Edmond Butler, 3rd/13th Baron Dunboyne facts for kids
Edmond Butler, 3rd Baron Dunboyne (born 1595 – died 1640), was an important nobleman in Ireland during the early 1600s. His life was quite challenging, marked by family disagreements and legal battles over his family's land and title. When Edmond was a young child, his father passed away. Later, as an adult, he had to go to court to protect his right to inherit from his uncle. In 1627, he was involved in a dispute with his cousin, James Prendergast, over land, which led to Prendergast's death. Edmond was put on trial for this, but he was found not guilty.
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Early Life and Family
Edmond Butler was the only son of John Butler and Joan Fitzpatrick. His father, John, was the oldest son of James Butler, who was the 2nd Baron Dunboyne. Edmond's mother, Joan, died shortly after he was born in 1595.
In 1602, when Edmond was just a child, his father died. Because Edmond was so young, his grandfather, the 2nd Baron Dunboyne, became his guardian and looked after him.
Fighting for His Inheritance
After Edmond, the next person in line to inherit the Dunboyne title was his uncle, Pierce. In 1618, Pierce tried to claim that Edmond was not the rightful heir. He asked the King to declare that Edmond's parents were not properly married, which would mean Edmond couldn't inherit.
There was no real proof that Pierce's claim was true. However, King James I wanted to make sure everything was fair. He told both Edmond and Pierce to take their disagreement to a special court in Ireland called the Court of Chancery. This led to a long court case that lasted for three years.
Finally, in 1621, the head judge of Ireland ruled in favor of young Edmond. The court ordered his uncle Pierce to stop bothering Edmond about his land. This was a big win for Edmond. When his grandfather died in 1624, Edmond officially became the 3rd Baron Dunboyne and took over his family's estates without any more trouble from his uncle. His uncle Pierce died two years later in 1626.
A Dispute and a Trial
In December 1627, Lord Dunboyne was visiting Cahir Castle, which belonged to his wife's family. Another relative, James Prendergast, was also there. Both Dunboyne and Prendergast believed they had a right to a certain piece of land called Newcastle Lyons.
On December 12, they had a strong disagreement about who owned the land. The argument became very heated, and James Prendergast died during the quarrel.
Lord Dunboyne was arrested and held in Dublin Castle. King Charles I said that Dunboyne must go to trial. The King decided the charge would be for "manslaughter," which means causing someone's death without planning to murder them.
Because Lord Dunboyne was a nobleman, he had the special right to be tried by other noblemen, not by a regular jury. A group of fifteen noblemen was chosen to hear his case. The trial happened on June 4, 1628. After hearing everything, fourteen of the fifteen noblemen voted that he was not guilty, and so he was set free.
Later Years and Family
Lord Dunboyne continued to be involved in important matters. He was a member of the Irish Parliament in 1634 and again in 1639.
He passed away on March 17, 1640, at his home, Kiltinan Castle. He was buried in the nearby town of Fethard.
Lord Dunboyne was married twice. His first wife was Margaret Butler, and they had at least eight children together:
- James Butler, who later became the 4th Baron Dunboyne.
- Thomas, who took part in a rebellion in 1641.
- Ellen, who married James Butler.
- Eleanor, who married Edmond Butler.
- John, Edmund, Richard, and Margaret, who all died when they were young.
After Margaret died in 1632, he married his cousin, Lady Ellen FitzGerald. Ellen was older than him and had been married twice before. She lived to be a very old age and died in 1660.
