Richard Vaughan | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 2nd Earl of Carbery | |
| Reign | 1634–1686 |
| Predecessor | John Vaughan, 1st Earl of Carbery |
| Successor | John Vaughan, 3rd Earl of Carbery |
| Born | c. 1600 |
| Died | 1686 |
| Buried | Llanfihangel Aberbythych |
| Spouse(s) | Bridget Lloyd Frances Altham Lady Alice Egerton |
| Issue | Francis John Vaughan, 3rd Earl of Carbery |
| Father | John Vaughan, 1st Earl of Carbery |
| Mother | Margaret Meyrick |
Richard Vaughan, 2nd Earl of Carbery KB, PC (c. 1600 – 1686[a]), styled The Honourable from 1621 to 1628 and then Lord Vaughan until 1634, was a Welsh soldier, peer and politician.
Born the son of a Welsh nobleman with an Irish peerage, Vaughan initially entered the House of Commons as Member of Parliament for the Welsh constituency of Carmarthenshire in 1624. He held the seat until 1629, when King Charles I decided to rule without parliament until 1640. Knighted in 1626, he appears to have had little interest in politics, and after inheriting the estates and titles of his father in 1634, he retired to the life of a country gentleman in South Wales. The outbreak of the English Civil War in 1642 disturbed his peace, and after being courted by both King and Parliament, he declared as a Royalist. He raised troops for the king and took control of the Southern Welsh counties on behalf of the Crown, for which he was rewarded with titles and responsibilities.
Carbery's successes were short-lived however. Never a natural soldier, within a year he was fighting Parliamentarian risings in his counties, and shortly after resigned his command. He saw out the wars in retirement, narrowly escaping a heavy fine from Parliament, and refusing to become involved in any further escapades. Restored to favour after the Restoration in 1660, Carbery received a number of important local positions. He became a literary patron later in his career, hosting the Anglican theologian Jeremy Taylor at his seat, Golden Grove (Gelli Aur), and the poet Samuel Butler, during his time as constable of Ludlow Castle. A scandal involving his treatment of servants forced him to relinquish many of his administrative posts, and he spent his last years in quiet retirement.