ORMONDE, JAMES BUTLER, 1ST DUKE OF (1610 1688), Irish statesman and soldier, eldest son of Thomas Butler, Viscount Thurles, and of Elizabeth, daughter of Sir John Poyntz, and grandson of Walter, 11th earl of Ormonde (see above), was born in London on Oct. 19, 161o. On the death of his father by drowning in 1619, the boy was made a royal ward by James I., removed from his Roman Catholic tutor, and placed in the house hold of Abbot, archbishop of Canterbury, with whom he stayed until 1625, residing afterwards in Ireland with his grandfather. In 1629, by his marriage with his cousin, the Lady Elizabeth Preston, daughter and heiress of Richard, earl of Desmond, he put an end to the long-standing quarrel between the families and united their estates. He succeeded his grandfather in 1632.
His active career began in 1633 with the arrival of Strafford, whom he supported consistently. In 1640 during Strafford's ab sence he was made commander-in-chief of the forces, and in August he was appointed lieutenant-general. On the outbreak of the rebellion in 1641 he rendered great service in the expedition to Naas, and in the march into the Pale in 1642, though much ham pered by the lords justices, who were jealous of his power and recalled him after he had succeeded in relieving Drogheda. On April 15, 1642, he gained the battle of Kilrush against Lord Mount garret. He was created a marquess, and lieutenant-general with a commission direct from the king. He won the battle of New Ross (March 18, 1643) against Thomas Preston, afterwards Viscount Tara. In September, the civil war in England having meanwhile broken out, Ormonde, in view of the successes of the rebels and the uncertain loyalty of the Scots in Ulster, concluded (Sept. i5) with the latter, in opposition to the lords justices, the "cessation" by which the greater part of Ireland was given up into the hands of the Catholic Confederation, leaving only small districts on the east coast and round Cork, together with certain fortresses in the north and west then actually in their possession, to the Eng lish commanders. He subsequently, by the king's orders, des patched a body of troops into England (shortly afterwards routed by Fairfax at Nantwich) and was appointed in January 1644 lord lieutenant, with orders to keep the Scotch army occupied.
In the midst of all the plots and struggles of Scots, Old Irish, Catholic Irish of English race, and Protestants, and in spite of the intrigues of the pope's nuncio, as well as of attempts by the parlia ment's commissioners to ruin his power, Ormonde showed the greatest firmness and ability. He assisted Antrim in his unsuc
cessful expedition into Scotland. On March 28, 5646, he concluded a treaty with the Irish which granted religious concessions and removed various grievances. Meanwhile the difficulties of his position had been greatly increased by Glamorgan's treaty (Aug. 25, 1645) with the Roman Catholics, and it became clear that he could not long hope to hold Dublin against the Irish rebels. He thereupon applied to the English parliament, signed a treaty on June 19, 1647, gave Dublin into their hands upon terms, and sailed for England at the beginning of August. He attended Charles during August and October at Hampton Court, but subsequently, in March 1648, in order to avoid arrest by the parliament, he joined the queen and prince of Wales at Paris. In September of the same year, he returned to Ireland to endeavour to unite all parties for the king. On Jan. 17, 1649 he concluded a peace with the rebels on the basis of the free exercise of their religion ; on the execution of the king he proclaimed Charles II. and was created a knight of the Garter in September. On the conquest of the island by Cromwell he returned to France in December 165o.
Ormonde accompanied Charles to Aix and Cologne when ex pelled from France by Mazarin's treaty with Cromwell in 1655. In 1658 he went disguised, and at great risk, upon a secret mis sion into England. He attended the king at Fuenterrabia in 1659 and had an interview with Mazarin ; and was actively engaged in the secret transactions immediately preceding the Restoration. On the return of the king he was at once appointed a commis sioner for the treasury and the navy, and received other important places, together with an English peerage, and (1661) the dukedom of Ormonde in the Irish peerage. On Nov. 4, 1661 he once more received the lord lieutenantship of Ireland. The act of Explana tion (on land settlement) was passed through the Irish parlia ment by Ormonde in 1665. His heart was in his government, and he vehemently opposed the bill prohibiting the importation of Irish cattle which struck so fatal a blow at Irish trade ; and retaliated by prohibiting the import into Ireland of Scottish commodities, and obtained leave to trade with foreign countries. He encouraged Irish manufactures and learning to the utmost, and it was to his efforts that the Irish college of Physicians owes its incorporation.