Joan FitzGerald

Joan FitzGerald, Countess of Carrick (died before 2 May 1320), was an Irish noblewoman, and the wife of Sir Edmund Butler, Earl of Carrick, Justiciar of Ireland (1268- 13 September 1321). She was the mother of James Butler, 1st Earl of Ormond.

Family

Joan FitzGerald was born in Co. Kildare, Ireland, the daughter of John FitzThomas FitzGerald, 1st Earl of Kildare, Baron of Offaly, and Blanche de La Roche. She had two brothers, Gerald (died 1303), and Thomas FitzGerald, 2nd Earl of Kildare (died 5 April 1328), who married Joan de Burgh (c.1300- 23 April 1359), daughter of Richard Og de Burgh, 2nd Earl of Ulster and Margaret de Burgh of Lanvalley, by whom he had issue. Joan had one sister, Elizabeth, who married Nicholas Netterville, by whom she had issue.

Joan FitzGerald's paternal grandparents were Thomas FitzMaurice FitzGerald and Rohesia de St. Michael. Her maternal grandparents were John de La Roche, Lord of Fermoy, and Maud de Waleys (Walsh). The latter was a daughter of Henry le Waleys (The Welsh).

Marriage and children

In 1302, Joan married Sir Edmund Butler, Earl of Carrick, the son of Theobald le Botiller (1242- 1285) and Joan FitzGeoffrey (died 4 April 1303). The marriage produced one son:

James Butler, 1st Earl of Ormond (1305- 6 January 1338), who married Lady Eleanor de Bohun (17 October 1304- 7 October 1363), by whom he had four children, including James Butler, 2nd Earl of Ormond who in his turn married Elizabeth Darcy and had issue, from whom descended the subsequent Earls of Ormond.

In 1307, Sir Edmund and Joan's father diepersed rebels in Offaly who had burnt the town of Leix and destroyed the castle of Geashill.

In 1315, Sir Edmund Butler was appointed Justiciar of Ireland.

That same year, in July, Joan's husband and her father led the Munster and Leinster contigent of armed forces who were allied with the combined armies of Richard de Burgh, 2nd Earl of Ulster and Felim mac Aedh Ua Conchobair, King of Connacht against the Scottish and Irish troops of Edward Bruce who had been crowned King Of Ireland at Carrickfergus. They were repelled by Bruce, at the River Bann near Coleraine and forced to retreat. Sir Edmund, due to lack of supplies, returned to Ormond.

Edward Bruce was killed in 1318, at the Battle of Faughart.

Joan's father, John FitzThomas FitzGerald died a year later on 10 September 1316, several months after after being created Earl of Kildare by King Edward II.

Death

Joan FitzGerald died on an unknown date sometime before 2 May 1320. She was the ancestress of the Earls of Ormond, Queen consort Anne Boleyn, Mary Boleyn, and Diana, Princess of Wales.

References

# Charles Cawley,"Medieval Lands", Earls of Kildare
# Charles Cawley,"Medieval Lands", Earls of Ormond