Col. Piers Butler, of Duisk

Piers FitzThomas Butler was born ?? and died in 1601 in England. He was born illegitimately. [1]

Parents: son of Thomas Butler, 10th Earl of Ormonde. [1] His mother is not known.

Married:

1. before 1587 to Hon. Catherine Fleming, daughter of Thomas Fleming, 10th Lord Slane and Catherine Preston, before 1587.[1]

He received considerable estates from his father. [1] He lived at Duiske Abbey, Grange, Barrowmount, County Kilkenny, Ireland. [1]

Children of Piers FitzThomas Butler and Hon. Catherine Fleming:

1. Thomas Butler [2]
2. Elizabeth Butler [2]
3. Margaret Butler [2]
4. Ellen Butler [2]
5. Sir Edward Butler, 1st Viscount Galmoye [2] d. 1653
6. Jane Butler [3]
7. Richard Butler [2] b. c 1588

Links

• Piers FitzThomas Butler

Sources

1. [S47] Hugh Montgomery-Massingberd, editor, Burke's Irish Family Records (London, U.K.: Burkes Peerage Ltd, 1976), page 197. Hereinafter cited as Burke's Irish Family Records.
2. [S47] Hugh Montgomery-Massingberd, Burke's Irish Family Records.
3. [S37] Charles Mosley, editor, Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes (Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A.: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003), volume 1, page 1300. Hereinafter cited as Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 107th edition.

Citations

1. Burke's Irish Records, page 197.
2. Burke's Irish Records.
3. Burke's Peerage.

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From research of "The Butler Society" and Theobald Blake Butler:

1 of 12 illegitimate children of Thomas Butler, 10th Earl of Ormonde with various mistresses. ______________

From "The Butler Society": by permission of John Butler, Lord Dunboyne, 2011

Q408. BJ3#4 Piers Butler (d, 1601) of Duiske, Co. Kilkenny.

Clue: He was base son of Black Tom, 10th Earl of Ormond (d, 1614), but who was his mother? (per Dame Elizabeth Butler-Sloss, whose husband is an heir-general of this Piers).

Reply: Black Tom (b, c. 1531 and brought up a Protestant at Court) was in England until Nov. 1554. The Virgin Queen (b, 1533) is said to have called him her black husband. In any event, they became lifelong friends, as evidenced in moulded plaster and carven stone by her initials paired with his, the royal arms displayed with those of Butler and her portrait replicated in the motif of the carefully restored frieze, in the house he built at Carrick-on-Suir, Co. Tip; and in 1955 Blake Butler, who was no mean pincernalogist, wrote to me: "the story of their child existed in their lifetime and was repeated to this day (J.R.I.A.S. (1929), 41; Waterford Archaeol Soc., ii, 224; etc.)". This Piers (whose year of death was incorrectly given as 1603 in Carrigan, Ossory, ii, 297) must have been born before 1560 because he was granted a lease (of Duiske) as early as 2 Nov. 1580 (Irish Monastic Deeds, 271). As Blake Butler went on to observe, the extent to which Piers was favoured in his father's Will indicated his mother was someone of great importance; and Blake Butler managed to identify the mother of each of the dozen illegitimate children Black Tom is known to have had, except for two, viz: a daughter, Elles, and this Piers. Towards the end of 1553 the future Queen Elizabeth might have had the opportunity to conceive Piers. In the following Feb. she was said to be pregnant at Ashridge and, having gone to Woodstock, via Windsor, in May 1554, she spurned medical aid, with the brave words, "I am not minded to make any stranger privy to the state of my body, but commit it to God". Finally, after dining, 11 Dec. 1921, with Cora, widow of 9th Earl of Strafford (killed by a train, 1899), the 3rd Lord Oranmore & Browne troubled to note in his well-informed Journal that she then told him that her husband "was in waiting at Windsor when Holmes, the librarian, showed him a little packet of letters he had discovered in the library - they consisted of the charges made by Doctor, Midwife etc. for the confinement of Queen Elizabeth with letters from the Queen directing that the child should be sent to some place in Cornwall to be brought up with her two children, who were all to bear the name of Tudor - Holmes sent these letters to Queen Victoria to see and he told Lord Strafford that a few days afterwards he saw the Queen who told him that she had read the letters with great interest, but as they were of no historical interest (!) it would be better that they should be burnt. Accordingly she made him burn them in her presence" (quoted by kind permission of the present Lord Oranmore & Browne, via John Butler of Rotherfield, Sussex).

These extracts ( © John Butler 2003) are from Happy Families, a serial published since 1968 in The Journal of the Butler Society (Butler Journal = BJ). The serial is a continuing record of research into the genealogy of many different families named Butler. Genealogical theories may change. In the light of new research, addenda are published in subsequent issues of BJ. Users must ensure that they refer to the most recent information available. Happy Families was compiled by Lord Dunboyne for all the issues of BJ Volumes One, Two and Three, (BJv1#.., BJv2#.., BJv3#…) and by John Butler for BJ Volume Four (BJv4#…). It is by their permission that these extracts are made available on the Butler Society's web-site www.butler-soc.org solely for personal, not-for-profit, use by members of the Butler Society. WARNING - These extracts have been scanned and may contain errors and omissions. If in doubt, please consult the original Journal.

Old data

Previous data in profile is not supported by sources so has been moved to "old." 24 Jan 2011 EH.

Piers FitzThomas BUTLER of Duisk Died: 1601 Notes: Not shown by Burke. Father: Thomas Dubh BUTLER (10° E. Ormonde) Mother: Helen BARRY Married: Catherine FLEMING (dau. of Thomas Fleming) Children: 1. Edward BUTLER (1° V. Galmoy)