James Eustace, 3rd Viscount Baltinglass facts for kids

James FitzEustace, the 3rd Viscount Baltinglass (born 1530, died 1585), was an important figure in Irish history. He came from the FitzEustace family, who were traditionally linked to the powerful FitzGerald family, the Earls of Kildare. However, his family wisely stayed loyal to King Henry VIII during a big rebellion in 1534-35. Because of their loyalty, they were given more land. James's grandfather, Thomas FitzEustace, was even made the first Viscount Baltinglass by the grateful king.

But over time, like many old English families living in an area of Ireland called The Pale, the FitzEustaces became unhappy with the government. James FitzEustace grew up to be a very strong Catholic. He had studied in London and lived in Rome, where he was taught by an influential priest. He believed that Queen Elizabeth I was not the rightful queen and was against the Catholic Church. The government at first didn't see him as a big threat, which turned out to be a mistake when he started his rebellion.

James FitzEustace's Marriage

James FitzEustace married Mary Travers. She was the daughter of Sir Henry Travers of Monkstown Castle. James and Mary did not have any children. Mary later married Sir Gerald Aylmer.

Why James FitzEustace Rebelled

In 1576, James Eustace complained about how the Catholic Church in Ireland was being treated badly. He also spoke out against unfair taxes ordered by the government. Because of his strong opinions, he and other important Catholics were put in prison in 1577. He was only released just before he became Viscount Baltinglass the next year.

Much of the anger came from the Queen's officials. To pay for wars against Irish chiefs and rebellious Anglo-Irish lords, the government made people in the Pale pay a special military tax called the "cess." Soldiers were also made to stay in the homes of the Pale people. This made many people, from rich landowners to merchants, very angry. Before Baltinglass's rebellion, there was a lot of unhappiness. The people of the Pale did not want to give their money to support the government's military plans. James's father, Viscount Roland, was a leader in this opposition and was also imprisoned. This only made the government more unpopular. Most people in the Pale were Catholic.

Many Catholics felt threatened by the Protestant-led government. They saw fewer and fewer Catholics in important government jobs. English Protestants in power often thought that a Catholic could not be a loyal subject. The situation got worse after Pope Pius V officially removed Queen Elizabeth from the Church in 1570. Because of this, many sons of Catholic families from the Pale started going to universities in Catholic Europe instead of England. In these European colleges, they learned about the Counter-Reformation, a movement to strengthen the Catholic Church. This made them even more determined to resist the persecution of the Catholic Church when they returned home.

The Start of the Rebellion

In 1579, Gerald FitzGerald, 15th Earl of Desmond, started another rebellion in Munster. Queen Elizabeth I sent Thomas Butler, 10th Earl of Ormond, to stop it. He did, but he was very harsh. In the summer of 1580, James Eustace, Viscount Baltinglass, started his own Catholic army in County Wicklow. He was mostly driven by his religious beliefs and wanted to help Desmond. Many important Catholics, including some of his own relatives, joined him.

James Eustace knew his army wasn't strong enough on its own. He knew he needed help to succeed. So, he teamed up with Fiach MacHugh O'Byrne, a powerful Irish chief from the O'Byrne family. Fiach's father had even defeated Baltinglass's father in a famous battle, but this didn't stop their sons from forming an alliance.

Fiach O'Byrne and Baltinglass worked well together. Fiach was a strong military leader and brought many Irish clans from Leinster to their side. Baltinglass's support for the Catholic cause gave the rebellion a deeper meaning that the government greatly feared. Without Baltinglass, it would have just seemed like another uprising by Irish clans. But with him, it gained support from Catholic Palesmen. This alliance between the Irish-speaking clans of the Wicklow Mountains and an English-speaking army from the Pale was new and worried the government a lot.

News of the rebellion reached Ormonde, who was James Eustace's brother-in-law. Ormonde sent James a strong warning, but Baltinglass sent back a defiant reply, which was later used as evidence against him.

Defeat and Exile

At first, the rebellion was successful. On August 25, 1580, Baltinglass and O'Byrne's forces badly defeated the Lord Deputy's troops in the Wicklow Mountains at the Battle of Glenmalure. Historical records say that the entire country from the Slaney to the Shannon rivers and from the Boyne river became a scene of fighting.

However, Baltinglass and O'Byrne never fully worked with Earl Desmond, and they had started their rebellion too late. There was fighting for almost a year, but no major battles. Baltinglass's troops caused a lot of damage over a large area but were eventually overwhelmed. A group of Spanish and Italian soldiers landed in County Kerry to help the Catholic cause. But after a long march to Naas, they were captured and killed. The place where this happened is still called Spaniards Cross.

Baltinglass and his followers were declared outlaws, and 45 of them were hanged in Dublin. James Eustace managed to escape to Munster, where Desmond was still fighting, and from there, with help, he went to Spain. He was welcomed there and almost convinced King Philip II of Spain to send troops and ships to invade Ireland. He died in Spain in 1585 without any children.

His five brothers faced different fates:

• Edmund Eustace escaped to Scotland and then to Spain. He was made "4th Viscount" by the Pope and fought against England in the Spanish Armada in 1588. He died in Portugal in 1594.
• Thomas Eustace was executed in 1582.
• William Eustace was believed to have been killed in battle in 1581, but some reports suggest he might have survived.
• Walter Eustace was captured and executed in 1583.
• Richard Eustace was in Paris during the rebellion, helping to send supplies to his brothers. He later became a priest in Rome.

Many other Eustace family members from County Kildare also took part. Some were executed, while others were eventually pardoned.

In 1585, a law called the Statute of Baltinglass was passed. This law took away Baltinglass's title and all his family's vast lands. This was a common punishment at the time. The Eustaces of Harristown, who had once been very powerful, were almost completely wiped out. James and his brothers fought for what they believed was right, but they failed and paid a high price. Whether they were seen as traitors or brave heroes, they were certainly courageous men.

Most of the lands that were taken were given to Sir Henry Harrington, who had helped stop the rebellion. Later, these lands were sold to others. Some lands, like Harristown, were given to John Eustace of Castlemartin. The poet Edmund Spenser was given Baltinglass's house in Dublin and a lease of New Abbey. Rathfarnham Castle and its surrounding lands, which also belonged to the Eustace family, were taken and given to the Loftus family.

The title of Viscount Baltinglass was brought back twice much later, but it eventually died out.