Butler dynasty

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This article is about the Irish noble family. For other uses, see Butler family (disambiguation).
Butler
de Buitléir
noble house
Butler arms.svg
CountryLordship of Ireland Lordship of Ireland
FounderTheobald Walter, 1st Chief Butler of Ireland
TitlesEarldom of Ormonde, Earldom of Ossary, various manorial lordships
Butler arms at Kilkenny Castle

Butler (Irish: de Buitléir) is the name of a noble family whose members were, for several centuries, prominent in the administration of the Lordship of Ireland and the Kingdom of Ireland. Variant spellings of the name include le Boteler and le Botiller. The Butlers were descendants of Anglo-Norman lords who participated in the Norman invasion of Ireland in the 12th century. The surname has its origins in the hereditary office of "Butler (cup-bearer) of Ireland", originating with Theobald Walter, 1st Chief Butler of Ireland. The arms of later family members depicted three cups in recognition of their original office.

Origin[]

The family descended from Theobald Walter (d. 1205), eldest son of Hervey Walter and Maud de Valoignes. During the reign of Henry II of England Theobald held the position of pincerna (Latin) or boteillier (Norman French), the ceremonial cup-bearer or butler to Prince John, Lord of Ireland. He also held the office of Chief Butler of England and was the High Sheriff of Lancashire during 1194.[1]

His younger brother Hubert Walter (c.1160-1205) became the Archbishop of Canterbury and Justiciar and Lord Chancellor of England.

Butlers of Ormond[]

James Butler, 9th Earl of Ormond (1496-1546), by Hans Holbein.

The Ormond line is the senior branch of the family and later produced the Earls, Marquesses and Dukes of Ormond.

Edmund Butler was created the first Earl of Carrick in 1315 in reward for his service during the Bruce campaign in Ireland. Although the earldom did not pass to his son James, the latter was created the first Earl of Ormond in 1328 by Edward III.

Subsidiary titles for the earl in the Peerage of Ireland were later added: Earl of Ossory (1538) and Viscount Thurles (1536). James Butler, 12th Earl of Ormond served as the commander of the Cavalier forces in Ireland and was made Marquess of Ormond in 1642, which title became extinct in 1758. He was made Duke of Ormonde in 1661, and with the title created in the Peerage of England in 1682; after 1682, the spelling "Ormonde" was used almost universally. Subsidiary titles for the duke in the Peerage of England were added: Earl of Brecknock (1660) and Baron Butler (1660).

James Butler, 2nd Duke of Ormonde; a Jacobite sympathiser, his titles became forfeit in 1715

James Fitzjames Butler succeeded his grandfather and became the second duke. Accused of treason during the Jacobite rising of 1715, he was attainted and his English peerages declared forfeit. In 1758 his brother Charles, the de jure third duke (Irish), died and the dukedom and marquessate became extinct.

The eighteenth earl, James Wandesford Butler, was created as Baron Ormonde of Llanthony, in the county of Monmouth in the Peerage of the United Kingdom in 1821 on the coronation of George IV. Later, he was created the Marquess of Ormonde in the Peerage of Ireland in 1816. On his death in 1820, that title became extinct and the earldoms passed to his brother,[citation needed] for whom the title "Marquess of Ormonde" was re-created in the Peerage of the United Kingdom in 1825. That title became extinct in 1997, while the earldom became dormant.

Lands[]

The Lordship of Ireland in 1450
Norman Lordships and native kingdoms.

The family seat, since 1391, was Kilkenny Castle;[2] their main estate was previously at Gowran Castle.[3] From Kilkenny, the Butlers claimed overlordship of the surrounding Gaelic kingdoms of Ormond, Éile, Ikerrin and part of Osraige.

The patrimony of the Butlers of Ormond encompassed most of the modern counties of Tipperary, Kilkenny and parts of County Carlow. Only the earldom of Desmond would have had more extensive land holdings than Ormond in the Lordship and Kingdom of Ireland. Following the successful Norman Invasion, the ancient Gaelic lands would have been annexed to the crown and passed as baronies or fiefs to the supporters of the crown (the victorious barons). These (administrative) baronies corresponded to the (Irish) túath ("country") or trícha cét ("thirty hundred [men]") of a Gaelic chief, for example Éile. However, sometimes baronies combined small territories, or split a large one, or were created without regard for the earlier boundaries. In the Norman period most Gaelic chiefs were killed, expelled, or subordinated by the new Norman lord; in the Tudor period, many Gaelic and Hibernicized lords retained their land by pledging allegiance to the Crown under the policy of surrender and regrant.

In 1837, the remains of the following Butler castles were recorded in County Kilkenny alone by Lewis.

"Granny or Grandison Castle, in Iverk, is one of the most considerable: it was the residence of Margaret Fitzgerald, the great Countess of Ormond, a lady of uncommon talents and qualifications, who is said also to have built the castles of Balleen and Coolkill, with several others of minor note. The Butlers owned the castles of Knocktopher, Gowran, Dunfert, Poolestown, Nehorn, Callan, Ballycallan, Damagh, Kilmanagh, and Urlingford..... The castles of Drumroe, Barrowmount, and Low Grange, are said to have belonged to Lord Galmoy;"[4]

Members of the Butler family continued to live in Kilkenny Castle until 1935.

Notable family members[]

Butlers of Dunboyne[]

The Baron Dunboyne peerage originated with Thomas Butler, 1st Baron Dunboyne (1271–1329), the son of Theobald Butler, 4th Chief Butler of Ireland.

Notable family members[]

Butlers of Clonamicklon and Ikerrin[]

This branch sprang from John Butler of Clonamicklon (1305–1330), the youngest son of Edmund Butler, Earl of Carrick (1268–1321) and Joan FitzGerald, Countess of Carrick (1282–1320).He was the brother of James Butler, 1st Earl of Ormond (1305–1337). From this branch descended the Viscounts Ikerrin and the Earls of Carrick (of the second creation).

Notable family members[]

  • Pierce Butler, 4th Viscount Ikerrin (1679–1711). He married twice. First to the Hon. Alicia Boyle then to Olivia St. George
  • Thomas Butler, 6th Viscount Ikerrin (1683–1720). He married Margaret Hamilton. They had one child. He was born in Kilkenny, Ireland.
  • Somerset Hamilton Butler, 1st Earl of Carrick (1718–1774). He married Lady Juliana Boyle. They had one child. The 8th Viscount was created Earl of Carrick – the second time that an earldom of that name was created for the Butler family. The first creation was for Edmund Butler, Earl of Carrick.
  • Henry Butler, 2nd Earl of Carrick (1746–1813). He married Sarah Taylor. They had two children. He died in Kilkenny, Ireland.
  • Somerset Butler, 3rd Earl of Carrick (1779–1838), brother of the Hon. Henry Edward Butler (1780–1856) he married twice and had five children
  • Gina Fratini (Georgina Butler, 1931–2017), the English fashion designer, was the granddaughter of Charles Butler, 7th Earl of Carrick

Butlers of Cahir[]

This branch sprang from James Butler, 3rd Earl of Ormond (died 1405). The family seat, Cahir Castle, is built on an island in the River Suir. Much of the barony of Iffa and Offa West was controlled by the Butler Barons Cahir.

Notable family members[]

Barons of the first creation[]

Barons of the second creation[]

Butlers of Polestown and Roscrea[]

This branch also sprang from the 3rd Earl. Three distinct branches are associated with this branch of the family. The family tree splits firstly with Edmund MacRichard Butler; his eldest son, Sir James, founded the most illustrious sub-branch with his progeny going on to supply the 8th Earl of Ormond; his second son, Walter, founded the lesser sub-branch with his progeny going on to become baronets of Polestown. This sub-branch split thirdly to found a Roscrea branch in the barony of Ikerrin, County Tipperary, beginning with Walter's grandson.

Note: "Polestown" is also spelled in the records as Poolestown". It is now identified with the town of Paulstown in Gowran, County Kilkenny.

Notable family members[]

Butlers of Mountgarret, Cloughgrennan, Kilcash & Duiske[]

The common ancestor here is Piers Butler, 8th Earl of Ormond. Three minor family branches sprang from his eldest son – James; Cloughgrenan, Kilcash and Duiske / Galmoye, His younger son, Richard Butler, founded the junior but long lasting Mountgarret line.

Senior line - earls of Ormond, heirs of the 8th earl
Mountgarret line - heirs of the second son of the 8th earl
Cloughgrenan line - heirs of the second son of the 9th earl
Kilcash and Thurles line - heirs of the third son of the 9th earl
Garryricken line - heirs of the third son of the 11th earl
Duiske and Galmoye line - heirs of the 10th earl

Butlers of Mountgarret[]

Mountgarret may take its name from the townland of Tifeaghna (Mount Garret) in the civil parish of Sheefin, in the barony of Galmoy or from Clomantagh (Mount Garret) in the civil parish of Clomantagh in the County of Crannagh. Both baronies are in the northwestern corner of County Kilkenny. The Viscounts are recorded as significant landowners there (where they occupied lands around Clomantagh Castle for many centuries), as well as holding lands in the neighbouring civil parish of Coolcashin.[5] It may also refer to a district of the town of New Ross in County Wexford. This branch was in turn an offshoot of the Polestown branch.

Notable family members[]

Butlers of Cloughgrenan[]

The second son of James Butler, 9th Earl of Ormond was Sir Edmund Butler of Cloughgrenan who occupied lands at Cloughgrenan (a townland near Carlow town). Tulleophelim (or Tullowphelim) is near the town of Tullow in County Carlow. The castle of Tulleophlim had been built by James Butler, 4th Earl of Ormond before 1450.

Notable family members[]

Butlers of Kilcash and Thurles[]

The third son of James Butler, 9th Earl of Ormond, was John who occupied lands in Kilcash, near Clonmel, County Tipperary. His heirs went on to provide four immediate heirs to the earldom of Ormond when the senior line failed through lack of legitimate male issue.

Notable family members[]

Butlers of Garryricken[]

This branch is an offshoot of the Kilcash branch. Garryricken is a townland in the barony of Kells, County Kilkenny.

Notable family members[]
  • Walter Butler of Garryricken, eldest son of Richard Butler of Kilcash, great-grandson of the 11th Earl.
  • Colonel Thomas Butler of Garryricken, eldest son of Walter.
  • John Butler, 15th Earl of Ormonde, son of Colonel Thomas, great-grand-nephew of the 1st Duke. He succeeded to the earldom (but not the dukedom) when the last member of senior Kilcash line, Charles, failed to produce a legitimate male heir.
  • John Butler of Garryricken, second son of Walter and brother of Colonel Thomas, grand-nephew of the 1st Duke.
  • Walter Butler, 16th Earl of Ormonde, son of John, great-great-great-grandson of the 11th Earl and the first cousin of the 15th Earl.

Butlers of Duiske and Galmoye[]

Duiske takes its name from Duiske Abbey in Graiguenamanagh, County Kilkenny. Galmoy is a village in the Barony of Galmoy, northwestern Kilkenny. This branch also sprang from the 9th Earl. His younger son was James Butler of Duiske.

Notable family members[]

Family tree[]

Family tree

Sub-families and houses[]

House Butler was a large dynasty with many titles, large amounts of land and a considerable amount of wealth, with close ties to the royal families of England and later other countries. Consequently, it has numerous descendants and sub-houses throughout the world. particularly in Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England. Anne Boleyn was a connection through her grandmother.

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ ""The Butlers of Ormond(e)", Kilkenny Castle". Archived from the original on 2015-02-21. Retrieved 2015-02-21.
  2. ^ A History of St. Mary’s Church. Text by Imelda Kehoe. Published by the Gowran Development Association 1992
  3. ^ Webb. Alfred. "Butler, James, 3rd Earl of Ormond", A Compendium of Irish Biography, Dublin, M.H. Gill & Son, 1878
  4. ^ Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, 1837.
  5. ^ Griffith's Primary Valuation, Tithe Applotment Books Year, 1825
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