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John Butler of Kilcash

For other people named John Butler, see John Butler (disambiguation).

John Butler of Kilcash (died 1570) was an Irish landowner and soldier. A younger son of James Butler, 9th Earl of Ormond and brother of Thomas Butler, 10th Earl of Ormond, he received Kilcash Castle as appanage. He fought in the Desmond–Ormond conflict and was badly wounded in 1563, just before the Battle of Affane. He was the start-point of the Kilcash branch of the Ormonds and the father of Walter Butler, 11th Earl of Ormond.

John Butler
A photo of a ruined, square, thick-walled tower and an adjacent house of which only one wall with big windows remains
Ruin of Kilcash Castle
Died10 May 1570
FamilyButler dynasty
Spouse(s)Katherine MacCarthy Reagh
Issue
Detail		Walter & others
FatherJames Butler, 9th Earl of Ormond
MotherJoan FitzGerald, Countess of Ormond

Birth and origins

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John was born about 1537[a] in southern Ireland. He was the third son of James Butler and his wife Joan Fitzgerald.[1] His father was the 9th Earl of Ormond. His father's family, the Butler dynasty, was Old English and descended from Theobald Walter, who had been appointed Chief Butler of Ireland by King Henry II in 1177.[2]

His mother was a daughter of James FitzGerald, 10th Earl of Desmond. Her family were the FitzGeralds of Desmond, a cadet branch of the Old English Geraldines, whose senior branch were the FitzGeralds of Kildare. John had six brothers, which are listed in his father's article.

Family tree
John Butler with wife, parents, and other selected relatives.[b]
Piers
8th Earl
1467–1539		Margaret
FitzGerald
c. 1473 – 1542		James
FitzGerald
10th Earl
d. 1529		Amy
O'Brien
James
9th Earl
1496–1546		Joan
FitzGerald
d. 1565		Gerald
14th Earl
c. 1533 – 1583
Rebel Earl		Cormac
13th Carbery
1490–1567
Thomas
10th Earl
c. 1531 – 1614
Black Tom		Elizabeth
Sheffield
d. 1600		Edmund
of
Cloughgrenan
1534–1602		John of
Kilcash
d. 1570		Katherine
MacCarthy
Reagh
Elizabeth
Butler
c. 1585 – 1628		Richard
Preston
1st Earl
Desmond
d. 1628		Walter
11th Earl
1559–1633
'Beads'		Helen
Butler
d. 1631
Thomas
Viscount
Thurles
d. 1619
d.v.p.*		Elizabeth
Pointz
1587–1673
Elizabeth
Preston
1615–1684		James
1st Duke
1610–1688		Richard
of
Kilcash
1615–1701
Legend
XXXSubject of
the article		XXXEarls & dukes of
Ormond		XXXEarls of
Desmond
*d.v.p. = predeceased his father (decessit vita patris).

Appanage and father's death

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On 26 May 1544 when he was still a little boy, his father, the 9th Earl of Ormond, granted him Kilcash as an appanage[6] as is attested by his territorial designation of Kilcash. The existing tower house[7] at Kilcash was probably built at that time.[8]

Well he did so. Because only a bit more than a year later, on 28 October 1546, when John was about six, his father suddenly died in London having been poisoned during a banquet at Ely House,[9] probably at the instigation of Anthony St Leger, who was Lord Deputy of Ireland and a political opponent. John's eldest brother Thomas succeeded as the 10th Earl.

Marriage and children

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John Butler of Kilcash married Katherine MacCarthy Reagh, the daughter of Cormac na Haoine MacCarthy Reagh, 10th Prince of Carbery[10] and sister of Donal, later known as Donal of the Pipes, 17th Prince of Carbery.

John and Katherine had four children, two sons:

  1. James Butler, died childless before September 1576;[11]
  2. Walter Butler, 11th Earl of Ormond (1559–1633), known as "Walter of the Beads".

—and two daughters;

  1. Joan, married Sir Oliver Shortall, knight.[12]
  2. Eleanor, married Thomas Prendergast; their son James Prendergast was killed in 1627 by Edmond Butler, 3rd/13th Baron Dunboyne;[13][14][15]

Desmond – Ormond conflict

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Much of Kilcash's life was taken up with a fierce feud his family had with the Earls of Desmond. The Desmonds were the Ormonds' neighbours on the western and southern sides. Despite their enmity, these two families were both more or less Gaelicized Old English and had intermarried many times; the last such marriage having been that of Kilcash's parents as his mother was a Desmond FitzGerald. The Desmond wars should also be seen in the wider picture of the Tudor conquest of Ireland. In 1560 his mother's intervention secured a peaceful outcome to a stand-off at Bohermore (known as "the battle that never was").

In 1563 Kilcash was badly wounded in a fight with the Desmonds and his recovery was deemed uncertain.[16] He was unable to participate in the private Battle of Affane, which was fought on 8 February 1565, only a bit more than a month after his mother's death.[17] His stepfather, Gerald FitzGerald, 14th Earl of Desmond was taken prisoner in the battle[18] after Kilcash's brother Edmund had shot him into the hip with his pistol.[19] Lord Ormond (his eldest brother) and Lord Desmond were called to London and promised to keep the peace.

Desmond Rebellions

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Main article: Desmond Rebellions

Kilcash could of course also not fight to suppress the Desmond Rebellions that were started in 1569 by James fitz Maurice FitzGerald, captain of the Desmond forces in the earl's absence. The captain was supported by many Irish in southern Ireland but also by some of Butler's brothers, notably Edmund.[20] The rebellion was directed against Henry Sidney the Lord Deputy of Ireland. Kilcash's brother Thomas, Lord Ormond returned to Ireland landing at Waterford in July 1569[21] whereupon his brothers submitted quickly.

However, Edmund, Edward and Piers were attainted in April 1570[22] by an act of the Irish Parliament. That meant that Edmund ceased to be Ormond's heir presumptive and John, the next brother, took his place but only for about a month as he died on 10 May 1570.[23] John's eldest son, Walter, thereafter became heir presumptive. James fitz Maurice FitzGerald surrendered on 23 February 1573 and Gerald followed in September ending the first Desmond rebellion.

Death and timeline

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John Butler died on 10 May 1570 at Kilcash and was buried in Kilkenny.[24]

Timeline
As his birth date is uncertain, so are all his ages.
Age Date Event
0 1540, estimate Born[a]
6–7 1544, 26 May Father gave him Kilcash as appanage.[8]
8–9 1546, 28 Oct Father died poisoned in London[9]
9–10 1547, 28 Jan Accession of Edward VI, succeeding Henry VIII of England[25]
15–16 1553, 6 Jul Accession of Queen Mary I, succeeding Edward VI of England[26]
20–21 1558, 17 Nov Accession of Queen Elizabeth I, succeeding Queen Mary I[27]
25–26 1563 Badly wounded in a fight with the Geraldines.[16]
27–28 1565, 2 Jan Mother died[17]
27–28 1565, 8 Feb Battle of Affane[18][19]
31–32 1569 Outbreak of the 1st Desmond Rebellion
32–33 1570, April Brothers Edmund, Edward and Piers attainted[22]
76–77 1570, 10 May Died at Kilcash.[24]

Notes and references

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b John's year of birth is bracketed between 1534, the birth of his older brother, and the death of his father in 1544, minus two gestations of his younger brothers James, Edward and Piers. 1537 seems a good estimate.
  2. ^ This family tree is partly based on the condensed Butler family tree pictured in Dunboyne[3] and on genealogies of the Earls of Desmond[4] and Ormond.[5] Also see the lists of siblings and children in the text.

Citations

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  1. ^ Butler 1929, p. 39. "John of Kilcash, the third brother, left one lawful son, Walter, an infant six months old when John died in 1570."
  2. ^ Debrett 1828, p. 640. "Theobald le Boteler on whom that office [Chief Butler of Ireland] was conferred by King Henry II., 1177 ..."
  3. ^ Dunboyne 1968, pp. 16–17. "Butler Family Tree condensed"
  4. ^ Burke 1883, pp. 204–206Genealogy of the earls of Desmond
  5. ^ Burke & Burke 1915, pp. 1548–1552Genealogy of the earls of Ormond
  6. ^ Burke & Burke 1915, p. 1549, right column, line 57. "3. John, of Kilcash, to whom his father granted lands by deed, 26 May, 1544; ..."
  7. ^ Somerset Fry 1997, p. 220, 3rd column. "This consists of a six-storey tower-house with bartizan and high chimney stacks ..."
  8. ^ a b Breffny 1977, p. 146, line 1. "James, ninth Earl of Ormond, granted the lands of Kilcash to his third son John Butler by deed dated 26 May 1544 and it was probably at that time that the tower-house with bartizans and tall chimneys was built ..."
  9. ^ a b Cokayne 1895, p. 148, line 6. "He d. in London, 28 Oct. 1546, from the effects of poison taken on the 17th at supper at Ely House, Holborn ..."
  10. ^ Lainé 1836, p. 91, bottom. "2. Catherine Mac Carthy, mariée 1e avec Jean Butler de Kilcash, fils puyné de Jacques Butler, 9e comte d'Ormon ..."
  11. ^ Edwards 2004, p. 231, left column, line 1. "He [Walter] emerged as heir to the Kilcash estate in co. Tipperary some time before September 1576 after the death without issue of his brother ..."
  12. ^ Burke & Burke 1915, p. 1549, right column, line 61. "1. Joan, m. [married] 1st Nicholas Shortall, of Upper Claragh, co. Kilkenny, and 2ndly Sir Oliver Shortall, Knt. of Ballylorcan, same co."
  13. ^ Burke & Burke 1915, p. 1549, right column, line 63. "2. Eleanor, m. [married] Thomas Prendergast, of Newcastle co. Tipperary."
  14. ^ Lodge 1789a, p. 28, line 17. "Eleanor, the second daughter, married Thomas Prendergast of Newcastle in Tipperary, Esq."
  15. ^ Lodge 1789b, p. 229. "In 1628, his lordship having the misfortune to kill Mr. Prendergast, he was confined a prisoner in the Castle of Dublin ..."
  16. ^ a b Butler 1929, p. 34, Note 6. "He had been badly wounded, so that his recovery was at first doubtful, in a conflict with the Geraldines in 1563."
  17. ^ a b McGurk 2004, p. 809, line 44. "The death of Desmond's wife on 2 February 1565 ..."
  18. ^ a b Joyce 1903, p. 146, line 15. "Desmond, taken unawares, was defeated in a battle fought in 1565 at Affane in the County Waterford, and he himself was wounded and taken prisoner."
  19. ^ a b McGurk 2004, p. 809, left column. "On 8 February 1565 the two rival armies met at the ford of Affane on the Blackwater in co. Waterford. Desmond was wounded in the thigh and taken prisoner by Ormond, but soon released."
  20. ^ Lee 1886, p. 80, left column. "In June 1569 Sir Edmund, who had a personal hatred of Sidney, in temporary concert with some members of the Desmond family, broke into open revolt against the lord deputy."
  21. ^ Lee 1886, p. 80, left column, bottom. "He landed in Waterford in July 1569, and found Munster in the throes of a civil war, in which his brother Sir Edmund was matched against Sidney's lieutenant, sir Peter Carew."
  22. ^ a b Lee 1886, p. 80, right column, line 7. "In April [1570] Ormonde's three brothers Edmund, Edward and Piers, were attainted, and Ormonde passionately protested against the indignity."
  23. ^ Burke & Burke 1915, p. 1549, line 59. "... d. [died] 10 May, 1570, leaving issue ..."
  24. ^ a b Lodge 1789a, p. 28, line 8. "John Butler of Kilcash, Esq.; who married Catharine, daughter of Cormac Mac Carthy Reagh, and dying at his seat 10 May 1570, was buried in Kilkenny ..."
  25. ^ Fryde et al. 1986, p. 43, line 15. "Edward VI ... acc. 28 Jan. 1547;"
  26. ^ Fryde et al. 1986, p. 43, line 27. "Mary I … acc. 6 Jul. 1553;"
  27. ^ Fryde et al. 1986, p. 43, line 41. "Elizabeth … acc. 17 Nov. 1558;"

Sources

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