Henry Nugent
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{{Infobox military person
| name = Henry Nugent, Count of Val de Soto
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| birth_date =
| death_date = November 1704
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| birth_place = Ireland
| death_place = Gibraltar
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| branch = Austrian Army
| serviceyears =
| rank = Major General
| unit =
| commands = Governor of Gibraltar
| battles =
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Henry Nugent, Count of Val de Soto (died November 1704) was an Irish military officer and nobleman who served as the governor of Gibraltar from 6 August to November 1704.
Early life
File:Coolamber Hall House - Tower Interior.JPG
Nugent was born at Coolamber, County Longford. His father was Thomas Nugent, who descended from James Nugent, the younger brother of Richard Nugent, 13th Baron Delvin (died 1559). Henry's older brother was James Nugent of Coolamber.{{Cite book|last=Ruvigny|first=Melville H.|title=The Nobilities of Europe|publisher=Adamant Media Corporation|year=2000|pages=355|isbn=1-4021-8561-8|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LHKBWAz9MMQC&pg=RA3-PA355}}{{Cite book|last=Parnell|first=Arthur |title=The War of the Succession in Spain: During the Reign of Queen Anne, 1702-1711|publisher=G. Bell and sons|year=1905|pages=45|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8bkfAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA45}}
Career
In 1690–91, Nugent fought in the Irish campaign, in support of King James, during the Williamite War in Ireland. After the siege of Limerick in 1691, Nugent joined the Imperial regiment of Irish under Prince George of Hesse-Darmstadt in 1692,Parnell 1905, p. 45 entering into service for the Habsburgs, as being a Roman Catholic, he was unable to be commissioned in the British Army.{{Cite book|last=Andrews|first=Allen|title=Proud Fortress: The Fighting Story of Gibraltar |publisher=E. P. Dutton & Company, Inc.|location=New York|year=1959|pages=41|oclc=1353670|url=https://archive.org/stream/proudfortressthe011406mbp/proudfortressthe011406mbp_djvu.txt}}
In 1697, he distinguished himself while defending Barcelona against the French during the Siege of Barcelona at the orders of Prince George of Hesse-Darmstadt. Once the War of the Spanish Succession started, he was created Count of Val de Soto (Conde de Valdesoto) in Spain by Archduke Charles, pretender to the Spanish throne.
On 4 August 1704, Gibraltar was captured by an Anglo-Dutch force after a short siege which ended when Governor Diego de Salinas surrendered Gibraltar to Prince George, who took it in the name of the Archduke, as Charles III, king of Castile and Aragon.{{Cite web|author=Tito Benady|author-link=Tito Benady|date=August 2004 |url=http://www.chronicle.gi/terc/attack%20on%20gib/05.pdf |title=The Attack on Gibraltar. Friday 2 August 1704 |work=Tercentenary Special |access-date=16 December 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060304033326/http://www.chronicle.gi/terc/attack%20on%20gib/05.pdf |archive-date=4 March 2006 |url-status=dead }} Two days later, on 6 August 1704, Nugent was appointed Governor of Gibraltar,Parnell 1905, p. 80 with the rank of Major General. He was described as "an Irish Catholic, not well regarded by the English" ({{langx|es|un católico irlandes, mal visto por los ingleses}}).{{Cite web|url=http://www.foghs.org.uk/nl/GHTnl2005a.pdf|title=Newsletter 2005|year=2005|publisher=foghs.org.uk|pages=6|access-date=25 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090419100014/http://www.foghs.org.uk/nl/GHTnl2005a.pdf |archive-date=2009-04-19}} Brigadier Fox, commander of the English Marines, and junior to Nugent, demanded to go home. Hesse gave a refusal to Fox, prompting antagonism between Nugent and Fox.
During the Twelfth Siege of Gibraltar in November 1704, Nugent was mortally wounded on 9 NovemberParnell 1905, p. 83 and died soon thereafter. His death was caused by wounds sustained at San Pablo Battery (North Bastion). He was succeeded as Governor by Brigadier John Shrimpton of the Royal Marines.
Personal life
Nugent was survived by his wife and children.
- Daughter, Marcella, married Edward Nugent, grandson of Richard Nugent, 1st Earl of Westmeath.{{Cite book|last=Ruvigny|first=Melville H. |title=The Nobilities of Europe|publisher=Adamant Media Corporation|year=2000 |pages=354|isbn=1-4021-8561-8|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LHKBWAz9MMQC&pg=PA354}}
- Son, Thomas, became 2nd Count of Valdesoto.
References
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{{Succession box|
before=Prince George of Hesse-Darmstadt |
title=Governor of Gibraltar|
years=6 August 1704 – November 1704 |
after=John Shrimpton
}}
{{S-end}}
{{Governors of Gibraltar}}
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Category:Governors of Gibraltar
Category:Irish soldiers in the Austrian Army
Category:Military personnel from County Longford
Category:17th-century Irish people
Category:18th-century Irish people
Category:Austrian military personnel of the War of the Spanish Succession
Category:Jacobite military personnel of the Williamite War in Ireland