James Butler, 4th Earl of Ormonde

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James Butler, 4th Earl of Ormonde (1392 – 22 August 1452) was the son of James Butler, 3rd Earl of Ormonde and Anne Welles. He was called The White Earl and esteemed for his learning. He prevailed upon Henry V to create a King of Arms in Ireland, by the title of Ireland King of Arms (altered by Edward VI to Ulster King of Arms), and he gave lands forever to the Heralds’s College, London. He was appointed Deputy of Ireland in 1405, and Lord Lieutenant in 1420, 1425, and 1442.

In 1440 he had a grant of the temporalities of the See of Cashel for ten years after the death of the Archbishop, Richard O'Hedian. He married firstly with Joan Beauchamp, daughter of William Beauchamp, 1st Baron Bergavenny and had issue:

James Butler, 5th Earl of Ormonde (1420-1461), married, firstly, Avice Stafford, daughter of Sir Richard Stafford and Maud Lovell. He married, secondly, Eleanor Beaufort, daughter of Sir Edmund Beaufort and Lady Eleanor Beauchamp, neither without issue.
Elizabeth Butler (b. b 1432-1473), married with John Talbot, 2nd Earl of Shrewsbury, son of General John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury and Maud de Neville, Baroness Furnivalle and had issue.
John Butler, 6th Earl of Ormonde (1449-1478), unmarried.
Thomas Butler, 7th Earl of Ormonde (1450-1515), married firstly, Anne Hankford, daughter of Sir Richard Hankford, and had two daughter. He married, secondly, Lora Berkeley, daughter of Sir Edward Berkeley, and had another daughter.

He married secondly, Lady Joan FitzGerald, widow of Jenico Grey, and daughter and heiress of 5th Earl of Kildare, without issue.

He was the patron of the Irish literary work, 'The Book of the White Earl'