Eleanor (Eustace) Butler (1535 - aft. 1614)

Born 1535 in County Kildare, Ireland

Ancestors

Wife of Edmund Butler — married about 1555 (to about 1585) in Ireland

Descendants

Biography

Eleanor was the daughter of Roland Eustace, 2nd Viscount Baltinglass (1505-1578), who was the son of Sir Thomas Eustace, 1st Viscount Baltinglass (1480–1549), County Kildare, and Margaret Talbot. Margaret was the daughter of Sir Peter Talbot of Malahide Castle, County Dublin.^[1]

Eleanor married 1) Sir Edmund Butler of Cloughgrenan, brother of Thomas, 10th Earl of Ormond. There were at least 5 children from this union.

• Sir Edmund surprised his family (long supportive of the English Crown) by starting the Butler Revolt in 1569, based on a land dispute with the Lord Deputy of Ireland. He was joined in this revolt by his 2 younger brothers Edward and Piers.^[2] Despite being pardoned by Queen Elizabeth in 1573, Sir Edmund spent much of his life at large, and died ca.1585 [disputed] at Inistioge, County Kilkenny.^[3]

Eleanor married 2) Oliver-Oge Morres before 1587, a 2nd marriage for both of them. No children from this union.

• Eleanor and Oliver-Oge were first cousins once-removed, the common ancestors being Piers, 8th Earl of Ormond and Margaret Fitzgerald. Between 1587 and 1597, Eleanor is referred to in documents as Lady Morres-Baltinglass.^[4]

Eleanor's son Sir Theobald Butler died in December 1613, and in January 1614 his widow Eleanor Butler, daughter of Thomas, 10th Earl of Ormond, wrote to her mother-in-law from Carrick (where her father Thomas lived):^[5]

• Madam, now that your ladyship hath undertaken the safe keeping of the possession of the castle of Cloghgrenan, I pray your ladyship to be careful thereof, and cause wary eyes to attend such as shall from time to time make repair unto you, and report that all the devices and means that may be will be wrought to expulse you, and be sure you have none about you but those that you know you may well trust, and specially beware of often recourse to and fro into the castle in the night time, and thereof be wary in the day; for if you lose the possession, you shall not only harm yourself, but wrong me and the house from whence I descend, whereof not doubting of your ladyship's care and performance herein, with my very hearty commendations unto your ladyship, I commit you to God and rest. Your ladyship's very loving daughter-in-law, most grieved in mind.

Research Notes

Discrepancy over first husband's death year:

• Cokayne's Peerage cites a death date for Sir Edmund Butler of November 1602.

• The Ormond Deeds show a land transaction in April 1601 involving Sir Edmund Butler, son of James, late Earl of Ormond.

• However, not much is known of Sir Edmund after 1585, and one source shows his wife Eleanor Eustace (now age 50+) married Oliver Oge Morres before 1587, which implies either Edmund's death or disappearance, or a divorce.^[6] Because there was no issue from this possible 2nd marriage, there is no effect on the pedigree of any children.

• Sir Edmund's Wikipedia profile, without citing a specific source for the year, says: "He remained at large until his death at Inistioge between 1580 and 1590. He is buried at St Canice's Cathedral in Kilkenny city."

Sources

1. ↑ Wikipedia: Rowland Eustace, 2nd Viscount Baltinglass
2. ↑ Wikipedia: Sir Edmund Butler
3. ↑ Other sources give November 1602 for Sir Edmund's death. See his profile for details. The question then arises: Did Eleanor truly marry a 2nd time? If yes, was it due to Sir Edmund's death, divorce, or disappearance?
4. ↑ Hervey de Montmorency-Morres, Genealogical Memoir of the Family of Montmorency, 592 pages (1817), see p.58, and also Appendix XCIV:
   • https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=DSwAAAAAQAAJ&dq
5. ↑ Calendar of the Manuscripts of the Marquess of Ormonde, K.P. preserved at Kilkenny Castle, authored by the Historical Manuscripts Commission, publisher Mackie & Co Ltd. (New Series, 1902), Vol.1, p.13:
   • https://archive.org/details/cu31924091754030/page/n29/mode/2up
6. ↑ Hervey de Montmorency-Morres, Genealogical Memoir of the Family of Montmorency, 592 pages (1817), see p.58, and also Appendix XCIV:
   • https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=DSwAAAAAQAAJ&dq