Theobald Burke
Encyclopedia
Tiobóid na Long Bourke, aka Theobald Bourke, was a clan chief of the MacWilliam Burkes of County Mayo
in Ireland
, and was later created first Viscount Mayo. His successful life followed and usefully illustrates the difficult transition from the traditional Gaelic world during the Tudor conquest of Ireland.
Bourke known as Tiobóid na Long, with varying spellings such as "Teabóid" or "Tepóitt" in the Irish of the time, meaning "Tibbot of the ships". This was usually rendered in Tudor English as: Tibbot or Tibbott ne Long.
who was granted the overlordship of Connacht
in 1179 by John Lackland, then the Lord of Ireland. William's son Richard (d.1243) took actual possession of the province in the 13th century. His descent then divided their lands into:
These branches held their lands against Gaelic and Norman opponents in the following centuries, typical of the Norman-Irish families who had intermarried locally and had adopted Gaelic culture by the 15th century (see Gaelic revival
).
_castle_county_mayo.jpg)
His mother was the famous pirate queen Grace O'Malley (1530–1603) and his father was Risdeárd an Iarainn Bourke (d.1583), who was her second husband, and a senior member of the Lower MacWilliam Burke clan. Risdeárd an Iarainn ("Iron Richard") was so called from his chain mail
or from his iron works. Both parents owned lands along the west coast of County Mayo. Tiobóid was born at sea, supposedly just before a sea battle with Barbary pirates.
Tiobóid married Maeve, daughter of Donal/Domnhnall O'Conor Sligo
, in 1585, and they had eight children.
founded by Henry VIII attempted to involve and include the self-governing chiefdoms by the process of surrender and regrant
. After the first Desmond Rebellion (1569–76) the Dublin administration decided to apply the process in Connacht to the autonomous chiefs such as the Lower MacWilliam Bourke, but with considerable difficulty. By this stage the clan owned most of the western half of Mayo. In contrast, an Upper MacWilliam cousin in Galway had been created Earl of Clanricarde
in 1543.
In 1576 Tiobóid's mother submitted to Sir Henry Sidney
, the lord deputy
, in respect of her own lands. However in the Lower MacWilliam Burke clan Risteard an Iarainn was the tanist, elected by the clan as the next heir to the current chief, Shane Burke. If the clan adopted surrender and regrant, Richard would lose his expected chieftainship, and Shane's son would inherit under the English-law doctrine of primogeniture
. Richard therefore sided with the Earl of Desmond
, then Sidney's main opponent, while his wife Grace plundered Desmond's lands with her fleet of ships in 1577 and was taken prisoner by him until 1579.
In November 1580 Richard made a favourable peace with Grey
, the next lord deputy, having mustered a show of force. At the time Grey was fully engaged in crushing the Second Desmond Rebellion
. Richard was now recognised as an autonomous clan chief by the Crown, uniquely without having to adopt surrender and regrant, in a deed dated 16 April 1581.
By 1585 Grace was ruling the Lower MacWilliam Burke lordship with Theobald, now aged 19. That year the next lord deputy, Sir John Perrott
, decided to secure the province in the "Composition of Connaught" and Theobald was taken hostage to ensure Grace's compliance with the Composition. While a prisoner Theobald learnt English and married Maeve, daughter of Donal O'Conor Sligo.
In 1586 the Lower MacWilliam clan remained divided over Perrott's opinion on the clan succession. Theobald was freed by Richard Bingham to help Perrott's policy, but joined in the rebellion. By 1587 he sought a truce, followed by another rebellion in 1589 and a final peace in March 1590. By this point he was the recognised clan chief, and accepted the terms of the composition, paying his arrears of chief rent to the Crown.
However on the escape of Red Hugh O'Donnell from Dublin Castle
in 1592, Theobald raised Mayo in his support. His attacks on Bingham's force were beaten off, no promised Spanish help arrived and O'Donnell sued for peace. Theobald "was left high and dry" by O'Donnell, but was granted another pardon.
Theobald was again arrested and held at Athlone. His mother Grace visited Queen Elizabeth
in London
in 1593 and obtained his release. Theobald agreed to fight some of his Burke cousins who were rebelling, while his son Miles was held as a hostage by Bingham.
In April 1594 Grace visited Elizabeth again, and finally secured favourable terms of surrender and regrant for Theobald. The timing of this visit subsequently made a huge difference to him, as the Nine Years' War was starting; as a result The O'Donnell arranged in 1595 for another MacWilliam Burke cousin to replace Theobald as clan chief. Theobald soon regained his position in Mayo, and unsurprisingly would not join O'Donnell and his main ally Hugh O'Neill in the war. He remained neutral. While they marched south to their eventual defeat at Kinsale
in 1601, he embarked 300 men into three ships, sailed south, and kept both sides guessing who he would help.
succeeded Elizabeth and O'Neill submitted at Mellifont. The following year Theobald was knighted, styled as "Sir Tibbot ne Longe Bourke", and started to ascend the social ladder. For the first time Ireland was completely under English control. After the Flight of the Earls
in 1607, Theobald was accused of plotting to help them, and was arrested again in 1608; this proved unfounded. In 1610 he was again under suspicion, as the administration intercepted letters from Spain hoping to implicate him in a revolt; yet again he was pardoned.
He also represented the smaller local clans in their property registration dealings with the Dublin administration, but seems to have ended up with most of their lands by his death. His own tenants paid rent in kind under the metayage
system, delivering him about a quarter or third of each crop. Given the Irish climate, this method was probably more realistic than expecting a fixed cash rent.
A brief Spanish war started soon after the accession of Charles I
in 1625, and yet again he and his son Miles were charged with planning a Spanish-supported Catholic revolt, and were cleared. Soon after this he was created 1st Viscount Mayo in June 1627. In 1628 he and other Catholic nobles started a petition campaign to persuade King Charles to reform some anti-Catholic laws, known as "The Graces
". He died on 18 June 1629 and was buried at Ballintubber Abbey
.
County Mayo
County Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...
in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, and was later created first Viscount Mayo. His successful life followed and usefully illustrates the difficult transition from the traditional Gaelic world during the Tudor conquest of Ireland.
Bourke known as Tiobóid na Long, with varying spellings such as "Teabóid" or "Tepóitt" in the Irish of the time, meaning "Tibbot of the ships". This was usually rendered in Tudor English as: Tibbot or Tibbott ne Long.
The MacWilliam lordships
Tiobóid's Irish ancestors started with William de BurghWilliam de Burgh
William de Burgh, founder of the de Burgh/Burke/Bourke family of Ireland, d. 1206.-In Ireland:He arrived in Ireland in 1185 and was closely associated with Prince John....
who was granted the overlordship of Connacht
Connacht
Connacht , formerly anglicised as Connaught, is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the west of Ireland. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for...
in 1179 by John Lackland, then the Lord of Ireland. William's son Richard (d.1243) took actual possession of the province in the 13th century. His descent then divided their lands into:
- Mac William Uachtar (Upper), based in County GalwayCounty GalwayCounty Galway is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the city of Galway. Galway County Council is the local authority for the county. There are several strongly Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county...
and - Mac William IochtarMac William ÍochtarMac William Íochtar was a term meaning both a territory and a title in Ireland. The territory covered much of the northern part of the province of Connacht. The Mac William Íochtar functioned as a regional king and received the White Rod...
(Lower), based in Mayo.
These branches held their lands against Gaelic and Norman opponents in the following centuries, typical of the Norman-Irish families who had intermarried locally and had adopted Gaelic culture by the 15th century (see Gaelic revival
Gaelic Revival
The Gaelic revival was the late-nineteenth-century national revival of interest in the Irish language and Irish Gaelic culture...
).
Family
Chain Mail
"Chain Mail" is a single by Mancunian band James, released in March 1986 by Sire Records, the first after the band defected from Factory Records. The record was released in two different versions, as 7" single and 12" EP, with different artworks by John Carroll and, confusingly, under different...
or from his iron works. Both parents owned lands along the west coast of County Mayo. Tiobóid was born at sea, supposedly just before a sea battle with Barbary pirates.
Tiobóid married Maeve, daughter of Donal/Domnhnall O'Conor Sligo
O Connor Sligo
Ó Conchobhair Sligigh , Gaelic-Irish family and Chief of the Name.The Ó Conchobhair Sligigh were a branch of the Ó Conchobhair Kings of Connacht....
, in 1585, and they had eight children.
The Lower MacWilliam lordship, 1576-1592
From 1541 the new Kingdom of IrelandKingdom of Ireland
The Kingdom of Ireland refers to the country of Ireland in the period between the proclamation of Henry VIII as King of Ireland by the Crown of Ireland Act 1542 and the Act of Union in 1800. It replaced the Lordship of Ireland, which had been created in 1171...
founded by Henry VIII attempted to involve and include the self-governing chiefdoms by the process of surrender and regrant
Surrender and regrant
During the Tudor conquest of Ireland , "surrender and regrant" was the legal mechanism by which Irish clans were to be converted from a power structure rooted in clan and kin loyalties, to a late-feudal system under the English legal system...
. After the first Desmond Rebellion (1569–76) the Dublin administration decided to apply the process in Connacht to the autonomous chiefs such as the Lower MacWilliam Bourke, but with considerable difficulty. By this stage the clan owned most of the western half of Mayo. In contrast, an Upper MacWilliam cousin in Galway had been created Earl of Clanricarde
Earl of Clanricarde
Earl of Clanricarde is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of Ireland, first in 1543 and again in 1800. The former creation became extinct in 1916 while the 1800 creation is still extant and held by the Marquess of Sligo since 1916....
in 1543.
Henry Sidney
Sir Henry Sidney , Lord Deputy of Ireland was the eldest son of Sir William Sidney of Penshurst, a prominent politician and courtier during the reigns of Henry VIII and Edward VI, from both of whom he received extensive grants of land, including the manor of Penshurst in Kent, which became the...
, the lord deputy
Lord Deputy of Ireland
The Lord Deputy was the King's representative and head of the Irish executive under English rule, during the Lordship of Ireland and later the Kingdom of Ireland...
, in respect of her own lands. However in the Lower MacWilliam Burke clan Risteard an Iarainn was the tanist, elected by the clan as the next heir to the current chief, Shane Burke. If the clan adopted surrender and regrant, Richard would lose his expected chieftainship, and Shane's son would inherit under the English-law doctrine of primogeniture
Primogeniture
Primogeniture is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn to inherit the entire estate, to the exclusion of younger siblings . Historically, the term implied male primogeniture, to the exclusion of females...
. Richard therefore sided with the Earl of Desmond
Gerald FitzGerald, 15th Earl of Desmond
Gerald FitzGerald, 15th Earl of Desmond was an Irish nobleman and leader of the Desmond Rebellions of 1579.-Life:...
, then Sidney's main opponent, while his wife Grace plundered Desmond's lands with her fleet of ships in 1577 and was taken prisoner by him until 1579.
In November 1580 Richard made a favourable peace with Grey
Arthur Grey, 14th Baron Grey de Wilton
Arthur Grey, 14th Baron Grey de Wilton was a baron in the Peerage of England, remembered mainly for his memoir of his father, and for participating in the last defence of Calais.-Life:...
, the next lord deputy, having mustered a show of force. At the time Grey was fully engaged in crushing the Second Desmond Rebellion
Second Desmond Rebellion
The Second Desmond rebellion was the more widespread and bloody of the two Desmond Rebellions launched by the FitzGerald dynasty of Desmond in Munster, Ireland, against English rule in Ireland...
. Richard was now recognised as an autonomous clan chief by the Crown, uniquely without having to adopt surrender and regrant, in a deed dated 16 April 1581.
By 1585 Grace was ruling the Lower MacWilliam Burke lordship with Theobald, now aged 19. That year the next lord deputy, Sir John Perrott
John Perrot
Sir John Perrot served as Lord Deputy of Ireland under Queen Elizabeth I of England during the Tudor conquest of Ireland...
, decided to secure the province in the "Composition of Connaught" and Theobald was taken hostage to ensure Grace's compliance with the Composition. While a prisoner Theobald learnt English and married Maeve, daughter of Donal O'Conor Sligo.
However on the escape of Red Hugh O'Donnell from Dublin Castle
Dublin Castle
Dublin Castle off Dame Street, Dublin, Ireland, was until 1922 the fortified seat of British rule in Ireland, and is now a major Irish government complex. Most of it dates from the 18th century, though a castle has stood on the site since the days of King John, the first Lord of Ireland...
in 1592, Theobald raised Mayo in his support. His attacks on Bingham's force were beaten off, no promised Spanish help arrived and O'Donnell sued for peace. Theobald "was left high and dry" by O'Donnell, but was granted another pardon.
Nine Years' War
On the approach to the Nine Years WarNine Years' War (Ireland)
The Nine Years' War or Tyrone's Rebellion took place in Ireland from 1594 to 1603. It was fought between the forces of Gaelic Irish chieftains Hugh O'Neill of Tír Eoghain, Hugh Roe O'Donnell of Tír Chonaill and their allies, against English rule in Ireland. The war was fought in all parts of the...
Theobald was again arrested and held at Athlone. His mother Grace visited Queen Elizabeth
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1593 and obtained his release. Theobald agreed to fight some of his Burke cousins who were rebelling, while his son Miles was held as a hostage by Bingham.
In April 1594 Grace visited Elizabeth again, and finally secured favourable terms of surrender and regrant for Theobald. The timing of this visit subsequently made a huge difference to him, as the Nine Years' War was starting; as a result The O'Donnell arranged in 1595 for another MacWilliam Burke cousin to replace Theobald as clan chief. Theobald soon regained his position in Mayo, and unsurprisingly would not join O'Donnell and his main ally Hugh O'Neill in the war. He remained neutral. While they marched south to their eventual defeat at Kinsale
Siege of Kinsale
The Siege or Battle of Kinsale was the ultimate battle in England's conquest of Gaelic Ireland. It took place during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, at the climax of the Nine Years War - a campaign by Aodh Mór Ó Néill, Aodh Rua Ó Dónaill and other Irish clan leaders against English rule...
in 1601, he embarked 300 men into three ships, sailed south, and kept both sides guessing who he would help.
The 1600s
In 1603 James IJames I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
succeeded Elizabeth and O'Neill submitted at Mellifont. The following year Theobald was knighted, styled as "Sir Tibbot ne Longe Bourke", and started to ascend the social ladder. For the first time Ireland was completely under English control. After the Flight of the Earls
Flight of the Earls
The Flight of the Earls took place on 14 September 1607, when Hugh Ó Neill of Tír Eóghain, Rory Ó Donnell of Tír Chonaill and about ninety followers left Ireland for mainland Europe.-Background to the exile:...
in 1607, Theobald was accused of plotting to help them, and was arrested again in 1608; this proved unfounded. In 1610 he was again under suspicion, as the administration intercepted letters from Spain hoping to implicate him in a revolt; yet again he was pardoned.
He also represented the smaller local clans in their property registration dealings with the Dublin administration, but seems to have ended up with most of their lands by his death. His own tenants paid rent in kind under the metayage
Metayage
The Metayage system is the cultivation of land for a proprietor by one who receives a proportion of the produce, as a kind of sharecropping.-Origin and function:...
system, delivering him about a quarter or third of each crop. Given the Irish climate, this method was probably more realistic than expecting a fixed cash rent.
1613-1629
In 1613-15 he was one of the two MPs from Mayo in the Irish parliament. Being still Roman Catholic, he voted against the creation of new boroughs for Protestant MPs; the new rules gave Protestants a majority of 108-102 in the Commons.A brief Spanish war started soon after the accession of Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
in 1625, and yet again he and his son Miles were charged with planning a Spanish-supported Catholic revolt, and were cleared. Soon after this he was created 1st Viscount Mayo in June 1627. In 1628 he and other Catholic nobles started a petition campaign to persuade King Charles to reform some anti-Catholic laws, known as "The Graces
The Graces (Ireland)
The Graces were a proposed series of reforms sought by Roman Catholics in Ireland in 1628-1634.-Background:From 1570 to 1625 most people in the Kingdom of Ireland had remained Roman Catholic despite legislation that was increasingly excluding them from the political and official worlds...
". He died on 18 June 1629 and was buried at Ballintubber Abbey
Ballintubber Abbey
Ballintubber Abbey is a royal abbey in Co. Mayo, Ireland, founded by King Cathal Crobdearg Ua Conchobair in 1216. It is said to be the only church in Ireland founded by an Irish king that is still in regular use....
.
See also
- Burke Civil War 1333–38
- Earl of MayoEarl of MayoEarl of the County of Mayo, usually known simply as Earl of Mayo, is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1785 for John Bourke, 1st Viscount Mayo, for many years First Commissioner of Revenue in Ireland...
- ClanricardeClanricardeClanricarde was a term meaning both a territory and a title in Ireland between the 13th and early 20th centuries.-Territory:The territory, in what is now County Galway, Ireland, stretched from the barony of County Clare in the north-west along the borders of County Mayo, to the River Shannon in the...
- Ireland 1536–1691
Other sources
- Teeling's history 1932; online
- The History of Mayo, Hubert T. KnoxHubert T. KnoxHubert Thomas Knox , MRIA, FRSAI, was an Irish historian.He was the third son of Charles Knox of Ballinrobe, who would later be High Sheriff of County Mayo in 1860 and was a Colonel in the North Mayo Militia. His great-grandfather was James Cuffe, 1st Baron Tyrawley. His mother was Lady Louisa...
. 1908. - Lower Mac William and Viscounts of Mayo, 1332-1649, in A New History of Ireland IX, pp.235-36, Oxford, 1984 (reprinted 2002).