Biography of James Butler 2nd Duke Ormonde 1665-1745

On 14th November 1659 [his father] Thomas Butler 6th Earl Ossory [aged 25] and [his mother] Emilia Nassau Beverweert Countess Ossory [aged 24] were married at Den Bosch. He the son of [his grandfather] James Butler 1st Duke Ormonde [aged 49] and [his grandmother] Elizabeth Preston Duchess Ormonde [aged 44].

On 29th April 1665 James Butler 2nd Duke Ormonde was born to Thomas Butler 6th Earl Ossory [aged 30] and Emilia Nassau Beverweert Countess Ossory [aged 30].

In June 1671 William St Lawrence 12th Baron Howth [aged 43] died. His son Thomas [aged 12] succeeded 13th Baron Howth. He was placed nuder the guardianship of his father's friend Thomas Butler 6th Earl Ossory [aged 36].

In 1673 [his brother-in-law] William Stanley 9th Earl of Derby [aged 18] and [his sister] Elizabeth Butler Countess Derby [aged 13] were married. She by marriage Countess Derby. She the daughter of [his father] Thomas Butler 6th Earl Ossory [aged 38] and [his mother] Emilia Nassau Beverweert Countess Ossory [aged 37]. He the son of Charles Stanley 8th Earl of Derby and Dorothea Helena Kirkoven Countess Derby [aged 43]. They were half third cousins. He a great x 5 grandson of King Henry VII of England and Ireland.

On 30th July 1680 [his father] Thomas Butler 6th Earl Ossory [aged 46] died. He was buried in the Duke of Ormonde Vault, King Henry VII Chapel, Westminster Abbey the next day.

In 1682 James Butler 2nd Duke Ormonde [aged 16] and Anne Hyde were married. She the daughter of Lawrence Hyde 1st Earl Rochester [aged 39] and Henrietta Boyle Countess Rochester [aged 36]. He the son of Thomas Butler 6th Earl Ossory and Emilia Nassau Beverweert Countess Ossory [aged 46]. They were sixth cousins.

John Evelyn's Diary. 17th July 1682. Came to dine with me, the Duke of Grafton [aged 18] and the young Earl of Ossory [aged 17], son to my most dear deceased friend.

John Evelyn's Diary. 7th December 1682. Went to congratulate [his father-in-law] Lord Hyde [aged 40] (the great favorite) newly made Earl of Rochester, and lately marrying his [his wife] eldest daughter to the Earl of Ossory [aged 17].

In 1685 James Butler 2nd Duke Ormonde [aged 19] and Mary Somerset Duchess Ormonde [aged 21] were married. She the daughter of Henry Somerset 1st Duke Beaufort [aged 56] and Mary Capell Duchess Beaufort [aged 54]. He the son of Thomas Butler 6th Earl Ossory and Emilia Nassau Beverweert Countess Ossory [aged 49].

In 1685 [his wife] Anne Hyde died.

On 20th October 1685 Robert Bruce 2nd Earl Elgin 1st Earl Ailesbury [aged 59] died. His son Thomas [aged 29] succeeded 3rd Earl Elgin, 2nd Earl Ailesbury, 2nd Viscount Bruce of Ampthill in Bedfordshire, 3rd Baron Bruce of Whorlton in Yorkshire, 2nd Baron Bruce of Skelton in Yorkshire. [his sister-in-law] Elizabeth Seymour Countess Elgin and Ailesbury [aged 30] by marriage Countess Elgin, Countess Ailesbury.

John Evelyn's Diary. 27th October 1685. I was invited to dine at Sir Ste. Fox's [aged 58] with my Lord Lieutenant, where was such a dinner for variety of all things as I had seldome seene, and it was so for the trial of a master cooke whom Sir Stephen had recommended to go with his Lordship Into Ireland; there were all ye dainties not onely of the season, but of what art could add, venison, plaine solid meate, fowle, bak'd and boil'd meates, banquet [desert], &c. in exceeding plenty and exquisitely dress'd. There also din'd my Lord Ossory [aged 20] and [his wife] Lady (the Duke of Beaufort's daughter) [aged 21], my Lady Treasurer, Lord Cornbery [aged 23], &c.

On 24th June 1686 Henry Horatio O'Brien and [his sister-in-law] Henrietta Somerset Countess Suffolk [aged 17] were married. She the daughter of [his father-in-law] Henry Somerset 1st Duke Beaufort [aged 57] and [his mother-in-law] Mary Capell Duchess Beaufort [aged 55]. He the son of Henry O'Brien 7th Earl Thomond [aged 66] and Sarah Russell Countess Thomond [aged 48]. They were fourth cousin once removed.

On 21st July 1688 [his grandfather] James Butler 1st Duke Ormonde [aged 77] died. His grandson James [aged 23] de jure 2nd Duke Ormonde, 2nd Marquess Ormonde, 13th Earl Ormonde, 6th Earl Ossory. [his wife] Mary Somerset Duchess Ormonde [aged 24] by marriage Duchess Ormonde.

On 28th September 1688 James Butler 2nd Duke Ormonde [aged 23] was appointed 496th Knight of the Garter by King James II of England Scotland and Ireland [aged 54].

Before 12th December 1688 [his mother] Emilia Nassau Beverweert Countess Ossory [aged 53] died. She was buried 12th December 1688 in the Duke of Ormonde Vault, King Henry VII Chapel, Westminster Abbey.

John Evelyn's Diary. 26th October 1690. Kinsale at last surrendered, meantime King James's party burn all the houses they have in their power, and among them that stately palace of Lord Ossory's [aged 25], which lately cost, as reported, £40,000. By a disastrous accident, a third-rate ship, the Breda, blew up and destroyed all on board; in it were twenty-five prisoners of war. She was to have sailed for England the next day.

In 1691 Thomas Coventry 2nd Earl Coventry [aged 29] and [his sister-in-law] Anne Somerset Countess Coventry [aged 17] were married. She the daughter of [his father-in-law] Henry Somerset 1st Duke Beaufort [aged 62] and [his mother-in-law] Mary Capell Duchess Beaufort [aged 60]. He the son of Thomas Coventry 1st Earl Coventry [aged 62] and Winifred Edgecumbe [aged 54]. They were sixth cousins.

In 1697 [his sister-in-law] Elizabeth Seymour Countess Elgin and Ailesbury [aged 42] died.

On 12th January 1697 [his brother-in-law] Henry Nassau 1st Earl Grantham [aged 24] and [his sister] Henrietta Butler Countess Grantham were married. She the daughter of [his father] Thomas Butler 6th Earl Ossory and [his mother] Emilia Nassau Beverweert Countess Ossory. They were first cousins.

In 1698 [his brother-in-law] Henry Nassau 1st Earl Grantham [aged 25] was created 1st Earl Grantham. [his sister] Henrietta Butler Countess Grantham by marriage Countess Grantham.

John Evelyn's Diary. 30th March 1699. The King [aged 48] preferring his young favorite Earl of Albemarle [aged 29] to be first Commander of his Guard, the Duke of Ormond [aged 33] laid down his commission. This of the Dutch Lord passing over his head, was exceedingly resented by everybody.

John Evelyn's Diary. 7th May 1699. The Duke of Ormond [aged 34] restored to his commission. All Lotteries, till now cheating the people, to be no longer permitted than to Christmas, except that for the benefit of Greenwich Hospital [Map]. Mr. Bridgman, chairman of the committee for that charitable work, died; a great loss to it. He was Clerk of the Council, a very industrious, useful man. I saw the library of Dr. John Moore, Bishop of Norwich, one of the best and most ample collection of all sorts of good books in England, and he, one of the most learned men.

On 24th June 1700 Bishop Thomas Vesey 1st Baronet [aged 32] was ordained as a Priest after which he was appointed Archdeacon of Tuam and chaplain to James Butler 2nd Duke Ormonde [aged 35].

In April 1705 Henry Howard 6th Earl Suffolk [aged 35] and [his sister-in-law] Henrietta Somerset Countess Suffolk [aged 36] were married. She the daughter of [his father-in-law] Henry Somerset 1st Duke Beaufort and [his mother-in-law] Mary Capell Duchess Beaufort [aged 74]. He the son of Henry Howard 5th Earl Suffolk [aged 77] and Mary Stewart. They were fifth cousins.

On 3rd June 1705 or 18th September 1721 [his brother] Charles Butler 3rd Duke Ormond [aged 33] and [his sister-in-law] Elizabeth Crew Countess Arran [aged 26] were married. She by marriage Countess Arran. He the son of [his father] Thomas Butler 6th Earl Ossory and [his mother] Emilia Nassau Beverweert Countess Ossory.

On 10th December 1709 Henry Howard 5th Earl Suffolk [aged 82] died. His son Henry [aged 39] succeeded 6th Earl Suffolk. [his sister-in-law] Henrietta Somerset Countess Suffolk [aged 40] by marriage Countess Suffolk.

On 21st October 1710 [his son-in-law] John Ashburnham 1st Earl Ashburnham [aged 23] and Mary Butler Baroness Ashburnham were married. She by marriage Baroness Ashburnham of Ashburnham in Sussex. She the daughter of James Butler 2nd Duke Ormonde [aged 45] and Mary Somerset Duchess Ormonde [aged 46].

In 1713 [his daughter] Mary Butler Baroness Ashburnham died.

On 10th August 1715 [his sister-in-law] Henrietta Somerset Countess Suffolk [aged 46] died at Audley End House, Saffron Walden [Map].

On 20th August 1715 James Butler 2nd Duke Ormonde [aged 50] was attainted for having supported the Jacobite cause. His estates and honours were forfeit. His banner as a Garter Knight was removed from St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle [Map].

In 1717 [his sister] Elizabeth Butler Countess Derby [aged 57] died. She was buried in the Duke of Ormonde Vault, King Henry VII Chapel, Westminster Abbey.

On 11th October 1724 [his sister] Henrietta Butler Countess Grantham died.

In 1732 James Butler 2nd Duke Ormonde [aged 66] was living in Avignon [Map] where he was seen by the writer Mary Wortley-Montagu née Pierrepont [aged 42].

On 19th November 1733 [his wife] Mary Somerset Duchess Ormonde [aged 69] died. On 25th November 1733 she was buried in the Duke of Ormonde Vault, King Henry VII Chapel, Westminster Abbey.

On 16th November 1745 James Butler 2nd Duke Ormonde [aged 80] died. His coffin-plate says 5th November 1645. He was buried in the Duke of Ormonde Vault, King Henry VII Chapel, Westminster Abbey. His brother Charles [aged 74] de jure 3rd Duke Ormonde (he didn't claim the title since his brother the second duke had been attainted for supporting the Jacobite rebellion), 3rd Marquess Ormonde, 14th Earl Ormonde, 7th Earl Ossory.

[his illegitimate daughter] Julia Butler was born illegitimately to James Butler 2nd Duke Ormonde.

[his daughter] Mary Butler Baroness Ashburnham was born to James Butler 2nd Duke Ormonde and Mary Somerset Duchess Ormonde. She married 21st October 1710 John Ashburnham 1st Earl Ashburnham, son of John Ashburnham 1st Baron Ashburnham and Bridget Vaughan Baroness Ashburnham.