Earl of Kildare

Coat of arms of the Earls of Kildare

Earl of Kildare is a hereditary British title in the Peerage of Ireland .

Award

The title was bestowed on May 14, 1316 by King Edward II on John FitzThomas FitzGerald, lord of the feudal barony Offaly.

The 10th Earl was ostracized for high treason in 1537 , which stripped him of the title. In 1554 the title Earl of Kildare was awarded a second time, namely to the half-brother and title heir of the 10th Earl. In 1569 the original title of 1316 was restored. The 11th Earl thus had two title patents. In 1599 the title awarded in 1554 expired with the death of the 13th Earl, but the title awarded in 1316 continued to exist.

The 16th Earl inherited the death of his second cousin Lettice Digby, 1st Baroness Offaly (around 1578-1658) also their title Baron Offaly , which this had been awarded on July 9, 1620 in the Peerage of Ireland.

The 20th Earl was given the title Viscount Leinster , of Taplow in the County of Buckingham in the Peerage of Great Britain in 1747, the titles Marquess of Kildare and Earl of Offaly in the Peerage of Ireland in 1761 , and the title in the Peerage of Ireland in 1766 Duke of Leinster awarded. The title Earl of Kildare has since been a subordinate title of the Dukes.

Earls of Kildare (1316)

• John FitzGerald, 1st Earl of Kildare (1250-1316)
• Thomas FitzGerald, 2nd Earl of Kildare († 1328)
• Richard FitzGerald, 3rd Earl of Kildare (1317-1329)
• Maurice FitzGerald, 4th Earl of Kildare (1318-1390)
• Gerald FitzGerald, 5th Earl of Kildare († 1410)
• John FitzGerald, 6th Earl of Kildare († 1427)
• Thomas FitzGerald, 7th Earl of Kildare († 1478)
• Gerald FitzGerald, 8th Earl of Kildare (1456-1513)
• Gerald FitzGerald, 9th Earl of Kildare (1487–1534)
• Thomas FitzGerald, 10th Earl of Kildare († 1537) (forfeited 1537)
• Gerald FitzGerald, 11th Earl of Kildare (1525–1585) (restored 1569)
• Henry FitzGerald, 12th Earl of Kildare (1562–1597)
• William FitzGerald, 13th Earl of Kildare († 1599)
• Gerald FitzGerald, 14th Earl of Kildare († 1612)
• Gerald FitzGerald, 15th Earl of Kildare (1611-1620)
• George FitzGerald, 16th Earl of Kildare (1612-1660)
• Wentworth FitzGerald, 17th Earl of Kildare (1634–1664)
• John FitzGerald, 18th Earl of Kildare (1661–1707)
• Robert FitzGerald, 19th Earl of Kildare (1675-1744)
• James FitzGerald, 1st Duke of Leinster , 20th Earl of Kildare (1722–1773)
• William FitzGerald, 2nd Duke of Leinster , 21st Earl of Kildare (1749–1804)
• Augustus FitzGerald, 3rd Duke of Leinster , 22nd Earl of Kildare (1791–1874)
• Charles FitzGerald, 4th Duke of Leinster , 23rd Earl of Kildare (1819–1887)
• Gerald FitzGerald, 5th Duke of Leinster , 24th Earl of Kildare (1851-1893)
• Maurice FitzGerald, 6th Duke of Leinster , 25th Earl of Kildare (1887–1922)
• Edward FitzGerald, 7th Duke of Leinster , 26th Earl of Kildare (1892–1976)
• Gerald FitzGerald, 8th Duke of Leinster , 27th Earl of Kildare (1914-2004)
• Maurice FitzGerald, 9th Duke of Leinster , 28th Earl of Kildare (* 1948)

Title heir ( Heir Presumptive ) is the younger brother of the current title holder, Lord John FitzGerald (* 1952).

Literature and web links

• Charles Kidd, David Williamson: Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage . St Martin's Press, New York 1990.
• Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page
• Kildare, Earl of (I, 1316) at Cracroft's Peerage