James Dillon, 3rd Earl of Roscommon

James was born about 1605[2] in Ireland, the eldest son of Robert Dillon and his first wife Margaret Barry. His father was the second Earl of Roscommon. His family was Old English and descended from Sir Henry Dillon who came to Ireland with Prince John in 1185.[3] His family held substantial lands in Meath, Westmeath, Longford and Roscommon.

James's mother was a daughter of David de Barry, 5th Viscount Buttevant. Her family, the de Barry family is another Old English family. Her ancestor John Barry was created Viscount Buttevant by Richard II in 1385.[4]

James was one of five brothers including two half-brothers, who are all listed in his father's article.

His father's family was traditionally Roman Catholic, which is why his father, despite his record of loyalty to the Crown, was never fully trusted by King Charles I of England. James, however, was converted to the Church of Ireland by James Ussher, Archbishop of Armagh.[5]

On 24 January 1620 his grandfather was raised to the peerage with the title of Baron Dillon of Kilkenny-West, in the Peerage of Ireland.[6] in a ceremony performed by the Lord Deputy Oliver St. John in the Presence Chamber of Dublin Castle on 25 January.[7]

On 5 August 1622 James's grandfather was further honoured by being created Earl of Roscommon.[8] In consequence of this advancement, Robert, the heir apparent, James's father, was styled Lord Kilkenny-West, as a courtesy title from 1622 to 1641.

In late September or early October 1636 James Dillon married Elizabeth Wentworth, daughter of Sir William Wentworth and Anne Atkins at Lowton Hall, Essex.[9] She was a sister of Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford, the formidable and (for a while), all-powerful Lord Deputy of Ireland. James's father was a staunch supporter and a personal friend of Strafford, and the marriage was clearly intended to strengthen English rule in Ireland through family alliances between leading English and Anglo-Irish families.[10]

James and Elizabeth had a son:

• Wentworth (1637–1685), 4th Earl and a poet of renown.[11][12]

Dillon was knighted before or in 1639 and thus became Sir James Dillon.[13][14] The same year he stood as MP, or "knight of the shire" as county MPs were then still called, for County Longford in the Parliament of 1640–1649,[lower-alpha 2] the second of Charles I. Sir James was elected as one of the two members for County Longford on 28 February 1640.

Parliament met on 16 March 1640.[16] In its first session the parliament unanimously voted for four subsidies of £45,000[17] to raise an Irish army of 9,000[18] for use by the king against the Scots in the Bishops' Wars. Dillon must have voted in favour. On 31 March 1640 Wentworth prorogued parliament until the first week of June.[19][20]

On 3 April 1640, Strafford (i.e. Wentworth) left Ireland,[21] called to England by the king to help him manage the Bishops war against the Scots. Strafford appointed Christopher Wandesford as Lord Deputy to govern Ireland in his absence. Wandesford opened the second parliamentary session on 1 June 1640.[22][23] News from England was the Short Parliament had refused subsidies to the king.[24] The Irish MPs regretted having agreed to subsidies and wanted to sabotage their own action by making the subsidies difficult to evaluate and to collect.[25] After two weeks of inconclusive discussions, Wandesford prorogued parliament on 17 June.[26]

Parliament reconvened for the third session on 1 October.[27] The House of Commons formed a committee for grievances that compiled a remonstrance (complaint) against Strafford. The remonstrance was then approved by the House of Commons.[28] Sir James must have voted against it in order to support Strafford. Wandesford prorogued parliament on 12 November,[29] a day after Strafford's impeachment in Westminster by the Long Parliament.

Parliament met again on 26 January 1641.[29] Lord Deputy Wandesford had died on 3 December 1640 and the Irish government had devolved to the Lords Justice, Parsons and Borlase.

In March 1641 James's grandfather died[35] and his father succeeded as the second earl. His tenure was, however, a short one as he died on 27 August 1642 in Oxmantown, a residential quarter in Dublin's Northside.[36] James succeeded as the 3rd Earl of Roscommon.[37] He had to abandon his seat in the lower house and gained a seat in the House of Lords, which he took on the 17 November 1642.[38]

Roscommon was in Dublin in July 1647 when Ormond handed the town over to the English Parliament[39] and was given as a hostage to the English Parliament by Ormond.[40] Roscommon returned to Ireland with Ormond sailing on a man-of-war sent by William II, Prince of Orange to Le Havre to carry them to Cork where they arrived on 29 September 1648.[41]

He died at Limerick in October 1649, at the house of the Anglican Bishop Bramhall, of an accidental fall down a flight of stairs.[42] According to legend, his son, then in exile at Caen, knew of his death at the moment it happened, although the official news did not reach him until two weeks later.[43]