Page:The Complete Peerage Ed 1 Vol 3.djvu/89

DESMOND. 87 [Maurice Fitz-Tuomas (Fitz-Gerald), only s. and h. ap. by 1st wife. He in. Joan, <l:i. of John Fitz-Giiiuon, " the White Knight." He d. (six months after his Father became Earl) of plague at Jerpoint in Kilkenny, 1529, v.p., and was bur. there.] XIII. 1534( a ) 13. James Fitz-JJaurice (Fitz-Gerald), Earl of Desmond [I.], called " The Court Page," grandson and h.p), being only s. and h. of Maurice Fitz-Thomas and Joan his wife, above named. Having been hostage for his grandfather, he was brought up in the English Court, and became Page to Henry VIII. He was sent back to Ireland with a great retinue, but was slain at I.cacansgail, co. Kerry, shortly after his arrival by his cousin Maurice, br. to the next Earl. He in. Mary, da. of CormflO Ogc MacCarthy, who was br. to liis grandmother above named. He d , as above stated, 19 March 1540, s.p.m.C'), and was ill!-, at Youghidl. His widow m. Daniel O'SullivaN-More, and d. 1548. XIV". 1510. U t . James Fitz-Joiin (Fitz Gerald), Earl of Desmond [I.], cousin and h. male, being 2nd but 1st snrv. s. and h. male of Sir John of Desmond, by Maud, da. of Donogh O'Brien, of Carrigo-gunnell, co. Limerick, which Sir John was 1th s. of the Sth Earl, and had himself assumed the Earldom in 1534 to the exclusion of his great-nephew next abovenamed.C) He was present iu the Pari, that recognised Henry VIII as "Kin;/ of Ireland;" was Lord Treasurer [I.] 1542-51 and 1553-58, and Privy Councillor [I.] He m. four times, viz., firstly, his great-niece Joan, da. of Maurice (Ruche), Viscount Fermoy [I.J by Eleanor, da. of Sir Maurice Fitz-John (FitzGerald), yr. br. to him, the said 14th Earl. He, however, divorced her and considered her issue bastardised. ( c ) He m. secondly More, da. of Sir Maolrouy O'Carroll, of Ely O'CarroU, by Margery, da. of Turlogh O'Brien of Thomond. She d. 1518. He m. thirdly, Catherine, widow of Richard (Power), Baron Le Power [I.] da. of Pierce (Butler). Earl 05 Ossory and Ormonde [I.] by Margaret, da. of Gerald (Fitz-Gkrald) Sth Earl of Kildare [I]. She, by whom he had no issue, d. at Askeaton, co. Limerick, 17 March 1552/3. He Hi. fourthly, Ellen, sister of Donald, 1st Earl Of Clancarb [I ] da. of Donald Mac-Cormac Ladrach Mac- Cartev Mor. Herf. 14 Oct., and was bur. 1 Nov., 1558, at Askeaton. His widow d. in 1560. was sungt by Tom Moore." The date of her marriage may be any time between 1505 and 1534. She was however young enough to bear children or, at all events, one child Katharine, wife of Philip Barry Oge. If, indeed, she did marry as early as 1505 and irasthen 41 !! she would have been 140 in 1604, but if the marriage took place, in say 1531, at her much more probable nge of 21 she would at her death have been but 94 years rf nge, and if iu 1521 at the same age (21), she would have died at the age of 104, possibly a date transformed into 140. No additional information on this point is furnished by Mr. R. Sainthill in his book upon her. Sir John Haringtou alludes to her age as " above 120 " when Writing in 1C05 of Ireland. The story of her having come up to London in 1587 to supplicate for a pension relates (not to her, but) to Eleanor, widow of the rebel EarL (") The succession of the 13th Earl was disputed by Sir John Fitz-Thomas (Fitz- Gerald) of Desmond, his great uncle, 4th s. of the Sth, and yr. br. of the 9th, 10th, and 12th Earl. This John who styled himself "Earl of Desmond," and is some- times so considered d. at a great age, Christmas 1530 in the Abbey of Tralee. ( b ) His only da. Judith d. unm. 1565. ( c ) See pedigree in Hayman's " Geraldinc documents." t i.e., in hia " Fudge Letters " where he states that we are told " That she lived to much more than a hundred and ten And was killed by a fall from a cherry tree then ; What a frisky old girl !" In the Eail of Leicester's " Table Book " it is stated that "shee nuist needs climb a nut-tree to gather nuts, soe falling down, &c." See Sir B. Burke's " Vicissitudes of Families," 2d series, p. 116.