James Butler, 1st earl of Ormonde, was born about 1305, the son of Edmond Butler, earl of Carrick, 6th Butler, and Lady Joan FitzGerald.
In 1317 James was kept in Dublin Castle as a hostage for his father, and in 1325 had a protection as he was to leave overseas with the king. On 2 December 1325 the king took his homage and, for 2,000 marks, gave him licence to marry whomever he wished. In 1326 he received a protection in England on going over to Ireland, where he supported Mortimer's party.
He appears to have lived and fought chiefly in Ireland, though he had widely distributed properties in England. In 1327 he married Lady Eleanor de Bohun, daughter of Humphrey de Bohun, 4th earl of Hereford and Essex, and Elizabeth of England daughter of Edward I, king of England; in this year he also obtained a grant or confirmation of the prisage of wines at Irish ports. This he regarded as appurtenant to his hereditary office of Butler.
As James le Botiller of Ireland he was created Earl of Ormonde in the Parliament which sat at Salisbury from 16 to 31 October 1328, the charter recording the creation of the dignity being dated 2 November 1328. In 1331, when it was proposed that the king should visit Ireland, Ormonde and the Earl of Ulster and others were summoned to England to discuss the matter. In 1335 and 1336 he was summoned to Scotland on the king's service. On 6 January 1337, he died 'in the flower of his youth' and was buried at Gowran.
On 2 April 1338, Dower was assigned to his widow. She resided mainly in England and, before 20 April 1344, married Sir Thomas de Dagworth, who was treacherously slain in Brittany in 1350. In 1361 and 1362 she was directed to send deputies to the King to confer as to the state of Ireland. She died 7 October 1363.
James Butler, 2nd earl of Ormonde, was born on 4 October 1331 at Kilkenny, the son of James Butler, 1st earl of Ormonde, and Eleanor de Bohun.
James Butler married Elizabeth Darcy, daughter of John Darcy, 1st baron Darcy of Knaith, and Lady Joan de Burgh. They became the parents of two daughters and two sons.
James Butler was nicknamed 'the Noble Earl' because of his royal descent, but the Irish called him 'the Chaste'. Remaining in his mother's charge until 1345 but, on 20 April 1344, his custody and marriage were granted first to the Earl of Desmond and, on 24 March 1346, to Sir John Darcy. James Butler married Elizabeth, the daughter of the latter.
Though still under sixteen years of age, in February 1347 he did fealty and had order for livery of his inheritance, including the Butlership, because the King wished for his services overseas. However, in March 1350 he was appointed Constable of Dublin Castle for life. In November 1351 he was present at the opening of the English Parliament at Winchester, but he resided chiefly in Ireland, distinguishing himself in the wars there and receiving many grants for his good services, in one of which he was styled Earl of Ormonde and Carrick.
He was several times Chief Governor of Ireland. Early in 1372 he took a force over to England to the King's service. In December 1381, after the death of the Earl of March, the Lord Lieutenant, the Earl of Ormonde was of the Council and refused the Lieutenancy. He died, aged fifty-one, in 1382 and was buried in the church of Gowran. About a year later his widow married Sir Robert de Hereford and she died 24 March 1390.
James Butler, 3rd earl of Ormonde, was born after 1361, the son of James Butler, 2nd earl of Ormonde, and Elizabeth Darcy.
On 2 March 1383 James was granted custody of his lands, and on 16 November 1383 had licence to come from Ireland, where he was staying 'for the safeguard' of the country, to do homage and sue his inheritance out of the King's hand. On 10 March 1385 he had order for livery, and respite of fealty till 1386, in consideration of his father's good service.
He was in England to do homage on 28 October 1385, and returned in June 1386 to Ireland where he mostly resided. Before 17 June 1386 he married Anne Welles. Like his father, he was several times Chief Governor of Ireland. In February 1389 he was granted the custody of Counties Kilkenny and Tipperary. His transactions for the purchase of Kilkenny Castle from Sir Hugh le Despencer took from 1391 till 1393. In 1396 was the last mention of his wife being alive. In May 1400 King Henry IV appointed him chief commissioner to inquire into certain seditions, also sheriff of Cork, and, in May 1403, chief commissioner to adjourn and continue the Parliament. In September 1405 he died at Gowran where he was buried.
sabelle de France was born in 1292, the daughter of Philippe IV 'le Bel', king of France, and Jeanne I, queen of Navarre, comtesse de Champagne. Three of her brothers would be kings of France. Isabelle, the infamous 'She-Wolf of France', was about thirteen years old when she married the king of England, Edward II. Probably the most vilified of the English queens, and the only medieval queen known to have been an adulteress, Isabelle led the revolution that eventually ended with the removal of her husband.
Isabelle's dowry was enormous, but many of her father's presents to her husband went straight to Piers Gaveston, her husband's favourite. Edward II's preference for Gaveston was so obvious that it caused disharmony between Edward and Isabelle throughout their lives. Nevertheless, four children were born over a nine-year period, of whom a son Edward and daughter Eleanor would have progeny.
When Piers Gaveston was murdered in 1312 his place was soon taken by Hugh le Despenser, who did not come alone as he was strongly supported by his father, the earl of Winchester.
The last years of Isabelle's father King Philippe IV of France were overshadowed by the conduct of his three daughters-in-law. All three had supposedly started affaires, of which their husbands may have remained ignorant had not Isabelle revealed the behaviour of her sisters-in-law. Two of their lovers, brothers Philippe and Gautier d'Aulnay, confessed under torture and were killed hideously, while all three princesses were imprisoned and two admitted guilt. Marguerite, wife of the future King Louis X, had her marriage annulled and was imprisoned in Château Gaillard where she was virtually starved to death. Blanche, wife of the future King Charles IV, also had her marriage annulled and ended her life as a nun. Only Jeanne, wife of the future King Philippe V, who had protested her innocence, was believed by her husband and taken back by him.
The Tower of London housed a state prisoner, Roger Mortimer, who was under sentence of death. Queen Isabelle fell in love with him and had his sentence changed to life imprisonment. Then she assisted his escape to France in August 1323. A year later the Despensers caused a rift between Isabelle and Edward II, but Edward still allowed her to go to France with their eldest son.
In France Isabelle was joined by Roger Mortimer. However, when her brother King Charles IV was made aware of her behaviour, he ordered her out of the country. Isabelle and Roger Mortimer then left for the court of Willem III 'the Good', Graaf van Holland and Hainault, his consort Jeanne de Valois, whose daughter Philippa would be married to Isabelle's son Edward III in 1328.
Gathering an army, Isabelle and Mortimer landed at Harwich on 25 September 1326 and were joined by the barons. In January 1327 Edward II was deposed. On 25 January 1327 Edward III, aged only fourteen, was proclaimed king and crowned on 2 February 1327 in Westminster Abbey. It is widely believed that in September 1327 Edward II was hideously murdered, though there is an element of doubt about this.
Edward III's resentment was contained for only a few years. Isabelle lived openly with Roger Mortimer until in 1330 he was taken prisoner and removed to Tyburn. There he was hanged on 23 November 1330, having the dubious honour of being the first person to be executed there. Edward III then forced his mother to retire to Hertford Castle, where he would occasionally visit her. Here she died in August 1358, aged about sixty-six.