Piers Butler, 8th Earl of Ormonde
Encyclopedia
Piers Butler, 8th Earl of Ormond and 1st Earl of Ossory (c. 1467 – 26 August 1539), also known as (Irish
Piers Ruadh) Red Piers, was from the Polestown branch of the Butler family of Ireland.
appointed him High Sheriff of County Kilkenny
. He was knight
ed prior to September 1497. The following year (1498) he seized Kilkenny Castle
and with his wife, Margaret Fitzgerald
(d.1542), the dynamic daughter of the earl of Kildare, probably improved the living accommodation there.
On 28 February 1498 he received a pardon
for crimes committed in Ireland, including the murder of James Ormonde, an heir to the Earl. He was also made Senechal of the Liberty of Tipperary on 21 June 1505. On the death of Thomas Butler on 3 August 1515, Piers Butler became the 8th Earl of Ormond. On 6 March 1522, the King appointed him Chief Governor of Ireland as Lord Deputy; he held this office until 13 May 1524 when he became Lord Treasurer.
.
.
, daughter of Gerald FitzMaurice FitzGerald, 8th Earl of Kildare
and Alison FitzEustace. The marriage was political; arranged with the purpose of healing the breach between the two families. In the early years of their marriage, Margaret and her husband were reduced to penury by James Dubh Butler, a nephew, heir to the earldom and agent of the absentee 7th Earl, who resided in England.. Piers retaliated by murdering James Dubh in an ambush in 1497; however, he received a pardon for his crime on 22 February 1498.
They had 3 sons and six daughters.
Sons:
Daughters:
The Earl had an illegitimate son, Edmund Butler (archbishop)
, who became the Archbishop of Cashel
.
The Earl also had an illegitimate elder brother, Theobald Butler
.
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
Piers Ruadh) Red Piers, was from the Polestown branch of the Butler family of Ireland.
Claims to the title
During the prolonged absence from Ireland of the earls, his father Sir James Butler (d.1487) had laid claim to the Ormond land and titles. This had precipitated a crisis in the Ormond succession when the seventh earl later died without a male heir. On 20 March 1489, King Henry VIIHenry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
appointed him High Sheriff of County Kilkenny
High Sheriff of County Kilkenny
The High Sheriff of County Kilkenny was the British Crown’s judicial representative in County Kilkenny, Ireland from the 16th century until 1922, when the office was abolished in the new Free State and replaced by the office of Kilkenny County Sheriff. The sheriff had judicial, electoral,...
. He was 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....
ed prior to September 1497. The following year (1498) he seized Kilkenny Castle
Kilkenny Castle
Kilkenny Castle is a castle in Kilkenny, Ireland built in 1195 by William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke to control a fording-point of the River Nore and the junction of several routeways...
and with his wife, Margaret Fitzgerald
Margaret Fitzgerald, Countess of Ormond
Margaret FitzGerald, Countess of Ormond, Countess of Ossory was an Irish noblewoman and a member of the powerful and celebrated FitzGerald dynasty also known as "The Geraldines"...
(d.1542), the dynamic daughter of the earl of Kildare, probably improved the living accommodation there.
On 28 February 1498 he received a pardon
Pardon
Clemency means the forgiveness of a crime or the cancellation of the penalty associated with it. It is a general concept that encompasses several related procedures: pardoning, commutation, remission and reprieves...
for crimes committed in Ireland, including the murder of James Ormonde, an heir to the Earl. He was also made Senechal of the Liberty of Tipperary on 21 June 1505. On the death of Thomas Butler on 3 August 1515, Piers Butler became the 8th Earl of Ormond. On 6 March 1522, the King appointed him Chief Governor of Ireland as Lord Deputy; he held this office until 13 May 1524 when he became Lord Treasurer.
Loss of title
One of the heirs general to the Ormond inheritance was Thomas Boleyn, whose mother was a Butler. Boleyn was the father of Anne, whose star was rising at the court of Henry VIII. As the king wanted the titles of Ormond and Wiltshire for Thomas Boleyn, he induced Piers and his coheirs to resign their claims on 18 February 1528. Aided by the king's Chancellor, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, Piers was granted the earldom of OssoryEarl of Ossory
Earl of Ossory is a subsidiary title held by the Earl of Ormond that was created in the Peerage of Ireland in 1528.In 1525, King Henry VIII of England became enamoured of Anne Boleyn and began pursuing her. As Henry's infatuation for Anne intensified, so did her father's titles...
.
Restoration of title
On 22 February 1538, the earldom of Ormond was restored to him. He died on 26 August 1539 and was buried in St. Canice's Cathedral, Kilkenny cityKilkenny
Kilkenny is a city and is the county town of the eponymous County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is situated on both banks of the River Nore in the province of Leinster, in the south-east of Ireland...
.
Marriage and issue
In about 1485, he married Lady Margaret FitzgeraldMargaret Fitzgerald, Countess of Ormond
Margaret FitzGerald, Countess of Ormond, Countess of Ossory was an Irish noblewoman and a member of the powerful and celebrated FitzGerald dynasty also known as "The Geraldines"...
, daughter of Gerald FitzMaurice FitzGerald, 8th Earl of Kildare
Gerald FitzGerald, 8th Earl of Kildare
Gerald Mór FitzGerald, 8th Earl of Kildare, KG , known variously as "Garret the Great" or "The Great Earl" , was Ireland's premier peer...
and Alison FitzEustace. The marriage was political; arranged with the purpose of healing the breach between the two families. In the early years of their marriage, Margaret and her husband were reduced to penury by James Dubh Butler, a nephew, heir to the earldom and agent of the absentee 7th Earl, who resided in England.. Piers retaliated by murdering James Dubh in an ambush in 1497; however, he received a pardon for his crime on 22 February 1498.
They had 3 sons and six daughters.
Sons:
- James Butler, 9th Earl of Ormond (b.c.1501-1546), also called "the lame", who married Lady Joan FitzGeraldJoan Fitzgerald, Countess of OrmondJoan Fitzgerald, Countess of Ormond, Countess of Desmond was a Norman-Irish noblewoman and heiress, a member of the Fitzgerald family, who were also known as the "Geraldines". She married three times...
, daughter and heiress of James FitzGerald, 10th Earl of Desmond, and had issue. - Richard Butler, 1st Viscount MountgarretRichard Butler, 1st Viscount MountgarretRichard Butler, 1st Viscount Mountgarret was the son of Piers Butler, 8th Earl of Ormond and Lady Margaret Fitzgerald. He married his first cousin Eleanor Butler, daughter of Theobald Butler of Polestown, the illegitimate brother of the 8th Earl of Ormond...
(1500 – 20 May 1571), married his first cousin Eleanor Butler, daughter of his uncle Theobald ButlerTheobald ButlerTheobald Butler was the illegitimate son of Sir James Butler of Polestown and his wife Sabh Kavanagh. He was the elder brother of Piers Butler, 8th Earl of Ormond and of Edmond Butler of Polestown.-Sources:...
. They had issue. - Thomas Butler, who was slain by Dermoid Mac Shane, Mac GillPatrick of Ossory, and left an only daughter Margaret, first married to Rory O'Moore of Laois, and lastly to Sir Maurice Fitzgerald of Lackagh.
Daughters:
- Margaret Butler, married firstly to Thomas, second son of the Earl of Desmond, and secondly to Barnaby Fitzpatrick, 1st Baron Upper OssoryBarnaby Fitzpatrick, 1st Baron Upper OssoryBarnaby Fitzpatrick was, by patent dated 11 June 1541, created the first Lord Baron Upper Ossory by King Henry VIII of England as part of the King's policy of Surrender and regrant...
and had issue. - Catherine Butler {b.1506-d.1552/53} married Richard Lord Le Poer; parents of Lord John Le Poer-husband of Ellen, daughter of James 14th Earl of DesmondEarl of DesmondThe title of Earl of Desmond has been held historically by lords in Ireland, first as a title outside of the peerage system and later as part of the Peerage of Ireland....
. - Joan Butler (b.1528), married James Butler, 10th Baron Dunboyne.
- Ellice Butler b.1481-d.1530. Married firstly to MacMorrish; and secondly in 1503 to Lord Gerald Fitzgerald of Decies b.1482-d.1533-grandson of James FitzGerald, 6th Earl of DesmondJames FitzGerald, 6th Earl of DesmondJames FitzGerald, 6th Earl of Desmond , called 'the Usurper', was the youngest son of Gerald FitzGerald, 3rd Earl of Desmond, and Lady Eleanor, daughter of James Butler, 2nd Earl of Ormond...
. - Eleanor Butler who married Thomas Butler, 1st Baron CahirThomas Butler, 1st Baron CahirThomas Butler, 1st Baron Cahir was the son of Thomas Butler of Cahir and Catherine Power. He was elevated to the peerage of Ireland, 10 November 1543, by the title of Baron of Caher. He married Eleanor Butler, fifth daughter of Piers Butler, 8th Earl of Ormond...
. - Helen Butler (b.1523-1597), (or Ellen) married Donough O'Brien, 1st Earl of Thomond, son of Conor O'Brien, Prince of Thomond and Annabell de Burgh.
The Earl had an illegitimate son, Edmund Butler (archbishop)
Edmund Butler (archbishop)
Edmund Casel , was archbishop of Cashel and the illegitimate son of Piers Butler, 8th Earl of Ormonde.-Early Career:Casel studied at Oxford University, became a canon regular of St. Augustine, and was appointed prior of the abbey of that order at Athassel in the county of Tipperary...
, who became the Archbishop of Cashel
Archbishop of Cashel
The Archbishop of Cashel is an archiepiscopal title which takes its name after the town of Cashel, County Tipperary in Ireland. The title is still in use in the Roman Catholic Church, but in the Church of Ireland it was downgraded to a bishopric in 1838....
.
The Earl also had an illegitimate elder brother, Theobald Butler
Theobald Butler
Theobald Butler was the illegitimate son of Sir James Butler of Polestown and his wife Sabh Kavanagh. He was the elder brother of Piers Butler, 8th Earl of Ormond and of Edmond Butler of Polestown.-Sources:...
.
Ancestry
- Great-great-grandfather: James Butler, 3rd Earl of Ormond
- Great-grandfather: Sir Richard Butler of PolestownSir Richard Butler of PolestownSir Richard Butler of Polestown, County Kilkenny was the second son of James Butler, 3rd Earl of Ormond and Anne Welles. His older brother James inherited the earldom...
- Grandfather: Sir Edmund MacRichard ButlerEdmund MacRichard ButlerSir Edmund MacRichard Butler of Polestown was the eldest son of Sir Richard Butler of Polestown and adopted the Gaelic title of The MacRichard of Ossory.-Career:...
of Polestown - Father: Sir James ButlerSir James ButlerSir James Butler of Polestown was the eldest son of Sir Edmund MacRichard Butler and was a warlord in Yorkist Ireland.-Career:James succeeded his father in 1464 as Lord Deputy to his absentee cousins John and Thomas, the 6th and 7th earls respectively of Ormond...
of Polestown. His mother, Sabh Kavanagh, was the daughter of Donal Reagh MacMorrough Kavanagh.
- Royal Descents and Pedigrees of Founders’ Kin, Pedigree CXXI, by Sir Bernard Burke (1864)