James Butler (abt. 1652 - 1688)

Born about 1652 in Ikerrin, County Tipperary, Ireland

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 26 Oct 1688 at about age 36 in Ikerrin, County Tipperary, Ireland

James Butler was a member of the aristocracy in British Isles.

Biography

He married Eleanor Redman

Research Notes

"Ballingarry: Before and After Cromwell", by William O'Dwyer of Cappagh, from the History section of the Barony of Slievardagh website. Unsourced, but containing some interesting anecdotes:^[1]

• Before Oliver Cromwell came to Ireland the land of Ballingarry belonged mainly to the Lismolin branch of the Butler family, three Fanning brothers,^[2] the Earl of Ormonde and a Marnell family of Lisnamrock. The only castle which was intact after the Cromwelliam campaign was at Farranrory. From 1641 until 1650 Sir Pierce Butler, Viscount Ikerrin was Lieutenant General of the Leinster army under another member of the same family, Lord Mountgarret.

• Pierce Butler and his family lived at Lismolin Castle. Later the family lived at Wilford. The family also owned Clonamicklon Castle and land in Gortnahoe. Cromwell confiscated the land and Butler was sent to Connaught before May 1654. On the 25th January 1654 he was ordered to appear before Cromwell’s commission in Clonmel to give the names of his family and the number of his stock and crops. He also had to name his tenants and friends who were to accompany him across the Shannon. His list of stock was small, numbering four cows, five horses, twenty-four sheep and two pigs. He also had sixteen acres of winter corn.

• He was to leave behind his wife and family, while he went to Athlone to investigate where he was going to get land in Connacht and to build a house. His family were to follow in Autumn when the corn was cut.

• In the meantime he fell sick and got a licence to go to Bath in England for six months to help him recover. On his return he evaded transportation to Connacht. In 1656 he went to London and met Cromwell, pleading his poverty. Cromwell instructed the Lord Deputy in Dublin to give him back some of his land. There was no further account of him.

• Shangarry was given to one of Cromwells soldiers, Lt. Humphrey Minchin, while Ambrose Minchin got Coolquill. A Langley who lost his land in the siege of Clonmel got Coalbrook and a Lt. Jesse got Farranrory. Jessfield is called after him. The Barony of Slieveardagh was given to Cromwell’s soldiers.

• The Butler saga did not end at this stage. Sir Pierce’s great-grandson James ... claimed back the land stating that he was an innocent Protestant. He succeeded in this claim and also got the land of his kinsmen, the Kellys. As 3rd Viscount Ikerrin he married Eleanor the daughter of another Cromwellian, Col. Redman who got 17,000 acres in Kilkenny around Ballylinch and the present-day Mount Juliet. This land was mainly owned by the Ballylinch branch of the Graces.

• This Butler line continued down to the 8th Viscount Ikerrin who was created the 1st Earl of Carrick in 1748. The 3rd Earl of Carrick, Somerset Richard Butler, was born in 1779. He borrowed a lot of money to purchase more land around Thomastown, Kilkenny. He got into financial trouble and much of the land was sold under the Encumbered Estates Act. At that time the family owned land in Tipperary, Kilkenny, Leix and Co. Down.

Sources

The 8 Viscounts of Ikerrin in order, from 1629 to 1748, the year in which the title became Earl of Carrick. There have been 11 Earls of Carrick since 1748, and the title continues to this day (2020):

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl_of_Carrick_(Ireland)

1. ↑ http://www.slieveardagh.com/places/ballingarry/
2. ↑ Referring to Edmund Fanning and William Fanning and their father Nicholas Fanning. Also appearing in the Civil Survey of Tipperary is Jeffrey Fanning, whom many historians believe to be a 3rd brother, although his pedigree seems to indicate otherwise. Jeffrey is the Fanning to whom the lands were returned in the Restoration period of King Charles II (1660s).

THE PEERAGE, http://www.thepeerage.com/p20659.htm#i206581