John Butler, 15th Earl of Ormonde
John Butler (died 1766), known as John Butler of Kilcash, a member of the Irish landed gentry, was de jure 15th Earl of Ormonde and 8th Earl of Ossory. He did not assume these titles as he thought them forfeit by the attainder of the 2nd Duke of Ormond. He did, however, inherit the Ormond estate from the 1st Earl of Arran through Arran's sister Amelia. In 1791, the title of Earl of Ormond would be successfully claimed by his cousin, the 17th Earl.
John Butler | |
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Earl of Ormonde | |
Reign | 1758–1766 de jure |
Predecessor | Charles Butler, 1st Earl of Arran, |
Successor | Walter Butler, 16th Earl of Ormonde, |
Born | c. 1720 probably Kilcash Castle |
Died | 24 June 1766 |
Spouse(s) | Bridget Stacey |
Issue
The marriage was childless | |
Father | Thomas Butler of Garryricken |
Mother | Margaret Magennis |
Birth and origins
John was born about 1720,[lower-alpha 1] probably at Kilcash Castle, his parents' habitual residence. He was the third but only surviving son of Thomas Butler of Garryricken and his wife Margaret Magennis. His father belonged to a cadet branch of the Butler Dynasty, being the grandson and heir of Richard Butler of Kilcash, who was the younger brother of James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormond. The Butlers were Old English and descended from Theobald Walter, who had been appointed Chief Butler of Ireland by King Henry II in 1177.[3]
John's mother was the eldest daughter of William Burke, 7th Earl of Clanricarde and widow of Bryan Magennis, 5th Viscount of Iveagh. His parents were both Catholic. They had married in 1696.[1] They had eight children, three sons and five daughters.
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John listed among his siblings |
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He appears below among his siblings as the third child:
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Inheritances and successions
In 1738 his father died.[2] John inherited Kilcash and other parts of the lands of Garryricken Manor, which had been created for his grandfather Richard Butler of Kilcash shortly after 1639[16] and had been divided between his father and his uncle John, who held Garryricken House itself. He did not inherit any title as his father held none.
In 1758, on the death of the 1st Earl of Arran, his father's second cousin, he unknowingly became de jure the 15th Earl of Ormond.[17][18][lower-alpha 3] It had been believed that all the titles of James Butler, 2nd Duke of Ormond became forfeit in 1715.[19] However, in 1791, it would be found that the title of "Earl of Ormond" (and its subsidiary titles) in the peerage of Ireland had merely lain dormant and so could be successfully revived by John Butler's cousin, John Butler, 17th Earl of Ormonde.
Following the second Duke's attainder, the Ormond estate was administrated by the Forfeited Estates Commissioners. With the permission of the Parliament of Ireland, the estate was purchased in 1721 by the second Duke's brother, Charles, the Earl of Arran.[20] Arran died childless in 1758. The estate passed to his unmarried sister Lady Amelia Butler, who held it for about two years. On her death in 1760, the estate was inherited by John Butler, the subject of this article.[21][22]
Marriage
John Butler married Bridget Stacey on 19 April 1763,[23] but the marriage was childless.[24]
Death and succession
He died on 24 June 1766[lower-alpha 4] and was buried at Kilcash.[27] He was succeeded by his cousin Walter, the son of his uncle John,[27] who unknowingly became de jure the 16th Earl of Ormond.
Timeline | ||
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As his birth date is uncertain, so are all his ages. | ||
Age | Date | Event |
0 | 1720, about[lower-alpha 1] | Born at Kilcash Castle. |
18 | 1738 | Father, Thomas Butler of Garryricken, died.[2] |
24 | 1744 | His mother, Margaret Magennis, died.[28] |
38 | 1758, 17 Dec | Unknowingly became the 15th Earl of Ormond (de jure) at Arran's death.[17] |
40 | 1760 | Inherited the Ormond estates from Amelia, Arran's unmarried sister.[21] |
43 | 1763, 19 Apr | Married Bridget Stacey.[23] |
46 | 1766, 24 Jun | Died childless.[24] |
Notes
- His birth date is constrained by the mariage of his parents (1696)[1] plus the gestations of his two elder brothers on one hand, and his father's death (1738) plus his gestation on the other hand.[2]
- This family tree is derived from two published trees,[4][5] and classical genealogical sources.[6][7][8] Also see the list of siblings in the text.
- Burke[17] numbers him as the 15th Earl, but Cokayne[18] numbers him as the 16th.
- The year 1766[25][24] is correct as the year of his death, whereas 1786[26] seems to be an error.
- Cokayne 1893, p. 200, line 16: "[His mother] who was b. 1673, m. in 1696 Thomas BUTLER of Kilcash, co. Tipperary ..."
- Debrett 1828, p. 642: "Thomas of Kilcash ... d. 1738 ...."
- Debrett 1828, p. 640: "THEOBALD LE BOTELER on whom that office [Chief Butler of Ireland] was conferred by King Henry II., 1177 ..."
- Dunboyne 1968, pp. 16–17: "Butler Family Tree condensed"
- Mountmorres 1792, p. 216: Pedigree from Walter, 10th Earl, to John, 15th Earl, in note
- Burke & Burke 1909, p. 1400–1401: Ormonde
- Debrett 1828, p. 641–642: Ormonde
- Cokayne 1895, p. 149–153: Ormonde
- Lodge 1789, p. 42, line 27: "Richard, killed by a fall from his horse at Kilcash, in 1711."
- Lodge 1789, p. 42, line 29: "Walter, who died, unmarried, of smallpox at the royal Academy at Paris."
- Lodge 1789, p. 42, line 38: "Daughter Mary, married to Bryan Cavenagh, of Borras in the county of Carlow, Esq. who left her a widow 22 April 1741 ..."
- Lodge 1789, p. 42, line 41: "Honora, in November 1720, to Valentine, Lord Kenmare, and died of the smallpox in 1730, having two sons ... "
- Lodge 1789, p. 43, line 6: "Hellen, first to Mr Esmond, brother to Sir Lawrence and John Esmond, Barts., who died 17 December 1736, by the accidental discharge of his gun when fowling; and secondly to Richard Butler of Westcourt, as before observed."
- Lodge 1789, p. 43, line 10: "Margaret to George Mathew of Thurles, afterwards of Thomastown, Esq.; and died 30 July 1743, leaving one daughter, who died in 1752."
- Lodge 1789, p. 43, line 13: "Catherine, became the third wife of James Mandeville, of Ballydyne in Tipperary, Esq.; and had no issue."
- Carrigan 1905, p. 318, line 21: "... these townlands to be created the Manor of Garryrickin."
- Burke & Burke 1909, p. 1401, left column, line 38: "JOHN, 15th Earl of Ormonde (de jure) ..."
- Cokayne 1895, p. 153, line 6: "Earldom [I.] XVI 1758"
- Smollett 1800, p. 314: "On the twenty-first day of June, Mr. Secretary Stanhope impeached James Duke of Ormond, of high-treason ... "
- Handley 2004, p. 166, right column: "His English and Irish estates were now administrated by the forfeited estates commissioners until a private act of 1721 allowed Ormond's brother Arran to buy them back."
- Burke & Burke 1909, p. 1401, left column, line 39: "He s. to the estates of the family upon the death of the Earl of Arran's only surv. sister Elizabeth, 1760"
- Dunboyne 1968, p. 18: "While the 2nd Duke was in exile, his estates were bought in 1721 by his brother, the Earl of Arran, and settled first on their sister, Lady Amelia Butler, who inherited them when, in the words of Walpole 'a young heiress of 99'— she died two months short of her centenary — and secondly on John Butler of Kilcash, the representative of Richard, younger brother of the 1st Duke."
- Burke & Burke 1909, p. 1401, left column, line 40: "He m. April, 1763 Bridget Stacey (who m. secondly 24 Oct. 1771 Rev. Alleyne Waller, LL.D, of The Hermitage, Surrey) of Oakingham Berks. ..."
- Lodge 1789, p. 42, line 34: "... he [John Butler] died 24 Jun 1766 without issue ..."
- Burke & Burke 1909, p. 1401, left column, line 43: "[John Butler] d. 24 June 1766, when he was s. in his estates, and his right to the honours of the family by his first cousin."
- Cokayne 1895, p. 153, line 15: "He [John Butler] d.s.p. 24 June 1786."
- Dunboyne 1968, p. 19: "Having died childless in 1766, he [John Butler] was buried at Kilcash and was succeeded by his first cousin, Walter, then aged 63.
- Cokayne 1893, p. 200, line 17: "[His mother] d. there (a widow) 19 July 1744."
References
- Burke, Bernard; Burke, Ashworth P. (1909). A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Peerage and Baronetage, the Privy Council, Knightage and Companionage (71st ed.). London: Harrison.
- Carrigan, Rev William (1905). The History and Antiquities of the Diocese of Ossory. 4. Dublin: Sealy Bryers & Walker.
- Cokayne, George Edward (1893). The complete peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, extant, extinct, or dormant. 5 (1st ed.). London: George Bell and Sons. – L to M (for Magennis)
- Cokayne, George Edward (1895). The complete peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, extant, extinct, or dormant. 6 (1st ed.). London: George Bell and Sons. – N to R (for Ormond)
- Debrett, John (1828). Peerage of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. 2 (17th ed.). London: F. C. and J. Rivington. - Scotland and Ireland
- Dunboyne, Patrick Theobald Tower Butler, Baron (1968). Butler Family History (2nd ed.). Kilkenny: Rothe House.
- Handley, Stuart (2004). "Butler, James, second duke of Ormond (1605–1745)". In Matthew, Henry Colin Gray.; Harrison, Brian (eds.). Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. 9. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 163–168. ISBN 0-19-861359-8.
- Lodge, John (1789). The Peerage of Ireland. 4. Dublin: James Moore. - Viscounts (for John Butler under Butler, Viscount Mountgarrett)
- Mountmorres, Hervey Redmond Morres, Viscount (1792). The History of the Principal Transactions of the Irish Parliament from the Year 1634 to 1666. 1. London: T. Cadell. – Preliminary Discourse and introduction
- Smollett, Tobias (1800). The History of England. 2 (A new ed.). London: T. Cadell. - From the revolution to the death of George the Second
Peerage of Ireland | ||
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Preceded by Charles Butler |
Earl of Ormond 1758–1766 |
Succeeded by Walter Butler |