31 March 1725) was an English politician of the early eighteenth century. The son of Charles Boyle, 3rd Viscount Dungarvan, Boyle was educated at Westminster School and entered the army under the auspices of his uncle, the Tory politician Lord Rochester. However, Boyle himself became a Whig, and in 1688 deserted the army of James II in favour of the Prince of Orange. In 1689, he was elected to the Parliament of England for Tamworth, but was defeated the next year. He spent the next two years in Ireland managing the family estates and represented Cork County in the Irish House of Commons in 1692. In the same year, he returned also to parliament for Cambridge University, and became a prominent spokesman of the "country" opposition, but in 1697 he switched to the court party. Here he advanced quickly, becoming a Lord of the Treasury in 1699 and Chancellor of the Exchequer of England in 1701. He picked up other offices as he went along,... less