no image
Privacy Level: Open (White)

Ralph Philip Purcell (abt. 1563 - abt. 1610)

Ralph Philip Purcell aka Baron of Loughmoe
Born about in County Tipperary, Irelandmap
Ancestors ancestors
Son of and
Brother of , and
Husband of — married after 1593 [location unknown]
[children unknown]
Died about at about age 47 in Irelandmap
Problems/Questions
Profile last modified | Created 14 Jun 2020
This page has been accessed 278 times.

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.

Biography

Most documents refer to him as Ralph, but Philip also appears to have been used.

"Philip Purcell of Loughmoe ... Afterwards titular Baron Loughmoe", when pardoned in 1584 (along with Walter Butler of Kilcash, future 11th Earl of Ormond).[1]

Referred to as "Philip Purcell" and his wife "Margaret Tobin" in these 2 land deeds from 1594:[2]

  • Indenture of July 20, 1594, between Thomas, Earl of Ormond, and Philip Purcell of Swifine [Seefin, Barony of Iffa and Offa West], Co. Tipperary, and his wife Margaret Tobin, witnesses that the Earl grants the towns of Castlecurry and Killynwilehard in Clanwilliam with all appurtenances except game, to have and to hold to said Philip and Margaret, etc., for 21 years ... with the usual perquisites, provided that they and their tenants receive the Earl's horses and horse-boys from time to time.
  • Indenture of July 22, 1594, between Thomas, Earl of Ormond, and Philip Purcell of Kiltane, Co. Tipperary, and his wife Margaret Tobin, witnesses that the Earl grants the manor of Swynnne in Clanwilliam and also the towns and lands of Kiltane alias Curraghkilshane, Knockanenecaheregh alias Caherwore, Clyquill and the Curraghes, viz., Corrogmore and Corrogbeg in Clanwilliam, with all appurtenances except game, to have and to hold to said Philip, etc., for 21 years ...

By most historical accounts, Ralph assumed the title Baron of Loughmoe in 1599, which calls into question either 1) his father Thomas' death year (1599 vs. 1607) or 2) his father Thomas' health after 1599.

Ralph Purcell, Baron of Loughmoe, with his followers.[3]

November 1606: Given the timing, the following appears to refer to Thomas Purcell, but could also refer to his son Ralph Purcell, who by some accounts became 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."[4]

Ralph appeared on the "List of those who took up Arms for the Catholic Faith". [5]

Ralph died in 1610 without issue and his brother Richard inherited the title of Baron of Loughmoe.

From "A Brief History of the Purcells in Ireland":[6]

  • The choices of Ralph Purcell, Baron of Loughmoe, marked a break with the past. In 1598, Ralph, along with many Butlers, including the Viscount Mountgarret, the Baron Cahir, and the Earl of Ormond’s nephew Piers Purcell, joined the rebellion of O’Neill and O’Donnell against the Crown. When the Earl of Essex, Queen Elizabeth’s favorite, arrived in Ireland in 1599 to suppress the uprising, Ralph Purcell was in command of a force of rebels. Essex’s military campaign was unsuccessful, and he was forced to enter into a truce with the leader of the rebellion, Hugh O’Neill, Earl of Tyrone.
  • Several factors combined to impel Ralph to oppose the Crown. Queen Elizabeth’s government was granting land confiscated from Catholics in Munster (which included Co. Tipperary) to English soldiers and colonists who were Protestant. This was extremely threatening to Catholics like the Purcells, who believed that any pretext might be used to dispossess them of their ancient lands. The influx into Ireland of English and Scottish Protestants would continue under Elizabeth’s successor, King James I. Families like the Butlers and Purcells then came to be referred to as the “Old English,” to distinguish them from the “New English” settlers. In addition, the Crown viewed Catholics in Ireland with increasing suspicion, which was to an extent justified.

Ralph married Margaret Tobin, sister of Adam Tobin, sheriff of Tipperary. In 1606 Adam was murdered by the men of Richard, Ralph's younger brother, as the result of a property dispute.[7] In 1607 Ralph's brother Richard was tried and found guilty for the manslaughter (but not murder) of his brother-in-law, Adam Tobin.[8]

Purcells in Ireland

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.[9]

In 1171 Sir Hugh Purcell was a knight who participated in the Norman invasion of Ireland, and around 1204 his grandson Sir Hugh married Beatrix, daughter of Theobald FitzWalter, Chief Butler of Ireland.[10] 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.[11]

The Purcells were hereditary captains of Ormonde's Kerne. The chief stock lived at Foulksrath,[12] 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.'[13]

Chief families since the English invasion in Kilkenny: Butler, Grace,[14] Walsh,[15] Fitzgerald, Roth,[16] Archer,[17] Cantwell,[18] Shortall [Forstall],[19] Purcell,[20] Power, Morris, Dalton or d'Alton,[21] Stapleton, Wandesford, Lawless, Langrish, Bryan, Ponsonby.[22]

Sources

  1. ↑ Tudor Fiants, as recorded in Joseph Casimir O'Meagher's Some historical notices of the O'Meaghers of Ikerrin (New York, 1890), p.59:
  2. ↑ Ormond Deeds, Vol.6, item 96
  3. ↑ Carew Manuscripts, Vol.3 (1600), p.299:
  4. ↑ Calendar of State Papers for Ireland in the reign of James 1 (1606-1608), p.10, item 22:
  5. ↑ From the History of Ireland in the Reign of Elizabeth (Author: Philip O'Sullivan Beare):
  6. ↑ pp.33:
  7. ↑ Siblings Margaret and Adam were likely descendants of Thomas Tobin, Lord of Compsey.
  8. ↑ The details of the murder can be found in the Calendar of State Papers for Ireland, 1606-08, on several pages (search for "Purcell") but specifically pp.30-31 and pp.113-115:
  9. ↑ Irish Manuscripts: Knights' Fees, County Wexford, Carlow, Kilkenny:
  10. ↑ Theobald Walter, 1st Chief Butler of Ireland
  11. ↑ Wikipedia: Barons of Loughmoe
  12. ↑ Wikipedia: Foulksrath Castle
  13. ↑ 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:
  14. ↑ "The Graces of Courtstown", from Rev. Carrigan's History of the Diocese of Ossory (1905):
  15. ↑ http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~walsh/
  16. ↑ https://sites.rootsweb.com/~irlkik/ksurnam2.htm#rothe
  17. ↑ "The Archer Family: Early Documented History":
  18. ↑ "The Cantwells of Cantwellscourt", from Rev. Carrigan's History of the Diocese of Ossory (1905):
  19. ↑ "The Forrestall Family: Early Documented History"
  20. ↑ "The Purcell Family: Early Documented History"
  21. ↑ The family name was variously spelled Daton, D'autun, Dalton, d'Alton, Datoun:
  22. ↑ John O'Hart, Irish Pedigrees: The Origin & Stem of the Irish Nation, (P. Murphy & Son, New York, 1915), p.844




Is Ralph your ancestor? Please don't go away!
 star icon Login to collaborate or comment, or
 star icon ask our community of genealogists a question.
Sponsored Search by Ancestry.com

DNA
No known carriers of Ralph's ancestors' DNA have taken a DNA test. Have you taken a test? If so, login to add it. If not, see our friends at Ancestry DNA.


Comments

Leave a message for others who see this profile.
There are no comments yet.
Login to post a comment.

Featured German connections: Ralph is 18 degrees from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, 22 degrees from Dietrich Bonhoeffer, 23 degrees from Lucas Cranach, 20 degrees from Stefanie Graf, 19 degrees from Wilhelm Grimm, 21 degrees from Fanny Hensel, 27 degrees from Theodor Heuss, 17 degrees from Alexander Mack, 34 degrees from Carl Miele, 14 degrees from Nathan Rothschild, 21 degrees from Hermann Friedrich Albert von Ihering and 16 degrees from Ferdinand von Zeppelin on our single family tree. Login to see how you relate to 33 million family members.

P  >  Purcell  >  Ralph Philip Purcell