Eric Miller's Family Tree

Sir James "The Black" Dubh Ormond

Person Chart

Parents

Father Date of Birth Mother Date of Birth
John Butler 6th Earl of Ormond 1422 Reynalda O'brien

Partners

Partner Date of Birth Children
Amice Poynings

Person Events

Event Type Date Place Description
Birth BET 1462 and 1465
Marriage 1489

Notes
1) Sir JAMES "The Black" ORMOND, born about 1462-65, was a minor when
his father died in 1476, and was placed under the guardianship of his
father's younger brother Thomas who succeeded as 7th Earl of Ormond.
Apparently there was a move to legitimate young James in 1480, but Earl
Thomas was able to protest it, and thus keep the extensive Ormond
inheritance. Young James was placed by his uncle at the English court
where he became an expert in the use of arms. He was groomed for a
legal career and entered as a bencher of Lincoln's Inn 24 June 1486.
After the death of Sir James Butler of Callan in April 1487, James
Ormond was appointed by his uncle Earl Thomas as his attorney and
deputy of the Ormond lands in Ireland, an appointment James was said to
have obtained with a lawyer's dexterity. This led to a fatal feud with
Piers Butler, the son and heir of Sir James Butler of Callan, who
viewed the deputyship of the Ormond lands as his hereditary right, and
grew troubled by the growing power and influence of Sir James "The
Black" Ormond in Ireland.

Married about 1489, Amice Poynings, daughter of Robert Poynings of
Maidstone, Kent and Elizabeth Paston, and sister of Sir Edward Poynings
who was appointed deputy of Ireland in 1494. She seems to have died
without issue before 1492 when Sir James Ormond was betrothed to a
daughter of the Earl of Desmond. The only source for the Desmond
betrothal, however, is a statement made by James's archrival Sir Piers
Butler and there is no record of such a marriage or of the Earl of
Desmond even having such a daughter.

Sir James made a good career for himself in Ireland in the 1490s, and
for his military efforts received a grant of the manors and lands in
counties Meath, Tipperary and Kilkenny in 1491, renewed in 1494. He
was appointed Lord Treasurer of Ireland in 1492. He took a mistress
named Rose Barry, and on 17 July 1497, while travelling between
Kilkenny and Dromore to visit her, he encountered his cousin Sir Piers
Butler in the open fields, and in the fight that ensued he was killed.
Sir Piers wrote to Earl Thomas a few weeks later on 7 September his
version of the event, and stated that Sir James had kept him out of his
lands, imprisoned him for a long time, and had vowed after the Earl of
Desmond had secured Sir Piers's release that he would slay Sir Piers
whenever he met him. Whatever was the actual truth, Sir Piers received
a pardon for all crimes committed by him in Ireland on 28 February
1498. He finally received from Earl Thomas the coveted post of deputy
of the Ormond Irish lands in July 1505, and succeeded him as 8th Earl
of Ormond in 1515.