Gerald Fitz Maurice 1st Baron of Offaly

  General Notes:

~ Cokayne's Complete Peerage, 2nd Edition, Vol. VII, "The Geraldine" pedigree chart, p. 200, show as the son of Maurice f. gerald of Windwor and Alice Montgomery. His wife is given as Eve of Bermingham ¹⁴¹

  Information about this person:

• Background Information. ¹⁴¹
Gerald Fitz Maurice Fitz Gerald, first baron of Offaly of this family, was probably the eldest son of his father's 2^nd marriage, and was possibly born as late as 1150. He was with his father at the siege of Dublin in 1171. After their father's death, his brother William gave him half of the cantred of Ophelan, which had been granted to Maurice. Gerald received a protection upon the accession of King John. He married Eve, presumably the daughter of Robert de Bermingham who brought him in marriage the Barony of Offaly, and he became the first of the Fitz Geralds to be known as "baron of Offaly." Gerald died shortly before 15 Jan 1203/4. His widow married for a second time to Geoffrey Fitz Robert, and a third time to Geoffrey de Marsh (de Marisco), sometime Justiciar of Ireland, who held Offaly after her death. Eve was living in June 1223 and died before Dec 1226.

~ Cokayne's Complete Peerage, 2nd Edition, Vol. X, pp. 13-14

• Background Information. ⁹⁴⁰
Gerald Fitz Gerald, Lord of Offaly, was the son of Maurice Fitz Gerald, the invader of Ireland. Though the Geraldines had already become a well-known family, Gerald is more often called Fitz Maurice than Fitz Gerald. Accompanying his father from Wales to Ireland, he and his brother Alexander showed great valour in the battle against Roderick O'Conor, ourtside the walls of Dublin in 1171 [Exp. Hib. in Giraldus, Opera, v. 268, Rolls Ser.].

After his father's death, William Fitz Aldhelm deprived him and his brothers of their stronghold of Wicklow, though after a time compelled to give them Ferns in exchange [ib. p. 337]. He had already received from Strongbow, Nans and other districts in Kildare, and had erected Maynooth Castle [Gilbert, Viceroys of Ireland, p. 93]. In 1199, though receiving King John's letters of protection, he was ordered to do right to Maurice Fitz Philip for the lands of 'Gessil and Lega' (? Leix), whereof he had already deforced Maurice [Chart. 1 John, m. 6, p. i; Oblate 1 John, m. 12; Cal. Doc. Ireland, Nos. 101, 102]. But on his death, Gerald was still in possession of those estates [Cal. Doc. Ireland, No. 195]. He is often described as 'Baron Offaly,' the middle cantred of which had been among his father's possessions. He died before 15 Jan. 1204 [ib. No. 195], although generally said to have died in 1205 [Book of Howth, p. 118, which describes him erroneously as justice of Ireland].

Gerald Fitz Maurice married Catherine, daughter of Hamon of Valognes, justiciar of Ireland between 1197 and 1199. He left by her two sons [Lodge, Peerage of Ireland, i. 59], one of whom, his successor, was Maurice Fitz Gerald*, lord of Offaly (1194?-1257). Gerald is described by his cousin, Giraldus Cambrensis, as small in stature, but distinguished for prudence and honesty [Exp. Hib. p. 354]. He was the ancestor of the earls of Kildare.

~ Thomas Frederick Tout, Dictionary of National Biography, Vol. VII, pp. 115-116

* ~ Cokayne's Complete Peerage, 2nd Edition, Vol. X, pp. 13-14, gives the mother of Maurice to be Eve Bermingham. Catherine may have been his first wife and mother of Stephen, brother of Gerald Fitz Maurice. ¹⁴¹

Gerald married Eve de Bermingham, daughter of Robert de Bermingham and Unknown.¹⁴¹ (Eve de Bermingham was born in Offaly, Kildare, Ireland and died about 1226 in Offaly, Kildare, Ireland ¹⁴¹.)