Fitzpatrick (name)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The surname Fitzpatrick is the translation of Mac Giolla Phádraig from the original Irish to English. It is the only surname with the Fitz prefix of native Gaelic-Irish origin. All others are of Hiberno-Norman descent. Giolla Phádraig (the devoted of St. Patrick) was King of Ossory, a kingdom in Leinster in Ireland. According to Carrigan, this kingdom was founded by Aengus Osrith who flourished some time about the latter half of the second century of the Christian era. Giolla Phádraigs reign commenced some eight centuries later in 976 AD and he reigned until he was slain in 996 AD. His sons were styled Mac Giolla Phádraig (son of Giolla Phádraig). As part of the colonisation of Ireland by England, natural Irish names had to be restyled in the English format. Mac Giolla Phádraig was anglicised as Fitzpatrick.

By far the most important branch of the sept is the family whose Chief was known as Lord of Upper Ossory. At one time he was almost royal ruler over Laois and neighboring Kilkenny. Following the Norman invasion in the late 12th century, their power was vastly diminished by the ascendancy of the Ormond Butlers and other Hiberno-Norman magnates. Although their patrimony was restricted to Upper Ossory, the Fitzpatricks were by no means dispossessed of all their property. They were one of the original great Irish families to submit to Henry VIII, and as a result, in 1541, Brian, the first to assume the surname Fitzpatrick in place of Mac Gìolla Phádraig, was created Lord Baron of Upper Ossory. In the 17th century, the Fitzpatricks lost considerable territory through their staunch support of James II. Nevertheless, the head of the sept received a peerage in 1714. Records from 1878 show that no less than 22,000 acres (89 km²) of the finest land in Ossory was owned by the family.

The clan name is found throughout the world and several individuals and families have been prominent. Apart from the Lords and Earls of Upper Ossory, also prominent was Brian Mac Giolla Phádraig (1585-1652), Vicar Apostolic of Ossory, who was murdered by Cromwellian soldiers. He was instrumental in saving the "Book of the O'Byrne", which he had transcribed, from destruction. The family of Sir Percy Fitzpatrick made a major contribution to the political formation of South Africa. Major Thomas (Broken-Hand) Fitzpatrick, from Cavan, Indian Agent to the Sioux, Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes brought peace to the Plains Indians of North America in 1851 at Fort Laramie. Patrick Fitzpatrick (1792-1865) was a trusted colleague of Daniel O'Connell. Fitzpatricks have also contributed, with significant influence and success, in high office in Ireland, England, Canada, India, Australia and the United States.

There is a concentration of Fitzpatricks in County Laois, and the border counties of Ireland, such as Cavan, Fermanagh, Armagh, Meath and especially County Down. The Fitzpatrick motto - Fortis sub Forte Fatiscet - can be interpreted as "The strong will yield to the strong."Image:Fitzp.jpg

The Lords Of Ossory did not spell their name "Fitzpartick" They used the hypenated version similar to the way their conquerors, the Normans, spelled their names. Much has been said about how the Fitz-Patrick, and its derivatives, came about. Apparently it occurred during the 17th century and the reign of King henry VIII of England. In respect to the chronology of Reverend J. F. Serman and his writing, Loca Patriciana, of the early Kings of Ossory; the Anglicizing of the name Mac Giolla Padraigh followed a number of changes starting with Mac Gilla Patric, to Mac Gillapatraic to Gillapatric, and even Gilpatrick before it became Fitz-Patrick, then FitzPatrick, and eventually Fitzpatrick as is most common today. The direct descendants of the House of Ossory still spell their name as Fitz-Patrick.

After the Anglo-Norman invasions, and on up to the 18th century, the majority of Ireland was under the rule of Anglo-Norman families. There seems to be some confusion as to the Norman invaders that actually had the most influence on the tribe, Mac Giolla Padraigh (Patraic). It appears that the confusion does not lie, necessarily, in who the family of invaders were, but as to their specific family. Some have referred to them as the "Ormond Butlers" when in fact they were, by Royal Decree, the Earls Of Ormonde and as early as 1329 the family, Le Bottiler (later Anglicized to Butler), were at odds with the Mac Giolla Padraigh. Some also make note of a family known as the "Butlers of Ireland" in reference to their position to the royal family. This points to the Fitz-Walters who became "Butlers Of Ireland" to the Royal Family of England. Their lineage goes back to the family of Theobald Fitz-Walter, the First Butler of Ireland to the Royal Family. It is to this family that the Fitz-Patricks ended up paying fealty.

The Butlers, as they have eventually come to be known, were both the descendants of Le Bottiler and the Fitz-Walters. Both families came to Ireland from Northern Europe via England and were amongst a feudal group of invaders known as the Normans which was a derivative of Norseman. The Normans traced their heritage back to the original Viking invaders of Northern Europe. They came to Ireland with an invading force under the auspices of Prince John, brother of King Henry II of England, in 1185, with the full blessings of English King and Parliament. They, and other major Norman families such as the Rochforts, the Les Bottilers, the Fitz-Griffins, the Fitz-Geralds (Earls of Kildare - created in 1316) in Leinster, and the Fitz-Geralds (Earls of Kildare - created in 1329) in Munsters, were sent to "civilize" the Irish frontier and all were given large tracks of Irish homeland for their keeping in the name of Britannia. In 1328, the son of Edmond Le Bottiler was created the First Earl of Ormonde. It is impossible to relate the history of the Fitz-Patricks without giving homage to the Fitz-Walters, Butlers Of Ireland to the Royal Family of England who in 1391 moved their family headquarters from Gowran to Kilkenny. They, to a large degree, were to remain overlords over much of ancient Giolla Padraigh territory for seven centuries.

As was often the case, and it seems the Giolla Padraigh were no exception, to maintain the peace with a powerful neighbor, an inter-family marriage was in order. And so it was between the great Pagan chieftain of the Ossorian Tribes and their more "civilized" neighbors, the Fitz-Walters (Butler). The first recorded marriage of political alliance took place between Finghin Mac Gilla Patraic and the daughter of the great Norman knight, Edmond Mac Richard Butler. In 1443, Mac Gilla Padraic was King of Ossory and it is said that he and his two sons were " well worthy of the Kingdom of Ossory, and were the sole Lord through their virtuous qualities and condtions, both in princely person, wealth and liberality, and marital feats". Before the smoke had cleared on that marriage, Edmond had slain Finghin's brother Melachlin and instigated Finghin's own death by ferocious beating in 1443. Later Finghin's son slew Edmond on the steps of St. Canice Church in Kilkenny. Marriages of political convenience continued between the two families with Brian Oge (Barnaby Mac Gilla Patraic) marrying the daughter of Pierce Butler (8th Earl of Ormonde), Taidg (Thady) Fitz-Patrick marrying the daughter of Sir Edmond Butler of Tullow, Barnaby Fitz-Patrick marrying the daughter of Walter, Earl of Ormonde, Barnaby's niece marrying Edward Butler of Urlingford, Barnaby (Brian Fitz-Patrick) maried a Marguret Butler, his cousin Catharine maried a Butler, his cousin John Fitz-Patrick married Elizabeth Butler, and our own 20th century descendant of Oliver Thomas Fitz-Patrick (1863 -1928), Lord Of The House of Ossory, was engaged to a young Lloyd-Butler when they both came down with spinal meningitis and died.

Looking back, many of us claiming to be direct descendants of the House Of Ossory sometimes cringe at the thought of how our dear elder, Brian Oge, the great Irish Chieftan, would sell out the rest of his generations in order to align himself with the English overlords, the Butlers, and eventually King Henry VIII. But then again, perhaps we all would have done the same thing under the circumstances. It is well known that the Irish Kings and Princes that remained rebellious, not submitting to the Anglo-Norman families, found themselves on the run and without home or hereditary claims.

Although the Gilla Patraic inter-married with the Butlers, bad relations continued to begat bad tidings between not only the Giolla Padriagh and the Butlers, but also between the Butlers and fellow English servants to King Henry, the Earls of Kildare. Adding to the mix, the followers of the Earls of Kildare were constanly on the prowl for a chance to raid the Butlers who found themselves wedged in amongst both the Earls of Kildare and the Earls of Desmond. With all this brewing, Brian Oge (Barnaby Mac Giolla Patraic), wanting to save what he could of his lands and wanting to become an English Baron; joined with Sir Piers Butler and sent an ambassador to King Henry VIII stating his intentions.

Not all Gillapaticks were so anxious to bow to an English overlord and in 1532 Dermot (Diarmaid), who was then Tanist (Prince) of Ossory, slew Thomas Butler, son of Piers Butler. Although Dermot was accused of acting alone, much evidence shows that he may have been accompanined by kinfolk aligned with the Earls of Kildare. The reason for this may be suggested from findings in "The History of St Canice Church" where it was noted that the Bulers may have been on a raid to plunder parts of Upper Ossory and were encountered by one of the Earls of Kildare and his follwers, Dermot, being amongst them.

Brian Oge, finding his brother, Dermot, an embarrassment and a hindrance to his ambitions, gave up his brother to the Butlers and the Butlers acted out their cruel revenge on him. That being done, Brian Oge, in 1537, submitted to the English King and gave up all his ancient rights. Unfortunately for the rest of us, he gave up all the rights of his kinsmen as well..."who, of course, were not consulted as to this act of treachery towards them." So it goes, in 1541, Brian Oge, gave up our great and ancient tribal rights, adopted the Norman usage for "Son Of" using Fitz rather than the Gaelic form of Mac, and became Brian (Barnaby) Fitz-Patrick, the First Baron of Upper Ossory at Castletown, and married Margaret Butler, daughter of the Earl of Ormonde and Lord Deputy to Ireland.