John Butler, 15th Earl of Ormonde

John Butler (died 1766), known as John Butler of Kilcash, a member of the Irish landed gentry, was de jure 15th Earl of Ormond and 8th Earl of Ossory. He did not assume these titles as he thought them forfeit by the attainder of the 2nd Duke of Ormond. He did, however, inherit the Ormond estate from the 1st Earl of Arran through Arran's sister Amelia. In 1791, the title of Earl of Ormond would be successfully claimed by his cousin, the 17th Earl.

Birth and origins

John was born about 1720,Template:Efn probably at Kilcash Castle, his parents' habitual residence. He was the third but only surviving son of Thomas Butler of Garryricken and his wife Margaret Magennis. His father belonged to a cadet branch of the Butler Dynasty, being the grandson and heir of Richard Butler of Kilcash, who was the younger brother of James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormond. The Butlers were Old English and descended from Theobald Walter, who had been appointed Chief Butler of Ireland by King Henry II in 1177.Template:Sfn

John's mother was the eldest daughter of William Burke, 7th Earl of Clanricarde and widow of Bryan Magennis, 5th Viscount of Iveagh. His parents were both Catholic. They had married in 1696.Template:Sfn John had two brothers and five sisters, which are listed in his father's article.

Inheritances and successions

In 1738 his father died.Template:Sfn John inherited Kilcash and other parts of the lands of Garryricken Manor, which had been created for his grandfather Richard Butler of Kilcash shortly after 1639Template:Sfn and had been divided between his father and his uncle John, who held Garryricken House itself. He did not inherit any title as his father held none.

In 1758, on the death of the 1st Earl of Arran, his father's second cousin, he unknowingly became de jure the 15th Earl of Ormond.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Efn It had been believed that all the titles of James Butler, 2nd Duke of Ormond became forfeit in 1715.Template:Sfn However, in 1791, it would be found that the title of "Earl of Ormond" (and its subsidiary titles) in the peerage of Ireland had merely lain dormant and so could be successfully revived by John Butler's cousin, John Butler, 17th Earl of Ormonde.

Following the second Duke's attainder, the Ormond estate was administrated by the Forfeited Estates Commissioners. With the permission of the Parliament of Great Britain in passing the Crown Lands (Forfeited Estates) Act 1720 (7 Geo. 1. St. 1. c. 22), the estate was purchased in 1721 by the second Duke's brother, Charles, the Earl of Arran.Template:Sfn Arran died childless in 1758. The estate passed to his unmarried sister Lady Amelia Butler, who held it for about two years. On her death in 1760, the estate was inherited by John Butler, the subject of this article.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Marriage

John Butler married Bridget Stacey on 19 April 1763,Template:Sfn but the marriage was childless.Template:Sfn

Death and succession

He died on 24 June 1766Template:Efn and was buried at Kilcash.Template:Sfn He was succeeded by his cousin Walter, the son of his uncle John,Template:Sfn who unknowingly became de jure the 16th Earl of Ormond.

Timeline
As his birth date is uncertain, so are all his ages.
Age	Date	Event
0	1720, aboutTemplate:Efn	Born at Kilcash Castle.
	1727, 11 Jun	Accession of King George II, succeeding King George ITemplate:Sfn
	1738	Father died.
	1744	Mother died.Template:Sfn
	1758, 17 Dec	Unknowingly became the 15th Earl of Ormond (de jure) at Arran's death.Template:Sfn
	1760	Inherited the Ormond estates from Amelia, Arran's unmarried sister.Template:Sfn
	1760, 25 Oct	Accession of King George III, succeeding King George IITemplate:Sfn
	1763, 19 Apr	Married Bridget Stacey.Template:Sfn
	1766, 24 Jun	Died childless.

Notes and references

Sources

• – L to M (for Magennis)
• – N to R (for Ormond)
• – Eardley of Spalding to Goojerat (for Fingall)
• – Scotland and Ireland
• – (for timeline)
• – Viscounts (for John Butler under Butler, Viscount Mountgarrett)
• – House of Lords
• – From the revolution to the death of George II

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