Richard Prior

Richard Prior, Captain Thomas Prior’s eldest son with estates at Rathdowney, Ely and, after his sister Isabella's death, Derbyshire.

In 1685, the Catholic James II succeeded his more pragmatic brother Charles II and in 1689 passed an Act of Attainder. This Act not only reversed the Irish land grants to Protestants such as the Priors, but condemned over 2,000 of them to defend themselves from the charge of high treason. Richard Prior and other Protestants choose to flee, forfeiting their land. Richard fled to Cambridge, to property there that he had inherited from his father as well as some 40 acres in Ely.

In 1690, James II’s loyalist army was defeated at the Battle of the Boyne and the Act of Attainder was consequently repealed.

Richard continued to live in Cambridge and died without issue on his death in 1726 or 1736. Richard left his brother Thomas Prior the 40 acres in Ely as well as property in Cambridge and his portion of the Rathdowney estate, although by then the latter appears to have been heavily mortgaged. ¹⁾