John Fitz Gerald Earl of Kildare

   Another name for John was John Fitz Thomas Fitzgerald.

  Noted events in his life were:

• Background Information. ¹⁴¹
John Fitz Gerald, 5^th lord of the barony of Offaly, co. Kildare, son and heir of Thomas Fitz Maurice (died 1271), and heir male of his kinsmen the 3^rd and 4^th barons, comes into notice about 1288, when as John son of Thomas he was guardian of part of the Marches of the English Pale. In 1291, he had protection while in England with the Archbishop of Dublin, and that year a payment was made to him for marching against the King's enemies, and he was also engaged in suits concerning his kinsmen's lands, which he appears to have bought from the coheirs.

In 1293, John Fitz Gerald, built Sligo Castle, no doubt to protect his lands in Connaught, which he thought to be threatened by Richard de Burgh, Earl of Ulster, and in the same year and later was keeper of the castles of Roscommon and Randown. In 1294, he took the Earl of Ulster, prisoner, and had also a dispute with another noble, William de Vesci, lord of Kildare and justiciar, who challenged him to a wager of battle. He was obliged to liberate the Earl of Ulster, all Ireland having been disturbed about it, and for a time lost his lands in Connaught. In 1295 he -was again keeper of the castles of Roscommon and Randown. In the same year he was summoned to Parliament by John Wogan the justiciar, who also arranged a truce for two years between the Earl of Ulster and John and the other Geraldines, which became a peace in 1298. John gave the Earl 3,000 Marks, and the Earl gave his daughter in marriage to John's son.

At this time (1295-1302) the King summoned John for military service in Scotland and Flanders, and his services in these wars procured for him pardon and rewards in land. On 9 February 1301/2 he obtained a charter of free warren in his lands in Maynooth and other places in Kildare, Carlow and Limerick. In 1307 he and Edmund Boteler dispersed the robbers of Offaly who had burnt Lea Castle. In, October 1309 he was called upon to cooperate with the Earl of Ulster and other magnates in assembling an Irish force by the following midsummer to serve in Scotland, and he went over to England. In 1311 he was summoned to assist the King's commissioners in quieting discontents in Ireland.

John Fitz Gerald, is styled knight at various times, and in 1313 himself knighted others at Adare. In 1314 he was called to aid the King against the Scots, and when, a little later, Edward Bruce (brother of King Robert) came over to Ireland and was crowned King of Ireland, taking various castles and causing a rising of the Irish, JJohn Fitz Gerald and others, whose combined forces would have been sufficient to overcome Bruce, assembled to resist him, but fell, out among themselves and did nothing. In February 1315/6, however, he (styling himself Seigneur d'Offaly) joined with the other magnates of Ireland in an obligation to maintain the King's authority against his enemies the Scots. On 14 May 1316, for his services to the late and present King, he had grants of the castle and town of Kildare, and, being then in England, was created Earl of Kildare, with remainder to his lawful heirs male, to be held by the service of 7 knights' fees.

John Fitz Gerald, married Blanche, daughter of John Roche, baron of Fermoy. He died 12 September 1316, at Laraghbryan, near Maynooth, and was buried in the Church of the Friars Minor at Kildare. His widow received dower from. her son Thomas in 1316/7. S he was living in February 1329/30, when as Blanche de Roche, Countess of Kildare, she received an acquittance of all claims from Stephen de Aqua.

~Cokayne's Complete Peerage, 2nd Edition, Vol. VII, pp. 218-221

Theobald Butler married in or before 1268, Joan, sister and coheir of Richard Fitz John, Lord Fitz John 1295-97, 4^th and youngest daughter of John Fitz Geoffrey afsd., by Isabel, his wife. Theobald Butler died 26 Sep. 1285, in the Castle of Arklow, and was buried in the monastery there. Inq. p. m. 5 Jan. 1285/6. His widow, Joan, who on 26 Oct. and 21 Nov. 1299 had livery of her pourparty of her afsd. br. Richard's lands, died in 1303, between 25 Feb. and 26 May.

~Cokayne's Complete Peerage, 2nd Edition, Vol. II, p. 449

• Background Information. ⁹⁹¹
John Fitz Gerald, Earl of Kildare, married Blanche Roche, daughter of John, Baron of Fermoy. They had two sons and two daughters: Gerald, who died young in 1303; Thomas, second Earl of Kildare; Joan, married in 1302 to Sir Edmund Butler, created Earl of Carrick, ancestor of the Marquis of Ormonde; and Elizabeth, married to sir Nicholas Netterville, ancestor of the Viscounts of Netterville.

~The Earls of Kildare, p. 28

John married Blanche de la Roche, daughter of John de la Roche Lord Fermoy and Maud le Waleys, in ` ¹⁴¹.^,991 (Blanche de la Roche was born about 1268 in Fermoy, Cork, Ireland and died after Feb 1330 ¹⁴¹.)