Jordan de Exeter
Encyclopedia
Jordan de Exeter was an Anglo-Norman
knight
, Sheriff
of Connacht
, and ancestor of the Clan Siurtain Gaileng/Mac Siurtain/Mac Jordan of Connacht
.
in Devon
, England
but it is not known if he or previous members of the family were the first in Ireland. He appears to have participated in Richard Mor de Burgh
's conquest of Connacht in the 1230's. De Burgh granted the barony or cantred
of Gallen to Hugh de Lacy, who transferred it to Jordan de Exeter, who was in possession of it by 1239. In 1250 Henry III
gave him twenty-five marks yearly "in reward of services until he should be given waste lands worth £20 a year, which were given about the parish of Killallaghtan in Galway, to be held by the service of one knight." (p.307)
He built the castle of Ballylahan - now on the junction of the N58 and R321 in County Mayo
. It overlooked Athlethan, or Strade
, where he built an abbey for the Franciscans but at the behest of his wife, transferred it to the Dominicans
in 1253.
His wife was Basilia de Bermingham
, a daughter of Meyler de Bermingham
, lord of Athenry
. They had sons Meiler de Exeter (d. 1289) and Jordan Óge de Exeter
(fl.1269-1319).
in 1247, when:
In the following year, 1248, the same annals state that:
in 1249. The Annals of Connacht relate that:
Jordan himself was killed in 1258 while fending off a pirate raid, apparently by Eóghan of Argyll
, here called Mac Somurli:
, later known as Tir Mac Síurtáin or Mac Síurtáin's Country. They became progressively Gaelicized over the succeeding generations, especially after the failure of the Norman colonies in Connacht.
Anglo-Norman
The Anglo-Normans were mainly the descendants of the Normans who ruled England following the Norman conquest by William the Conqueror in 1066. A small number of Normans were already settled in England prior to the conquest...
knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
, Sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
of Connacht
Connacht
Connacht , formerly anglicised as Connaught, is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the west of Ireland. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for...
, and ancestor of the Clan Siurtain Gaileng/Mac Siurtain/Mac Jordan of Connacht
Mac Jordan of Connacht
Mac Siúrtáin, aka Mac Jordan and Jordan, is the name of an Connacht family of Norman-Irish origins.-Ancestry:The family take their name from the Norman knight, Jordan de Exeter, whose descendants became known as Mac Mac Siúrtáin - the Gaelic form of Jordan - and were based in County Mayo.The de...
.
Life and family
De Exeter took his family name from the town of ExeterExeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
but it is not known if he or previous members of the family were the first in Ireland. He appears to have participated in Richard Mor de Burgh
Richard Mor de Burgh
Richard Mór de Burgh, 1st Lord of Connaught , Justiciar of Ireland.-Background:De Burgh was the eldest son of William de Burgh and a daughter of Domnall Mór Ua Briain, King of Thomond. His principal estate was in the barony of Loughrea where he built a castle in 1236 and a town was founded. He also...
's conquest of Connacht in the 1230's. De Burgh granted the barony or cantred
Cantred
Cantred can mean:* a cantref, an obsolete administrative subdivision of Wales* one of the Baronies of Ireland, an obsolete administrative subdivision of Ireland...
of Gallen to Hugh de Lacy, who transferred it to Jordan de Exeter, who was in possession of it by 1239. In 1250 Henry III
Henry III of England
Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
gave him twenty-five marks yearly "in reward of services until he should be given waste lands worth £20 a year, which were given about the parish of Killallaghtan in Galway, to be held by the service of one knight." (p.307)
He built the castle of Ballylahan - now on the junction of the N58 and R321 in County Mayo
County Mayo
County Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...
. It overlooked Athlethan, or Strade
Strade
-See also:*List of towns and villages in Ireland...
, where he built an abbey for the Franciscans but at the behest of his wife, transferred it to the Dominicans
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
in 1253.
His wife was Basilia de Bermingham
Basilia de Bermingham
Basilia de Bermingham, fl. 1250?, religious patron and ancestor of the family Mac Jordan of Connacht.Basilia was a daughter of the heiress, Basilia de Worcester of Tipperary, and Meyler de Bermingham , the founder of Athenry. She had brothers Peter and Archbishop William of Tuam . Her nephew,...
, a daughter of Meyler de Bermingham
Meyler de Bermingham
-Ancestry:Meyler was a great-grandson of Robert de Bermingham who is said to have obtained a grant of Offaly from Strongbow or Henry II about 1172. Robert's son and grandson were both described as of Tethmoy, which is thought to have been the baronies of Warrenstown and part of Coolestown...
, lord of Athenry
Athenry
Athenry is a town in County Galway, Ireland. It lies east of Galway city, and one of the attractions of the town is its medieval castle. The town is also well-known by virtue of the song "The Fields of Athenry".-History:...
. They had sons Meiler de Exeter (d. 1289) and Jordan Óge de Exeter
Jordan Óge de Exeter
Jordan Óge de Exeter was an Anglo-Irish knight and Sheriff of Connacht.The younger son of Jordan de Exeter and Basilia de Bermingham, Jordan Óge first came to notice as Sheriff of Connacht in 1269, a post he held again in 1279. In 1280 he was Constable of Roscommon castle...
(fl.1269-1319).
Exploits
Jordan is first recorded in the Annals of ConnachtAnnals of Connacht
The Annals of Connacht, covering the years 1224 to 1544, are drawn from a manuscript compiled in the 15th and 16th centuries by at least three scribes, all believed to be members of the Clan Ó Duibhgeannáin....
in 1247, when:
A great war was waged by Toirrdelbach son of Aed O Conbhobair and Donnchad son of Anmchad son of Donnchad O Gillapatraic of Ossory against the GallsAnglo-NormanThe Anglo-Normans were mainly the descendants of the Normans who ruled England following the Norman conquest by William the Conqueror in 1066. A small number of Normans were already settled in England prior to the conquest...
of Connacht. Toirrdelbach assembled the kings' sons of Connacht and they reached Fid O nDiarmata and Muinter Fathaig, where they killed some people, and passed on to GalwayGalwayGalway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...
, where they burned the town and the castle and where very many people were killed, Donnchad O Gillaptraic of Ossory killing Mac Elgeit, the SeneschalSeneschalA seneschal was an officer in the houses of important nobles in the Middle Ages. In the French administrative system of the Middle Ages, the sénéchal was also a royal officer in charge of justice and control of the administration in southern provinces, equivalent to the northern French bailli...
of Connacht. The Galls followed them up and engaged them, and they killed a [further] number of Galls and escaped in spite of them, coming afterwards to Carra. Jordan D'Exeter and the children of Adam [Standon] and the Galls of Carra (Carra, County MayoCarra, County MayoCarra is one of the nine baronies of County Mayo in Ireland, located in the mid-south area of the county. It is sometimes known as Burriscarra and on the map of Mayo baronies below it is the portion shown in grey in the south of the county....
) assembled and moved against Toirrdelbach, but he left the country to them, not being strong enough to oppose them.
In the following year, 1248, the same annals state that:
The sons of Magnus, and the son of Conchobar Ruad made a hosting and revolted against the Galls. They burned Mac Henry's castle and captured its warden and carried the preys of North Umall onto the islands of Clew BayClew BayClew Bay is a natural ocean bay in County Mayo, Ireland. It contains Ireland's best example of sunken drumlins. According to tradition, there is an island in the bay for every day of the year. The bay is overlooked by Croagh Patrick, Ireland's holy mountain, and the mountains of North Mayo. Clare...
. Then Jordan D'Exeter and John Butler and Robin Laigles and many others assembled and marched first to Ballintober and thence to Aghagower, and next day they plundered Umall, north and south. Then [Mac] Henry came into Umall with a great army, for Umall belonged to him and he lived there. However, he made peace with Domnall son of Magnus, who promised to supply him with men and ships to attack his [i.e. Domnall's own] kinsmen. Now they were on the Clew Bay islands, and it was told them that a body of men were on their way from Mac Henry to Domnall, to fetch boats. They went out against this company and Ouain mac na Gaillsighe and Seon mac in Gaillshacairt were killed, and in that conflict Diarmait son of Magnus killed Senoitt Guer and four of his followers. For this was a victory with defeat, since that valorous champion and well-tried warrior, Diarmait son of Magnus, was himself killed.
Sheriff of Connacht
His most famous exploit was leading the cavalry charge that won the First Battle of AthenryFirst Battle of Athenry
The First Battle of Athenry was fought on the August 15, 1249 at Athenry, Galway, Ireland. Athenry had existed as a minor settlement prior to its foundation as a town by the de Bermingham family in 1241, and was thus still little more than a military base in hostile territory.The victor of the day...
in 1249. The Annals of Connacht relate that:
The kings' sons of Connacht made another hosting, to burn and pillage AthenryAthenryAthenry is a town in County Galway, Ireland. It lies east of Galway city, and one of the attractions of the town is its medieval castle. The town is also well-known by virtue of the song "The Fields of Athenry".-History:...
, at the feast of MaryMary (mother of Jesus)Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
in mid-autumn. They went thither, a great host, including Toirrdelbach son of Aed and Aed son of Aed, and the Sheriff of Connacht was there to meet them, with many Galls. The Galls asked for a truce on that day, on account of its sanctity; in honour of Mary Mother whose day it was. The princes would not grant that truce to honour Mary or the CrucifixionCrucifixionCrucifixion is an ancient method of painful execution in which the condemned person is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross and left to hang until dead...
, but attacked the town, though Toirrdelbach was unwilling. When Jordan [D'Exeter] and the Galls saw this they issued from the town against the princes. Mary wrought a miracle then; for when the princes and their followers saw the horsemen in arms and armour making towards them, horror and dread seized them and they were put to flight. Aed son of Aed O Conchobair was killed there, and Diarmait Ruad son of Cormac O Mailsechlainn, O Cellaig's two sons, Brian of the Wood son of Magnus, Carrach Insiubail son of Niall O Conchobair, Baethgalach Mac Aedacain, Mathgamain son of Tadc son of Diarmait Bachlach O Conchobair, Lochlainn O Conchobair's two sons, Domnall son of Cormac Mac Diarmata, Findanach Mac Branain, Cu Muman Mac Casurlaig and many others."
Jordan himself was killed in 1258 while fending off a pirate raid, apparently by Eóghan of Argyll
Eóghan of Argyll
Eóghan MacDubhghaill was a 13th century Scottish nobleman and warrior who was styled "King of the Isles", "Lord of Argyll"...
, here called Mac Somurli:
A great fleet came from the HebridesHebridesThe Hebrides comprise a widespread and diverse archipelago off the west coast of Scotland. There are two main groups: the Inner and Outer Hebrides. These islands have a long history of occupation dating back to the Mesolithic and the culture of the residents has been affected by the successive...
with Mac Somurli. They sailed round the west of Ireland into ConnemaraConnemaraConnemara is a district in the west of Ireland consisting of a broad peninsula between Killary Harbour and Kilkieran Bay in the west of County Galway.-Overview:...
and robbed a merchant ship of all her goods; wine, copper, cloth and iron. The Sheriff of Connacht, Jordan d'Exeter, put out with a fleet full of Galls in pursuit of Mac Somurli and the fleet which had committed that piracy. Mac Somurli had landed on an island and drawn his ships up onto the land, and when they saw the Sheriff's fleet approaching he and his men put on their armour and fighting accoutrement. When the Sheriff reached the island he and his men, with those of the Galls who were ready with him, went quickly ashore. But he was met and dealt with by Mac Somurli and his men, being killed at once, together with Piers Accabard, an excellent knight of his company, and other good men. The fleet of the Galls retired after losing the best of their lords, and Mac Somurli went back to his land, joyful and laden with spoil.
Family and descendents
De Exeter was the founder of the Mac Jordan, or Mac Síurtáin, family. The family held lands in the barony of Gallen in what is now County MayoCounty Mayo
County Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...
, later known as Tir Mac Síurtáin or Mac Síurtáin's Country. They became progressively Gaelicized over the succeeding generations, especially after the failure of the Norman colonies in Connacht.
External links
- http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/G100011/index.html
- http://members.aol.com/petejordn/jordan.htm