Butler dynasty


The Butler family were landowners who were for several centuries prominent in the administration of the Kingdom of Ireland. Variant spellings of the name include le Boteler and le Botiller.
The Butlers were descendants of Anglo-Norman lords who participated in the Norman invasion of Ireland in the 12th century. The surname has its origins in the hereditary office of Butler of Ireland, originating with Theobald Walter, 1st Chief Butler of Ireland.

Origin

The family descended from Theobald Walter, eldest son of Hervey Walter and Maud de Valoignes. During the reign of Henry II of England Theobald held the position of pincerna or boteillier, the ceremonial cup-bearer or butler to Prince John, Lord of Ireland. He also held the office of Chief Butler of England and was the High Sheriff of Lancashire during 1194.
His younger brother Hubert Walter became the Archbishop of Canterbury and Justiciar and Lord Chancellor of England.

Butlers of Ormond

The Ormond line is the senior branch of the family and later produced the Earls, Marquesses and Dukes of Ormond.
Edmund Butler was created the first Earl of Carrick in 1315 in reward for his service during the Bruce campaign in Ireland. Although the earldom did not pass to his son James, the latter was created the first Earl of Ormond in 1328 by Edward III.
Subsidiary titles for the earl in the Peerage of Ireland were later added: Earl of Ossory and Viscount Thurles. James Butler, 12th Earl of Ormond served as the commander of the Cavalier forces in Ireland and was made Marquess of Ormond in 1642, which title became extinct in 1758. He was made Duke of Ormonde in 1661, and with the title created in the Peerage of England in 1682; after 1682, the spelling "Ormonde" was used almost universally. Subsidiary titles for the duke in the Peerage of England were added: Earl of Brecknock and Baron Butler.
; a Jacobite sympathiser, his titles became forfeit in 1715
James Fitzjames Butler succeeded his grandfather and became the second duke. Accused of treason during the Jacobite rising of 1715, he was attainted and his English peerages declared forfeit. In 1758 his brother Charles, the de jure third duke, died and the dukedom and marquessate became extinct.
The eighteenth earl, James Wandesford Butler, was created as Baron Ormonde of Llanthony, in the county of Monmouth in the Peerage of the United Kingdom in 1821 on the coronation of George IV. Later, he was created the Marquess of Ormonde in the Peerage of Ireland in 1816. On his death in 1820, that title became extinct and the earldoms passed to his brother, for whom the title "Marquess of Ormonde" was re-created in the Peerage of the United Kingdom in 1825. That title became extinct in 1997, while the earldom became dormant.

Lands

The family seat, since 1391, was Kilkenny Castle; their main estate was previously at Gowran Castle. From Kilkenny, the Butlers claimed overlordship of the surrounding Gaelic kingdoms of Ormond, Éile, Ikerrin and part of Osraige.
The patrimony of the Butlers of Ormond encompassed most of the modern counties of Tipperary, Kilkenny and parts of County Carlow. Only the earldom of Desmond would have had more extensive land holdings than Ormond in the Lordship and Kingdom of Ireland. Following the successful Norman Invasion, the ancient Gaelic lands would have been annexed to the crown and passed as baronies or fiefs to the supporters of the crown. These baronies corresponded to the túath or trícha cét of a Gaelic chief, for example Éile. However, sometimes baronies combined small territories, or split a large one, or were created without regard for the earlier boundaries. In the Norman period most Gaelic chiefs were killed, expelled, or subordinated by the new Norman lord; in the Tudor period, many Gaelic and Hibernicized lords retained their land by pledging allegiance to the Crown under the policy of surrender and regrant.
In 1837, the remains of the following Butler castles were recorded in County Kilkenny alone by Lewis.
Members of the Butler family continued to live in Kilkenny Castle until 1935.

Notable family members

The Baron Dunboyne peerage originated with Thomas Butler, 1st Baron Dunboyne, the son of Theobald Butler, 4th Chief Butler of Ireland.

Notable family members

This branch sprang from John Butler of Clonamicklon, the youngest son of Edmund Butler, Earl of Carrick and Joan FitzGerald, Countess of Carrick.He was the brother of James Butler, 1st Earl of Ormond. From this branch descended the Viscounts Ikerrin and the Earls of Carrick.

Notable family members

This branch sprang from James Butler, 3rd Earl of Ormond. The family seat, Cahir Castle, is built on an island in the River Suir. Much of the barony of Iffa and Offa West was controlled by the Butler Barons Cahir.

Notable family members

This branch also sprang from the 3rd Earl. Three distinct branches are associated with this branch of the family. The family tree splits firstly with Edmund MacRichard Butler; his eldest son, Sir James, founded the most illustrious sub-branch with his progeny going on to supply the 8th Earl of Ormond; his second son, Walter, founded the lesser sub-branch with his progeny going on to become baronets of Polestown. This sub-branch split thirdly to found a Roscrea branch in the barony of Ikerrin, County Tipperary, beginning with Walter's grandson.
Note: "Polestown" is also spelled in the records as Poolestown". It is now identified with the town of Paulstown in Gowran, County Kilkenny.

Notable family members

The common ancestor here is Piers Butler, 8th Earl of Ormond. Three minor family branches sprang from his eldest son – James; Cloughgrenan, Kilcash and Duiske / Galmoye, His younger son, Richard Butler, founded the junior but long lasting Mountgarret line.
Senior line - earls of Ormond, heirs of the 8th earl
Mountgarret line - heirs of the second son of the 8th earl
Cloughgrenan line - heirs of the second son of the 9th earl
Kilcash and Thurles line - heirs of the third son of the 9th earl
Garryricken line - heirs of the third son of the 11th earl
Duiske and Galmoye line - heirs of the 10th earl

Butlers of Mountgarret

Mountgarret may take its name from the townland of Tifeaghna in the civil parish of Sheefin, in the barony of Galmoy or from Clomantagh in the civil parish of Clomantagh in the County of Crannagh. Both baronies are in the northwestern corner of County Kilkenny. The Viscounts are recorded as significant landowners there, as well as holding lands in the neighbouring civil parish of Coolcashin. It may also refer to a district of the town of New Ross in County Wexford. This branch was in turn an offshoot of the Polestown branch.

Notable family members

The second son of James Butler, 9th Earl of Ormond was Sir Edmund Butler of Cloughgrenan who occupied lands at Cloughgrenan. Tulleophelim is near the town of Tullow in County Carlow. The castle of Tulleophlim had been built by James Butler, 4th Earl of Ormond before 1450.

Notable family members

The third son of James Butler, 9th Earl of Ormond, was John who occupied lands in Kilcash, near Clonmel, County Tipperary. His heirs went on to provide four immediate heirs to the earldom of Ormond when the senior line failed through lack of legitimate male issue.

Notable family members

This branch is an offshoot of the Kilcash branch. Garryricken is a townland in the barony of Kells, County Kilkenny.
Notable family members
Duiske takes its name from Duiske Abbey in Graiguenamanagh, County Kilkenny. Galmoy is a village in the Barony of Galmoy, northwestern Kilkenny. This branch also sprang from the 9th Earl. His younger son was James Butler of Duiske.

Notable family members

House of Butler info

House Butler has always held ties within Europe, with origins dating back to Theobald Walter, 1st chief butler of Ireland. Although Theobald Walter was the first to use the surname Butler or le boitler his ancestors where a line of anglo-saxon lords.
House butler also holds the title first chief butlers of England as well as first chief butler of Ireland.

surviving ancestors

although there are over 8,546 people who hold the surname butler, the surname alone does not necessarily mean shared ancestry with the Butlers of Ireland, though there are many ancestors wide spread across the world.

sub-families and houses

House Butler was a large dynasty with many titles, large amounts of land and a considerable amount of wealth, with close ties to the royal families of England and later other countries and subsequently have many ancestors, and sub-houses throughout the world particularly in Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England.