Lawless, Patrick

Lawless, Patrick (fl. 1691–1718), soldier and diplomat, was the son of Walter Lawless of Talbot's Inch, near Kilkenny, and Ann Bryan, sister of James Bryan of Jenkinstown, alderman; he was the grandson of Richard Lawless (d. 1670), procurator of the supreme council of the catholic confederacy. Although little is known of Lawless's early career, he served in James II's (qv) army in Ireland. Promoted to the rank of major, he was taken prisoner after the rout of the Irish army at Aughrim in 1691. He followed his exiled monarch to France and became a gentleman of the bedchamber to James II and then to his son James Francis Edward Stuart. The Pretender later chose Lawless as his envoy to Philip V, king of Spain and grandson of the king of France. Philip V appointed him to command his Irish guards with the rank of colonel. He also became a knight of the military order of St Iago (St James) and a camp marshal or major general, and was known in Spain as Don Patricio Laulés, or Duras. He repaid the largess of the Spanish king by distinguishing himself against the imperialists at Venasque in 1712 and then acted on Philip's behalf in the matter of the marquis de Leganez, grandee of Spain, governor of the royal palace, and vicar general of Andalusia. Leganez had been involved in a plot with the allies of the imperial pretender Charles of Austria and had been taken prisoner: Philip placed him under the care of Lawless, who, spurning all offers of bribes to release him, conveyed Leganez safely to the castle of Pamperluna.

After the treaty of Utrecht in 1713 Lawless was sent by Philip V to London as Spanish ambassador to Queen Anne. On his arrival in London his reception at the English court aroused conflicting passions among the contending whig and tory parties. Sir Patrick retained this post after the death of Queen Anne in 1714, and he later served as Philip's ambassador to France and as lieutenant general and governor of the island of Majorca. He is last heard of in 1718.