RUVIGNY, HENRI DE MASSUE, MARQUIS DE, after wards EARL OF GALWAY (1648-1720 , was born in Paris on April 9, 1648, the son of the 1st Marquis de Ruvigny. He saw service under Turenne, who thought very highly of him. He had English connections, and was selected in 1678 by Louis XIV. to carry out the secret negotiations for a compact with Charles II., a mission which he executed with great skill. Succeeding his father as "general of the Huguenots," he refused Louis's offer, at the revo cation of the Edict of Nantes, to retain him in that office, and in 169o, having gone into exile with his fellow Huguenots, he entered the service of William III. of England as a major-general, for feiting thereby his French estates. In July 1691 he distinguished himself at the battle of Aughrim, and in 1692 he was for a time commander-in-chief in Ireland. He was created Viscount Galway and Baron Portarlington, and received a large grant of forfeited estates in Ireland.
In 1693 Ruvigny fought at Neerwinden and was wounded, and in 1694, with the rank of lieutenant-general, he was sent to com mand a force in English pay which was to assist the duke of Savoy against the French, and at the same time to relieve the distressed Vaudois. But in 1695 the duke changed sides, the Italian penin
sula was neutralized, and Galway's force was withdrawn to the Netherlands. From 1697 to 1701, a critical period of Irish history, the Earl of Galway (he was advanced to that rank in 1697) was practically in control of Irish affairs as lord justice of Ireland. After some years spent in retirement, he was appointed in to command the allied forces in Portugal, a post which he sus tained with honour and success until the battle of Almanza in 1707, in which Galway, in spite of care and skill on his own part, was decisively defeated. But he scraped together a fresh army, and, although infirm, served in one more campaign. His last service was rendered in 1715, when he was sent as one of the lords justices to Ireland during the Jacobite insurrection. He died on Sept. 3, 172o.