James Fitz Edmond Cotter

James Cotter attached himself to the Royalist cause in the Civil Wars, and family tradition has him fighting for Charles II at the Battle of Worcester in 1651.

[1] Cotter was probably part of King Charles' military entourage when in exile and on his restoration to the throne in 1660 was a lieutenant in a foot (infantry) regiment.

[2] Exempted from the general pardon of persons who had taken arms against the monarchy in the recent wars were the "regicides" – those who had been instrumental in the trial and execution of Charles I.

James Cotter founded his career in royal service by organising and carrying out the assassination of one of the regicides, John Lisle, in Switzerland (at Lausanne, 14 September 1664).

[3] However, in his biographical essay, Ó Cuív dismisses this, stating that Cotter and his accomplices, Miles Crowley and John Rierdan (both Irish gentlemen fallen on hard times), were quite open about the incident.

[6] With a royal pension and the profits from his West Indian governorship James Cotter became very wealthy and he bought out the interests of most of his immediate family in his father's former lands.

[10] During the time of his military and civil authority Sir James Cotter treated the Protestant landowners well, not allowing his troops to despoil their property or for acts of reprisal to occur.

Domhnall Ó Colmáin included much biographical material concerning Sir James Cotter in his tract Párliament na mBan.

His eldest son, James, inherited his wealth and patronage of the Catholic population of Cork, but not his moderation or astute political instinct and ended his life on the gallows as a Jacobite supporter.