Elizabeth Butler
Duchess of Ormond
The Duchess of Ormonde with her son Thomas, Lord Ossory, attributed to David des Granges. Currently at Kilkenny Castle Collections.
BornElizabeth Preston
25 July 1615
Died21 July 1684 (aged 68)
London
FamilyButler dynasty
Spouse(s)James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormond
Issue
Detail		Thomas, Richard, Elizabeth, John & others
FatherRichard, 1st Earl of Desmond
MotherElizabeth Butler

Elizabeth Butler, Duchess of Ormond and 2nd Baroness Dingwall (née Preston; 1615–1684) reunited the Ormond estate as her maternal grandfather, Black Tom, 10th Earl of Ormond had it, by marrying James Butler, later Duke of Ormond, her second cousin once removed. She had inherited her share of the Ormond estate through her mother, Elizabeth Preston, who was Black Tom's daughter and only surviving child. Her husband had inherited his share from his grandfather Walter Butler, 11th Earl of Ormond, Black Tom's successor in the earldom. Her share was the bigger one and included Kilkenny Castle.

Birth and origins

Family tree
Elizabeth Preston with husband, parents, and other selected relatives.[a]
James
9th Earl
1496–1546		Joan
FitzGerald
d. 1565
Thomas
10th Earl
c. 1531
– 1614
Black Tom		Elizabeth
Sheffield
d. 1600		Edmund
of
Cloughgrenan
1534–1602		John of
Kilcash
d. 1570
Theobald
Viscount
Tulleophelim
d. 1613		Elizabeth
Butler
c. 1585
– 1628		Richard
Preston
1st Earl
Desmond
d. 1628		Walter
11th Earl
1559 – 1633
'Beads'		Helen
Butler
d. 1631
Thomas
Viscount
Thurles
d. 1619
d.v.p.*		Elizabeth
Pointz
1587–1673
Elizabeth
Preston
1615–1684		James
1st Duke
1610–1688		Richard
of
Kilcash
1615–1701
Thomas
6th Earl
Ossory
1633–1680
d.v.p.*		Emilia
von
Nassau
1635–1688		Richard
1st Earl
Arran
1639–1684		Elizabeth
Countess
of
Chesterfield
1640–1665		Walter
of
Garryricken
d. 1700
d.v.p.*
James
2nd Duke
Ormond
1665–1745		Charles
1st Earl
Arran
1671–1758		Elizabeth
Butler
d. 1717		Henrietta
Butler
d. 1724		Thomas
of
Garryricken
d. 1738
John
de jure
15th Earl
d. 1766
Legend
XXXSubject of
the article		XXXEarls & dukes of
Ormond
*d.v.p. = predeceased his father (decessit vita patris).

Elizabeth Preston was born on 25 July 1615.[2] She was the only child of Richard Preston and Elizabeth Butler. Her father was a younger son of the Prestons of Whitehill, Scottish gentry of the Edinburgh area. He was a page at the Scottish court and became a favourite of James VI of Scotland, who made him a groom of his bedchamber[3] and ennobled him by creating him Lord Dingwall in 1609.[4][5]

Elizabeth's mother was the only surviving child of Thomas Butler, 10th Earl of Ormond, called Black Tom.[6] She had been married before to her first cousin Theobald Butler, 1st Viscount Butler of Tulleophelim, who had died childless in 1613.[7] Her family was Old English and descended from Theobald Walter, who had been appointed Chief Butler of Ireland by King Henry II in 1177.[8]

Elizabeth's parents were both Protestant. They had married in 1614,[9] not long before her maternal grandfather's death on 22 November 1614.[10]

Black Tom's succession and inheritance

Elizabeth Preston's parents lives were overshadowed by the problems of Elizabeth's maternal grandfather's succession and inheritance. Black Tom, had settled most of his estate on his male heir, his nephew Walter, who succeeded him as Earl of Ormond in 1614, according to the normal rules of succession of his title. However, Black Tom was a Protestant, whereas his nephew Walter, called "of the rosary beads", was a devout Catholic. King James I considered this a setback for his Irish politics. He intervened to keep the Ormond lands in Protestant hands. He decided that most of the estate should go to Black Tom's only child, Elizabeth. The King furthermore ordained that this daughter should marry his favourite Richard Preston, 1st Lord Dingwall, a Scottish Protestant. Accordingly, Elizabeth's parents married in 1614.[9]

Father's succession

Elizabeth was an only child. Her mother was about 30 at her birth and Elizabeth was her first child. Her father was about 35. He had married late and was a former favourite of James I. Very soon her potential to become a rich heiress was recognised and marriage plans were made. Marquess of Buckingham wanted to marry Elizabeth, aged 3, to his nephew George Feilding.

The ancient Anglo-Irish family of the Earls of Desmond - from which Elizabeth was in part descended through her mother - had rebelled against the English crown and been stripped of that title in the 1580s. In 1619 Buckingham arranged that the King advance Elizabeth's father Richard to Earl of Desmond. In 1622 the King further confirmed George Feilding as having the right to the title on Richard Preston's death, as Richard had no male heir and Feilding was expected to marry Elizabeth.[11]

In 1628 Elizabeth Preston, aged 13, became a rich heiress when both her parents died in quick succession. First, on 10 October, her mother died in Wales[12] and was buried in Westminster Abbey,[13] then on 28 October her father drowned during a passage between Dublin and Holyhead.[14][15] His title as Earl of Desmond passed to George Feilding, but Elizabeth inherited his Scottish title of Lord Dingwall to become Baroness Dingwall suo jure[16] as the title had been created for her father with remainder to heirs and assigns whatsoever.[17] As the only child, Elizabeth inherited all her parents' part of the Ormond estate, which included Kilkenny Castle and the County Palatine of Tipperary. As she was a minor, she became a ward of the crown. Henry Rich, 1st Earl of Holland (1590–1649) was appointed her guardian.[citation needed]

Marriage and children

At Christmas 1629, aged 14, she married her second cousin once removed, James Butler.[18] Their common ancestor was James Butler, 9th Earl of Ormond, who was her great grandfather and his great-great grandfather (see Family tree). The marriage made her Viscountess Thurles as he was at the time styled Viscount Thurles, which was the courtesy title of the heir apparent of the earls of Ormond. In 1630 the couple went to live at Carrick-on-Suir.[19]

Elizabeth and James had at least ten children, but only five survived into adulthood:[20]

  1. Thomas (1634–1680), predeceased his father, but had a son who would become the 2nd Duke[21]
  2. Richard (1639–1686), became the first and last Earl of Arran of the 1662 creation and predeceased his father[22]
  3. Elizabeth (1640–1665), married Philip Stanhope, 2nd Earl of Chesterfield[23] and had affairs with James Hamilton[24] and the Duke of York[25]
  4. John (1643–1677), became the Earl of Gowran[26]
  5. Mary (1646–1710), married William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Devonshire[27]

As a consequence of the marriage, the Ormond estate was reunited as her grandfather, the 10th Earl, had owned it. Elizabeth and James went to live in Kilkenny Castle, while her grandfather-in-law, the 11th Earl resided at Ormonde Castle at Carrick-on-Suir where he died on 24 February 1633.[28] Elizabeth became Countess of Ormond as her husband succeeded to the earldom.[29] In 1634 her eldest son, Thomas was born in Kilkenny Castle.[30]

Irish wars

On the outbreak of the Irish Rebellion of 1641, while her husband took command of the king's army in Dublin, she was living at Carrick-on-Suir where she was soon surrounded by the insurgents.[31] She later moved to Kilkenny Castle and continued to stay there even when Kilkenny became the capital of the Catholic Confederation. She sheltered Protestant refugees and kept them in the castle.

She became Marchioness of Ormond on her husband's promotion on 30 August 1642.[32] In that same year she was allowed to rejoin her husband in Dublin. Their last two children, John and Mary, were born in Dublin while they stayed there together. In the city she continued to help refugees. When the city appeared to be menaced by a siege by the Confederates after Owen Roe O'Neill's victory in the Battle of Benburb in June 1646,[33] she also helped to reinforce Dublin's defences.[34]

She accompanied her husband to England in 1647 after he surrendered Dublin to the parliamentary forces. As in 1648 he renewed his support for the royalist cause, Lady Ormond moved to Caen, France, where she arrived on 23 June 1648 with all her five children.[35] From September 1648[36] to December 1650 her husband was again in Ireland where he tried to reunite the Irish in the fight against the Parliamentarians.[37] The family was short of money. In 1652, Lady Ormond and her children returned to England in August 1652 to plead with Cromwell for income from the land she owned.[38] She managed to obtain a pension of £2000 per year under the condition that she would not correspond with her husband.[39]

In 1653 while in Dublin she helped her husband's brother-in-law, the Viscount Muskerry who stood accused of the murder of Protestant refugees in 1642. They went to see Chief Justice Lowther who gave her legal advice for Muskerry.[40] This helped him to convince the court of his innocence and he was acquitted.[41]

In 1655 she returned to Ireland accompanied by her younger children[42] and lived at her home in Dunmore, County Kilkenny.

Restoration, later life, death, and timeline

Following the restoration of Charles II, Lady Ormond sent her husband political information from Ireland, and the couple were later reunited in England. In March 1661 she became Duchess of Ormond as her husband was made a duke.[43] In 1662 she became Vicereine of Ireland as her husband was appointed lord lieutenant of Ireland, serving until 1669 and again from 1677 to 1685. Lady Ormond hosted entertainment and spent lavishly on restoring and improving the family estates, but her personal correspondence[44] reveals that she was concerned about the debts of her husband and sons. Her eldest son Thomas Butler, 6th Earl of Ossory, suddenly died in 1680.[45] Her health began to decline in 1681, and she died in London on 21 July 1684.[46] She was buried at Westminster Abbey on 24 July.[47]

Timeline
Age Date Event
0 25 Jul 1615 Born.[2]
3 19 Jul 1619 Father created Earl of Desmond in Ireland.[11]
9 27 Mar 1625 Accession of King Charles I, succeeding King James I[48]
13 10 Oct 1628 Mother died in Wales.[12]
13 28 Oct 1628 Father drowned during a passage between Dublin and Holyhead.[14][15]
14 25 Dec 1629 Married James Butler.[18]
14–15 1630 Went to live at the Ormond Castle at Carrick with her husband[19]
17 24 Feb 1633 Became Countess of Ormond as her husband succeeded as the 12th Earl[29]
23 5 Jul 1634 Birth at Kilkenny Castle of her eldest son, Thomas[21]
23 15 Jul 1639 Birth of her second son, Richard
24 29 Jun 1640 Birth of her elder daughter, Elizabeth
27 30 Aug 1642 Became Marchioness of Ormond as her husband was created Marquess.[32]
27–28 1643 Birth of her youngest son, John
30 5 Jun 1646 The confederates win the Battle of Benburb.[33]
30–31 1646 Birth of her youngest daughter, Mary
31–32 1647 The Ormonds leave Dublin and go to England.
32 23 Jun 1648 Arrived at Caen, France, with her children.[35]
33 29 Sep 1648 Husband went to Ireland arriving at Cork on 29 September.[36]
33 30 Jan 1649 King Charles I beheaded.[49]
35 11 Dec 1650 Husband left Ireland and rejoined her in France.[37]
37 August 1652 Returned to England with her children and asked Cromwell for money.[38]
39–40 1655 Returned to Ireland with her younger children.[42]
44 29 May 1660 Restoration of King Charles II[50]
45 30 Mar 1661 Became Duchesse of Ormond as her husband was created Duke.[43]
46–47 1662 Became Vicereine of Ireland as her husband became Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.
65 30 Jul 1680 Son Thomas, Earl of Ossory, died.[45]
68 21 Jul 1684 Died in London.[46]

Notes and references

Notes

  1. ^ This family tree is partly derived from the condensed Butler family tree pictured in Dunboyne.[1] Also see the lists of siblings and children in the text.

Citations

  1. ^ Dunboyne 1968, pp. 16–17: "Butler Family Tree condensed"
  2. ^ a b Cokayne 1895, p. 150, line 5: "She [Elizabeth Preston] who was b. 25 July 1615 ..."
  3. ^ Crawfurd 1716, p. 92: "He was educated at the Court, and being of an agreeable and winning Deportment, he soon grew into his Majesty's special favour, attaining first the honour of knighthood, and e're long was made one of the Grooms of the Bed Chamber."
  4. ^ Paul 1906, p. 121, line 27: "...[Richard] was on 8 June 1609 created Lord Dingwall, with remainder to his heirs and assigns whatsoever."
  5. ^ Cokayne 1890, p. 128, line 4: "... having purchased the lands of that barony, [Richard Preston] was cr. [created] Lord Dingwall of co. Ross [S. [Scotland]] to him and his heirs and assigns whatsoever."
  6. ^ Perceval-Maxwell 2004, p. 130, right column, line 12: "... was born on 25 July 1615, the only child and heir of Richard Preston, Lord Dingwall (d. 1628), one of James I's gentlemen of the bedchamber, and Elizabeth Butler (1582x1600–1628) the only surviving child of Thomas Butler, 10th Earl of Ormond."
  7. ^ Cokayne 1895, p. 150, line 8: "Tulleophelim [I. [Ireland]] who d. s.p. [died without issue] Jany. 1613. ..."
  8. ^ Debrett 1828, p. 640: "Theobald le Boteler on whom that office [Chief Butler of Ireland] was conferred by King Henry II., 1177 ..."
  9. ^ a b Cokayne 1890, p. 128, line 6: "The king likewise secured him, in 1614, a splendid marriage, viz., one with Elizabeth, widow of Theobald (Butler) Viscount Tulleophelim [I. [Ireland]] (who d. s.p. [died without issue] Jany. 1613), only da. [daughter] of Thomas (Butler), Earl of Ossory and Ormonde [I. [Ireland]], by his 2d wife ..."
  10. ^ Cokayne 1895, p. 148, line 30: "He d. [died] at Carrick, 22 Nov. 1614, aged 82, having been 15 years blind."
  11. ^ a b Cokayne 1890, p. 89: "... was, by the Marquess's influence, cr. [created] by pat. dat. Westm. 11 July 1619 Baron Dunmore, co. Kilkenny, and Earl of Desmond [I. [Ireland]]."
  12. ^ a b Cokayne 1890, p. 89, line 31: "His [Richard Preston's] wife, who d. [died] in Wales 18 days before him was bur. (possibly re-interred) at Westm. Abbey (as "Countess of Desmond") 17 March 1628/9."
  13. ^ Chester 1876, p. https://archive.org/details/marriagebaptism01chesgoog/page/n145/ 128]: "1628/9, March 17 / The Countess of Desmond: in St. Paul's Chapel."
  14. ^ a b Cokayne 1890, p. 89, line 29: "... he [Richard Preston] died s.p.m. [without male heir] 28 Oct. 1628 ..."
  15. ^ a b Paul 1906, p. 122, line 16: "... and he was drowned on the passage between Dublin and Holyhead eighteen days later, 28 October same year [1628]."
  16. ^ Cokayne 1890, p. 128, line 26: "2. Elizabeth, suo jure Baroness Dingwall [S. [Scotland]] only da. [daughter] and h. [heir] b. [born] 25 July ..."
  17. ^ Cokayne 1890, p. 128, line 5: "... was cr. [created] Lord Dingwall of co. Ross [S. [Scotland]] to him and his heirs and assigns whatsoever."
  18. ^ a b Perceval-Maxwell 2004, p. 130, line 31: "... the marriage took place at Christmas of that year [1629]."
  19. ^ a b Perceval-Maxwell 2004, p. 130, right column, line 29: "In 1630 the couple went to live at Carrick-on-Suir ..."
  20. ^ Perceval-Maxwell 2004, p. 130, right column, line 33: "... between 1632 and 1646 Elizabeth ... gave birth to eight sons including Richard Butler, five of whom died as children, and two daughters."
  21. ^ a b Cokayne 1895, p. 150: "Thomas Butler, styled Earl of Ossory ('the gallant Ossory') 2d but 1st surv. [surviving] s. [son] and h. app. [heir apparent], b. [born] at Kilkenny 5 July 1634 ..."
  22. ^ Burke & Burke 1915, p. 1550, right column, line 22: "3. Richard, b. [born] 15 June 1639, who was created 13 May 1662 Baron Butler, Viscount of Tullogh and Earl of Arran ..."
  23. ^ Debrett 1828, p. 114, bottom: "Philip, 2nd earl m. 1st Anne, da. of Algernon Percy, earl of Northumberland; 2ndly Elizabeth, da. of James Butler, duke of Ormond; and 3rd ..."
  24. ^ Hamilton 1888, p. 181: "Hamilton, therefore was no further embarrassed than to preserve Lady Chesterfield's reputation, who, in his opinion, declared herself rather too openly in his favour ..."
  25. ^ Pepys 1893, p. 360: "He tells me also how the Duke of York is smitten in love with my Lady Chesterfield (a virtuous Lady, daughter of my Lord Ormond); and so much, that the duchess of York hath complained to the king and her father about it, and my Lady Chesterfield is gone into the country for it."
  26. ^ Burke & Burke 1915, p. 1550, right column, line 32: "4. John, created Earl of Gowran 1676, m. [married] Lady Anne Chichester, dau. [daughter] of 1st Earl of Donegal, but d.s.p. [died without issue] 1677, when the dignity expired."
  27. ^ Burke & Burke 1915, p. 1550, right column, line 36: "2. Mary m. [married] William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Devonshire, K.G., and d. [died] 31 July 1710, leaving issue."
  28. ^ Cokayne 1895, p. 149, line 30: "He [Walter] d. [died] at Carrick, 24 Feb. 1632/3, and was buried 15 June following at Kilkenny."
  29. ^ a b Burke & Burke 1915, p. 1550, left column, line 88: "The earl [Walter, 11th] d. [died] 24 Feb 1632 and was s. [succeeded] by his grandson, James, 1st Duke of Ormonde ..."
  30. ^ Davies 2004, p. 226, left column: "... was born at Kilkenny Castle on 8 July 1634."
  31. ^ Burghclere 1912, p. 162, line 25: "... Lady Ormonde and her children had remained at Carrick where they were now surrounded by the enemy."
  32. ^ a b Cokayne 1895, p. 149, line 27: "He was cr. [created] 30 Aug 1642 Marquess of Ormonde [I. [Ireland]];"
  33. ^ a b Duffy 2002, p. 114: "When the latter [O'Neill] scored a surprise victory at Benburn, on 5 June 1646, over the Ulster Scots led by General Robert Munro, it seemed that the confederates were in sight of victory ..."
  34. ^ Perceval-Maxwell 2004, p. 130, right column, line 49: "... she led a team of women carrying earth in baskets to reinforce the fortifications."
  35. ^ a b Carte 1851, p. 384: "The marchioness of Ormond had landed in that country on June 23d [1648], with her two sons and three daughters, and had taken up her residence at Caen."
  36. ^ a b Airy 1886, p. 56, left column, line 50: "... and in August, he himself began his journey thither. On leaving Havre, he was shipwrecked and had to wait in that port for some weeks; but at the end of September he again embarked, arriving at Cork on the 29th."
  37. ^ a b O'Sullivan 1983, p. 284, line 15: "... boarding a small frigate, the Elizabeth of Jersey, at Galway on the 7th December, 1650 ..."
  38. ^ a b Perceval-Maxwell 2004, pp. 130–131. "... in August 1652 she [Lady Ormond] left for England with her family to plead with Cromwell from her own Irish estates ..."
  39. ^ Perceval-Maxwell 2004, p. 131, line 5: "... receive £2000 per annum from her estate on condition that she sent no funds to, nor had any contact with, her husband."
  40. ^ Mountmorres 1792, p. 231: ".. she had an opportunity of doing him great service; for she secretly visited the lord chief justice Lowther, who had high reverence for her, and he dictated to her what that lord should plead and how to answer every thing that should in public on his trial be objected against him;"
  41. ^ Firth 1894, p. 341: "... the court acquitted him ..."
  42. ^ a b Sergeant 1913, p. 146: "Lady Ormonde took no share in any plot, to our knowledge; but whether or not her residence in London was at least considered inconvenient, before the end of 1655 she retired to Ireland, accompanied by her younger children."
  43. ^ a b Cokayne 1895, p. 149, line 39: "... and was cr. [created] 30 March 1661 Duke of Ormonde [I. [Ireland]]"
  44. ^ McAreavey, Naomi (2 October 2023). "A Devolutionary Approach to Editing the Letters of the First Duchess of Ormonde". Women's Writing. 30 (4): 421–438. doi:10.1080/09699082.2023.2266078. ISSN 0969-9082.
  45. ^ a b Cokayne 1895, p. 150, line 28: "He [Ossory} d. v.p. of a violent fever, after four days illness, 30 July 1680 ..."
  46. ^ a b Cokayne 1895, p. 150, line 6: "... d. 21 July 1684 in her 69th year ..."
  47. ^ Chester 1876, p. 210: "1684 July 24 The Duchess of Ormond: [in the Abbey]."
  48. ^ Fryde et al. 1986, p. 44, line 16: "Charles I. ... acc. 27 Mar. 1625 ..."
  49. ^ Fryde et al. 1986, p. 44, line 17: "Charles I. ... exec. 30 Jan. 1649 ..."
  50. ^ Fryde et al. 1986, p. 44, line 39: "Charles II. ... acc. 29 May 1660 ..."

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