Nicholas St Lawrence, 4th Baron Howth

Nicholas St Lawrence, 4th Baron Howth (c. 1460 – 1526) was a leading Irish nobleman, soldier and statesman of the early Tudor period, who held the office of Lord Chancellor of Ireland.

Simnel gained the support of most of the Anglo-Irish nobility, notably the powerful 8th Earl of Kildare, and was crowned as "King Edward VI" at Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin 1487.

He also quarrelled with Sir James Butler, Ormonde's cousin, who predicted, wrongly, that Nicholas' stout and bullish nature would end with his violent death.

[5] Howth is credited with arguing for the immediate attack which resulted in a victory for the Crown's forces, against the advice of more cautious colleagues who urged that they retreat or try to negotiate.

[1] O'Flanagan suggests that his entire training had been as a soldier, so that the appointment was presumably a tribute to his loyalty to the Crown and his close links to Kildare, rather than due to his legal ability.

[6] O'Flanagan notes that his career as Lord Chancellor leaves no trace on the records, but that in the absence of any complaints about his performance, he presumably fulfilled his duties adequately enough.