Carrickfergus, thence once more
escaping and making his way to Kilkenny, the headquarters of the Roman
Catholic confederation. He returned to Oxford in December with a scheme
for raising 10,000 Irish for service in England and 2000 to join
Montrose in Scotland, which through the influence of the duchess of
Buckingham secured the consent of the king. On the 26th of January 1644
Antrim was created a marquess. He returned to Kilkenny in February, took
the oath of association, and was made a member of the council and
lieutenant-general of the forces of the Catholic confederacy. The
confederacy, however, giving him no support in his projects, he threw up
his commission, and with Ormonde's help despatched about 1600 men in
June to Montrose's assistance in Scotland, subsequently returning to
Oxford and being sent by the king in 1645 with letters for the queen at
St Germains. He proceeded thence to Flanders and fitted out two frigates
with military stores, which he brought to the prince of Wales at
Falmouth. He visited Cork and afterwards in July 1646 joined his troops
in Scotland, with the hope of expelling Argyll from Kintyre; but he was
obliged to retire by order of the king, and returning to Ireland threw
himself into the intrigues between the various factions. In 1647 he was
appointed with two others by the confederacy to negotiate a treaty with
the prince of Wales in France, and though he anticipated his companions
by starting a week before them, he failed to secure the coveted
lord-lieutenancy, which was confirmed to Ormonde. He now ceased to
support the Roman Catholics or the king's cause; opposed the treaty
between Ormonde and the confederates; supported the project of union
between O'Neill and the parliament; and in 1649 entered into
communications with Cromwell, for whom he performed various services,
though there appears no authority to support Carte's story that Antrim
was the author of a forged agreement for the betrayal of the king's army
by Lord Inchiquin.[2] Subsequently he joined Ireton, and was present at
the siege of Carlow. He returned to England in December 1650, and in
lieu of his confiscated estate received a pension of L500 and later of
L800, together with lands in Mayo. At the Restoration Antrim was
excluded from the Act of Oblivion on account of his religion, and on
presenting himself at court was imprisoned in the Tower, subsequently
being called before the lords justices in Ireland. In 1663 he succeed