Biography of Gerald Fitzgerald 8th Earl of Kildare 1456-1513

Paternal Family Tree: Fitzgerald

Gerald Fitzgerald 8th Earl of Kildare and Elizabeth St John Countess Kildare were married. She by marriage Countess Kildare. He the son of Thomas Fitzgerald 7th Earl of Kildare.

Around January 1456 Gerald Fitzgerald 8th Earl of Kildare was born to [his father] Thomas Fitzgerald 7th Earl of Kildare (age 35).

In 1468 Thomas Fitzgerald 7th Earl Desmond and [his father] Thomas Fitzgerald 7th Earl of Kildare (age 47) attended Parliament in Drogheda [Map] to answer charges of treason. Both were found guilty and attain. Thomas Fitzgerald 7th Earl Desmond sought sanctuary in Drogheda Priory [Map] where he was captured by John "Butcher of England" Tiptoft 1st Earl of Worcester (age 40). On 14th February 1468 Thomas Fitzgerald 7th Earl Desmond was summarily beheaded. He was buried initially in St Peter's Church Drogheda [Map] then Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin [Map]. Some accounts claim John "Butcher of England" Tiptoft 1st Earl of Worcester also murdered two of his young sons. Thomas Fitzgerald 7th Earl of Kildare escaped and was subsequently pardoned and attainder reversed when King Edward IV found Ireland was ungovernable without him. In 1470 Thomas Fitzgerald 7th Earl of Kildare was appointed Lord Deputy of Ireland under George York 1st Duke of Clarence (age 18) which position he held until the Duke's death in 1478.

On 25th March 1478 [his father] Thomas Fitzgerald 7th Earl of Kildare (age 57) died. His son Gerald (age 22) succeeded 8th Earl Kildare.

In 1485 [his son-in-law] Piers "Red" Butler 8th Earl Ormonde 1st Earl Ossory (age 18) and [his daughter] Margaret Fitzgerald Countess Ormonde and Ossory were married. She the daughter of Gerald Fitzgerald 8th Earl of Kildare (age 28) and [his future wife] Alice Fitzeustace Countess Kildare. They were half third cousin twice removed.

Before 1487 Gerald Fitzgerald 8th Earl of Kildare (age 30) and Alice Fitzeustace Countess Kildare were married. She by marriage Countess Kildare. He the son of Thomas Fitzgerald 7th Earl of Kildare.

In 1487 [his son] Gerald Fitzgerald 9th Earl of Kildare was born to Gerald Fitzgerald 8th Earl of Kildare (age 30) and [his wife] Alice Fitzeustace Countess Kildare. He married (1) before 8th July 1503 Elizabeth Zouche Countess Kildare and had issue (2) 1522 Elizabeth Grey Countess Kildare, daughter of Thomas Grey 1st Marquess Dorset and Cecily Bonville Marchioness Dorset, and had issue.

In 1495 [his wife] Alice Fitzeustace Countess Kildare died.

After 1496 [his son] Oliver Fitzgerald was born to Gerald Fitzgerald 8th Earl of Kildare (age 39) and Elizabeth St John Countess Kildare (age 36).

After 1496 [his son] James Fitzgerald was born to Gerald Fitzgerald 8th Earl of Kildare (age 39) and Elizabeth St John Countess Kildare (age 36) at Leixlip, County Kildare.

After 1496 [his son] Walter Fitzgerald was born to Gerald Fitzgerald 8th Earl of Kildare (age 39) and Elizabeth St John Countess Kildare (age 36) at County Kildare.

Before 8th July 1503, the date Mrgrate Tudor left on her journet to Scotland, [his son] Gerald Fitzgerald 9th Earl of Kildare (age 16) and [his daughter-in-law] Elizabeth Zouche Countess Kildare were married at Collyweston Palace [Map]. She by marriage Countess Kildare. He the son of Gerald Fitzgerald 8th Earl of Kildare (age 47) and [his former wife] Alice Fitzeustace Countess Kildare.

All About History Books

The Chronicle of Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke. Baker was a secular clerk from Swinbroke, now Swinbrook, an Oxfordshire village two miles east of Burford. His Chronicle describes the events of the period 1303-1356: Gaveston, Bannockburn, Boroughbridge, the murder of King Edward II, the Scottish Wars, Sluys, Crécy, the Black Death, Winchelsea and Poitiers. To quote Herbert Bruce 'it possesses a vigorous and characteristic style, and its value for particular events between 1303 and 1356 has been recognised by its editor and by subsequent writers'. The book provides remarkable detail about the events it describes. Baker's text has been augmented with hundreds of notes, including extracts from other contemporary chronicles, such as the Annales Londonienses, Annales Paulini, Murimuth, Lanercost, Avesbury, Guisborough and Froissart to enrich the reader's understanding. The translation takes as its source the 'Chronicon Galfridi le Baker de Swynebroke' published in 1889, edited by Edward Maunde Thompson. Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback.

Around 1504 Gerald Fitzgerald 8th Earl of Kildare (age 47) was appointed 258th Knight of the Garter by King Henry VII of England and Ireland (age 46).

On 3rd September 1513 Gerald Fitzgerald 8th Earl of Kildare (age 57) died. His son Gerald (age 26) succeeded 9th Earl Kildare.

[his daughter] Margaret Fitzgerald Countess Ormonde and Ossory was born to Gerald Fitzgerald 8th Earl of Kildare and Alice Fitzeustace Countess Kildare. She married 1485 her half third cousin twice removed Piers "Red" Butler 8th Earl Ormonde 1st Earl Ossory and had issue.

[his son] John Fitzgerald was born to Gerald Fitzgerald 8th Earl of Kildare and Elizabeth St John Countess Kildare.

[his daughter] Ellis Fitzgerald Baroness Slane was born to Gerald Fitzgerald 8th Earl of Kildare and Alice Fitzeustace Countess Kildare. She married Christopher Fleming 8th Baron Slane, son of James Fleming 7th Baron Slane and Elizabeth Welles Countess Kildare, and had issue.

[his daughter] Eleanor Fitzgerald was born to Gerald Fitzgerald 8th Earl of Kildare and Alice Fitzeustace Countess Kildare.

[his daughter] Alice Fitzgerald Countess Tyrone was born to Gerald Fitzgerald 8th Earl of Kildare and Alice Fitzeustace Countess Kildare. She married in or before 1530 Conn O'Neill 1st Earl Tyrone.