Thomas Butler of Garryricken

Thomas Butler of Garryricken (died 1738), also known as Thomas Butler of Kilcash and sometimes distinguished by his rank of Colonel, was an Irish landowner. He succeeded to the estates of his grandfather Richard Butler of Kilcash. His brother Christopher was the Catholic Archbishop of Cashel and Emly. Thomas Butler fought for the Jacobites in the Williamite war and was taken prisoner at the Battle of Aughrim. His son John became, de jure, the 15th Earl of Ormond.

Thomas Butler of Garryricken
Died	1738
Family	Butler dynasty
Spouse(s)	Margaret Burke
Detail Issue John & others
Father	Walter Butler
Mother	Mary Plunkett

Birth and origins

Thomas was probably born at Garryricken, as the eldest son of Walter Butler and his wife Mary Plunkett. His father, known as Walter Butler of Garryricken (died 1700), belonged to a cadet branch of the Butler Dynasty, being the son of Richard Butler of Kilcash (died 1701), who was a younger brother of the 1st Duke of Ormond. Thomas's father had built Garryricken House around 1660.[1] The Butler dynasty is an Old English family that descends from Theobald Walter, who had been appointed Chief Butler of Ireland by King Henry II in 1177.[2] Thomas's mother was the only daughter of Christopher Plunkett, 2nd Earl of Fingall.[3]

Family tree

Thomas Butler with wife, parents, and other selected relatives. Thomas Viscount Thurles bef. 1596 – 1619 Elizabeth Pointz 1587–1673 James 1st Duke Ormond 1610–1688 Elizabeth Preston 1615–1684 Richard of Kilcash 1615–1701 Frances Tuchet Thomas 6th Earl Ossory 1633–1680 Emilia von Nassau 1635–1688 Walter of Garryricken d. 1700 Mary Plunkett James 2nd Duke Ormond 1665–1745 Charles 1st Earl Arran 1671–1758 Thomas of Garryricken d. 1738 Colonel Margaret Magennis 1673–1744 John Butler John de jure 15th Earl d. 1766 Bridget Stacey Walter de jure 16th Earl 1703–1783 Legend XXX Thomas Butler XXX Earls and dukes of Ormond This family tree is partly derived from the condensed Butler family tree pictured in Dunboyne.[4] Also see the lists of siblings and children in the text.

Thomas listed among his brothers
He heads the list of brothers below as the eldest: Thomas (died 1738); John, who is known as John of Garryricken and whose son became Walter Butler, 16th Earl of Ormonde;[5] and Christopher (1673–1757), who became Roman Catholic Archbishop of Cashel;[6]

Thomas's sisters
Mary, who married James Tobin of Kaemshinagh in County Tipperary;[7][8] Frances, who married a Mr. Gould;[9] Lucy (died 1703), who married, April 1697, Sir Walter Butler, 3rd Baronet of Polestown;[10] and Helen, who married Maurice FitzGerald of Castle Ishen in County Cork.[11][12]

Thomas is known as Thomas Butler of Garryricken or as Thomas Butler of Kilcash[13][14][15][16] because he lived at Kilcash Castle and owned half of the Garryricken Manor;[17] his brother John had the other half and lived at Garryricken House.[18]

Williamite War

He fought for James II during the Williamite War in Ireland, being the colonel of an infantry regiment, known as "Thomas Butler's Foot".[19] Colonel Thomas Butler was taken prisoner at the Battle of Aughrim in 1691.[20]

Marriage and children

In 1696, he married Margaret Burke, eldest daughter of William Burke, 7th Earl of Clanricarde, widow of Bryan Magennis, Viscount Iveagh.[21] She is remembered by the Irish song Kilcash.[22]

Thomas and Margaret had eight children, three sons:

1. Richard (died 1711), who died of a fall from his horse at Kilcash;[23]
2. Walter, who died of smallpox while at the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture in Paris;[24] and
3. John (died 1766), who became the de jure 15th Earl of Ormond and inherited the Ormond estate;[25]

—and five daughters:

1. Mary, who married Bryan Kavanagh, of Borris, County Carlow;[26]
2. Honora (died 1730), who married Valentine Browne, 3rd Viscount Kenmare, in 1720;[27]
3. Hellen, who married firstly Captain Richard Esmond, brother of Sir Laurence Esmond, Baronet, and secondly, Richard Butler of Westcourt;[28]
4. Margaret, who married George Matthew of Thurles, afterward of Thomastown;[29] and
5. Catharine, who became the third wife of James Mandeville, of Ballydine.[30]

Grandfather's succession

His father, Walter of Garryricken, died in 1700;[31] his grandfather, Richard of Kilcash, followed in 1701. His father therefore predeceased his grandfather by a year. His grandfather's estate was the Garryricken Manor given to him in 1639. The manor's lands were divided between Thomas and his brother John. Thomas received Kilcash while John received Garryricken.

Death, succession, and timeline

Thomas Butler died in 1738.[21] He was succeeded by his son John, who would become the de jure 15th Earl of Ormond in 1658.

Timeline
As his birth date is uncertain, so are all his ages.
Age	Date	Event
0	1670, estimate	Born,[lower-alpha 1] probably at Garryricken House.
3	1673	Younger brother Christopher born.
21	1691, 12 Jul	Taken prisoner at the Battle of Aughrim.
26	1696	Married Margaret Magennis.[15]
30	1700	Father predeceased his grandfather.
31	1701	Inherited Kilcash at the death of his grandfather
44	1714, 1 Aug	Accession of King George I, replacing Queen Anne.[32]
68	1738	Died.[21]

Notes and references

1. The estimate of his birth year in the timeline is based on the birth, in 1673, of Christopher, the third and youngest of the three brothers.

1. Carrigan 1905, p. 318: "He [Walter] built the old Garryricken Ho., and made it his residence, about the year 1660."
2. Debrett 1828, p. 640: "THEOBALD LE BOTELER on whom that office [Chief Butler of Ireland] was conferred by King Henry II., 1177 ..."
3. Lodge 1789, p. 41: "Walter Butler of Garryricken, Esq., the eldest son, married the Lady Mary Plunket, only daughter of Christopher, the Second Earl of Fingall, and dying the year before his father left three sons and four daughters."
4. Dunboyne 1968, pp. 16–17: "Butler Family Tree condensed"
5. Burke 1949, p. 1540, left column, line 97: "John of Garryricken m. Frances, dau. of George Butler of Ballyragget, and has a son WALTER 16th EARL de jure ..."
6. Carrigan 1905, p. 319, line 10: "Christopher, born at Garryricken, January 18th, 1673. Having a vocation for the ecclesiastical state ..."
7. Carrigan 1905, p. 319, line 22: "Mary, married James Tobin of Kaemshinagh, Co. Tipperary."
8. Lodge 1789, p. 42, line 10: "Daughter ___, married to ___ Tobin of Cumpshinagh, Esq.;"
9. Lodge 1789, p. 42, line 14: "Frances to a Mr. Gould, merchant."
10. Lodge 1789, p. 42, line 15: "Lucy, to Sir Walter Butler of Poolestown, Bart."
11. Carrigan 1905, p. 319, line 26: "Helen, married Maurice FitzGerald of castle Ishen, Co. Cork."
12. Lodge 1789, p. 42, line 16: "___ to Maurice FitzGerald of castle Ishin in the county of Cork, Esq;"
13. Burke 1949, p. 1540, left column, line 90: "1a. Thomas of Kilcash, Col. of Foot in the service of JAMES II, m. Lady Margaret Burke (d. 19 July 1744), widow of Brian, Viscount Mogennis, of Iveagh ..."
14. Cokayne 1895, p. 153, line 9: "Thomas BUTLER of Kilcash afsd., by Margaret daughter of William (BOURKE) 7th EARL OF CLANRICARDE ..."
15. Debrett 1828, p. 642, line 23: "Thomas of Kilcash m. Margaret, eldest daughter of William, earl of Clanricarde and widow of Bryant Magennis, viscount Iveagh and d. 1738 ..."
16. Lodge 1789, p. 42, line 20: "Thomas Butler, of Kilcash, Esq. who succeeded his grandfather, was Colonel of a regiment of foot in the army of K. James, II.; and in 1696 married the Lady Margaret Burke, eldest daughter of William, earl of Clanrickard, widow of Bryan Magennis, viscount of Iveagh ..."
17. Carrigan 1905, p. 318, line 21: "... these townlands to be created the Manor of Garryrickin."
18. Brewer 1829, p. 424: "John Butler, Esq., the second son, was seated at Garryricken."
19. D'Alton 1855, p. 685: "Regiments of Infantry. Colonel Thomas Butler's"
20. Boulger 1911, p. 244: "There were made prisoners the Lord of Duleek, ... Colonel Thomas Butler of Kilcash ..."
21. Debrett 1828, p. 642: "Thomas of Kilcash m. Margaret, eldest daughter of William, earl of Clanricarde and widow of Bryant Magennis, viscount Iveagh and d. 1738...."
22. Mangan 1850, p. 197: "A Lament for Kilcash"
23. Lodge 1789, p. 42, line 27: "Richard, killed by a fall from his horse at Kilcash, in 1711."
24. Lodge 1789, p. 42, line 29: "Walter, who died, unmarried, of smallpox at the royal Academy at Paris."
25. Lodge 1789, p. 42, line 31: "John Butler of Kilcash, Esq., who succeeded to the estates of the Earl of Arran, and married in April 1763 the daughter of ..."
26. Lodge 1789, p. 42, line 38: "Daughter Mary, married to Bryan Cavenagh, of Borras in the county of Carlow, Esq. who left her a widow 22 April 1741 ..."
27. Lodge 1789, p. 42, line 41: "Honora, in November 1720, to Valentine, Lord Kenmare, and died of the smallpox in 1730, having two sons ... "
28. Lodge 1789, p. 43, line 6: "Hellen, first to Mr Esmond, brother to Sir Lawrence and John Esmond, Barts., who died 17 December 1736, by the accidental discharge of his gun when fowling; and secondly to Richard Butler of Westcourt, as before observed."
29. Lodge 1789, p. 43, line 10: "Margaret to George Matthew of Thurles, afterwards of Thomastown, Esq.; and died 30 July 1743, leaving one daughter, who died in 1752."
30. Lodge 1789, p. 43, line 13: "Catherine, became the third wife of James Mandeville, of Ballydyne in Tipperary, Esq.; and had no issue."
31. Cokayne 1895, p. 153, line 10: "... Walter BUTLER of Garryricken (who d. 1700) ..."
32. Smyth 1839, p. xiii, line 23: "George I. . [Accession] 1 August, 1714"

• Boulger, Demetrius Charles (1911), The Battle of the Boyne, London: Martin Secker
• Brewer, James Norris (1829), A History of Leinster: Embracing the beauties of Dublin, Wicklow, Wexford, Kilkenny &c. &c., London: J. S. Taylor & Co. (for Garryricken)
• Burke, Bernard (1949), A Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage of the British Empire (99th ed.), London: Burke's Peerage Ltd.
• Carrigan, Rev William (1905), The History and Antiquities of the Diocese of Ossory, 4, Dublin: Sealy Bryers & Walker
• Cokayne, George Edward (1895), The complete peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, extant, extinct, or dormant, 6 (1st ed.), London: George Bell and Sons – N to R (for Ormonde)
• D'Alton, John (1855), Illustrations, historical and genealogical, of King James's Irish army list, 1689, Dublin: Published by the author
• Debrett, John (1828), Peerage of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, 2 (17th ed.), London: F. C. and J. Rivington – Scotland and Ireland
• Dunboyne, Patrick Theobald Tower Butler, Baron (1968), Butler Family History (2nd ed.), Kilkenny: Rothe House
• Lodge, John (1789), The Peerage of Ireland, 4, Dublin: James Moore – Viscounts (for Butler, Viscount Mountgarret)
• Mangan, James Clarence (1850), The Poets and Poetry of Munster, Dublin: John O'Daly
• Smyth, Constantine (1839), Chronicle of the Law Officers of Ireland, London: Henry Butterworth (for Table of reigns)