Thomas Butler, 3rd Earl of Ormonde
Encyclopedia
Thomas Butler, 10th Earl of Ormonde and 3rd Earl of Ossory, Viscount Thurles (c. 1531 – 22 November 1614), was an Irish peer and the son of James Butler, 9th Earl of Ormond and Lady Joan Fitzgerald
daughter and heiress-general of James FitzGerald, 10th Earl of Desmond. He was Lord Treasurer of Ireland and a very prominent personage during the latter part of the 16th century.
on his estates in Carrick-on-Suir
, South Tipperary
.
Much of his life was taken up with a fierce feud with his hereditary foe, Gerald FitzGerald, 15th Earl of Desmond
, son of James FitzGerald, 14th Earl of Desmond
. The two sides fought a pitched battle in 1565, the Battle of Affane
. Butler's victory, not only in the field but also in the handling the political fallout, helped to spark the Desmond Rebellions
. This struggle (1569–73 and 1579–83) desolated Munster
for many years. Ormonde was a Protestant and threw his great influence on the side of Queen Elizabeth I and her ministers in their efforts to crush the rebels, although he was motivated as much by factional rivalry with the Desmond dynasty as by religion.
. They separated in 1564 without issue.
He married secondly, Elizabeth Sheffield on 9 November 1582 at London. She was the daughter of John Sheffield, 2nd Baron Sheffield and Douglas, daughter of William Howard, 1st Baron Howard of Effingham
. They had three children:
He married, in 1601, Helena Barry, daughter of David Fitz-James de Barry, 5th Viscount Buttevant
, without issue.
The Earl also had an illegitimate son, Piers FitzThomas Butler
of Duisk who married Catherine Fleming, by whom he had a son, Edward Butler, 1st Viscount Galmoye
.
As the Earl died without legal male issue, the Earldom reverted in the male line, to the junior branch of the family through his brother John Butler of Kilcash
.
Joan Fitzgerald, Countess of Ormond
Joan 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-general of James FitzGerald, 10th Earl of Desmond. He was Lord Treasurer of Ireland and a very prominent personage during the latter part of the 16th century.
Career
He built the Tudor Manor House extension to Ormonde CastleOrmonde Castle
Ormond Castle is a castle on the River Suir on the east side of Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary, Ireland. The oldest part of the existing castle is a mid-15th century walled bawn, cornered on the northeast and northwest by towers....
on his estates in Carrick-on-Suir
Carrick-on-Suir
Carrick-on-Suir is a town in South Tipperary in Ireland. As the name – meaning "the rock of the Suir" – suggests, the town is situated on the River Suir. The of the town gives the population as 5,906 and shows that it has grown by 5.7% since 2002...
, South Tipperary
South Tipperary
South Tipperary is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Munster. It is named after the town of Tipperary and consists of 52% of the land area of the traditional county of Tipperary. The county was established in 1898 and has had a county...
.
Much of his life was taken up with a fierce feud with his hereditary foe, Gerald FitzGerald, 15th Earl of Desmond
Gerald FitzGerald, 15th Earl of Desmond
Gerald FitzGerald, 15th Earl of Desmond was an Irish nobleman and leader of the Desmond Rebellions of 1579.-Life:...
, son of James FitzGerald, 14th Earl of Desmond
James FitzGerald, 14th Earl of Desmond
James Fitzgerald, 14th Earl of Desmond , second son of John FitzGerald, de facto 13th Earl of Desmond, and Móre O'Brien, daughter of Donogh O'Brien of Carrigogunnell, Lord of Pobble.-Early years:...
. The two sides fought a pitched battle in 1565, the Battle of Affane
Battle of Affane
The Battle of Affane was fought in county Waterford, in south-eastern Ireland, in 1565, between the forces of the Fitzgerald Earl of Desmond and the Butler Earl of Ormond. The battle ended in the rout of the Desmond forces...
. Butler's victory, not only in the field but also in the handling the political fallout, helped to spark the Desmond Rebellions
Desmond Rebellions
The Desmond Rebellions occurred in 1569-1573 and 1579-1583 in the Irish province of Munster.They were rebellions by the Earl of Desmond – head of the FitzGerald dynasty in Munster – and his followers, the Geraldines and their allies against the threat of the extension of Elizabethan English...
. This struggle (1569–73 and 1579–83) desolated Munster
Munster
Munster is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the south 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 administrative and judicial purposes...
for many years. Ormonde was a Protestant and threw his great influence on the side of Queen Elizabeth I and her ministers in their efforts to crush the rebels, although he was motivated as much by factional rivalry with the Desmond dynasty as by religion.
Family
He married, firstly, Elizabeth Berkeley, daughter of Thomas Berkeley, 6th Lord Berkeley and Anne SavageAnne Berkeley, Baroness Berkeley
Anne Berkeley , Baroness Berkeley was a lady-in-waiting and companion of Queen Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII of England...
. They separated in 1564 without issue.
He married secondly, Elizabeth Sheffield on 9 November 1582 at London. She was the daughter of John Sheffield, 2nd Baron Sheffield and Douglas, daughter of William Howard, 1st Baron Howard of Effingham
William Howard, 1st Baron Howard of Effingham
William Howard, 1st Baron Howard of Effingham , was the eldest son of Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk by his second wife, Agnes Tilney...
. They had three children:
- James Butler, (b. 4 September 1583, died 1589)
- Elizabeth Butler (before 1593- 1628), married, firstly, her first cousin Theobald Butler, Viscount Butler of TulleophelimViscount Butler of TulleophelimViscount Butler of Tulleophelim, in the County of Carlow, was a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created on 4 August 1603 for Theobald Butler, the son of Sir Edmund Butler of Cloughgrenan, second son of James Butler, 9th Earl of Ormond . He later served as Lord Lieutenant of Carlow. The...
, son of Sir Edmund Butler of Cloughgrenan and Hon. Eleanor Eustace, without issue. Her father Thomas, had executed her husband's two elder brothers for treason in 1596. She married, secondly, Richard Preston, Baron Dingwall, and had one daughter, Elizabeth Preston. - Thomas Butler (before 1601- 1606)
He married, in 1601, Helena Barry, daughter of David Fitz-James de Barry, 5th Viscount Buttevant
David Fitz-James de Barry
David Fitz-James de Barry, 18th Baron Barry, 5th Viscount Buttevant was an Irish peer.David, born about 1550, was the son of James de Barry, 4th Viscount Buttevant and the Lady Ellen MacCarthy Reagh...
, without issue.
The Earl also had an illegitimate son, Piers FitzThomas Butler
Piers FitzThomas Butler
Piers FitzThomas Butler of Duiske , was the illegitimate son of Thomas Butler, 10th Earl of Ormond. The lands of Duiske Abbey had reverted to his father. In 1597, the earl executed a deed of conveyance in his favour for the lands .-Marriage and issue:He married Katherine Fleming, the eldest...
of Duisk who married Catherine Fleming, by whom he had a son, Edward Butler, 1st Viscount Galmoye
Edward Butler, 1st Viscount Galmoye
Sir Edward Butler, 1st Viscount Galmoye was the son of Piers FitzThomas Butler and the Honourable Katherine Fleming. His father was the illegitimate son of Thomas Butler, 10th Earl of Ormond....
.
As the Earl died without legal male issue, the Earldom reverted in the male line, to the junior branch of the family through his brother John Butler of Kilcash
John Butler of Kilcash
John Butler of Kilcash was the third son of James Butler, 9th Earl of Ormond and Lady Joan Fitzgerald.-Marriage and issue:...
.