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Thomas Purcell (abt. 1538 - 1607)

Sir Thomas "Baron of Loughmoe" Purcell
Born about [location unknown]
Ancestors ancestors
Son of and
Brother of
Husband of — married about 1560 [location unknown]
Descendants descendants
Father of , , and
Died at about age 69 [location unknown]
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Profile last modified | Created 4 Jan 2018
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Note: For background on the Irish Purcells, including an overview of all the Barons of Loughmoe over the centuries, please see the page Purcells in Ireland 1200-1600.

Contents

Biography

Of all the Barons of Loughmoe, Thomas was likely the most famous. Besides his military exploits, his greatest legacy is a harp composition he commissioned to be played at his funeral. The lament was probably commissioned by Purcell for his impending death. According to harp historian Edward Bunting, Purcell made his last will on 26 March 1597, John Scott composed his lament in 1599, and the Baron died on 3 August 1607.[1][2][3]

From his will of 1597:[4]

  • Thomas Purcell, wife Joan Fitzpatrick. Children: Richard, John, Edmond. Friends: Theobold Dillon of Killoughny, Henry Burnell of Castleknock, Maurice Dillon.

From A Brief History of the Purcells of Ireland:[5]

  • Thomas Purcell, Baron of Loughmoe, with his kinsmen and followers, fought against the Desmond troops in 1569 in Kerry; Thomas Purcell and his men were part of the Crown forces commanded by [Sir Henry Sidney] Lord Deputy of Ireland and by Thomas Butler, 10th Earl of Ormond. Purcell was described in state papers at the time as “the Baron of Logmaye, chief of the Purcells in Tiberarye, a follower of the Butlers by force.”[6]
  • In April 1569, the Lord Deputy of Ireland [Sir Henry Sidney] sent a Commission from Dublin to Tipperary to investigate the crimes of the brothers of the Earl of Ormond and take evidence. The Commissioners spent a night at Loughmoe Castle while in Tipperary, and Edward Butler, showing his defiance, arrived at Loughmoe with a great number of kerne, “which pilfered and spoiled the poor people of the town, so as all night we had but howling and crying…” The 10th Earl’s youngest brother, Piers Butler, whom the Commissioners intended to meet in Kilkenny with a view to arresting him and transporting him to Dublin, “retired to his bed at Loughmoe, sore sick or so feigning himself” in order to avoid the journey to Kilkenny.
  • It is possible that Thomas Purcell, Baron of Loughmoe, might himself have had conflicting loyalties at the time of the first Desmond Rebellion. Purcell probably dealt more with Sir Edmund Butler [brother of Thomas, Earl of Ormond] than with the 10th Earl, because during the Earl’s frequent long absences in England Sir Edmund acted as the representative of his brother within the Ormond lordship. Purcell’s dealings with the 10th Earl could be complicated. In addition, Purcell would have felt himself targeted by the government of the Protestant Lord Deputy. The government clearly wanted to clip the wings of Catholics like Thomas Purcell, who, like others of his background, lived as a kind of independent warlord.
  • In the end, Purcell, like the 10th Earl’s younger brothers, would have had no choice but to join the side of the Earl of Ormond and the government. The author Philip O’Sullivan Beare, writing circa 1602,[7] described an engagement between the forces of the Earl of Desmond and a Butler army at Goart-na-Pisi. He stated that the Butler army was commanded by Edward and Peter (Piers) Butler (brothers of the Earl of Ormond), [James, 2nd/12th] Lord Dunboyne (a peer of the Butler family) and Purcell, Baron of Loughmoe. The FitzGeralds were victorious and the flower of the Butler army was cut down. This would have been circa 1581.

1569: The Baron of Loughmoe served as a witness in the hearings against Sir Edmund Butler, rebel brother of Thomas, 10th Earl of Ormond, for alleged crimes Sir Edmund committed in 1567-1568.[8]

1570: "Names of the gentlemen inhabiting the County Tipperary, with the extent of their lands:" Thomas Purcell and his kinsmen, £100.[9]

He appears in the 1574 Survey of Ireland:[10]

From Annals of the Four Masters, p.641 and pp.647-8:[12]

  • 1598: The lord of the Third of Clonmel (barony of Iffa and Offa, in Tipperary), and of Cathair-Duim-Iasgaigh (Cahir), namely Thomas [Butler], the son of Theobald, son of Pierce, son of Edmond (Butler), and the baron of Luachmaighi (Purcell, Baron of Loughmoe, in the barony of Eliogarty, in Tipperary), together with a great number of young men of the Butlers, rose in war and alliance with the Irish.
  • 1599: Battles in Munster and Death of Norris. Sir Thomas Norris, president of Munster, was brother of Sir John Norris, whose campaigns in Ulster, against Hugh O'Neill, have been recorded at the years 1595-96, in the Annals. According to Mac Geoghegan, Sir Thomas Norris, at the head of 2,500 men, marched from Cork towards Kilmallock, but was attacked at a place called Bearrach Abharra by William Burke, who repulsed him, killed many of his men, and took his baggage. Norris afterwards advanced to Kilmallock, but, on his return, was attacked at Ard-Sciath by the Earl of Desmond; Butler, Viscount Mountgarrett; Butler, Baron of Cahir; Purcell, Baron of Loughmoe; William Burke, and captain Richard Tyrrell, who pursued his forces during the entire day, for eight miles of his march, and slew great numbers before they reached Kilmallock.

From other records:

  • 1592: A cess (tax) agreement is presented by Thomas, 10th Earl of Ormond, and signed by Thomas Purcell, Baron of Loughmoe, and many other relatives and neighbours.[13][14][15]
  • 1596: Letter of attorney of Thomas, Earl of Ormond, to Thomas Purcell, to receive seisin from the attorney of John Butler of Clonburryn and other lands in Upper Ossory.[16]
  • November 1606: Given the timing, the following appears to refer to Thomas Purcell, but more likely refers to his son Ralph Purcell, who by many accounts took over as Baron in 1599.
    • Lord of the Council to Sir Arthur Chichester. "Forasmuch as they were informed that one Purcell, called the Baron of Loughmore, some time a notorious rebel, and since detected of many execrable murders committed upon sheriffs and others, and other His Majesty's officers in Ireland, insomuch that they did marvel how he had escaped the hand of justice all that time, had of late (to fill the measure of his iniquities) within the last three months, with his own hand cruelly murdered the sheriff of Tipperary, and hurt sundry others in so foul a manner that no excuse could be pretended he was not therefore to escape without his due punishment but to be proceeded against with all due expedition, and his goods to be secured."[17]

Marriage & Children

"Thomas Purcell and his wife Joan FitzPatrick had at least four sons and a daughter, Ellen Purcell, who married Piers Butler of Nodstown, Co. Tipperary (1558-1627), a grandson of James, 9th Earl of Ormond." [18]

  • Sons Ralph and Richard served as Baron of Loughmoe, one after the other.
  • Daughter [Ellen] [mentioned above] married to Pierce Butler of Ballynodagh and Moyaliffe[19]
  • Daughter Elenor married to Nicholas Power, Baron of Dunisle, Lord of Kilmedan, who d.1635.[22]
  • Younger son James Purcell was also brother-in-law to Richard Comerford and a witness at the reading of Comerford's will in 1637.[25]

Other family members:

  • Possible father or brother of Honora Purcell, daughter of the Baron of Loughmoe, who married Constantine (Con) O'Neill, of Ballyneal, County Waterford. Their son John O'Neill married Honora Walsh. John's son Hugh O'Neill, of Ballyneal, who joined in the Uprising of 1641, was outlawed, and died in exile in Spain. Hugh married Catherine, daughter of Redmond Grace of Courtstown Castle, and had one son, Con O'Neill, who returned to Ireland after his father's death in Spain.[26]
  • A grandson Redmund Purcell (1st cousin of Richard's son Theobald; therefore son of neither Richard nor Ralph, who died issueless) was arrested and executed ca. 1606 on charges of being a “notorious thief and rebel.”[27][28]

Purcells in Ireland

See also the page Purcells in Ireland 1200-1600.

The Irish Purcells are descended from Walter Purcell, one of the Earl Marshal's men, who held Kilmenan, co. Kilkenny, before 1205. There are no certain references to him after 1229-30, and it may be presumed that he died soon after that date. He was father of Hugh Purcel, baron of Loughmoe, co. Tipperary.[29]

In 1171 Sir Hugh Purcell [father of Walter] was a knight who participated in the Norman invasion of Ireland, and around 1204 his grandson Sir Hugh married Beatrix,[30] daughter of Theobald FitzWalter, Chief Butler of Ireland.[31] As part of his marriage, Hugh received from FitzWalter the town of Loughmoe. Sir Hugh founded, in 1241, a Monastery of Franciscans or Grey Friars in Waterford.[32]

The Purcells were hereditary captains of Ormonde's Kerne. The chief stock lived at Foulksrath,[33] the offsets at Ballyfoyle, Lismain, Clone and Ballymartin. Edmund Purcell 'captain of Kerne' died circa 1549, and is buried in St. Canice Cathedral in Kilkenny, where his tombstone bears the inscription, 'Capitanus turbariorum Comitis Ormoniae.'[34]

Chief families since the English invasion in Kilkenny: Butler, Grace,[35] Walsh,[36] Fitzgerald, Roth,[37] Archer,[38] Cantwell,[39] Shortall [Forstall],[40] Purcell,[41] Power, Morris, Dalton or d'Alton,[42] Stapleton, Wandesford, Lawless, Langrish, Bryan, Ponsonby.[43]

Research Notes

An unsourced FamilySearch tree (since removed) showed Alice Connor as 1st wife.

Unsourced pedigree back to 1st Baron Richard Purcell (1328):

Sources

  1. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Purcell_of_Loughmoe
  2. ↑ A recording of the Lamentation for the Baron of Loughmoe:
  3. ↑ By most historical accounts, Thomas' eldest son Ralph assumed the title "Baron of Loughmoe" in 1599. This calls into question either 1) Thomas' death year (1599 vs. 1607) or 2) Thomas' health after 1599.
  4. ↑ Compilation of wills from County Tipperary:
  5. ↑ Col. Brien Horan Purcell, A Brief History of the Purcells of Ireland (2020), p.7, pp.31-32:
  6. ↑ Calendar of State Papers for Ireland, Vol.1 (1509-1573), p.423; Calendar of State Papers, Carew Manuscripts, Vol.1 (1515-1574), pp.389, 404.
  7. ↑ Wikipedia: Philip O'Sullivan Beare
  8. ↑ Journal of the Royal Historical and Archaeological Association of Ireland (Vol 1, 4th series, 1878), pp.160-161 (sections 12 and 13 of the report):
  9. ↑ Names on the list of land fees, limited to the "Manors of Nenagh, Roscrea, Templemore and Thurles," include:
    • The White Knight's lands there, £100
    • Walter Bourke and his kinsman £100
    • John Bourke and his kinsman £40
    • o'Naght by the year £10
    • o'Dwire [Dwyer] and his kinsman £200
    • the Ryans £150
    • McBrien arre [MacBrien-i-Arra] £150 (descendant/relative of Turlogh O'Brien, Bishop of Killaloe
    • Ormond and all the Kennedys £300
    • o'Carroll and his kinsmen of Ely £400
    • o'Meagher and his kinsmen of Ikerrin £100
    • o'Cahill £20
    • John o'Fogerty and his kinsmen £40 (close neighbors of the Butlers of Nodstown)
    • Walter Bourke and his kinsmen £40
    • John Ashpole and his kinsmen £50
    • Thomas Purcell and his kinsmen £100
    • Richard Beaghe Butler £20
    • John Fitzgerald Butler and his cousin £30
    • Walter Archer £40
    • Edmond Fitzthomas Heding and his kinsmen £40
    • Thomas Fitzjohn Butler and his cousin £20
    • Miles Cantwell £10 (younger brother of Piers)
    • Piers Cantwell £30
    • Piers Butler
    • the Archbishop of Cashel £10 [refers to either Meiler MacGrath (Church of Ireland) or Maurice FitzGibbon (Catholic)]
    • Total £2,000
  10. ↑ Sir Henry Blackall, The Butlers of County Clare, Appendix V: Survey of Ireland, 1574. (from the Carew Manuscripts, Lambeth Palace Library, Vol. 621 p. 106):
  11. ↑ Likely referring to Piers Cantwell, head of his family at Moykarky, Co. Tipperary.
  12. ↑ https://archive.org/details/annalsofireland00ocle_0/page/640/mode/2up?q=purcell
  13. ↑ Signatures:
  14. ↑ "Donal O'Meara", head of the O'Meara family in Lismisky, County Tipperary, had son & heir William, who had son Teige, who died 30 Apr 1636 and was buried in the Abbey of Clonmel. Teige married Honora, daughter of Robert Grace of Courtstown, County Kilkenny, and had 3 sons (Daniel, William, Patrick) and 2 daughters (Ellin, Elan):
  15. ↑ Donal (Daniel) O'Meara married Honora Morres, daughter of Sir John Morres (1545-1621).
  16. ↑ Calendar of Ormond Deeds Vol. VI. 1584-1603:
  17. ↑ Calendar of State Papers for Ireland in the reign of James 1 (1606-1608), p.10, item 22:
  18. ↑ From "A Brief History of the Purcells in Ireland", p.33, referencing the following 3 sources:
  19. ↑ Edmund Ignatius Hogan,State of Ireland Anno 1598 (published 1878, M.H. McGill, Dublin), p.212:
  20. ↑ This appears to be "Ellan Purcell of Widdingstown, Co. Tipperary, widow", whose will was proved in 1622. See Index to Prerogative Wills of Ireland (1536-1810), p.387:
  21. ↑ Edmund Ignatius Hogan,State of Ireland Anno 1598 (published 1878, M.H. McGill, Dublin), p.212:
  22. ↑ Nicholas Power was son of Robert (d.1587), son of Nicholas, son of Nicholas , son of Walter (d.1529), son of John, son of Walter (d. after 1435), son of Nicholas, son of John (d.1347), son of Eustace, son of John the 5th Baron of Dunoyle (d.1328).
  23. ↑ Cited by Rev. William Carrigan in Vol.3 (p.395) of The History & Antiquities of the Diocese of Ossory (1905):
  24. ↑ "The Castle of Cranagh was held in trust for William O'Meagher of Ballyknockan, by Lord Ikerrin and John Purcell in the same year [1641]. "
  25. ↑ Rev. Patrick Comerford, blog entry on "Loughmoe Castle", 24 April 2019:
  26. ↑ Journal of the Waterford & South-East of Ireland Archaeological Society, (1906), p.198:
  27. ↑ Calendar of State Papers – Ireland (1603-1606), pp. 471-472.
  28. ↑ "In 1606 Morice Hurly drew Redmond Purcell into a castle of his, and then brought the English on him, and they executed him by martial law. Redmund was a cousin-german of the Baron of Loughmoe." (Carew Calendars, p.471)
  29. ↑ Irish Manuscripts: Knights' Fees, County Wexford, Carlow, Kilkenny:
  30. ↑ Lodge's Peerage (1789), Vol.4, p.5: https://archive.org/details/peerageofireland04lodg/page/4/mode/2up?q=purcell
  31. ↑ Theobald Walter, 1st Chief Butler of Ireland
  32. ↑ Wikipedia: Barons of Loughmoe
  33. ↑ Wikipedia: Foulksrath Castle
  34. ↑ Edmund Hogan, Priest of the Society of Jesus, The description of Ireland : and the state thereof as it is at this present in anno 1598, citing the Kilkenny Journal of Archaeology:
  35. ↑ "The Graces of Courtstown", from Rev. Carrigan's History of the Diocese of Ossory (1905):
  36. ↑ http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~walsh/
  37. ↑ https://sites.rootsweb.com/~irlkik/ksurnam2.htm#rothe
  38. ↑ "The Archer Family: Early Documented History":
  39. ↑ "The Cantwells of Cantwellscourt", from Rev. Carrigan's History of the Diocese of Ossory (1905):
  40. ↑ "The Forrestall Family: Early Documented History"
  41. ↑ "The Purcell Family: Early Documented History"
  42. ↑ The family name was variously spelled Daton, D'autun, Dalton, d'Alton, Datoun:
  43. ↑ John O'Hart, Irish Pedigrees: The Origin & Stem of the Irish Nation, (P. Murphy & Son, New York, 1915), p.844
  • Burke's General Armory, p. 829: Thomas Purcell was made Baron of Loughmoe in the Pallatine of Tipperary by Earl of Ormonde.
  • From The Butlers of County Clare by Sir Henry Blackall, Appendix V: Survey of Ireland, 1574: "Men of Name [in the province of Munster]:"
    • Earl of Ormond, Count Palatine (referring to Thomas Butler)
    • Baron of Don Boyen [Dunboyne];
    • Sir Tobot Butler of Cayer (referring to Theobald Butler of Cahir)
    • James Tobyn of the Compsey (son or grandson of Thomas Tobin of the Compsey)
    • Piers Butler of Grallo [Grallagh]
    • O’Mulreans [O'Mulryan]
    • O’Kennedy of Ormonde
    • Purcell, Baron Loughmaye [Loughmoe],
    • Cantwell (referring to Piers Cantwell of Moykarky)
      • Source: Carew Manuscripts, Lambeth Palace Library, Vol. 621 p.106
  • Davis History of Bucks, p.150 [need full title of this reference]: Noble family of Purcell in Ireland whose founder, Sir Hugh Purcell, was grandson of Sr. Hugh Purcell who went from Normandy to England with William the Conqueror & traced his descent from Charlemagne of France. Sir Hugh Purcell is said be first of conquering Normans to land on British soil at Pevensey Bay & first to effect a deed of arms by storming the ruins of a Roman castle where a party of King Harold's soldiers lay entrenched. The Irish Purcells were adherents of the House of Stuart & were swept away by rebellion of 1641 though several distinct branches later recovered their lands & titles at restoration & were again badly broken on the accession of William of Orange.




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