Meyler de Bermingham

Meyler de Bermingham, Anglo-Irish lord, founder of Athenry, died before 1275.

Ancestry

Meyler was a great-grandson of Robert de Bermingham who is said to have obtained a grant of Offaly from Strongbow or Henry II about 1172. Robert's son (Meyler, killed 1211) and grandson (Peter, died 1254) were both described as of Tethmoy, which is thought to have been the baronies of Warrenstown and part of Coolestown. Peter de Bermingham had sons James, Andrew, Maurice and Meyler.

Athenry

Peter and Meyler participated in the Norman invasion of Connacht in the 1230s, Peter obtaining Dunmore in County Galway and Tireragh in County Sligo.

Meyler himself made a separate settlement in an area called Clann Taidg, and founded a castle by the River Clarin at a ford called Áth na Rí (ford of the kings, or kingdoms). This became the town of Athenry.

Family

Meyler married Basilia de Worcester of County Tipperary, and had issue Peter (d. 1309?), Basilia de Bermingham, and William (Archbishop of Tuam, died 1309). Two of the latter's sons, Will Finn de Bermingham and Simon de Bermingham, were killed with their cousion John de Bermingham, 1st Earl of Louth during the Bragenstown Massacre in 1329.

Peter de Bermingham survived Meyler till as late as 1309, and had issue Meyler (died 1302) and Rickard de Bermingham, who successfully defeated King Fedlim of Connacht at the Second Battle of Athenry. Rickard's eldest son, John, was also killed at Bragenstown but was succeeded by his brother, Thomas de Bermingham.

Descendants

Meyler's senior descendants ceased with the death of Thomas, 19th Lord Athenry, in 1799, but the name is still common in Galway via junior branches. Among his descendants were philosopher Francis Bermingham and astronomer John Bermingham.

Select genealogy

Available evidence indicates that Myler's ancestor could have been one Richard, alive in 1066 and recorded as holding four hides of land at Birmingham as a Knight-service in 1086 for William fitz Ansculf. The descent is uncertain; the family may have been descendants of fitz Ansculf via the Pagnall family. The following family tree is based on their presumed descent from Richard of Birmingham (fl. 1066-1086). If true, it may indicate the family to be of English rather than Norman origin.

 Richard, alive 1066-1086
 |
 |
 William de Birmingham, fl. 1100-1135
 |
 |
 Peter de Birmingham, fl. 1154-1166.
 |
 |              
 William, fl. 1172-1189.   
 |
 |_________________________
 |                       |
 |                       |
 Peter, fl. 1213/1215    Robert of Tethmoy, fl. 1172. 
 |                       |
 |                       |
 William, fl. 1250.      Myler of Tethmoy, died 1211
 |                       |
 |                       |
 William, d. 1265.       Peter of Tethmoy, d. 1254
 |                       |
 |                       |_________________________      William de Worchester, fl. 1230.
 William, fl. 1283-97    |      |       |        |       |
 |                       |      |       |        |       |
 |                       James  Andrew  Maurice  Myler = Basilia de Worchester
 William, fl. 1305                                     | 
 |                                                     |______________________________________
 |                                                     |              |                      |
 William, fl. 1325                                     |              |                      |
 |                                                     Peter          Basilia                William de Bermingham
 |______________________                              =Ni Cellaigh?  =Jordan de Exeter   d. 1309
 |                     |                               |              |                      | 
 |                     |                               |              |                      |
 Fulk, fl. 1340-67  William                            Rickard        Jordan Oge             Simon
 |                     |                               d. 1322        d.1319                 d. 1329.
 |____________         |                               |
 |           |      William                            | 
 |           |    fl. 1441-79                          Thomas, d. 1375
 John     Thomas       |                               |
 fl. 1397              |                               |
                William, fl. 1449                      Walter, d.1428
                       |                               | 
                       |                               |
               Edward, d. 1538                        Thomas, d.1473.

See also

• De Birmingham family

Preceded by New creation

Baron Athenry

Succeeded by Peter de Bermingham

External links

• http://books.google.ie/books?id=kVslRbrSH7QC&pg=PA38&lpg=PA38&dq=tethmoy&source=bl&ots=k8N_47voWF&sig=htyy3-3IPIXzfuFK40UJyoBQKaE&hl=en&ei=4IdaSveVGuSrjAeygrUb&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5
• http://www.edenderryhistory.org/history/EdenderryHistoryMiddleAges.html
• http://www.irishmidlandsancestry.com/content/family_history/families/fitzgerald_offaly.htm

References

• History of Galway, James Hardiman, Galway, 1820
• The Abbey of Athenry, Martin J. Blake, Journal of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society, volume II, part ii, 1902
• The Birmingham family of Athenry, H.T. Knox, J.G.A.H.S., volume ten, numbers iii and iv, 1916-17.
• The Birmingham chalice, J. Rabbitte, volume 17, i and ii, 1936-27
• The Second Battle of Athenry, Adrian James Martyn, East Galway News & Views, September 2008 - April 2009