Gerald FitzGerald, 8th Earl of Kildare

Gerald FitzGerald , called the Great Earl KG (* approx. 1456 in Ireland ; † September 3, 1513 ) also known under the name Gerait Mor , was the 8th Earl of Kildare .

family

Gerald FitzGerald was a son of Thomas FitzGerald, 7th Earl of Kildare , and his wife Jane Fitzgerald. His first marriage was Alison, daughter of Rowland Eustace, Baron of Portlester, with whom he had two children:

• Gerald FitzGerald, 9th Earl of Kildare (1487–1534)
• Margaret († 1542), ∞ approx. 1485 Piers Butler, 8th Earl of Ormonde

In his second marriage he was married to Elizabeth, daughter of Oliver St. John, with whom he had five other sons:

• James († 1537), of Leixlip, hanged together with the 10th Earl of Kildare
• Richard († 1537), of Fassaroe, hanged with his brothers
• Oliver († 1537), hanged with his brothers
• John († 1537), hanged with his brothers
• Walter († 1537), hanged with his brothers

Life

Gerald succeeded his father in 1477 as Earl of Kildare. In 1481 he was appointed Lord Deputy of Ireland by King Edward IV . He received this office under Richard III. and Henry VII until he was accused of conspiracy against the Crown in 1494, tried before Parliament in Drogheda and imprisoned in the Tower of London .

Two years later, the earl was pardoned and reinstated as Lord Deputy. In 1505 he fought against Chieftains in southern Ireland near Knockdoe in County Galway , where he was wounded. Still left in office by Henry VII, he finally succumbed to his injuries in 1513.

literature

• Mary Ann Lyons: Church and Society in County Kildare. C. 1470-1547. Maynooth History Studies Series 1999, ISBN 978-1-85182-459-5

Web links

• Gerald FitzGerald, 8th Earl of Kildare on thepeerage.com , accessed September 15, 2016.

predecessor	Office	successor
Thomas FitzGerald	Earl of Kildare 1477-1513	Gerald FitzGerald