William Fitzwilliam
I take the descent shown in
[Ball, vol.2, 1903],
which is more convincing than that shown in
[Burkes Extinct].
- Sources yet to be consulted:
Wicklow Castle ("The Black Castle").
Drawn by
Gabriel Beranger. 18th century.
From Royal Irish Academy.
Image from
here.
Creative Commons Non-Commercial use.
See
full size.
William Fitzwilliam,
born est c.1325,
of
Moreton, near
Swords, N Co.Dublin.
A prominent
defender of
The Pale
against the native Irish.
In 1348 he was pardoned by the
King
of
"all transgressions and murders
he had or might have committed"
in the exercise of Martial Law
upon the Irish who bordered on
The Pale
[Mount Merrion 300].
He
fought at
Saggard
against the
O'Byrnes
and O'Tooles,
local Irish enemies of The Pale.
His family would still be fighting the O'Byrnes
two hundred years later.
He was granted
Dundrum Castle and lands, Co.Dublin in 1365
[Ball, vol.2, 1903].
Excavations at Dundrum have revealed a moat filled with 14th century rubbish
including French pottery,
"suggesting that the Fitzwilliam family of the period were quaffing good claret
to relieve the boredom of being confined within their thick castle walls"
[Harbison, 1998].
The Fitzwilliams of Dundrum came into possession of
the lands of Mount Merrion
(where they would later have their seat)
about the same time as Dundrum Castle,
"probably under the name of Owenstown"
[Ball, vol.2, 1903].
He re-built
Wicklow Castle
(a frontier castle of The Pale).
Constable of Wicklow.
Appointed Chief Commander and Governor of that part of the country in 1375.
From 1379 to 1400 he occupied
Baggotrath Castle, Co.Dublin.
Appointed one of the Guardians of the Peace in the County of Dublin
in 1389
[Mount Merrion 300].
He was made sole Guardian of the Peace in Co.Dublin in 1391
[Mount Merrion 300].
[Ball, vol.2, 1903]
says he was Sheriff of Co.Dublin and Co.Meath.
He
had issue:
John Fitzwilliam,
had issue:
William Fitzwilliam,
lived
Dundrum Castle,
Sheriff of Co.Dublin
[Ball, vol.2, 1903],
mar
Ismaia Perrers,
Ismaia's mother had inherited
Baggotrath Castle,
and after her death in 1441
it was taken possession of
by an executor to her will of 24 Mar 1441,
James Cornwalsh,
Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer,
on 28 Sept 1441 (NOT 1442)
Fitzwilliam seized it back for himself and his wife's family,
murdering Cornwalsh,
see
[Ball, vol.2, 1903],
he was pardoned,
died c.1452,
had issue:
Thomas Fitzwilliam,
mar Rosia Bellew,
died in his father's lifetime, before c.1452,
had issue:
Richard Fitzwilliam,
mar
Margery Holywood [or "Genet Hollywood",
perhaps of the family of
Holywood of Artane, Co.Dublin],
died c.1465,
had issue:
- Thomas Fitzwilliam,
born prob. 1465 ("came of age in 1486").
