Maurice Fitz-Thomas Fitzgerald, 1st Earl of Desmond ( born Maurice FitzThomas FitzGerald, 1st Earl of Desmond , died January 25, 1356 , Dublin Castle ) - Irish aristocrat , 4th Baron Desmond (1307-1329) and 1st Earl Desmond (1329–1365), Peer of Ireland, captain of Desmond Castle in Kinsale , Lord Justiciary of Ireland (1355–1356). Also known as “ Maurice the Great, ” he led a rebellion against the English crown, but was ultimately pardoned by the king.
| Maurice Fitzgerald, 1st Earl of Desmond | |||||||
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| Maurice FitzThomas FitzGerald, 1st Earl of Desmond | |||||||
 Kinsale Desmond Castle | |||||||
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| Predecessor | Thomas Fitzgerald, 3rd Baron Desmond | ||||||
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| Predecessor | creation creation | ||||||
| Successor | Maurice Fitzgerald, 2nd Earl of Desmond | ||||||
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| Successor | James Butler, 2nd Earl of Ormond | ||||||
| Birth | is unknown Ireland | ||||||
| Death | January 25, 1356 Dublin Castle , Payle , Ireland | ||||||
| Kind | Fitzgeralds | ||||||
| Father | Thomas Fitzgerald, 2nd Baron Desmond | ||||||
| Mother | Margaret Barry | ||||||
| Spouse | 1) Katherine de Burg 2) Margaret O'Brien 3) Avelin (Eleanor) de Fitzmoris | ||||||
| Children | from first marriage : Maurice from a third marriage : Nicholas and Gerald | ||||||
| Religion | Christianity | ||||||
Content
Background
Representative of the Fitzgerald Dynasty. The second son of Thomas Fitz-Maurice Fitzgerald, 2nd Baron Desmond (1261-1298), and his wife Margaret (her origin is debatable, perhaps she belonged to the Barry family or de Burg). When Maurice was still a child, he inherited the title of baron in 1307 after the death of his childless older brother Thomas Fitz-Thomas Fitzgerald, 3rd baron Desmond (1298-1307), and also received large land estates and estates.
Impact
By 1326, the influence of Maurice Fitzgerald was such that there were rumors of a conspiracy to make him king of Ireland. Modern historians tend to reject this version on the grounds that the alleged conspirators were other Irish tycoons who were interested in increasing their own power than supporting Baron Desmond.
On August 27, 1329, Maurice Fitzgerald, 4th Baron Desmond, received the title of Count Desmond from the King of England, Edward III Plantagenet . The royal patent also granted him and his male descendants the county of Kerry with the condition of sending one armed knight to the royal service. This was part of the policy of the English crown, aimed at securing the support of local tycoons, representing them with lands and titles.
In January 1330, Sir John Darcy, Lord Justice of Ireland, called in the service of Maurice Fitzgerald, 1st Earl of Desmond, to fight against the rebellious Irish clans.
In 1331, new rumors appeared about an attempt to make Maurice Fitzgerald, Earl of Desmond, king of Ireland. The English crown took them seriously enough and ordered the arrest of the count. More than 18 months, Maurice Fitzgerald spent in prison, his possessions were reduced. He was released after a number of prominent Irish noblemen guarantee.
In 1339, Maurice Fitzgerald, 1st Earl of Desmond, fought the Irish rebels in County Kerry, where he claimed to have killed 1,400 men and captured Nicholas, Lord Kerry. Desmond kept him in custody until his death as a punishment for switching to the side of the rebelled Irish.
In the same 1339, Maurice Fitzgerald was present in the Irish Parliament, held in Dublin . On July 10, 1344, Maurice Fitzgerald, Earl of Desmond, Maurice Fitzgerald, 4th Earl of Kildare , and other large Anglo-Norman feudal lords of Ireland received royal orders to arrive in Portsmouth to participate in the war against France. Earl Desmond was to appear in royal service with a detachment of 20 horsemen and 50 foot soldiers.
Rebellion
In 1345, Maurice Fitzgerald presided over a meeting of Anglo-Irish magnates in Callan ( County Kilkenny ), who ignored the invitation to attend the Irish Parliament. The rebels attacked the city of Nina . Earl Desmond was a formidable adversary, and for the following years the fight against him was the head concern of the crown in Ireland. Earl Desmond surrendered in exchange for a promise that his life would be spared. He was imprisoned, and his possessions were subject to confiscation in favor of the crown. He was sent into custody in England to answer the charges against him. In 1348, Maurice Fitzgerald, Earl of Desmond was released from prison, and in 1349 he was pardoned by the king.
Recent years
In July 1355, Maurice Fitzgerald, Earl of Desmond, was appointed King of England Lord Justiciary of Ireland . January 25, 1356, he died in Dublin Castle . He was buried in the church of the preacher brothers in Tralee .
Marriage and children
Count Desmond was married three times. On August 13, 1312, at Greencastle, he married Lady Catherine (c. 1296–1331), the fifth daughter of Richard de Burgh, 2nd Earl of Ulster , with his first marriage. Children from their first marriage:
- Maurice Fitzgerald, 2nd Earl of Desmond (d. 1358)
The second time he married Margaret, daughter of Connor O'Brien, Prince Tomond , whose marriage was childless.
For the third time, Count Desmond married Avelin (or Eleanor), daughter of Nicholas Fitzmoris, 3rd Baron Kerry (d. 1324). Children from the third marriage:
- Nicholas Fitzgerald, ancestor of the McRoberts of Bellamullin
- Gerald Fitzgerald, 3rd Earl of Desmond , nicknamed the “Gerald Poet” (1335–1398).
Sources
- Stephen, Leslie , ed. (1888). "Fitzthomas, Maurice . " Dictionary of National Biography. 13. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
- Lodge, John, and Archdall, Mervyn, AM, The Peerage of Ireland, Dublin, 1789, vol. 1, pps: 62-64.