![Duke of Leinster coa](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/94/Duke_of_Leinster_coa.png)
The FitzGerald/FitzMaurice Dynasty is a noble and aristocratic dynasty of
Cambro-Norman
Cambro-Normans ( la, Cambria; "Wales", cy, Normaniaid Cymreig; nrf, Nouormands Galles) were Normans who settled in southern Wales, and the Welsh Marches, after the Norman invasion of Wales, allied with their counterpart families who settled E ...
,
Anglo-Norman Anglo-Norman may refer to:
*Anglo-Normans, the medieval ruling class in England following the Norman conquest of 1066
* Anglo-Norman language
**Anglo-Norman literature
* Anglo-Norman England, or Norman England, the period in English history from 10 ...
and later
Hiberno-Norman origin. They have been
peers of Ireland since at least the 13th century, and are described in the
Annals of the Four Masters
The ''Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland'' ( ga, Annála Ríoghachta Éireann) or the ''Annals of the Four Masters'' (''Annála na gCeithre Máistrí'') are chronicles of medieval Irish history. The entries span from the Deluge, dated as 2,24 ...
as having become "
more Irish than the Irish themselves
"More Irish than the Irish themselves" ( ga, Níos Gaelaí ná na Gaeil féin, la, Hiberniores Hibernis ipsis) is a phrase used in Irish historiography to describe a phenomenon of cultural assimilation in late medieval Norman Ireland.
History
...
" or
Gaels
The Gaels ( ; ga, Na Gaeil ; gd, Na Gàidheil ; gv, Ny Gaeil ) are an ethnolinguistic group native to Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man in the British Isles. They are associated with the Gaelic languages: a branch of the Celtic langu ...
, due to assimilation with the native Gaelic aristocratic and popular culture. The dynasty has also been referred to as the Geraldines and Ireland's largest landowners. They achieved power through the conquest of large swathes of Irish territory by the sons and grandsons of
Gerald of Windsor
Gerald de Windsor (1075 – 1135), ''alias'' Gerald FitzWalter, was an Anglo-Norman lord who was the first Castellan of Pembroke Castle in Pembrokeshire (formerly part of the Kingdom of Deheubarth). Son of the first Constable of Windsor Castle, ...
(c. 1075 – 1135). Gerald of Windsor (
Gerald FitzWalter) was the first
Castellan
A castellan is the title used in Medieval Europe for an appointed official, a governor of a castle and its surrounding territory referred to as the castellany. The title of ''governor'' is retained in the English prison system, as a remnant o ...
of
Pembroke Castle
Pembroke Castle ( cy, Castell Penfro) is a medieval castle in the centre of Pembroke, Pembrokeshire in Wales. The castle was the original family seat of the Earldom of Pembroke. A Grade I listed building since 1951, it underwent major restorati ...
in Wales, and became the male progenitor of the
FitzMaurice
Fitzmaurice is a Hiberno-Norman, Cambro-Norman, Anglo-Norman surname. It is patronymic as the prefix '' Fitz-'' derives from the Latin'' filius'', meaning "son of".
According to Irish genealogist Edward MacLysaght:
Fitzmaurice is uncommon ...
and
FitzGerald
The FitzGerald/FitzMaurice Dynasty is a noble and aristocratic dynasty of Cambro-Norman, Anglo-Norman and later Hiberno-Norman origin. They have been peers of Ireland since at least the 13th century, and are described in the Annals of the ...
Dynasty ("fitz", from the
Anglo-Norman Anglo-Norman may refer to:
*Anglo-Normans, the medieval ruling class in England following the Norman conquest of 1066
* Anglo-Norman language
**Anglo-Norman literature
* Anglo-Norman England, or Norman England, the period in English history from 10 ...
''fils'' indicating "sons of" Gerald). His father,
Baron
Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knig ...
Walter FitzOther Walter FitzOther ( fl. 1086; died ''after'' 1099) was a feudal baron of Eton in Buckinghamshire (now in Berkshire) and was Constable of Windsor Castle in Berkshire (directly across the River Thames from Eton), a principal royal residence of Ki ...
, was the first
Constable and Governor of Windsor Castle
The Constable and Governor of Windsor Castle is in charge of Windsor Castle in England on behalf of the sovereign. The day-to-day operations are under the Superintendent, who is an officer of the Master of the Household's Department of the Roy ...
for
William the Conqueror
William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first House of Normandy, Norman List of English monarchs#House of Norman ...
, and was the Lord of 38 manors in England, 21 of which he owned as tenant-in-chief.
"Castle Dodd" (or Dod), of the Fitzgerald family, appears on a 1736 map of north County Cork.
The progenitor of the Irish FitzMaurices was a Cambro-Norman
Marcher Lord
A Marcher lord () was a noble appointed by the king of England to guard the border (known as the Welsh Marches) between England and Wales.
A Marcher lord was the English equivalent of a margrave (in the Holy Roman Empire) or a marquis (in F ...
named
Maurice FitzGerald, Lord of Lanstephan
Maurice FitzGerald, Lord of Maynooth, Naas, and Llanstephan (born: almost certainly not at Windsor Castle, more likely Carew in Wales c.1105 – September c.1176 Wexford, Ireland. He was a medieval Anglo-Norman baron and a major figure in the N ...
, who was married to a daughter of the Norman magnate
Arnulf de Montgomery, of the
House of Montgomery. A younger son of the Norman chieftain
Gerald FitzWalter of Windsor and of his wife, Princess
Nest ferch Rhys of the Welsh royal
House of Dinefwr
The Royal House of Dinefwr was a cadet branch of the Royal House of Gwynedd, founded by King Cadell ap Rhodri (reign 872–909), son of Rhodri the Great. Their ancestor, Cunedda Wledig, born in late Roman Britain, was a Sub-Roman warlord who ...
, he played an important part in the 1169
Norman invasion of Ireland
The Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland took place during the late 12th century, when Anglo-Normans gradually conquered and acquired large swathes of land from the Irish, over which the kings of England then claimed sovereignty, all allegedly sanc ...
. Gerald's Welsh wife Princess
Nest ferch Rhys (c. 1085 – before 1136) is the female progenitor of the FitzGeralds and FitzMaurices, daughter of
Rhys ap Tewdwr, last King of
Deheubarth
Deheubarth (; lit. "Right-hand Part", thus "the South") was a regional name for the realms of south Wales, particularly as opposed to Gwynedd (Latin: ''Venedotia''). It is now used as a shorthand for the various realms united under the House of ...
. The clan claim kinship with the
Tudors
The House of Tudor was a royal house of largely Welsh and English origin that held the English throne from 1485 to 1603. They descended from the Tudors of Penmynydd and Catherine of France. Tudor monarchs ruled the Kingdom of England and it ...
who descended from the same Welsh royal line. Consequently, the FitzMaurices and FitzGeralds are cousins to the Tudors (Tewdwrs) through Princess Nest and her Welsh family.
In his poetry,
Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey
Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey (1516/1517 – 19 January 1547), Order of the Garter, KG, was an English nobleman, politician and poet. He was one of the founders of English Renaissance poetry and was the last known person executed at the instan ...
, referred to
Elizabeth FitzGerald, Countess of Lincoln
Elizabeth FitzGerald, Countess of Lincoln (1527 – March 1590), also known as "The Fair Geraldine", was an Irish noblewoman and a member of the celebrated FitzGerald dynasty. She became the second wife of Sir Anthony Browne and later the third ...
, (1527–89) as "Fair Geraldine".
The main branches of the family are:
* The FitzMaurices and FitzGeralds of Kildare (
Earls of Kildare
Duke of Leinster (; ) is a title in the Peerage of Ireland and the premier dukedom in that peerage. The subsidiary titles of the Duke of Leinster are: Marquess of Kildare (1761), Earl of Kildare (1316), Earl of Offaly (1761), Viscount Leinster, ...
from 1316, later Marquesses of Kildare and from 1766
Dukes of Leinster
Duke of Leinster (; ) is a title in the Peerage of Ireland and the premier dukedom in that peerage. The subsidiary titles of the Duke of Leinster are: Marquess of Kildare (1761), Earl of Kildare (1316), Earl of Offaly (1761), Viscount Leinster, ...
and Premier Peers of Ireland). The current head is
Maurice FitzGerald, 9th Duke of Leinster
Maurice FitzGerald, 9th Duke of Leinster (born 7 April 1948), styled ''Earl of Offaly'' before 1976 and ''Marquess of Kildare'' between 1976 and 2004, is an Anglo-Irish nobleman and landscape designer.
The Duke is the highest-ranking member o ...
.
* The Fitzmaurices and FitzGeralds of Desmond (
Barons Desmond, later
Earls 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, ...
).
The FitzGerald dynasty has played a major role in Irish history.
Gearóid Mór, 8th Earl of Kildare and his son
Gearóid Óg, 9th Earl of Kildare, were
Lord Deputy of Ireland
The Lord Deputy was the representative of the monarch and head of the Irish executive (government), executive under English rule, during the Lordship of Ireland and then the Kingdom of Ireland. He deputised prior to 1523 for the Viceroy of Ireland ...
in the late-fifteenth and early-sixteenth centuries respectively.
Thomas FitzGerald, 10th Earl of Kildare
{{Infobox noble, type
, name = Thomas FitzGerald
, title = The Earl of Kildare
, image = Thomas FitzGerald, 10th Earl of Kildare.jpg
, caption =
, alt =
, CoA =
, ...
(died 1537), known as "Silken Thomas," led an unsuccessful insurrection in Ireland, while
Lord Edward FitzGerald
Lord Edward FitzGerald (15 October 1763 – 4 June 1798) was an Irish aristocrat who abandoned his prospects as a distinguished veteran of British service in the American War of Independence, and as an Irish Parliamentarian, to embrace the caus ...
(1763–1798), the fifth son of the first duke of Leinster, was a leading figure in the
1798 Rebellion
The Irish Rebellion of 1798 ( ga, Éirí Amach 1798; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ''The Hurries'') was a major uprising against British rule in Ireland. The main organising force was the Society of United Irishmen, a Irish republicanism, ...
. The present-day seat of the Irish Parliament
Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann ( , ; ) is the lower house, and principal chamber, of the Oireachtas (Irish legislature), which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann (the upper house).Article 15.1.2º of the Constitution of Ireland read ...
is housed in
Leinster House
Leinster House ( ga, Teach Laighean) is the seat of the Oireachtas, the parliament of Ireland. Originally, it was the ducal palace of the Dukes of Leinster. Since 1922, it is a complex of buildings, of which the former ducal palace is the core, ...
, which was first built in 1745–48 by
James FitzGerald, 1st Duke of Leinster
Lieutenant-General James FitzGerald, 1st Duke of Leinster, PC (Ire) (29 May 1722 – 19 November 1773), styled Lord Offaly until 1743 and known as The Earl of Kildare between 1743 and 1761 and as The Marquess of Kildare between 1761 and 17 ...
as the ducal palace for the Dukes of Leinster.
An example of the dynasty becoming "
more Irish than the Irish themselves
"More Irish than the Irish themselves" ( ga, Níos Gaelaí ná na Gaeil féin, la, Hiberniores Hibernis ipsis) is a phrase used in Irish historiography to describe a phenomenon of cultural assimilation in late medieval Norman Ireland.
History
...
" is
Gerald FitzGerald, 3rd Earl of Desmond
Gerald FitzMaurice FitzGerald (1335–1398), Webb, Alfred. A Compendium of Irish Biography'. Dublin: 1878. also known by the Irish Gaelic ''Gearóid Iarla'' (Earl Gerald), was the 3rd Earl of Desmond, in southwestern Ireland, under the first cre ...
(1335–1398), who was also known by the Irish Gaelic ''Gearóid Iarla'' (Earl Gerald).
[
Webb, Alfred. ]
A Compendium of Irish Biography
'. Dublin: 1878.
Although made
Lord Chief Justice of Ireland
The Court of King's Bench (or Court of Queen's Bench during the reign of a Queen) was one of the senior courts of common law in Ireland. It was a mirror of the Court of King's Bench in England. The Lord Chief Justice was the most senior judge i ...
in 1367,
Gerald wrote poetry in the
Irish language
Irish ( Standard Irish: ), also known as Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Insular Celtic branch of the Celtic language family, which is a part of the Indo-European language family. Irish is indigenous to the island of Ireland and was ...
, most famously the poem ''Mairg adeir olc ris na mnáibh''
("Speak not ill of womenkind"). Indeed, although an accomplished poet in Norman French,
Gerald was instrumental in the move by the Fitzmaurices and Fitzgeralds of Desmond toward greater use of the Irish language.
Etymology
The surname ''FitzGerald'' is a
patronymic
A patronymic, or patronym, is a component of a personal name based on the given name of one's father, grandfather (avonymic), or an earlier male ancestor.
Patronymics are still in use, including mandatory use, in many countries worldwide, alt ...
of the
Norman
Norman or Normans may refer to:
Ethnic and cultural identity
* The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries
** People or things connected with the Norm ...
form, ''
fitz
Fitz (pronounced "fits") was a patronymic indicator used in Anglo-Norman England to help distinguish individuals by identifying their immediate predecessors. Meaning "son of", it would precede the father's forename, or less commonly a title held b ...
'' meaning "son". "Fitz Gerald" thus means in
Old Norman
Old Norman, also called Old Northern French or Old Norman French ( fro, Ancien Normant, nrf, Ancien Normaund), was one of many varieties of the '' langues d'oïl'' native to northern France. It was spoken throughout the region of what is now call ...
and in
Old French
Old French (, , ; Modern French: ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France from approximately the 8th to the 14th centuries. Rather than a unified language, Old French was a linkage of Romance dialects, mutually intelligib ...
"son of
Gerald
Gerald is a male Germanic given name meaning "rule of the spear" from the prefix ''ger-'' ("spear") and suffix ''-wald'' ("rule"). Variants include the English given name Jerrold, the feminine nickname Jeri and the Welsh language Gerallt and Iri ...
". ''Gerald'' itself is a Germanic
compound
Compound may refer to:
Architecture and built environments
* Compound (enclosure), a cluster of buildings having a shared purpose, usually inside a fence or wall
** Compound (fortification), a version of the above fortified with defensive struct ...
of ''ger'', "spear", and ''waltan'', "rule". Variant spellings include ''Fitz-Gerald'' and the modern ''Fitzgerald''. The name can also appear as two separate words ''Fitz Gerald''.
Cambro-Norman origins
![Maurice FitzGerald, Lord Lanstephan](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a2/Maurice_FitzGerald%2C_Lord_Lanstephan.jpg)
The earliest recorded use of the
patronymic
A patronymic, or patronym, is a component of a personal name based on the given name of one's father, grandfather (avonymic), or an earlier male ancestor.
Patronymics are still in use, including mandatory use, in many countries worldwide, alt ...
FitzGerald is that of Raoul fitz Gerald le Chambellan, member of the
Tancarville family. Raoul was a Norman baron,
Chamberlain
Chamberlain may refer to:
Profession
*Chamberlain (office), the officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign or other noble figure
People
*Chamberlain (surname)
**Houston Stewart Chamberlain (1855–1927), German-British philosop ...
of Normandy, educator of the young
William
William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...
, future Conqueror of England, and father of William de
Tancarville
Tancarville () is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of northern France.
Geography
Tancarville is a farming village surrounded by woodland, by the banks of the river Seine in the Pays de Caux, some east of Le Havre ...
,
Earl of Tankerville
Earl of Tankerville is a noble title drawn from Tancarville in Normandy. The title has been created three times: twice in the Peerage of England, and once (in 1714) in the Peerage of Great Britain for Charles Bennet, 2nd Baron Ossulston. His f ...
and chief chamberlain of
Normandy
Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...
and England after the
Norman conquest
The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Norman, Breton, Flemish, and French troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the Conque ...
. The eponymous ancestor of the various FitzGerald branches, as well as of the
de Barry
The de Barry family is a noble family of Cambro-Norman origins which held extensive land holdings in Wales and Ireland. The founder of the family was a Norman Knight, Odo, who assisted in the Norman Conquest of England during the 11th century. ...
and FitzMaurice families, was
Gerald FitzWalter of Windsor. Gerald was a
Norman
Norman or Normans may refer to:
Ethnic and cultural identity
* The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries
** People or things connected with the Norm ...
adventurer who took part in the 1093 invasion of South Wales upon the death in battle of
Rhys ap Tewdwr, last king of South Wales. Gerald was the youngest son of another Norman adventurer,
Walter fitz Otho,
William the Conqueror
William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first House of Normandy, Norman List of English monarchs#House of Norman ...
's Constable for the strategic military fortress of
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire. It is strongly associated with the English and succeeding British royal family, and embodies almost a millennium of architectural history.
The original cast ...
, as well as the King's Keeper of the Forests of Berkshire.
Domesday Book
Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...
records Walter fitz Otho as tenant-in-chief of lands formerly held by conquered Englishmen in
Berkshire
Berkshire ( ; in the 17th century sometimes spelt phonetically as Barkeshire; abbreviated Berks.) is a historic county in South East England. One of the home counties, Berkshire was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II as the Royal County of Berk ...
, Buckinghamshire,
Hampshire
Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English citi ...
, and
Middlesex
Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, historic county in South East England, southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the Ceremonial counties of ...
. Walter's positions and most of his lands were inherited by Gerald's older brothers, Robert, Maurice, and William, the oldest, ancestor of the earls of
Plymouth
Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west.
Plymouth ...
, while Gerald inherited the estate of
Moulsford
Moulsford is a village and civil parish in South Oxfordshire. Before 1974 it was in the county of Berkshire, in Wallingford Rural District, but following the Berkshire boundary changes of that year it became a part of Oxfordshire. Moulsford is o ...
, now in
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the north west of South East England. It is a mainly rural county, with its largest settlement being the city of Oxford. The county is a centre of research and development, primarily ...
, near to
Wallingford, where his father owned a fortified house adjacent to those of other powerful Norman authorities.
The earliest record of the House of Gherardini of Ireland, represented by the FitzGeralds, can be traced back to the
Gherardini family
The Gherardinis of Montagliari (or Florence) are one of the most prominent historical Noble family from Tuscany, Italy. Through the Amidei, the family was of Roman descent. Between the 9th and 14th centuries, they played an important role in Tus ...
of Florence in the year 1413. A priest named Maurice Fitzgerald was of passage in
Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...
at that time with a Bishop, and has been able to enter in contact with one of his fellow kinsman who then introduced him to other members of the Gherardinis. As being part of the Gherardini family that dwelt in the island of Ireland, further exchanges were eventually done by the family to meet again. In a letter written in 1440 by the
Chancellor of Florence,
Leonardo Bruni
Leonardo Bruni (or Leonardo Aretino; c. 1370 – March 9, 1444) was an Italian humanist, historian and statesman, often recognized as the most important humanist historian of the early Renaissance. He has been called the first modern historian. H ...
, one of the associates of
Cosimo de' Medici
Cosimo di Giovanni de' Medici (27 September 1389 – 1 August 1464) was an Italian banker and politician who established the Medici family as effective rulers of Florence during much of the Italian Renaissance. His power derived from his wealth ...
, stipulated that Giovanni Betti di Gherardini, a representative of the family, was sent to Ireland to become acquainted with his other kinsmen from the Geraldines of Ireland, the
Earls of Kildare
Duke of Leinster (; ) is a title in the Peerage of Ireland and the premier dukedom in that peerage. The subsidiary titles of the Duke of Leinster are: Marquess of Kildare (1761), Earl of Kildare (1316), Earl of Offaly (1761), Viscount Leinster, ...
.
Confirmed as well in 1507 by the
Viceroy of Ireland
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (), or more formally Lieutenant General and General Governor of Ireland, was the title of the chief governor of Ireland from the Williamite Wars of 1690 until the Partition of Ireland in 1922. This spanned the Kingd ...
,
Gerald Fitzgerald, to Giovanni Manni, a Florentine merchant in passage to Ireland. His son, the
9th Earl of Kildare, was also known as Lord Garret, which translates as Lord Gherardini in italian, and was married to
Elizabeth Grey of the Royal
House of Grey
The House of Grey is an ancient English noble family from Creully in Normandy. The founder of the House of Grey was Anchetil de Greye, a Norman chevalier and vassal of William FitzOsbern, 1st Earl of Hereford, one of the few proven companions of W ...
, a granddaughter of Queen
Elizabeth Woodville
Elizabeth Woodville (also spelt Wydville, Wydeville, or Widvile;Although spelling of the family name is usually modernised to "Woodville", it was spelt "Wydeville" in contemporary publications by Caxton, but her tomb at St. George's Chapel, Wind ...
. A letter written in 1566 by Girolamo Fortini, who was married to a daughter of Antonio Gherardini from Florence, to his brother in London, also stated that the Earl of Kildare was of the same family.
Cristoforo Landino
Cristoforo Landino (1424 in Pratovecchio, Casentino, Florence – 24 September 1498 in Borgo alla Collina, Casentino) was an Italian humanist and an important figure of the Florentine Renaissance.
Biography
From a family with ties to the ...
, tutor of
Lorenzo de' Medici
Lorenzo di Piero de' Medici (; 1 January 1449 – 8 April 1492) was an Italian statesman, banker, ''de facto'' ruler of the Florentine Republic and the most powerful and enthusiastic patron of Renaissance culture in Italy. Also known as Lorenzo ...
, stated in his preface of the
Divine Comedy
The ''Divine Comedy'' ( it, Divina Commedia ) is an Italian narrative poem by Dante Alighieri, begun 1308 and completed in around 1321, shortly before the author's death. It is widely considered the pre-eminent work in Italian literature and ...
(Comedia) of the famous poet
Dante Alighieri
Dante Alighieri (; – 14 September 1321), probably baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri and often referred to as Dante (, ), was an Italian poet, writer and philosopher. His ''Divine Comedy'', originally called (modern Italian: '' ...
, that the descendants of Tommaso, Gherardo, and Maurizio Gherardini were the ancestors of the Earls of Kildare and
Earls 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, and went on to Conquer Ireland with the
King of England
The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the constitutional form of government by which a hereditary sovereign reigns as the head of state of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies (the Bailiw ...
. The English poet
Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey
Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey (1516/1517 – 19 January 1547), Order of the Garter, KG, was an English nobleman, politician and poet. He was one of the founders of English Renaissance poetry and was the last known person executed at the instan ...
, user of the sonnet form that would later be used by
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
, also referred to the ancestral seat of the Geraldines in
Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...
in his poem ''Description and praise of his love''.
Since the 15th century, the FitzGeralds and the Gherardinis are known to be in touch and to acknowledge their kinship. Recently, a cover story published by "Sette"; in 2014, the Italian weekly magazine of
Corriere della Sera
The ''Corriere della Sera'' (; en, "Evening Courier") is an Italian daily newspaper published in Milan with an average daily circulation of 410,242 copies in December 2015.
First published on 5 March 1876, ''Corriere della Sera'' is one of It ...
, an article was dedicated to the
Gherardini family
The Gherardinis of Montagliari (or Florence) are one of the most prominent historical Noble family from Tuscany, Italy. Through the Amidei, the family was of Roman descent. Between the 9th and 14th centuries, they played an important role in Tus ...
of Montagliari and their relationship with the FitzGerald Family as well as with the
Kennedy family
The Kennedy family is an American political family that has long been prominent in American politics, public service, entertainment, and business. In 1884, 35 years after the family's arrival from Ireland, Patrick Joseph "P. J." Kennedy be ...
. According to the magazine, the three families have maintained relationship among them even in recent times or in the past (for example with American President
John Fitzgerald Kennedy
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination i ...
).
Nest ferch Rhys ap Tewdwr was the daughter of the last king of South Wales by his wife, Gwladys ferch Rhiwallon ap Cynfyn of
Powys
Powys (; ) is a Local government in Wales#Principal areas, county and Preserved counties of Wales, preserved county in Wales. It is named after the Kingdom of Powys which was a Welsh succession of states, successor state, petty kingdom and princi ...
. Their grandchildren,
Maurice FitzGerald, Lord of Lanstephan
Maurice FitzGerald, Lord of Maynooth, Naas, and Llanstephan (born: almost certainly not at Windsor Castle, more likely Carew in Wales c.1105 – September c.1176 Wexford, Ireland. He was a medieval Anglo-Norman baron and a major figure in the N ...
,
Raymond le Gros
Raymond (or Redmond) Fitz William Fitz Gerald (died 1185–1198), nicknamed ''Le Gros'' ("the Large"), was a Cambro-Norman commander during the Norman invasion of Ireland. Raymond was among the first of a small band of Norman knights who l ...
and
Philip de Barry
Philip de Barry (fl. 1183), was a Cambro-Norman warrior from Manorbier in Pembrokeshire who participated in the colonisation of Kingdom of Desmond following the Norman invasion of Ireland. He was the founder of the Barry or De Barry family in Cou ...
were leaders in the
Norman invasion of Ireland
The Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland took place during the late 12th century, when Anglo-Normans gradually conquered and acquired large swathes of land from the Irish, over which the kings of England then claimed sovereignty, all allegedly sanc ...
. Nest's son by her second marriage,
Robert FitzStephen
Robert FitzStephen (died 1183) was a Cambro-Norman soldier, one of the leaders of the Norman invasion of Ireland, for which he was granted extensive lands in Ireland. He was a son of the famous Nest, daughter of Rhys ap Tewdwr, the last king of De ...
, was another participant, as was William de Hay, husband of one of Gerald's and Nest's granddaughters. Nest's grandson (through her son by
Henry I of England
Henry I (c. 1068 – 1 December 1135), also known as Henry Beauclerc, was King of England from 1100 to his death in 1135. He was the fourth son of William the Conqueror and was educated in Latin and the liberal arts. On William's death in ...
),
Meiler FitzHenry
Meiler FitzHenry (sometimes spelled Meilyr; died 1220) was a Cambro-Norman nobleman and Lord Chief Justice of Ireland during the Lordship of Ireland.
Background and early life
Meilyr FitzHenry was the son of Henry FitzHenry, an illegitimate son ...
, 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 ...
for his cousin,
Henry II. The most renowned of Gerald's and Nest's grandchildren,
Gerald of Wales
Gerald of Wales ( la, Giraldus Cambrensis; cy, Gerallt Gymro; french: Gerald de Barri; ) was a Cambro-Norman priest and English historians in the Middle Ages, historian. As a royal clerk to the king and two archbishops, he travelled widely and w ...
, gave an account of the Norman invasion, as well as lively and invaluable descriptions of Ireland and Wales in the late 12th century.
Major houses
House of Kildare
Lords of Offaly
*
Gerald FitzMaurice, 1st Lord of Offaly
Gerald FitzMaurice, jure uxoris 1st Lord of Offaly ( – 15 January 1204) was a Cambro-Norman nobleman who
took part with his father, Maurice FitzGerald, Lord of Llanstephan, in the Norman Invasion of Ireland (1169–71). Together with his five ...
(c. 1150–1204)
*
Maurice Fitzmaurice FitzGerald, 2nd Lord of Offaly (1194–1257), Justiciar of Ireland
*
Maurice FitzGerald, 3rd Lord of Offaly Maurice may refer to:
People
*Saint Maurice (died 287), Roman legionary and Christian martyr
*Maurice (emperor) or Flavius Mauricius Tiberius Augustus (539–602), Byzantine emperor
*Maurice (bishop of London) (died 1107), Lord Chancellor and Lo ...
(1238–1286), Justiciar of Ireland
Earls of Kildare
*
John FitzGerald, 1st Earl of Kildare
John FitzThomas (c. 1250 – d. 10 September 1316) was an Anglo-Norman in the Peerage of Ireland, as 4th Lord of Offaly from 1287 and subsequently as 1st Earl of Kildare from 1316.
Life
He was the eldest son of Thomas FitzMaurice (son of Mauri ...
(1250–1316), already 4th Lord of Offaly, was rewarded for serving
Edward I of England
Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he ruled the duchies of Aquitaine and Gascony as a vassa ...
in
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
*
Thomas FitzGerald, 2nd Earl of Kildare
Thomas FitzJohn, 2nd Earl of Kildare, Lord Offaly (died 9 April 1328) was a noble in the Peerage of Ireland who held the office of Lord Justice of Ireland.
The eldest son of John FitzGerald, 1st Earl of Kildare, Lord Offaly, by his spouse Blanch ...
(died 1328), younger (only surviving) son of the 1st Earl
**John FitzGerald (1314–1323), eldest son of the 2nd Earl, died in childhood
*
Richard FitzGerald, 3rd Earl of Kildare
Duke of Leinster (; ) is a title in the Peerage of Ireland and the premier dukedom in that peerage. The subsidiary titles of the Duke of Leinster are: Marquess of Kildare (1761), Earl of Kildare (1316), Earl of Offaly (1761), Viscount Leinster, ...
(1317–1329), second son of the 2nd Earl, died unmarried
*
Maurice FitzGerald, 4th Earl of Kildare
Maurice FitzThomas FitzGerald, 4th Earl of Kildare (1318 - 25 August 1390) was a prominent Irish nobleman in the Peerage of Ireland who held the office of Lord Justice of Ireland.
The second son of Thomas FitzGerald, 2nd Earl of Kildare by his ...
(1318–1390), third and youngest son of the 2nd Earl
*
Gerald FitzGerald, 5th Earl of Kildare
Gerald FitzMaurice FitzGerald, 5th Earl of Kildare (d. before 24 June 1428) was an Irish peer. Gerald was the son of Maurice FitzGerald, 4th Earl of Kildare and Elizabeth Burghersh.
Career
Gerald served as Justiciar of Ireland in 1405. In 1407 h ...
(died 1410), a son of the 4th Earl
**''The 5th Earl had sons, but they presumably predeceased him''
*
John FitzGerald, 6th Earl of Kildare (''
de jure
In law and government, ''de jure'' ( ; , "by law") describes practices that are legally recognized, regardless of whether the practice exists in reality. In contrast, ("in fact") describes situations that exist in reality, even if not legally ...
''; d. 1427), a younger son of the 4th Earl
*
Thomas FitzGerald, 7th Earl of Kildare
Thomas FitzJohn FitzGerald, 7th Earl of Kildare ( – 25 March 1477), was an Irish peer and statesman of the fifteenth century who held the office of Lord Chancellor of Ireland.
Background
Kildare was the son of John Fitzmaurice FitzGerald, 6th ...
(died 1478), son of the 6th Earl
*
Gerald FitzGerald, 8th Earl of Kildare
Gerald FitzGerald, 8th Earl of Kildare KG (born – ), known variously as "Garret the Great" (Gearóid Mór) or "The Great Earl" (An tIarla Mór), was Ireland's premier peer. He served as Lord Deputy of Ireland from 1477 to 1494, and from 149 ...
(c. 1456–1513), "The Great Earl", eldest son of the 7th earl.
*
Gerald FitzGerald, 9th Earl of Kildare
Gerard FitzGerald, 9th Earl of Kildare (1487 – 12 December 1534; Irish: ''Gearóid Óg Mac Gearailt'', meaning "Young Gerald FitzGerald"), was a leading figure in 16th-century Irish History. In 1513 he inherited the title of Earl of Kildare an ...
(1487–1534), "Young Gerald", eldest son of the 8th earl
![Silken-Thomas-attack-Dublin-Castle](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/33/Silken-Thomas-attack-Dublin-Castle.gif)
*
Thomas FitzGerald, 10th Earl of Kildare
{{Infobox noble, type
, name = Thomas FitzGerald
, title = The Earl of Kildare
, image = Thomas FitzGerald, 10th Earl of Kildare.jpg
, caption =
, alt =
, CoA =
, ...
(died 1537), "Silken Thomas", eldest son of the 9th earl, led an insurrection in Ireland and his honours were forfeit, and he died unmarried
*
Gerald FitzGerald, 11th Earl of Kildare
Gerald is a male Germanic given name meaning "rule of the spear" from the prefix ''ger-'' ("spear") and suffix ''-wald'' ("rule"). Variants include the English given name Jerrold, the feminine nickname Jeri and the Welsh language Gerallt and Iri ...
(1525–1585), the "Wizard Earl", second son of the 9th earl, was given a new creation in 1554, then restored to his brother's honours in 1569
*
Henry FitzGerald, 12th Earl of Kildare
Henry FitzGerald, 12th Earl of Kildare (1562 – 30 September 1597) was an Irish peer and soldier.
Background
Kildare was the second son of Gerald FitzGerald, 11th Earl of Kildare and Mabel Browne. cites His eldest brother died in 1580, and Hen ...
(1562–1597), second son of the 11th earl, died without male issue
*
William FitzGerald, 13th Earl of Kildare
William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...
(died 1599), third and youngest son of the 11th earl, died unmarried
*
Gerald FitzGerald, 14th Earl of Kildare
Gerald FitzGerald, 14th Earl of Kildare (died 11 February 1612) was an Irish peer. Much of his adult life was dominated by litigation with relatives over the Kildare inheritance.
Background
Lord Kildare was the son of Edward FitzGerald, younger ...
(died 1612), elder son of Edward, himself third and youngest son of the 9th earl.
*
Gerald FitzGerald, 15th Earl of Kildare
Duke of Leinster (; ) is a title in the Peerage of Ireland and the premier dukedom in that peerage. The subsidiary titles of the Duke of Leinster are: Marquess of Kildare (1761), Earl of Kildare (1316), Earl of Offaly (1761), Viscount Leinster, ...
(1611–1620), only son of the 14th earl, died in childhood
*
George FitzGerald, 16th Earl of Kildare
George FitzGerald, 16th Earl of Kildare (23 January 1612 – 29 May 1660) was known as the "Fairy Earl", apparently for no other reason than that his portrait, which is extant, was painted on a small scale."
Biography
FitzGerald was the son of T ...
(1612–1660), a son of Thomas, himself younger brother of the 14th earl
*
Wentworth FitzGerald, 17th Earl of Kildare
Wentworth FitzGerald, 17th Earl of Kildare PC (I) (1634 – 5 March 1664), styled Lord Offaly until 1660, was an Irish politician who sat in the House of Commons of England in 1660 and from 1661 sat in the Irish House of Lords.
Background
Ki ...
(1634–1664), elder son of the 16th earl
*
John FitzGerald, 18th Earl of Kildare
John FitzGerald, 18th Earl of Kildare (1661 – 9 November 1707), styled Lord Offaly until 1664, was an Irish peer.
Background
Kildare was the son of Wentworth FitzGerald, 17th Earl of Kildare, and Lady Elizabeth, daughter of John Holles, 2nd Ea ...
(1661–1707), only son of the 17th earl, died without surviving issue
**Henry FitzGerald, Lord Offaly (1683–1684), only son of the 18th earl, died in infancy
*
Robert FitzGerald, 19th Earl of Kildare
Robert FitzGerald, 19th Earl of Kildare PC (Ire) (4 May 1675 – 20 February 1743), known as Robert FitzGerald until 1707, was an Irish peer.
Background
Kildare was the son of the Hon. Robert FitzGerald, younger son of George FitzGerald, 16th Ea ...
(1675–1744), only son of Robert, himself younger son of the 16th earl
*
James FitzGerald, 20th Earl of Kildare (1722–1773) was created Marquess of Kildare in 1761.
*
Lettice FitzGerald, 1st Baroness Offaly
Lettice FitzGerald, 1st Baroness Offaly (c. 1580 – 1 December 1658) was an Irish noblewoman and a member of the FitzGerald dynasty. Although she became heiress-general to the Earls of Kildare on the death of her father, the title instead ...
, ''suo jure'' Baroness Offaly (1580–1658)
*
Lord Edward FitzGerald
Lord Edward FitzGerald (15 October 1763 – 4 June 1798) was an Irish aristocrat who abandoned his prospects as a distinguished veteran of British service in the American War of Independence, and as an Irish Parliamentarian, to embrace the caus ...
(1763–1798), Irish aristocrat and revolutionary.
*
Lady Edward FitzGerald
Stéphanie Caroline Anne Syms, Lady Edward FitzGerald (9 November 1831) was the wife of Lord Edward FitzGerald, the radical revolutionary and leading United Irishman, and was herself an enthusiastic supporter of Irish independence, scarcely less ce ...
, known as "Pamela" (c. 1773–1831), wife of Lord Edward FitzGerald.
Marquesses of Kildare (1761)
*
James FitzGerald, 1st Marquess of Kildare (1722–1773) was created Duke of Leinster in 1766
Dukes of Leinster, second Creation (1766)
:''Other titles: Marquesse of Kildare (1761), Earl of Kildare (1316), Earl of Offaly (1761), Viscount Leinster, of Taplow in the County of Buckingham (GB 1747) and
Lord of Offaly (c. 1193–?)''
*
James FitzGerald, 1st Duke of Leinster
Lieutenant-General James FitzGerald, 1st Duke of Leinster, PC (Ire) (29 May 1722 – 19 November 1773), styled Lord Offaly until 1743 and known as The Earl of Kildare between 1743 and 1761 and as The Marquess of Kildare between 1761 and 17 ...
(1722–1773), elder son of the 19th earl
*
William FitzGerald, 2nd Duke of Leinster
William Robert FitzGerald, 2nd Duke of Leinster, KP, PC (Ire) (12/13 March 1749 – 20 October 1804) was an Irish liberal politician and landowner. He was born in London.
Career
FitzGerald made his Grand Tour between 1768 and 1769. During th ...
(1749–1804), second son of the 1st duke
**George FitzGerald, Marquess of Kildare (1783–1784), eldest son of the 2nd duke, died in infancy
*
Augustus FitzGerald, 3rd Duke of Leinster
Augustus Frederick FitzGerald, 3rd Duke of Leinster, etc. (21 August 1791 – 10 February/October 1874) was an Anglo-Irish peer and freemason, styled Marquess of Kildare from birth until 1804. He was born and died in Carton House. FitzGer ...
(1791–1874), second son of the 2nd duke
:''Other titles (4th Duke onwards): Baron Kildare (UK 1870)''
*
Charles FitzGerald, 4th Duke of Leinster
Charles William FitzGerald, 4th Duke of Leinster, (30 March 1819 – 10 February 1887), styled Marquess of Kildare until 1874, was an Anglo-Irish peer and politician.
Background
Leinster was born in Dublin, Ireland. He was the son of Augustus ...
(1819–1887), eldest son of the 3rd duke
*
Gerald FitzGerald, 5th Duke of Leinster
Gerald FitzGerald, 5th Duke of Leinster (16 August 1851 – 1 December 1893) was an Anglo-Irish peer.
Biography
Leinster was born in Dublin, Ireland, the son of The 4th Duke of Leinster and Lady Caroline Sutherland-Leveson-Gower.
He married L ...
(1851–1893), eldest son of the 4th duke
*
Maurice FitzGerald, 6th Duke of Leinster
Maurice FitzGerald, 6th Duke of Leinster (1 March 1887 – 4 February 1922), was the eldest son of the 5th Duke of Leinster and his wife, the former Lady Hermione Wilhelmina Duncombe, a daughter of The 1st Earl of Feversham.
Biography
Born ...
(1887–1922), eldest son of the 5th duke, died unmarried
*
Edward FitzGerald, 7th Duke of Leinster
Edward FitzGerald, 7th Duke of Leinster, etc. (6 May 1892 – 8 March 1976), known as Lord Edward FitzGerald before 1922, was Ireland's Premier Peer of the Realm.
Life
Leinster was the youngest of the three sons born to Gerald, 5th Duke of L ...
(1892–1976), third and youngest son of the 5th duke
*
Gerald FitzGerald, 8th Duke of Leinster
Gerald FitzGerald, 8th Duke of Leinster (27 May 1914 – 3 December 2004) was the premier Duke, Marquess and Earl in the Peerage of Ireland.
Early life
Gerald FitzGerald was the only child of Edward FitzGerald, 7th Duke of Leinster, and his f ...
(1914–2004), only legitimate son of the 7th duke
*
Maurice FitzGerald, 9th Duke of Leinster
Maurice FitzGerald, 9th Duke of Leinster (born 7 April 1948), styled ''Earl of Offaly'' before 1976 and ''Marquess of Kildare'' between 1976 and 2004, is an Anglo-Irish nobleman and landscape designer.
The Duke is the highest-ranking member o ...
(born 1948), elder son of the 8th duke
**
Thomas FitzGerald, Earl of Offaly
Thomas FitzGerald, Earl of Offaly (12 January 1974 – 9 May 1997), styled The Hon. Thomas FitzGerald before 1976 and as Earl of Offaly between 1976 and 1997, was the only son of Maurice, Marquess of Kildare (now the 9th Duke of Leinster).
I ...
(1974–1997), only son of the 9th duke, died unmarried in a
road traffic collision
**The
heir presumptive
An heir presumptive is the person entitled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of an heir apparent or a new heir presumptive with a better claim to the position in question.
...
is the 9th Duke's nephew Edward FitzGerald (born 1988), being the son of the present Duke's deceased younger brother
Lord John FitzGerald
Lord John FitzGerald (3 March 1952 – 3 August 2015), was an Irish nobleman, British Army officer, racehorse trainer, and horseracing administrator.
Lord John was the second son of Gerald, 8th Duke of Leinster, and his second wife, Anne, daugh ...
(1952 - 2015)
House of Desmond
The line of the Earls of Desmond has been extinct since the 17th century. Their branch of the dynasty continues only in their distant collateral kinsmen, Ireland's hereditary knights (for whom see section below).
Barons Desmond (1259)
*
John FitzThomas, 1st Baron Desmond
John FitzThomas, 1st Baron Desmond (died 1261) was the son of Thomas Fitzmaurice, Lord OConnello by his wife Ellinor, daughter of Jordan de Marisco, and sister of Geoffrey de Marisco, who was appointed justiciar of Ireland in 1215.Cokayne, ...
(died 1261) son of
Thomas FitzMaurice, Lord OConnello
*
Thomas FitzMaurice FitzGerald, 2nd Baron Desmond (died 1298) (grandson of preceding)
*
Thomas FitzThomas FitzGerald, 3rd Baron Desmond (1290–1307) (son of preceding)
*
Maurice FitzThomas FitzGerald, 4th Baron Desmond (died 1356) (brother of preceding; created earl of Desmond in 1329)
Earls of Desmond, First creation (1329)
![Carrigafoyle Castle Ireland](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/Carrigafoyle_Castle_Ireland.jpg)
*
Maurice FitzGerald, 1st Earl of Desmond
Maurice FitzThomas FitzGerald, 1st Earl of Desmond (died 25 January 1356) in Dublin Castle, Dublin, Ireland was an Irish nobleman in the Peerage of Ireland, Captain of Desmond Castle in Kinsale, so-called ruler of Munster, and for a short time ...
(died 1356) (new creation)
*
Maurice FitzGerald, 2nd Earl of Desmond
Maurice FitzMaurice FitzGerald, 2nd Earl of Desmond (d. 1358) (Maurice Óg) was the son of Maurice FitzGerald, 1st Earl of Desmond, Burke, Bernard, A Genealogical History of the Dormant, Abeyant, Forfeited, and Extinct Peerages of the British Emp ...
(1336–1358) (son of preceding)
*
Gerald FitzGerald, 3rd Earl of Desmond
Gerald FitzMaurice FitzGerald (1335–1398), Webb, Alfred. A Compendium of Irish Biography'. Dublin: 1878. also known by the Irish Gaelic ''Gearóid Iarla'' (Earl Gerald), was the 3rd Earl of Desmond, in southwestern Ireland, under the first cre ...
(died 1398) (half-brother of preceding)
*
John FitzGerald, 4th Earl of Desmond
John FitzGerald, 4th Earl of Desmond (died 1399) was the son of Gerald FitzGerald, 3rd Earl of Desmond. Burke, Bernard, A Genealogical History of the Dormant, Abeyant, Forfeited, and Extinct Peerages of the British Empire'. London: Harrison. 186 ...
(died 1399) (son of preceding)
*
Thomas FitzGerald, 5th Earl of Desmond
Thomas FitzGerald, 5th Earl of Desmond (c. 1386– 1420), was the only son of John FitzGerald, 4th Earl of Desmond. Upon John's death in 1399, Thomas succeeded to the earldom of Desmond, which lay in Munster, in the southwest of Ireland.
In ...
(c. 1386–1420) (son of preceding)
*
James FitzGerald, 6th Earl of Desmond
James FitzGerald, 6th Earl of Desmond (d. 1462), called 'the Usurper', was a younger son of Gerald FitzGerald, 3rd Earl of Desmond, and Lady Eleanor, daughter of James Butler, 2nd Earl of Ormond.
Life
The younger brother of John FitzGerald, 4 ...
(died 1463) (the "Usurper," paternal uncle of preceding)
*
Thomas FitzGerald, 7th Earl of Desmond
Thomas FitzJames FitzGerald, 7th Earl of Desmond (died 1467/68), called 'Thomas of Drogheda', and also known as the Great Earl, was the son of James FitzGerald, 6th Earl of Desmond and Mary de Burgh.
He was Lord Deputy of Ireland under the Lieute ...
(died 1468) (son of preceding)
*
James FitzGerald, 8th Earl of Desmond
James FitzGerald, 8th Earl of Desmond (1459– 1487) was the son of Thomas FitzGerald, 7th Earl of Desmond and his wife, Ellice de Barry, daughter of William Barry, 8th Baron Barry, and Ellen de la Roche.
Life
The execution of the 7th Earl ...
(1459–1487) (son of preceding)
*
Maurice FitzGerald, 9th Earl of Desmond
Maurice FitzGerald, 9th Earl of Desmond (died 1520) was the brother of James FitzGerald, 8th Earl of Desmond.Cokayne, George Edward, Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct, or D ...
(died 1520) (brother of preceding)
*
James FitzGerald, 10th Earl of Desmond
James fitz Maurice FitzGerald, 10th Earl of Desmond (died 1529), also counted as the 11th, plotted against King Henry VIII with King Francis I of France in 1523 and with Emperor Charles V in 1528 and 1529.
Birth and origins
James was bor ...
(died 1529) (son of preceding)
*
Thomas FitzGerald, 11th Earl of Desmond (1454–1534) (paternal uncle of preceding)
*
John FitzGerald, de facto 12th Earl of Desmond
John FitzGerald, de facto 12th Earl of Desmond (died December 1536) was the brother of Thomas FitzGerald, 11th Earl of Desmond. Upon his brother's death in 1534, John disputed the title to the earldom of his brother's grandson, James FitzGer ...
(died 1536) (brother of preceding, paternal granduncle of
James FitzGerald, de jure 12th Earl of Desmond
James is a common English language surname and given name:
*James (name), the typically masculine first name James
* James (surname), various people with the last name James
James or James City may also refer to:
People
* King James (disambiguat ...
)
*
James FitzGerald, de jure 12th Earl of Desmond
James is a common English language surname and given name:
*James (name), the typically masculine first name James
* James (surname), various people with the last name James
James or James City may also refer to:
People
* King James (disambiguat ...
(died 1540) (grandson of
Thomas FitzGerald, 11th Earl of Desmond, grandnephew of
John FitzGerald, de facto 12th Earl of Desmond
John FitzGerald, de facto 12th Earl of Desmond (died December 1536) was the brother of Thomas FitzGerald, 11th Earl of Desmond. Upon his brother's death in 1534, John disputed the title to the earldom of his brother's grandson, James FitzGer ...
)
*
James FitzGerald, 13th Earl of Desmond
James fitz John FitzGerald, 13th Earl of Desmond (died 1558), also counted as the 14th, ruled 22 years, the first 4 years as ''de facto'' earl until the death of James FitzGerald, de jure 12th Earl of Desmond, called court page, who was murder ...
(died 1558) (son of
John FitzGerald, de facto 12th Earl of Desmond
John FitzGerald, de facto 12th Earl of Desmond (died December 1536) was the brother of Thomas FitzGerald, 11th Earl of Desmond. Upon his brother's death in 1534, John disputed the title to the earldom of his brother's grandson, James FitzGer ...
)
*
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 som ...
(c. 1533–1583) (son of preceding; forfeit 1582)
16th Earl of Desmond, appointed by Hugh O'Neill (1598–1601)
*
James FitzThomas FitzGerald
James fitz Thomas FitzGerald, called the Súgán Earl (died 1608), was a pretender to the Earl of Desmond, Earldom of Desmond who made his claim and led a rebellion after the last earl, Gerald FitzGerald, 14th Earl of Desmond had been killed in ...
the ''Sugán Earl'', died in
Tower of London
The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is separa ...
c.1607
Earls of Desmond, Second creation (1600)
*
James FitzGerald, 1st Earl of Desmond
James FitzGerald (c. 1570 – November 1601), an Irish nobleman, was the successor of Gerald FitzGerald, 14th Earl of Desmond. He assumed the title of Earl of Desmond, which had been suppressed in 1582 after the Desmond Rebellions. He spent muc ...
(1571–1601) (known as the "Tower Earl of Desmond")
Lords of Decies
*
Gerald Fitzgerald, 3rd Lord Decies
Sir Gerald Fitzgerald, 3rd Lord Decies was the son of John Fitzgerald and Ellen, daughter of Maurice FitzGibbon, the White Knight.
The Decies property was originally a part of the Desmond estate until James, the 8th Earl of Desmond, bequeathed to ...
FitzMaurice of Kerry
The closely related FitzMaurice Barons and later
Earls of Kerry
Baron Kerry is an ancient title in the Peerage of Ireland named after County Kerry. It was created circa 1223 for Thomas FitzMaurice, Lord OConnello.
In 1325, Maurice FitzMaurice, 4th Baron Kerry, murdered Diarmaid Óg MacCarthy (son of Corma ...
continue in the male line with the current Petty-FitzMaurice
Marquesses of Lansdowne
Marquess of Lansdowne is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain created in 1784, and held by the head of the Petty-Fitzmaurice family. The first Marquess served as Prime Minister of Great Britain.
Origins
This branch of the Fitzmaurice family ...
, but they descend from
John FitzGerald, 1st Baron Desmond
John FitzThomas, 1st Baron Desmond (died 1261) was the son of Thomas Fitzmaurice, Lord OConnello by his wife Ellinor, daughter of Jordan de Marisco, and sister of Geoffrey de Marisco, who was appointed justiciar of Ireland in 1215.Cokayne, G ...
's nephew, Thomas FitzMaurice, 1st Baron of Kerry, son of his brother Maurice FitzThomas. Thus in fact they represent a "sister" branch to the FitzGeralds of Desmond. However this technically makes them slightly closer to the FitzGeralds of Desmond than either are to the Offaly-Kildare-Leinster Geraldines, represented by the modern
Dukes of Leinster
Duke of Leinster (; ) is a title in the Peerage of Ireland and the premier dukedom in that peerage. The subsidiary titles of the Duke of Leinster are: Marquess of Kildare (1761), Earl of Kildare (1316), Earl of Offaly (1761), Viscount Leinster, ...
, who descend from
Gerald FitzMaurice, 1st Lord of Offaly
Gerald FitzMaurice, jure uxoris 1st Lord of Offaly ( – 15 January 1204) was a Cambro-Norman nobleman who
took part with his father, Maurice FitzGerald, Lord of Llanstephan, in the Norman Invasion of Ireland (1169–71). Together with his five ...
, uncle of the 1st Baron Desmond.
Hereditary knights
These three
hereditary knighthood
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...
s were created for their kinsmen by the Earls of Desmond, acting as
Earls Palatine
In England, Wales and Ireland a county palatine or palatinate was an area ruled by a hereditary nobleman enjoying special authority and autonomy from the rest of a kingdom. The name derives from the Latin adjective ''palātīnus'', "relating t ...
.
*
Knight of Kerry
Knight of Kerry (), also called The Green Knight, is one of three Hiberno-Norman hereditary knighthoods, all of which existed in Ireland since feudal times. The other two were The White Knight (surname fixed as Fitzgibbon), being dormant sinc ...
(Green Knight) – the holder is Sir
Adrian FitzGerald, 6th Baronet of Valencia, 24th Knight of Kerry. He is also a
Knight of Malta, and President of the Irish Association of the
Sovereign Military Order of Malta
The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta ( it, Sovrano Militare Ordine Ospedaliero di San Giovanni di Gerusalemme, di Rodi e di Malta; ...
.
*
Knight of Glin
The Knight of Glin (; dormant 14 September 2011), also known as the Black Knight or Knight of the Valley, was a hereditary title held by the FitzGerald and FitzMaurice families of County Limerick, Ireland, since the early 14th century. The fam ...
(Black Knight) – dormant (from 2011), after the death of
.
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White Knight (Fitzgibbon family)
The White Knight is one of three Anglo-Norman hereditary knighthoods within Ireland dating from the medieval period. The title was first conferred upon Maurice Fitzgibbon in the early 14th century. The other two knighthoods are Fitzgerald: Knight ...
– dormant (from 1611), after the death of Maurice Oge Fitzgibbon, 12th White Knight.
Legacy
![Flag of the United Kingdom](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ae/Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg)
According to the 1890 Matheson report, Fitzgerald/FitzGerald was the 36th most common surname in Ireland.
Fitzgerald/FitzGerald is the 692nd most frequent surname in the United Kingdom.
[ ] The surname occurs most frequently in the following ten counties, in descending order, with the number of occurrences in parentheses: "1. Greater London, (500), Greater Manchester (191), West Midlands (176), Lancashire (130), Kent (118), Essex (117), West Yorkshire (113), Merseyside (108), Hampshire (84), and Surrey (76)."
"Fitzgerald" (including "FitzGerald," as the survey was not case-sensitive),
was the 390th most common surname in the 2000
United States Census.
73,522 Fitzgeralds were counted, with 27.25 Fitzgeralds per 100,000 members of the population.
Respondents surnamed Fitzgerald had self-reported ethnicities of 88.03% non-Hispanic white only, 8.44% non-Hispanic black only, 0.32% non-Hispanic Asian or Pacific Islander only, 1.28% non-Hispanic Asian only, 1.43% of two or more non-Hispanic races, and 1.43% Hispanic.
The FitzGerald dynasty was the subject of a poem calle
"The Geraldines"by
Thomas Osborne Davis, the chief organizer and poet of the nationalist
Young Ireland
Young Ireland ( ga, Éire Óg, ) was a political movement, political and cultural movement, cultural movement in the 1840s committed to an all-Ireland struggle for independence and democratic reform. Grouped around the Dublin weekly ''The Nati ...
movement. The ill-fated romance of
Thomas FitzGerald, 5th Earl of Desmond
Thomas FitzGerald, 5th Earl of Desmond (c. 1386– 1420), was the only son of John FitzGerald, 4th Earl of Desmond. Upon John's death in 1399, Thomas succeeded to the earldom of Desmond, which lay in Munster, in the southwest of Ireland.
In ...
with Catherine MacCormac was the subject of the air "Desmond's Song" by the Irish poet
Thomas Moore
Thomas Moore (28 May 1779 – 25 February 1852) was an Irish writer, poet, and lyricist celebrated for his ''Irish Melodies''. Their setting of English-language verse to old Irish tunes marked the transition in popular Irish culture from Irish ...
.
Saint Patrick's Saltire
Saint Patrick's Saltire or Saint Patrick's Cross is a red saltire (X-shaped cross) on a white field. In heraldic
Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related d ...
, sometimes used to represent Ireland in modern flags, may have derived from the arms of the Geraldines.
The in the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
is named for Lieutenant
William Charles Fitzgerald
William "Bill" C. Fitzgerald (January 28, 1938 – August 7, 1967) was a United States Navy officer who was killed in action during the Vietnam War, while serving as an advisor to the Republic of Vietnam Navy. He received the Navy Cross posthumou ...
, USN. The Fitzgerald family coat of arms (a white shield with a red saltire) provides the foundation for the coat of arms for USS ''Fitzgerald''.
A variety of
people, places, and businesses bear the name FitzGerald or Fitzgerald, including the
FitzGerald crater on the far side of the
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...
, named for physicist
George FitzGerald.
See also
*
Irish nobility
The Irish nobility could be described as including persons who do, or historically did, fall into one or more of the following categories of nobility:
* Gaelic nobility of Ireland descendants in the male line of at least one historical grade o ...
*
Hiberno-Norman
*
FitzGerald baronets
There have been four baronetcies created for persons with the surname FitzGerald, one in the Baronetage of Ireland and three in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom.
The FitzGerald Baronetcy, of Clenlish in the County of Limerick, was created i ...
*
Butler–FitzGerald dispute
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:FitzGerald
Áine
Clíodhna
Irish royal families