Pierce Butler, 4th Viscount Ikerrin (c. 1677 – 1711), was an
Irish peer
The Peerage of Ireland consists of those titles of nobility created by the English monarchs in their capacity as Lord or King of Ireland, or later by monarchs of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It is one of the five divisio ...
, politician and professional
soldier
A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, or an officer.
Etymology
The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word , from Old French ...
who rose to the rank of
brigadier general
Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...
under
Queen Anne. He was
outlawed
An outlaw, in its original and legal meaning, is a person declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, all legal protection was withdrawn from the criminal, so that anyone was legally empowered to persecute or kill them ...
as a
Jacobite in 1690, when he was probably still in his early teens, but was restored to his titles and estates in 1698.
[Burke 2003, vol. 1, p. 704.]
Early life
He was the elder of the two sons of James Butler, 3rd Viscount Ikerrin, and his wife Eleanor Redman, daughter and co-heiress of Colonel Daniel Redman of Ballylinch Castle,
Thomastown
Thomastown (), historically known as Grennan, is a town in County Kilkenny in the province of Leinster in the south-east of Ireland. It is a market town along a stretch of the River Nore which is known for its salmon and trout, with a number of ...
,
County Kilkenny
County Kilkenny ( gle, Contae Chill Chainnigh) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the South-East Region. It is named after the city of Kilkenny. Kilkenny County Council is the local authority for the cou ...
, and his wife Abigail Otway.
[ His father was descended from ]John Butler of Clonamicklon
John Butler of Clonamicklon (or of Lismalin), (1305 – 6 January 1330) was born in Arklow, Wicklow, Ireland the youngest son of Edmund Butler, Earl of Carrick and Joan FitzGerald. Once older he moved north from Lismalin and established a junior ...
(died 1330), who founded a junior branch of the great Butler dynasty
Butler ( ga, de Buitléir) is the name of a noble family whose members were, for several centuries, prominent in the administration of the Lordship of Ireland and the Kingdom of Ireland. They rose to their highest prominence as Dukes of Ormonde. ...
, whose head was the Duke of Ormonde
The peerage title Earl of Ormond and the related titles Duke of Ormonde and Marquess of Ormonde have a long and complex history. An earldom of Ormond has been created three times in the Peerage of Ireland.
History of Ormonde titles
The earldo ...
. His mother's father was a Cromwellian
Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in History of England, English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 ...
army officer who purchased his estate in County Kilkenny from his brother-in-law, Captain John Joyner, who had begun his career as a cook
Cook or The Cook may refer to:
Food preparation
* Cooking, the preparation of food
* Cook (domestic worker), a household staff member who prepares food
* Cook (professional), an individual who prepares food for consumption in the food industry
* ...
in the household of King Charles I Charles I may refer to:
Kings and emperors
* Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings
* Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily
* Charles I of ...
.
Pierce was born at his mother's family home, Ballylinch Castle, between 1677 and 1679. He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin
, name_Latin = Collegium Sanctae et Individuae Trinitatis Reginae Elizabethae juxta Dublin
, motto = ''Perpetuis futuris temporibus duraturam'' (Latin)
, motto_lang = la
, motto_English = It will last i ...
.[ His grandfather, the 2nd Viscount, was a convert to the ]Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland ( ga, Eaglais na hÉireann, ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Kirk o Airlann, ) is a Christian church in Ireland and an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. It is organised on an all-Ireland basis and is the second ...
, but his father and at least one of his aunts, Elizabeth (who married Sir John Meade, 1st Baronet
Sir John Meade, 1st Baronet (1642–1707) was an Irish barrister, judge and politician. He was the first of the Meade Baronets of Balintubber, and an ancestor of the Earls of Clanwilliam. He was unusual among the lawyers of his time for his lack of ...
), reverted to the Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
faith. For this reason his father gained the favour of the Catholic King James II of England
James VII and II (14 October 1633 16 September 1701) was King of England and King of Ireland as James II, and King of Scotland as James VII from the death of his elder brother, Charles II, on 6 February 1685. He was deposed in the Gloriou ...
, and became a captain in the Grenadier Guards
"Shamed be whoever thinks ill of it."
, colors =
, colors_label =
, march = Slow: " Scipio"
, mascot =
, equipment =
, equipment ...
. The 3rd Viscount died of smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by variola virus (often called smallpox virus) which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) c ...
in London in October 1688 and Pierce succeeded to the title.[Burke 2003, p. 107.]
Jacobite
James II was deposed after the Glorious Revolution
The Glorious Revolution; gd, Rèabhlaid Ghlòrmhor; cy, Chwyldro Gogoneddus , also known as the ''Glorieuze Overtocht'' or ''Glorious Crossing'' in the Netherlands, is the sequence of events leading to the deposition of King James II and ...
of 1688 and fled to France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, and from there invaded Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
. He summoned a Parliament, generally called the Patriot Parliament
Patriot Parliament is the name commonly used for the Irish Parliament session called by King James II during the Williamite War in Ireland which lasted from 1688 to 1691. The first since 1666, it held only one session, which lasted from 7 May 16 ...
, at Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
, in 1689.[ It is often said that Pierce "sat" in the ]Irish House of Lords
The Irish House of Lords was the upper house of the Parliament of Ireland that existed from medieval times until 1800. It was also the final court of appeal of the Kingdom of Ireland.
It was modelled on the House of Lords of England, with membe ...
in that Parliament, but since he can scarcely have been more than twelve years old at the time, he was presumably only present by proxy
Proxy may refer to:
* Proxy or agent (law), a substitute authorized to act for another entity or a document which authorizes the agent so to act
* Proxy (climate), a measured variable used to infer the value of a variable of interest in climate ...
. Even his notional attendance was enough to have him outlawed as a supporter of James after the ruin of James's cause at the Battle of the Boyne
The Battle of the Boyne ( ga, Cath na Bóinne ) was a battle in 1690 between the forces of the deposed King James II of England and Ireland, VII of Scotland, and those of King William III who, with his wife Queen Mary II (his cousin and ...
in 1690. However the great Butler dynasty
Butler ( ga, de Buitléir) is the name of a noble family whose members were, for several centuries, prominent in the administration of the Lordship of Ireland and the Kingdom of Ireland. They rose to their highest prominence as Dukes of Ormonde. ...
, of which the Butlers of Ikerrin were a junior branch, did not suffer as a result of James's downfall, and Pierce had plenty of influential Protestant relatives to plead on his behalf. Presumably, they argued that the political beliefs, if any, of a small boy are not worth troubling about. In any case, his outlawry was reversed in 1698: Pierce was restored in his title and took his seat in the House of Lords in October 1698. Since a peer would not normally take his seat in the Lords until he came of age, this suggests that 1677 is the most likely year of his birth.
In order to take his seat, he was required to swear the Oath of Supremacy
The Oath of Supremacy required any person taking public or church office in England to swear allegiance to the monarch as Supreme Governor of the Church of England. Failure to do so was to be treated as treasonable. The Oath of Supremacy was ori ...
, recognising King William III of England
William III (William Henry; ; 4 November 16508 March 1702), also widely known as William of Orange, was the sovereign Prince of Orange from birth, Stadtholder of County of Holland, Holland, County of Zeeland, Zeeland, Lordship of Utrecht, Utrec ...
as Head of the Church of Ireland: this suggests that Pierce, like his grandfather, conformed outwardly to the Anglican communion. According to the historian John Philipps Kenyon
John Philipps Kenyon, FBA (18 June 1927 – 6 January 1996) was an English historian and Fellow of the British Academy. His area of expertise was 17th-century England.
Life
Kenyon was born in Sheffield where he attended King Edward VII School, ...
, many seventeenth-century English and Anglo-Irish
Anglo-Irish people () denotes an ethnic, social and religious grouping who are mostly the descendants and successors of the English Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland. They mostly belong to the Anglican Church of Ireland, which was the establis ...
Catholics believed that they could in good conscience swear the Oath of Allegiance
An oath of allegiance is an oath whereby a subject or citizen acknowledges a duty of allegiance and swears loyalty to a monarch or a country. In modern republics, oaths are sworn to the country in general, or to the country's constitution. For ...
to a Protestant monarch, but most of them would only swear the Oath of Supremacy under some form of duress.
Military career
Like his father and his mother's father, he became a professional soldier. He was a Colonel of Foot from 1700 to 1705, and subsequently a Colonel of Dragoons
Dragoons were originally a class of mounted infantry, who used horses for mobility, but dismounted to fight on foot. From the early 17th century onward, dragoons were increasingly also employed as conventional cavalry and trained for combat ...
. He appears to have been a skilled officer, and saw active service in Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
during the War of the Spanish Succession
The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict that took place from 1701 to 1714. The death of childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700 led to a struggle for control of the Spanish Empire between his heirs, Phil ...
. He became Brigadier General shortly before his death.[
He died in early January 1711 at Rathbarry Castle in ]County Cork
County Cork ( ga, Contae Chorcaí) is the largest and the southernmost county of Ireland, named after the city of Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. Its largest market towns are ...
, presumably while on a family visit, as the Freke family of Rathbarry Castle were his close relatives.
Marriage and children
He married firstly the Honourable Alicia Boyle, daughter of Murrough Boyle, 1st Viscount Blesington
Murragh Boyle, 1st Viscount Blesington (c.1645–1718) was an Irish peer and member of the Irish House of Lords.
Murrough (or Murragh) Boyle was born in Cork, Ireland, the only surviving son of Michael Boyle, Archbishop of Armagh and his second ...
, and his second wife Lady Anne Coote, daughter of the second Earl of Mountrath
There have been two baronetcies created for members of the Coote family. The first is Coote of Castle Cuffe, while the second is Coote of Donnybrooke, both in the Baronetage of Ireland. As of 2020, the first creation is still extant. The ho ...
, by whom he had one son:
*James Butler, 5th Viscount Ikerrin.
He married secondly Olivia St. George, daughter of Sir Oliver St George, 1st Baronet
Sir Oliver St George, 1st Baronet (died October 1695) was an Irish Member of Parliament.
Biography
Oliver St George was the son of Sir George St George of Carrickdrumrusk and Katherine Gifford, and grandson of Richard St George, Clarenceux King o ...
, by his wife Olivia Thornton, and the widow of the prominent statesman Sir Robert Colville of Newtown House, Newtownards
Newtownards is a town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies at the most northern tip of Strangford Lough, 10 miles (16 km) east of Belfast, on the Ards Peninsula. It is in the Civil parishes in Ireland, civil parish of Newtownard ...
, but had no further issue. His widow, who made a third marriage to a Mr. Wroth of Epsom
Epsom is the principal town of the Borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, England, about south of central London. The town is first recorded as ''Ebesham'' in the 10th century and its name probably derives from that of a Saxon landowner. The ...
, Surrey
Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...
, was buried at St James, Westminster, on 29 January 1723/4.[''The Register of Burials in the Parish of St James within the Liberty of Westminster. 1723-1754''. 29 January 1723/4.]
The 5th Viscount died young in 1712, and the title reverted to his uncle Thomas Butler, 6th Viscount Ikerrin
Thomas Butler, 6th Viscount Ikerrin (1683 – 7 March 1719) was an Irish nobleman.
He was born in Kilkenny, Ireland to James Butler, 3rd Viscount Ikerrin and Eleanor Redman, daughter of Colonel Daniel Redman, of Ballylinch, County Kilkenny and ...
.[ The next generation of Butlers gained the title ]Earl of Carrick
Earl of Carrick (or Mormaer of Carrick) is the title applied to the ruler of Carrick (now South Ayrshire), subsequently part of the Peerage of Scotland. The position came to be strongly associated with the Scottish crown when Robert the Bruce, ...
, which they still hold.
References
Sources
*Brewer, James Norris. ''History of Leinster'', Taylor and Co. London 1829.
*''Biographical Peerage of Ireland'' London 1817.
*''Burke's Peerage'', 107th edition, Delaware 2003.
*Childs, John. ''General Percy Kirke and the Later Stuart Army'', Bloomsbury Publishing, London 2014.
*Grace, Sheffield; and Hall, Samuel Carter. ''Memoirs of the Family of Grace'', vol. 1, London 1873.
*Hart, A. R. ''History of the King's Serjeant-at-law in Ireland'', Dublin, Four Courts Press 2000.
*Kenyon, J. P. ''The Popish Plot'', Phoenix Press reissue 2000.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ikerrin, Pierce Butler, 4th Viscount
1670s births
1711 deaths
Viscounts in the Peerage of Ireland
Pierce
Pierce may refer to:
Places Canada
* Pierce Range, a mountain range on Vancouver Island, British Columbia
United States
* Pierce, Colorado
* Pierce, Idaho
* Pierce, Illinois
* Pierce, Kentucky
* Pierce, Nebraska
* Pierce, Texas
* Pierce, We ...
British Army brigadiers
People from County Kilkenny
Alumni of Trinity College Dublin
Year of birth uncertain
British military personnel of the War of the Spanish Succession
Brigadier generals