Thomas Le Boteller, or Butler, nicknamed Thomas Bacach or Thomas the Lame ( born before 1386, died 1420 ), was the illegitimate son of the Earl of Ormond, and a leading figure in early fifteenth century Ireland.He held the offices of Lord Chancellor of Ireland

Lord Chancellor of Ireland

The office of Lord Chancellor of Ireland was the highest judicial office in Ireland until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. From 1721 to 1801 it was also the highest political office of the Irish Parliament.-13th century:...

 , Lord Deputy of Ireland and Prior of Kilmainham

Kilmainham

Kilmainham is a suburb of Dublin south of the River Liffey and west of the city centre, in the Dublin 8 postal district.-History:In the Viking era, the monastery was home to the first Norse base in Ireland....

, but is chiefly remembered as a soldier, who was present at the Siege of Rouen.

Family

He was the son of James Butler, 3rd Earl of Ormond, by an unknown mistress; he was not as sometimes said the son of the Earl's first wife Anne Welles.His date of birth is uncertain, but since he was Prior by 1410 it must have been well before his first legitimate brother was born in 1392, and most likely before his father's first marriage in 1386. Thomas' nickname Bacach, " the lame " indicates that he was crippled, but this did not stop him from pursuing a highly succeessful military career.

Career

He was Prior of the Order of Hospitallers at Kilmainham from before 1410 until his death in 1420. He became Chancellor in 1412, but due to the pressure of other duties usually excecised the office through a deputy Robert Sutton.He was made Lord Deputy of Ireland

Lord Deputy of Ireland

The Lord Deputy was the King's representative and head of the Irish executive under English rule, during the Lordship of Ireland and later the Kingdom of Ireland...

 at the same time, and is said to have exercised great influence : O'Flanagan tells us that a Bill to regulate the Irish Church was thrown out on his objection.

The Hospitallers were a military order and Thomas was a military man.In 1410 he led an army of 1400 men against the O'Byrne clan of Wicklow, who frequently raided Dublin, and was joined by another force under the Mayor of Dublin. However half Thomas' force deserted to the enemy and he was forced to withdraw in good order. In 1417 and 1418 he was at war with the Burkes in Tipperary and Kilkenny. In 1418-1419 he led a force to fight with Henry V

Henry V

Henry V may refer to:People* Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor * Henry V, Count of Luxembourg * Henry V of England * Henri, comte de Chambord, nominally Henry V of France, Entertainment...

 of England at the Siege of Rouen

Siege of Rouen

At the time of the Siege of Rouen , the city had a population of 70,000, making it one of the leading cities in France, and its capture crucial to the Normandy campaign during the Hundred Years' War....

; French and English sources agree on his presence although they differ greatly on the size of his force; the best estimate is about 700.

Character

O'Flanagan calls him a man of great courage and considerable administrative ability, who overcame what were then the serious drawbacks of illegitimacy and physical disability to become a successful soldier and statesman.