Henry Nugent

{{EngvarB|date=June 2025}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2025}} {{Infobox military person | name = Henry Nugent, Count of Val de Soto | image = | caption = | birth_date = | death_date = November 1704 | burial_label = | burial_place = | birth_place = Ireland | death_place = [[Gibraltar]] | burial_coordinates =  | nickname = | allegiance = | branch = Austrian Army | service_years = | rank = [[Major General]] | unit = | commands = [[Governor of Gibraltar]] | battles = {{tree list}} * [[Williamite War in Ireland]] ** [[Siege of Limerick (1691)|Siege of Limerick]] {{tree list/end}} | awards = | relations = | other_work = }} '''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|thumb|Coolamber Hall House]] Nugent was born at Coolamber, [[County Longford]].<ref name="Ruvigny" /> 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.<ref name="Ruvigny">{{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}}</ref><ref name="Parnell">{{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}}</ref>

==Career== In 1690–91, Nugent fought in the Irish campaign, in support of [[James II of England|King James]], during the [[Williamite War in Ireland]]. After the [[Siege of Limerick (1691)|siege of Limerick in 1691]], Nugent joined the Imperial regiment of Irish under [[Prince George of Hesse-Darmstadt]] in 1692,<ref name="Parnell 1905, p. 45">Parnell 1905, p. 45</ref> entering into service for the [[House of Habsburg|Habsburgs]], as being a [[Roman Catholic]], he was unable to be commissioned in the [[British Army]].<ref name="Andrews">{{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}}</ref>

In 1697, he distinguished himself while defending [[Barcelona]] against the French during the [[Siege of Barcelona (1697)|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<ref name="Parnell 1905, p. 45"/> (Conde de Valdesoto) in Spain by [[Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor|Archduke Charles]], pretender to the Spanish throne.

On 4 August 1704, [[Capture of Gibraltar|Gibraltar was captured]] by an Anglo-Dutch force after a short siege which ended when Governor [[Diego de Salinas]] [[:s:Terms of surrender of the Spanish authorities of Gibraltar in 1704|surrendered]] Gibraltar to Prince George, who took it in the name of the Archduke, as Charles III, king of Castile and Aragon.<ref>{{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 }}</ref> Two days later, on 6 August 1704, Nugent was appointed Governor of Gibraltar,<ref name="Parnell 1905, p. 80">Parnell 1905, p. 80</ref> with the rank of [[Major General]].<ref name="Ruvigny" /><ref name="Parnell 1905, p. 80"/> He was described as "an Irish Catholic, not well regarded by the English" ({{langx|es|un católico irlandes, mal visto por los ingleses}}).<ref name="foghs">{{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}}</ref> Brigadier Fox, commander of the [[Royal Navy|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 November<ref>Parnell 1905, p. 83</ref> 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.<ref name="Andrews" />

==Personal life== Nugent was survived by his wife and children. *Daughter, Marcella, married Edward Nugent, grandson of [[Richard Nugent, 1st Earl of Westmeath]].<ref>{{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}}</ref> *Son, Thomas, became 2nd Count of Valdesoto.

Thomas' son, Francis, became the 3rd Count of Valdesoto.<ref name="Ruvigny" />

==References== {{reflist|30em}}

{{S-start}} {{S-gov}} {{Succession box | before=[[Prince George of Hesse-Darmstadt]] | title=[[Governor of Gibraltar]] | years=6 August 1704 – November 1704 | after=[[John Shrimpton]] }} {{S-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nugent, Henry}} [[Category:1704 deaths]] [[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]] [[Category:Year of birth unknown]]