Source Text:

Name: James le Butler
Birth Date: 1391
Age at Death: 61
Death Date: 23 Aug 1452
Burial Place: Dublin, County Dublin, IrelandBirth: 1391
County Tipperary, Ireland
Death: Aug. 23, 1452
Ardee
County Louth, Ireland

James Butler, 4th Earl of Ormond, Lieutenant of Ireland.

Son of James Butler and Anne Welles, daughter of John de Welle and Maud de Roos.

Husband of Joan de Beauchamp, daughter of William de Beauchamp and Joan FitzAlan Arundel. They had three sons and two daughters:
* Sir James, Knight of the Garter, 5th Earl of Ormond
* Sir John, 6th Earl of Ormond
* Sir Thomas, Knight of the Bath
* Elizabeth m John Talbot (created peace between the families)
* Anne

After Joan died, he remarried Elizabeth FitzGerald by papal dispensation dated 29 April 1432 and royal licence dated 18 July 1432, daughter of Gerald FitzMaurice and Agnes Darcy, widow of Sir John Grey who died 1430. They had no children.

1405 - appointed Lord Deputy of Ireland
1412 - accompanied Thomas, Earl of Lancaster to France
1420 - appointed Lieutenant of Ireland
1422 - Sir John Talbot arraigned him for treason, the crown ordered a stop to the proceedings
1430 - Joan died, buried at St Thomas of Acon
1432 - married Elizabeth FitzGerald
1442 - Archbishop Talbot present a long list of grievances concerning Butler to the Privy Council, who reprimanded both sides for 'disrupting the good governance of Ireland.'
1447 - accused of high treason by John Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, again, the crown came to his rescue declaring "no one should dare, on pain of his indignation, to revive the accusation or reproach of his conduct."
1452 - Elizabeth died, burial unknown

James Butler died estate at Ardee, Co Loth, Ireland on his return from an expedition against Connor O'Mulrian and was buried at St Mary's in Dublin.

James was called The White Earl and admired for his learning, and was the patron of the Irish literary work, 'The Book of the White Earl'. His political career was marred by a bitter feud with the Talbot family. He built the castles of Nenagh, Roscrea and Templemore in north Tipperary and Tulleophelim (or Tullowphelim) in County Carlow. He gave the manor and advowson of Hickcote in Buckinghamshire to the Hospital of St. Thomas D'Acres in London, which was confirmed by Parliament at the suit of his son.

Family links:
Parents:
James Butler (1359 - 1405)

Spouse:
Joan de Beauchamp Butler (1396 - 1430)*

Children:
Thomas Butler (____ - 1515)*
Elizabeth Butler Talbot (1424 - 1473)*

*Calculated relationship

Burial:
Saint Mary's Abbey
Dublin
County Dublin, Ireland

Maintained by: Anne Shurtleff Stevens
Originally Created by: Jerry Ferren
Record added: Nov 05, 2011
Find A Grave Memorial# 79893834