de Montmorency of Co. Kilkenny
One of the most extraordinary characters of the ‘old’ family of the Morres/de Montmorency must surely have been Hervey Morres who was born c.1743. He was the son of Hervey the 1st Viscount and his mother was a daughter of Brabazon Ponsonby the 1st Earl of Bessborough. Politics was in his blood from both sides as his father had been an M.P. for many years and the parliamentary exploits of the Ponsonbys are legendary. John Ponsonby, the Speaker, was his uncle. Hervey was educated at Oxford and entered politics shortly afterwards. He was a strong Ponsonby supporter. Some quite amusing stories are told of him. One, in particular, concerned his duel with the Hon. Francis Hely Hutchinson. The cause of the quarrel has been quite forgotten, as so often happens with quarrels, but the duel did place at Donnybrook, in Dublin, a favourite venue for ‘Affairs of Honour’. After taking their places the order to fire was given and Hutchinson was fastest with his shot. de Montmorency fell to the ground but after some time was able to rise to his feet. The protagonists bowed to each other and de Montmorency, helped by his second, was brought to his lodgings in Dublin.
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