| Theobald Walter | |
|---|---|
| Died | 1206 |
| Occupation | Baron Butler Sheriff of Lancaster Chief Butler of England and Ireland |
| Spouse | Maud le Vavasour |
| Children | Theobald le Botiller Maud le Botiller Beatrice le Botiller |
| Parents | Hervey Walter Maud de Valoignes |
Theobald Walter or Theobald Butler or Theobald Walter le Boteler was the first Baron Butler and the first Chief Butler of Ireland. He also held the office of Butler of England and was the High Sheriff of Lancashire for 1194.[1] Theobald was the ancestor of the Butler family of Ireland. He was involved in the Irish campaigns of King Henry II of England and John of England. His eldest brother Hubert Walter became the Archbishop of Canterbury and justiciar and Lord Chancellor of England.
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Theobald was the son of Hervey Walter and his wife Maud de Valoignes, who was one of the daughters of Theobald de Valoignes.[2] Their children were Theobald, Hubert - future Chief Justiciar and Archbishop of Caterbury, Walter, Roger and Hamon. Theobald Walter was brought up, along with his brother Hubert (the future Archbishop of Canterbury), by his uncle Ranulf de Glanvill, the great justiciar of Henry II who had married his mother's sister Bertha.[3]
Theobald's father had been the hereditary holder of the office of butler of England. When Theobald accompanied Prince John to Ireland in 1185,[4] he was named Butler of Ireland and was also granted a large section of the north-eastern part of the Kingdom of Limerick.[5]
As butler of Ireland in 1177[6] he and his successors were to attend the Kings of England at their coronation, and that day present them with the first cup of wine. Some time after, that King granted him the prisage of wines, to enable him, and his heirs, the better to support the dignity of that office. By this grant, he had two tons of wine out of every ship, which broke bulk in any trading port of Ireland, and was loaded with 20 tons of that commodity, and one ton from 9 to 20.[3]
Theobald was active in the war that took place when Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair attempted to regain his throne after retiring to the monastery of Cong, as Theobald's men were involved in the death of Donal Mór na Corra Mac Carthaigh during a parley in 1185 near Cork.[7] In 1194 Theobald supported his brother during Hubert's actions against Prince John, with Theobald receiving the surrender of John's supporters in Lancaster. Theobald was rewarded with the office of sheriff of Lancaster, which he held until Christmas of 1198. He was again sheriff after John took the throne in 1199.[8]
In early 1200, however, John deprived Theobald of all his offices and lands because of his irregularities as sheriff. His lands were not restored until January 1202.[9]
Theobald founded the Abbey of Owney,[10] in the townsland of Abington Irish: Mainistir Uaithne (meaning "the monastery of Uaithne"), of which nothing now remains,[11] near the modern village of Murroe in County Limerick Ireland around 1200.[10] He also founded the Cockersand Abbey in Lancaster, Abbey of Nenagh in County Tipperary, and a monastic house at Arklow in County Wicklow.[2]
Theobald married Maud le Vavasour, heiress of Robert le Vavasour, a baron of Yorkshire,[2] John Lodge in the Peerage of Ireland in 1789 gave the year as 1189,[12] but on no apparent authority, as no other author follows him on this. He died between 4 August 1205 and 14 February 14, 1206, and was buried at Owney abbey. Their children were Theobald le Botiller, 2nd Chief Butler of Ireland[2] and a daughter Maud who married Gerard de Prendergast who had an only daughter who married John de Cogan.