http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Coote

Richard Coote, 1st Earl of Bellomont (sometimes spelled Bellamont, 1636 – 5 March 1700/1), known as The Lord Coote between 1683 and 1689, was a member of the English Parliament and a colonial governor. Born in Ireland, he was an early supporter of William and Mary, siding with them in the Glorious Revolution.

In 1695 he was given commissions as governor of the provinces of New York, Massachusetts Bay, and New Hampshire, which he held until his death. He did not arrive in the New World until 1698, and spent most of his tenure as governor in New York. He spent a little over a year in Massachusetts, and only two weeks in New Hampshire. His time in New York was marked by divisive politics resulting from Leisler's Rebellion (1689–1691), and difficult and ultimately unsuccessful negotiations to keep the Iroquois from engaging in peace talks with New France. Frontier issues were also in the forefront during his time in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, where lumber and security from the Abenaki threat dominated his tenure.

He was a major financial sponsor of William Kidd, whose privateering was later deemed to have descended into piracy. Bellomont engineered the arrest of Kidd in Boston, and had him returned to England, where he was tried, convicted, and hanged.

http://www.thepeerage.com/p12954.htm#i129531

Richard Coote, 1st Earl of Bellomont was the son of Richard Coote, 1st Lord Coote, Baron of Coloony and Mary St. George.2 He married Catherine Nanfan, daughter of Bridges Nanfan and Catharine Hastings, on 19 August 1680.2 He died on 5 March 1700/1 at New York, U.S.A..1 His will (dated 23 August 1697) was probated on 25 February 1704/5.2

Richard Coote, 1st Earl of Bellomont succeeded to the title of 2nd Lord Coote, Baron of Coloony, co. Sligo [I., 1660] on 10 July 1683.2 In 1688 he was one on the first to join the Prince of Orange.2 He held the office of Governor of County Leitrim in 1689.2 He held the office of Treasurer to the Queen between 1689 and 1693.2 He held the office of Member of Parliament (M.P.) for Droitwich between 1689 and 1695.2 In May 1689 he was attainted in his abscence by the Irish Parliament of King James II.2 He was created 1st Earl of Bellomont, in our Kingdom of Ireland [Ireland] on 2 November 1689, along with the preposterous grant of 77,000 acres of forfeited Irish lands.1 He held the office of Governor of Massachusetts in 1695.2 He held the office of Governor of New York between 1697 and 1701.2 The King had sent him to New York to put done the "freebooting". Unfortunately he was responsible for outfitting the veteran mariner William Kidd, who turned into 'Captain Kidd', who terrorised the merchants until his capture in 1698.2

According to Cokayne "he was a man of eminently fair character, upright, courageous and endependent. Though a decided Whig he had disinguished himself by bringing before the Parliament at Westminster some tyrannical acts done by Whigs at Dublin."2

Children of Richard Coote, 1st Earl of Bellomont and Catherine Nanfan

• Nanfan Coote, 2nd Earl of Bellomont+3 b. c 1681, d. 14 Jun 1708
• Richard Coote, 3rd Earl of Bellomont+3 b. c 1683, d. 10 Feb 1766

Citations

• [S6] G.E. Cokayne; with Vicary Gibbs, H.A. Doubleday, Geoffrey H. White, Duncan Warrand and Lord Howard de Walden, editors, The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct or Dormant, new ed., 13 volumes in 14 (1910-1959; reprint in 6 volumes, Gloucester, U.K.: Alan Sutton Publishing, 2000), volume II, page 106. Hereinafter cited as The Complete Peerage.
• [S6] Cokayne, and others, The Complete Peerage, volume II, page 107.
• [S6] Cokayne, and others, The Complete Peerage, volume II, page 108.