, Oxford. He
commanded a ship against the Spanish Armada in 1588, and is said to have
served under Drake in his expedition of 1595. Having seen further
service abroad, he was sent to Ireland at the end of 1598, and was
appointed by the earl of Essex to the governorship of Carrickfergus.
When Essex returned to England, Chichester rendered valuable service
under Mountjoy in the war against the rebellious earl of Tyrone, and in
1601 Mountjoy recommended him to Cecil in terms of the highest praise as
the fittest person to be entrusted with the government of Ulster. On the
15th of October 1604 Chichester was appointed lord-deputy of Ireland. He
announced his policy in a proclamation wherein he abolished the
semi-feudal rights of the native Irish chieftains, substituting for them
fixed dues, while their tenants were to become dependent "wholly and
immediately upon his majesty." Tyrone and other Irish clan chieftains
resented this summary interference with their ancient social
organization, and their resistance was strengthened by the ill-advised
measures against the Roman Catholics which Chichester was compelled to
take by the orders of the English ministers. He himself was moderate and
enlightened in his views on this matter, and it was through his
influence that the harshness of the anti-Catholic policy was relaxed in
1607. Meantime his difficulties with the Irish tribal leaders remained
unsolved. But in 1607, by "the flight of the Earls" (see O'NEILL), he
was relieved of the presence of the two formidable Ulster chieftains,
the earls of Tyrone and Tyrconnell. Chichester's policy for dealing with
the situation thus created was to divide the lands of the fugitive earls
among Irishmen of standing and character; but the plantation of Ulster
as actually carried out was much less favourable and just to the native
population than the lord-deputy desired. In 1613 Chichester was raised
to the peerage as Baron Chichester of Belfast, and in the following year
he went to England to give an account of the state of Ireland. On his
return to Ireland he again attempted to moderate the persecuting policy
against the Irish Catholics which he was instructed to enforce; and
although he was to some extent successful, it was probably owing to his
opposition to this policy that he was recalled in November 1614. The
king, however, told him "You may rest assured that you do leave that
place with our very good grace and acceptation of your services";