John Creighton, 1st Earl Erne

Who was John Creighton, 1st Earl Erne?

John Creighton, 1st Earl Erne PC, known as The Lord Erne between 1772 and 1781 and as The Viscount Erne between 1781 and 1789, was an Irish peer and politician.

Erne was the son of Abraham Creighton, 1st Baron Erne, and succeeded his father as second Baron in 1772. Between 1761 and 1773, he represented Lifford in the Irish House of Commons. In 1781 he was created Viscount Erne, of Crom Castle in the County of Fermanagh, and in 1789 he was further honoured when he was made Earl Erne, of Crom Castle in the County of Fermanagh. He sat from 1800 to 1828 as one of the 28 original Irish Representative peers in the British House of Lords.

Lord Erne married, firstly, Catherine Howard, daughter of the Right Reverend Robert Howard, in 1761. After her death in 1775 he married, secondly, Lady Mary Caroline Hervey, daughter of Frederick Augustus Hervey, 4th Earl of Bristol, in 1776. He died in December 1828 and was succeeded in his titles by his eldest son Abraham. His daughter by his 2nd wife, Caroline, married the 1st Baron Wharncliffe.