Piers Butler (abt. 1548 - 1599)

Born about 1548 in County Kilkenny, Ireland

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 4 Jun 1599 at about age 51 in County Wexford, Ireland

This Piers Butler of Kayer, head of the line that settled in County Wexford -- should not be confused with Piers Butler (ca.1425-1464), Lord of Cahir, Co. Tipperary. The Tipperary branch were distant cousins, who also descended from James, 3rd Earl of Ormond, and lived in Cahir Castle which still stands today [2021].

Biography

An Inquisition of James I: Dated 24 March 1618 ^[1]

PIers was the 2nd son of Richard Butler, 1st Viscount Mountgarret. Although historians are fairly certain Ellen Butler was his mother, Piers' birth year is uncertain, given that Richard Butler married 3 and possibly 4 times.

Piers Butler m. Margaret Devereaux, daughter of Sir Nicholas Devereux of Ballymagin and Catherine Le Poer.

Piers Butler (son of Richard, Viscount Mountgarret) was considered a traitor to Queen Elizabeth I in this Attainder from 1570, which mentions 15 Irish traitors altogether:^[2]

• "But the wicked, better acquainted with darkenss than lighte, have chosen to wallowe in their own filthe and puddle of tyranny, oppression, rape, rapine and spoile, for as it is manifest and well known to us, the vile and ingrate traytours
  • Mac Cartie, more latelie create earle of Clancartie;
  • Sir Edmond Butler, Knight; Edwarde Butler and Piers Butler his brethern;
  • Piers and James Butler, sonnes to [Richard] the vicounte Mountgarret;
  • James and John Butler, sonnes of Piers Butler of the Grallaghe;
  • Walter Butler, Tibbot Butler, Piers Butler, John Butler, sonnes to Edmond Butler of Pollestone;^[3]
  • James Fitz Geralde, sonne to Sir Morishe Fitz Desmond;
  • the seneschal of Imokillye [John Fitzedmund Fitzgerald];
  • the White Knight;
  • with divers outhers, wicked and disloyall traytours, against whose wicked and tyrannouse course of life the lamentable crie of manye widdowes, innocent orphans and pore oppressed people resounde before the Throne of God his Majestie for vengeaunce."

Children:

• In Genealogy of the Butlers (Volume 8, Viscount Mountgarrett and Poolestown), researcher Theobald Blake Butler records 6 sons and 5 daughters from the marriage of Piers Butler & Margaret Devereaux.^[4]

• Their daughter Helena married Edmund Fitzgerald, Baron of Brownsford. Helena & Edmund had 3 sons and 5 daughters.^[5][6]

Research Notes

Leads for further exploration, from a family blog (sourced):

• "Piers Butler of Kayer" (ca.1540-1599):
  • http://butlerancestryireland.blogspot.com/2012/11/butlers-of-co-wexford-ch2-pierce-butler.html
• "Sons of Pierce Butler of Kayer", naming Edward, James, John, Walter:
  • http://butlerancestryireland.blogspot.com/2012/11/butlers-of-co-wexford-ch-9-sons-of-pierce-butler.html
• "Edward Butler of Kayer" (1577-1628), referring to Piers' eldest son:
  • http://butlerancestryireland.blogspot.com/2012/11/butlers-of-co-wexford-ch-3-edward-butler.html
• "Pierce Butler of Kayer" (c.1600-c.1653), referring to son of Edward and grandson of Piers, and including a detailed pedigree of the family:
  • http://butlerancestryireland.blogspot.com/2012/11/butlers-of-co-wexford-ch-4-pierce-butler.html
• "Younger Son of Piers Butler of Kayer", referring to 2nd son (James, born ca.1578) of the elder Piers:
  • http://butlerancestryireland.blogspot.com/2014/02/butlers-of-co-wexford-ch18-younger-son.html

Leads for further exploration: This unsourced French family pedigree lists several children (and spouses) from the marriage of Piers Butler and Margaret Devereux. There is some possible duplication among the daughters, and eldest son Edmund (born 1577)^[7] is missing:

• James (ca.1581-1629), d. in Carlow. In 1606 he m. Ellen Butler.

• Thomas

• Katherine, who m. a man surnamed Furlong.

• Helen or Eleanor, who in 1612 m. Edmond FitzGerald, Baron of Brownsford (1591-1661).^[8]

• Eleanor, who m. Henry Davells (d. 24 Oct 1634).

• Helen, who m. Thomas Butler (d. 28 Feb 1640).

• Joan, who m. Oliver Keatinge.

• Pedigree of Earls of Ormond, Viscount Mountgarrett and Butler of Caher also Clonekeragh, c.1500 - 1618 (p. 4). ^[9]

Sources

1. ↑ Mac Eochaidh, Mícheál. “An Inquisition of James I: Dated 24 March 1618.” The Past: The Organ of the Uí Cinsealaigh Historical Society, no. 8, 1970, pp. 68–74. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/25519888. Accessed 10 Apr. 2024.
2. ↑ Sir Henry Blackall, The Butlers of County Clare, Appendix 2: Attainder of James Butler of Grallagh:
   • http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/genealogy/butlers/appendix2.htm)
3. ↑ The Butlers of Polestown were descended from Sir James Butler (1440-1487), father of Piers, 8th Earl of Ormond, via one of Piers' 2 illegitimate elder brothers (Edmund and Theobald).
4. ↑ Ancestry of Butlers of County Wexford:
   • http://butlerancestryireland.blogspot.com/2012/11/butlers-of-co-wexford-ch2-pierce-butler.html
5. ↑ George Dames Burtchaell, "The Geraldines of the County Kilkenny. Part IV. Additional Note on the Barons of Brownsford", The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, Fifth Series, Vol. 32, No. 2, (1902), pp.129:
   • https://www.jstor.org/stable/25507201
6. ↑ Burtchaell: Edmund, Baron of Brownsford, was son of David, Baron of Brownsford, and Joanna Morres, who was daughter of Sir John Morres.
7. ↑ According to Collins' Peerage (1812), p.79, Edmund inherited his father's lands at age 22 in 1599; married Catherine, daughter of Sir Richard Masterson of Ferns; had 2 sons (Piers, Richard) and 2 daughters (Mary, Joan); and died in September 1628.
   • https://books.google.nl/books?id=PfwUAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA79
8. ↑ Burtchaell: Edmund, Baron of Brownsford, was son of David, Baron of Brownsford, and Joanna Morres, who was daughter of Sir John Morres.
9. ↑ Visitation of the town and county of Wexford, containing arms and pedigrees of a large number of Wexford families, Volume III,1618. Page 4 (Image 17). Genealogical Office. The National Archives of Ireland

• Collins, Arthur. Collins' Peerage of England (F.C. & J. Rivington, Otridge & Son, 1812) Vol 9. Page 79. Internet Archive
• Cracrofts Peerage : Mountgarret