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Franciscan Friary, Clonmel, County Tipperary - Tomb of Thomas and Ellen Buttyler (Butler)
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Clonmel (Irish: Cluain Meala, meaning "honey vale") is the county town of County Tipperary in Ireland
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Great shot by David H. Davison of the double effigy tomb of Thomas and Ellen Butler in the Franciscan Friary in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary. c.1530-40. The altar tomb is inserted into a low-arched recess in the Friary wall making it extremely difficult to photograph.
The inscription on the tomb is in latin, the translation reads
...Here lies James Galdy, son of the Earl of Ormond. In the year of the lord 1431 died Peter Butler...1464. Thomas [Fitz] Peter Butler, in the year of the Lord 1478 died Edmund Thomas son of Peter Butler A.D. 1513 [Catherine] Poer wife of Edmund Butler, in the year of the Lord 1512. Pray for the souls of Thomas Butler and Ellen Butler his wife who had this work made in the year 153....
The elaborate tomb-front on display with the double effigy is not contemporary, and probably dates to the 17th century.
Published in John Hunt's 'Irish Medieval Figure Sculpture 1200 - 1600' (Irish University Press & Sotheby Parke Bernet; 1974).
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The covering slab of a remarkably fine tomb, belonging to the Butlers, and bearing the effigies of a Knight Templar and his wife, of the House of Ormond, has been carefully set up inside the church, immediately opposite the main entrance. We learn from the inscription it bears that this tomb was originally erected the memory of "James Galdie Butler," and other members of the family, who died during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.
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An elaborately decorated tomb, housing the remains of members of the Butler family, can be seen inside the church, in a recess underneath the Tower. Dating from the 1530s, the tomb is the final resting place of seven of the Butlers, Lords of Cahir, and was moved from the choir to its present location in the 1600s. The carving on the top shows the image of a knight and lady, lying side by side, with the arms of the Butlers of Cahir between them. A Latin inscription appeals for prayers for deceased members of the Butler family, beginning with James Galdy, who died in 1431.
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This 16th-century mensa tomb of the Butlers of Cahir, was, according to a nearby information panel, originally free-standing and found in several pieces in c. 1825, and was later set up in its present position. It is possible that the slab that now supports the front originally belonged to another, more recent tomb. The panel adds a translation of the Latin inscription: Here lies James Galdy son of the Earl of Ormond, in the Year of the Lord 1431. Peter Buttyller died 1464. Thomas son of Peter Buttyller in the Year of the Lord 1533. Catherine Poer wife of Edmund Buttyller in the Year of the Lord 1512. Pray for the soul of Thomas Buttyller and Ellen Buttyller his wife who had this work made in the Year of the Lord 153-
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The " Gray Friars of Clonmel " was the Campo Santo not only of the town but of the district. " Many tombs of the old families " says Wadding " made of black marble, may be seen in the church " Prendergasts, Mandevilles, Walls, Whites, Brays, Moronys and other notables." The wills also give evidence of this. Thomas Prendergast fitz Geffery of Newcastle in 1626. "In Nomine Dei, Amen. I comit my soule to the Holye Trinitye, to the Blessed Virgin Marye, and to all the Saints in Heaven, and doe appoint my body to bee buryed in Saint Francis at Clonmelle with my ancestors." John White fitz GefFery in 1614 commends "my sole to God Almyghtie my Creator and Redeemer and my body to be buryed in S. ffrancis abbay in myne ancestors buriall." Catherine White fitz Thomas in 1625 " ffirst I comitt my soule to the holy Trinitie to our blessed Lady, the virgin Mary and to all the saintes in heaven. I doe constitut that my boddie be buried in y* abbie of St. fFrauncis in Clonmel." John Bray in 1632 " calling to mynde how certayne is death to every creature living in this world and how uncertaine is the tyme of the same" bequeaths "my sowle to the father, son and holly Ghoste, three persons in one deitie, and to the blessed and imaculat virgin Marie, and all the holly company of heaven, and my boddy to be buried with my auncestors, in the holly confessor St. ffrancis his monastery in Clonmell." Of the black marble tombs described by Wadding but two remain. These however, are of the highest interest. "In the middle of the choir " he writes " lies the distinguished Baron of Cahir, in an elevated marble monument adorned with effigies and statues." The monument has been partly reconstructed in a recess beneath the tower, and from the existing remains one may realize its original appearance. It was a table-tomb of the fifteenth century type.
Round the sides, under canopies supported by pillarettes, were figures of the apostles carved in high relief. These though exceedingly rude, are touching from their sincerity and earnestness. Simnounting the whole were the recumbent figures of the baron and his lady, carved "in the solid" on a huge block of Kilkenny marble, eight feet in length by four feet four inches wide.
The figures of the baron and his lady still exist, together with five of the apostles. The former is clad in plate-armour with a hauberk or cowl of chain mail. The figure as usual, has sword and belt, but the hands lie loosely on the body instead of being joined in the customary way. The lady exhibits the costume of the early fifteenth century, stiff-plaited skirt and tight-fitting boddice, with huge, horned head-gear. At the feet of the baron is the lion emblematic of strength, while beneath the wife is the dog, to typify her fidelity. The shield, which is placed between the heads of the figures, is charged with the arms of the Cahir branch of the Butlers; in dexter chief three covered cups, in base a fesse indented on which is a cross. The inscription begins at the left corner and is carried along the length and so round the edge to the starting point when it takes the inner line. Except where broken it is quite legible.
6ic 3acet )acobii$ oaidp niius cotnitis ormonie anno dotnini 1431* Obiit petrtis buttikr " [mcCC] C"XIIII tDomas pctii buttpllcr anno " domini mCCCCCXVIIIL Obiit "dnittndii$ tDomc niii
pctii bttttpllcr anno domini 1533 [CatDciina] poer uxor cdmundi " bttttpllcr anno domini 1512 Orate pro animabus tDomc buttpllcr ct *
"lenc bttttpllcr uxoris c)ii$ aui Doc opii$ fieri rcccnint anno domini 153. .
[Translation.]
Here lies James Galdy, Son of the Earl of Ormond, in the year of the Lord 1431.
Peter Buttiller died 1464.
Thomas fitz Peter Buttyller in the year of the Lord 1468. Edmund the son of Thomas fitz Peter Buttyller, in the year of the Lord 1533. [Catherine] Poer wife of Edmund Butler, in the year of the Lord 1512. Pray for the Souls of Thomas Buttyller and Ellen Buttyller his wife Who had this work made in the year of the Lord 153 " James Galdy, the founder of the Cahir house, was an illegitimate son of James, third Earl of Ormond, by Catherine, daughter of Lord Desmond. He was called 5^^^*^^ or the foreigner, possibly from expeditions as a soldier of fortune abroad. He obtained the Cahir estate from his father who had been granted it 1375. Peter Butler named was grandson of James Galdy ; the others, Thomas, Edmund and Thomas are the successive generations, the last-named being created first baron of Cahir, loth November, 1543.
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James "Gallda" Butler (from Irish gallda, meaning "alien or Englishman") (died 1434) was the son of James Butler, 3rd Earl of Ormond and Catherine FitzGerald of Desmond.[1] From him springs the Cahir branch of the Butler family who were ennobled as Barons Cahir.[2][3] He married a daughter of MacWalter and has issue James Oge Butler who died in 1448 leaving Piers, his heir and Richard
