Richard Nugent, 1st Earl of Westmeath (1583–1642) was an Irish nobleman and politician of the seventeenth century. He was imprisoned for plotting against the English Crown in 1607, but soon obtained a royal pardon, and thereafter was, in general, to be a reliable supporter of the Government, although his loyalty was questioned from time to time. His death resulted from his refusal to take up arms against the English Crown during the Irish Rebellion of 1641.[1]