Edward Worcester, Earl of Glamorgan, Is Sent to Ireland to Raise Troops for the King

Edward Somerset, Earl of Glamorgan (also known as Edward Worcester), aristocrat, royalist envoy, and inventor, is sent to Ireland in 1645 by King Charles I to negotiate support from the Irish Confederates during the English Civil War.

Acting with secret royal authority, Glamorgan signs two clandestine treaties with the Catholic Confederate leadership—one on this date and another on 20 December. These agreements promised significant religious concessions to Irish Catholics in exchange for military support for the king’s cause.

The treaties were highly controversial, undermining official English negotiations and alarming Protestant allies. When discovered, Glamorgan was briefly imprisoned, and the king disavowed the agreements—though many believed they reflected Charles I’s true intentions.

Glamorgan’s mission reflects the complex and desperate diplomacy of the mid-17th century, as the monarchy sought support wherever it could be found.