Joan Fitzgerald, Countess of Ormond, Countess of Desmond (

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

: ''Siobhán Nic Gearailt'') (died 1565), was an

noblewoman and heiress, a member of the

Old English Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlers in the mid-5th c ...

FitzGerald family, who were also known as the "Geraldines". She married three times. Her first husband was James Butler, 9th Earl of Ormond, who had been proposed as a bridegroom for

Anne Boleyn Anne Boleyn (; 1501 or 1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536, as the second wife of King Henry VIII. The circumstances of her marriage and of her execution by beheading for treason and other charges made her a key ...

in 1522 to settle a dispute over the Ormond title and estates. Her second was

Francis Bryan Sir Francis Bryan (about 1490 – 2 February 1550) was an English courtier and diplomat during the reign of Henry VIII. He was Chief Gentleman of the Privy chamber and Lord Justice of Ireland. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Bryan always ret ...

, a courtier and lord justice of Ireland. Her third was

Gerald FitzGerald, 14th Earl of Desmond Gerald FitzGerald, 14th Earl of Desmond ( – 1583), also counted as 15th or 16th, owned large part of the Irish province of Munster. In 1565 he fought the private Battle of Affane against his neighbours, the Butlers. After this, he was for so ...

. With her last marriage she brought a period of peace between the FitzGeralds of Desmond and the Butlers, who were hereditary enemies. After her death her widower resumed the old feud by attacking her son

Thomas Butler, 10th Earl of Ormond Thomas Butler, 10th Earl of Ormond and 3rd Earl of Ossory PC (Ire) (; – 1614), was an influential courtier in London at the court of Elizabeth I. He was Lord Treasurer of Ireland from 1559 to his death. He fought for the crown in th ...

. During her third marriage she carried on an amicable correspondence with Queen

Elizabeth I of England Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen". Eli ...

, who recognised Lady Desmond's skill in diplomacy, and relied upon her to restore and keep the precarious peace in southern Ireland.

Birth and origins

Joan was probably born in 1514 in Munster, Ireland. She was the only daughter and heiress of James fitz Maurice FitzGerald by his wife Amy O'Brien. Her father was

Earl of Desmond Earl of Desmond is a title in the peerage of Ireland () created four times. When the powerful Earl of Desmond took arms against Queen Elizabeth Tudor, around 1578, along with the King of Spain and the Pope, he was confiscated from his estates ...

. He is here numbered the 10th, following the second edition of

the Complete Peerage ''The Complete Peerage'' (full title: ''The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom Extant, Extinct, or Dormant''; first edition by George Edward Cokayne, Clarenceux King of Arms; 2nd edition rev ...

, but he is also numbered the 11th. Her father's family were the FitzGeralds of Desmond, a noble cadet branch of the Old English Geraldines, of which the FitzGeralds of

Kildare Kildare () is a town in County Kildare, Ireland. , its population was 8,634 making it the 7th largest town in County Kildare. The town lies on the R445, some west of Dublin – near enough for it to have become, despite being a regional ce ...

were the senior branch. Her mother was a daughter of Turlough O'Brien, a pre-reformation

bishop of Killaloe The Bishop of Killaloe ( ) is an episcopal title which takes its name after the town of Killaloe in County Clare, Ireland. In the Roman Catholic Church it remains a separate title, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with other bish ...

(died 1525 or 1526), who had not stayed celibate. Her mother's family were the O'Briens of Ara (

County Tipperary County Tipperary ( ga, Contae Thiobraid Árann) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. The county is named after the town of Tipperary, and was established in the early 13th century, shortly after t ...

), a cadet branch of the O'Briens,

kings of Thomond Kings or King's may refer to: *Monarchs: The sovereign heads of states and/or nations, with the male being kings *One of several works known as the "Book of Kings": **The Books of Kings part of the Bible, divided into two parts **The ''Shahnameh'' ...

. By her father, Joan had two younger illegitimate half-sisters who are listed in her father's article.

Father's feuds with neighbours

In the 1520s her father fought his neighbours, the lords of Muskerry in County Cork and the earls of Ormond in eastern Munster. He also quarrelled with his uncle Thomas fitz Thomas FitzGerald, called "the Bald", who sided with his enemies. In September 1520 or 1521 her father was defeated at the Battle of

Mourne Abbey Mourneabbey () is a small civil and Roman Catholic parish in the barony of Barretts, northwest County Cork, Ireland. The parish is situated just south of Mallow, on the main Mallow-Cork Road and Rail Line. The population of the parish is about ...

, south of

Mallow, County Cork Mallow (; ) is a town in County Cork, Ireland, approximately thirty-five kilometres north of Cork. Mallow is in the barony of Fermoy. It is the administrative centre of north County Cork, and the Northern Divisional Offices of Cork County Coun ...

, by the allied forces of Cormac Laidir MacCarthy, 9th Lord of Muskerry, and Thomas the Bald. In December, Muskerry, Thomas the Bald, and

Piers Butler, 8th Earl of Ormond Piers Butler, 8th Earl of Ormond, 1st Earl of Ossory (1539) also known as Red Piers (Irish ''Piers Ruadh''), was from the Polestown–– branch of the Butler family of Ireland. In the succession crisis at the death of Thomas Butler, 7th Earl ...

, besieged her father unsuccessfully in Dungarvan.

Inheritance

Joan FitzGerald's father, the 10th Earl, died on 18 June 1529. According to the

Dictionary of Irish Biography The ''Dictionary of Irish Biography'' (DIB) is a biographical dictionary of notable Irish people and people not born in the country who had notable careers in Ireland, including both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.Rathkeale, County Limerick, most likely in the Castle Matrix. However, according to older sources he died at Dingle and was buried at Tralee. As the only legitimate child, Joan FitzGerald was

heir general In English law, heirs of the body is the principle that certain types of property pass to a descendant of the original holder, recipient or grantee according to a fixed order of kinship. Upon the death of the grantee, a designated inheritance such ...

, but her granduncle Thomas the Bald, her father's enemy, was heir male and succeeded as 11th Earl of Desmond at the age of 75.

First marriage and children

Joan FitzGerald's first husband was James Butler. He was the eldest son of Piers Butler, who had been in a dispute with Thomas Boleyn, over the estate and title of Ormond after the 7th Earl had died without a son in 1515. Piers Butler had in 1522 proposed his son as bridegroom for

to settle the dispute. For reasons unknown, the marriage negotiations came to a halt, and Anne later married King

Henry VIII of England Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...

as his second wife. In 1528 Henry VIII forced Piers Butler to renounce the title of Earl of Ormond and to become Earl of Ossory instead. Joan FitzGerald's new husband was therefore already in the middle of his thirties when he eventually married her in 1530. Her dowry consisted of land in

along the boundary between the Desmond and the Ormond possessions, including the manors of Clonmel, Kilfeakle, and

Kilsheelan Kilsheelan () is a village and civil parish within the in the barony of Iffa and Offa East in County Tipperary, Ireland. It is also one half of the Roman Catholic parish of Kilsheelan & Kilcash in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Waterford and ...

. James and Joan had seven sons: # Thomas ( – 1614), Black Tom, succeeded as the 10th Earl of Ormond, married firstly Elizabeth Berkeley; secondly, Elizabeth Sheffield, by whom he had an only daughter Elizabeth Preston, Countess of Desmond; thirdly, Helen Barry # Edmund of Cloughgrenan (1534–1602), married Eleanor Eustace, by whom he had issue #

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...

of Kilcash (died 1570), married Katherine, daughter of Cormac na Haoine MacCarthy Reagh, 10th Prince of Carbery, by whom he had a son, Walter, 11th Earl of Ormond #Walter of Ballynodagh, became the ancestor of the Butlers of Nodstown # James of Duiske #Edward of Cloughinche, married Mary, second daughter of the

Richard Burke, 4th Earl of Clanricarde Richard Burke, 4th Earl of Clanricarde (also Richard de Burgh) (; ; ; ; 1572 – 12 November 1635) was an Irish nobleman and politician. He was the son of Ulick Burke, 3rd Earl of Clanricarde. Knighted in 1602 for his exploits as leader of th ...

, by whom he had issue #Piers of Grantstown After the dramatic fall of the Boleyns the earldom of Ormond reverted to her father-in-law in February 1538. On 26 August 1539 her husband succeeded as 9th Earl of Ormond and 2nd Earl of Ossory making her a double countess. On 17 October 1546 Ormond went to dine at Ely House in Holborn, London. He fell victim of a mass poisoning along with his steward and 16 of his servants, possibly at the instigation of Anthony St Leger, who was Lord Deputy of Ireland and a political opponent. Ormond died on 28 October, leaving Lady Ormond a young dowager countess in her thirties. Thomas, the heir, was only 15 years old and therefore became a ward of the king. She travelled to London to make sure the wardship would be handled gently. As a widow, she could legally act independently and she regained control of her

dowry A dowry is a payment, such as property or money, paid by the bride's family to the groom or his family at the time of marriage. Dowry contrasts with the related concepts of bride price and dower. While bride price or bride service is a payment ...

. She administrated her dowry and jointure and played a major role in the affairs of house Ormond.

Second marriage

In August 1548, she was persuaded to marry the English courtier and diplomat

. It is believed the marriage was a political maneuver to prevent Joan marrying her cousin, Gerald FitzGerald, heir to the

Earldom of Desmond Earl of Desmond is a title in the peerage of Ireland () created four times. When the powerful Earl of Desmond took arms against Queen Elizabeth Tudor, around 1578, along with the King of Spain and the Pope, he was confiscated from his estates, s ...

. Like her, Bryan had already been married once. His first wife had died childless in 1542. The union was not a happy one. Nonetheless, Lady Ormond claimed the customary right to keep a private army of gallowglasses in Kilkenny, which greatly annoyed

Edward Bellingham Sir Edward Bellingham (1506–1549) was an English soldier and lord deputy of Ireland. Life He was a son of Edward Bellingham of Erringham, Sussex, his mother being Jane Shelley of the Shelley family. After his father's death in 1511, he and h ...

, who had replaced St Leger as lord deputy of Ireland on 22 April 1548. The couple returned to Ireland in November 1549 and Bryan was appointed

Lord Justice of Ireland The Lords Justices (more formally the Lords Justices General and General Governors of Ireland) were deputies who acted collectively in the absence of the chief governor of Ireland (latterly the Lord Lieutenant) as head of the executive branch o ...

on 27 December 1549 replacing Bellingham. Due to his reputation as a rake and libertine at the English court, Sir Francis Bryan earned the nickname "Vicar of Hell". Joan is quoted as saying,

While I was a widow and not married oan Englishman, I defended and kept my own, or at the least, no man went about to defeat me of my right. Well is the woman unmarried; I am bade to hold my peace, and my husband shall have answer made unto him."

Bryan died suddenly on 2 February 1550, at Clonmel while travelling. Apparently he died at table after heavy drinking. Poisoning was suspected by some and a postmortem examination was held. While Bryan lay dying at Clonmel, Joan was allegedly out on a hunting expedition with her second cousin, Gerald FitzGerald. Lady Joan was prevailed upon to wait a year before marrying Gerald.

Third marriage

The precise date of her third marriage does not seem to be known. She did not wait long. Her third husband was her second cousin Gerald FitzGerald. The common ancestor was Thomas FitzGerald, 7th Earl of Desmond, great-grandfather to both. Gerald was the heir apparent of James FitzGerald, the reigning Earl of Desmond, numbered the 13th. She was about 41 while he was about 17. In 1551 her son Thomas was given livery of the Ormond estate. The marriage brought about a temporary peace in Ireland between the rival families of Butler and FitzGerald. On 14 October 1558 Gerald succeeded to the earldom becoming the 14th, 15th, or 16th Earl of Desmond depending on the numbering. This made Joan Countess of Desmond. She used her considerable talent for diplomacy to act as a "peacemaker" between her eldest son and her third husband.

Desmond–Ormond feud

Joan maintained a friendly correspondence with Queen Elizabeth I, who recognised her ability, and relied on her to restore and keep the precarious peace in Munster after her husband, allegedly tired of Joan's domination over him, broke the truce with her eldest son, Thomas, who had succeeded his father as Earl of Ormond. After the two factions began making raids against one another, Joan spent nearly two weeks journeying back and forth on horseback to arbitrate between the two enemy camps, before a tenuous peace was finally re-established in 1560.Kathy Lynn Emerson, ''A Who's Who of Tudor Women'' retrieved 13 January 2010 In 1562, her husband was sent to the Tower of London for his allegedly "insolent" behaviour before the Privy Council. Joan worked hard to persuade Queen Elizabeth to release him. She was eventually successful and her husband returned to Ireland in November 1563. In 1560 her intervention secured a peaceful outcome to a stand-off near Tipperary, known as "the battle that never was".

Death and timeline

Lady Desmond died on 2 January 1565 at Askeaton, County Limerick. She was buried at the Franciscan Friary of Askeaton. Following her death, the relationship between Dermond and Ormond deteriorated rapidly. On 8 February 1565 they fought the

Battle of Affane The Battle of Affane (Irish: ''Cath Áth Mheáin'') was fought in County Waterford, in south-eastern Ireland, in 1565, between the forces of the Fitzgerald Earl of Desmond and the Butler Earl of Ormond. The battle ended in the rout of the Desmo ...

where her Butler son took her widower captive. The ensuing

Desmond rebellions The Desmond Rebellions occurred in 1569–1573 and 1579–1583 in the Irish province of Munster. They were rebellions by the Earl of Desmond, the head of the Fitzmaurice/FitzGerald Dynasty in Munster, and his followers, the Geraldines an ...

earned her widower the sobriquet of "rebel earl" and ended with his forfeiture and killing in 1583.

Notes and references

Notes

Citations

Sources

* – 1534 to 1558 * * * * * * * * – D to F * – N to R * – Dacre to Dysart (for Desmond) * * – (Preview) * – (PDF downloadable from given URL) * – (Preview) * * – (for timeline) * – Document Preview * – Online abstract * * * * – "The bald", earl of Desmond * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Fitzgerald, Lady Joan 1565 deaths 16th-century births 16th-century Irish people 16th-century Irish women Joan Daughters of Irish earls Joan Irish countesses People from County Cork FitzGerald Women of the Tudor period Year of birth uncertain