Hugh Montgomery, 2nd Viscount Montgomery

Hugh Montgomery, 2nd Viscount Montgomery, born 1597 son of Hugh Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of the Ards, Ireland, and Elizabeth Jane Shaw, died 15 November 1642 after spending much of his fortune on his troops.

He married Jean Alexander, eldest daughter of William Alexander and Janet Erskin. The marriage was solemnised on the 3d August 1623 in Kensington Church, London (Kensington Parochial Register). Their children were :

1. Hugh Montgomery, 1st Earl of Mount Alexander,  b. 1625.

On 28 July 1646 Visc. Hugh Montgomery (Hugu Vicecomes De Airdis) of Ards, co Down, Ireland, was retoured heir to his father Hugh Montgomery, 2nd Viscount Montgomery, lands listed included castro de Dunskei.

2. James Montgomery,  b. 3 Aug 1627 at Dunskey Castle, Wigtownshire, Scotland (the Castle his grandfather purchased from Robert Adair), and d. Oct 1689.

3. Elizabeth Montgomery,  b. 1634, Great Ards/Down, Northern Ireland,   d. 15 Nov 1677, Rosemount, co Down, Northern Ireland

4. Henry Montgomery,  b. 1636, co Down, Northern Ireland

Hugh Montgomery's widow, Lady Jean Alexander, married secondly, Major-General Robert Monro, and died in the autumn of 1670.

Conflict at Carrickfergus
In 1647 Ormonde was compelled to come to terms with the English parliament, who sent commissioners to Dublin in June of that year. Monro supported the royalist "Engager" movement and sent men under the command of his nephew George Munro, 1st of Newmore back to Scotland to support the Engagers against the English Parliamentarians. Meanwhile the Scots under Monro held out stubbornly at Carrickfergus and refused to surrender Carrickfergus Castle and Belfast. They were besieged by the forces of George Monck. In September 1648 Carrickfergus was delivered over to Monck by treachery: a number of Monro's officers were divided and some aided the parliamentary commander Monck, and as a result Monro was taken prisoner. He was committed to the Tower of London, where he remained a prisoner for five years. In 1654 he was permitted by Oliver Cromwell to reside in Ireland, where he had estates in right of his wife, Jean Alexander, who was the widow of Viscount Hugh Montgomery, 2nd Viscount Montgomery of Ardes. Monro continued to live quietly near Comber, County Down, for many years, and probably died there about 1680. Robert Monro is known to have at least two children; Andrew Monroe, a Colonel who was killed at the Siege of Limerick (1690) and Ann Monro, who married Robert Monro's nephew, Sir George Munro, 1st of Newmore.