Thomas FitzGerald, 10th Earl of Kildare

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Thomas FitzGerald
The
Earl of Kildare
Reign1534–1537
PredecessorGerald FitzGerald
SuccessorTitle forfeited
Born1513
Died3 February 1537 (aged 23/24)
Tyburn, London, Kingdom of England
Noble familyFitzGerald dynasty
FatherGerald FitzGerald
MotherElizabeth Zouche
16th-century woodcut of Silken Thomas's attack on Dublin Castle

Thomas FitzGerald, 10th Earl of Kildare (1513 – 3 February 1537), also known as Silken Thomas (Irish: Tomás an tSíoda), was a leading figure in 16th-century Irish history.

Life

Thomas Fitzgerald was born in London in 1513, the son of Gerald FitzGerald, 9th Earl of Kildare and his first wife Elizabeth Zouche, who was a distant cousin of Henry VII.[1] After the death of his mother, he was raised by the wife of his father's steward, Janet Eustace. Little else is known of his early years. What is known is that Thomas spent a number of years in the English court and married the youngest daughter of Sir Adrian Fortescue, named Frances. It's unclear whether this marriage took place before or after his father's return to Ireland in August 1530.[2]

In February 1534, his father was summoned to London and appointed the 21-year-old Thomas (by then Lord Offaly) deputy governor of Ireland in his absence. In June 1534, Thomas heard rumours that his father had been executed in the Tower of London and that the English government intended the same fate for himself and his uncles.[3]

Kildare rebellion (1534–1535)

Dress of gallowglasses, c. 1521. Many fought on Fitzgerald's side.
Illustration of the Earl of Kildare throwing down the sword of state.

He summoned the council to

Henry VIII, Lord of Ireland.[4]

The Chancellor, Archbishop John Alen, attempted to persuade him not to commit himself to such a rash proceeding; but the young lord's harper, understanding only Irish, and seeing signs of wavering in FitzGerald's bearing, commenced to recite a poem in praise of the deeds of his ancestors, telling him at the same time that he lingered there over long. Roused by this he threw down the sword of state and rushed from the hall, followed by his adherents. The council sent an order for his immediate arrest to the Lord Mayor of Dublin, who, however, had not sufficient force at his disposal.[4]

The Earl of Desmond and many of his father's oldest and best friends reasoned with him; but he was not to be turned from his purpose. As Lord Deputy, Kildare had under his control most of the Pale's fortresses and large government stores.

Dublin Castle alone held out for the King of England. Lord Offaly called the lords of the Pale to the siege of the Castle; those who refused to swear fidelity to him he sent as prisoners to his Maynooth Castle. Goods and chattels belonging to the King's subjects he declared forfeited, and he announced his intention of exiling or putting to death all born in England. He sent messengers to his cousin and friend Lord Butler, son of the Earl of Ormond, offering to divide the kingdom with him if he would join his cause, but Butler refused. Several children of the citizens of Dublin in different parts of the Pale were seized as hostages for the good behaviour of the city.[4]

In July, he attacked Dublin Castle, but his army was routed. He was, rightly or wrongly, judged to be responsible for the execution at

Catholics opposed to Henry VIII's English Reformation. But Henry's new policy also outlawed Lutheranism, and so Henry was not finally excommunicated
until 1538.

In July,

Tyburn, London, on 3 February 1537. According to G. G. Nichols, the five uncles were "...draune from the Tower in to Tyborne, and there alle hongyd and hedded and quartered, save the Lord Thomas for he was but hongyd and hedded and his body buried at the Crost Freeres in the qwere..."[7][8]

The Attainder of the Earl of Kildare Act 1536 was passed to permit his execution and the confiscation of his property. The 1536 Act remained law until it was repealed by the Statute Law Revision (Pre-1922) Act 2005.

Silken Thomas's revolt caused Henry to pay more attention to Irish matters, and was a factor in the creation of the

Royal Irish Army was established as a standing army
.

See also

References

  1. ^ Jones, Michael and Underwood, Malcolm. The King's Mother. Cambridge University Press, 1992.
  2. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/9586. Retrieved 6 March 2023. (Subscription or UK public library membership
    required.)
  3. ^ "The Fitzgeralds of Kildare", Ask About Ireland
  4. ^ a b c Webb, Alfred. "Silken Thomas Fitzgerald, 10th Earl of Kildare", A Compendium of Irish Biography, Dublin, M.H. Gill & Son, 1878
  5. ^ Ball, F. Elrington History of the Parishes of Dublin Alexander Thom and Co. Dublin 1917 Vol.5 p.64
  6. S2CID 151481709 – via EBSCO's Academic Search Complete (subscription required) {{cite journal}}: External link in |postscript= (help)CS1 maint: postscript (link
    )
  7. ^ Nichols, G. G. The Chronicle of the Gray Friars of London. London: 1852. Pp. 39.
  8. ^ "McCorrestine, "The Revolt of Silken Thomas; A challenge to Henry VIII," Wolfhound Press, Dublin 1987.

External links

Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article "Fitzgerald, Lord Thomas".
Peerage of Ireland
Preceded by
Earl of Kildare

1534–1537 		Succeeded by
Forfeit
(restored in 1569
for Gerald FitzGerald)
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