Daily entries from the 17th century London diary
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Wikipedia
James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde PC (19 October 1610 – 21 July 1688), was an Anglo-Irish statesman and soldier. He was the top commander of the Royalist forces in Ireland from 1641 to 1647 fighting against the Irish Catholic Confederation. From 1649 to 1650 he was top commander of the Royalist forces fighting against the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland. In the 1650s he lived in exile in Europe with Charles II of England. Upon the restoration of Charles II to the British throne in 1660, Ormonde became a major figure in English and Irish politics, holding many high government offices.
Annotations
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12th Earl and 1st Duke of Ormond
(1610-88). Politician and soldier. The richest and most powerful of the Anglo-Irish magnates of his day and at the same time a man of simple loyalties and the highest principles. For his services as royalist leader in Ireland during the rebellion, he was at the Restoration made a Duke and Lord Steward of the Household. In 1661 he was appointed Lord-Lieutenant and was responsible for the Restoration settlement in Ireland. He fell victim to Buckingham’s enmity in 1669. In a second term of duty as Lord-Lieutenant (1677-85), he kept Ireland quiet during the turmoil of the Popish Plot. Contemporaries and historians agree in regarding him as one of the most admirable figures in 17th-century public life.L&M Companion
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Marquis of Ormond, James Butler, 1610-1688.
http://www.british-civil-wars.co.uk/biog/ormond.htm
Bishop Gilbert Burnet (1643-1715) says he was in every way fitted for a Court; of graceful appearance, a lively wit, a cheerful temper; a man of great expense, but decent even in his vices, for he always kept up the form of religion; too faithful not to give always good advices, but when bad ones were followed too complacent to be any great complainer. He had gone through many transactions with more fidelity than success, and in the siege of Dublin miscarried as far as to lessen the opinion of his military conduct; but his constant attendance on his master, his easiness to him and great sufferings for him, raised him to be Lord Steward of the Household and Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland.
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Another link on Ormond
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The Life of James Duke of Ormond
Thomas CarteThis was an amazing set of 6 volumes (more or less, depending on the version) which explored in painstaking detail the life, letters and correspondence of James Butler, the Dukeof Ormond (strong supporter of Charles I & II and friend of Clarendon). Depending upon your interest in the details of history and politics, the detail can be somewhat overwhelming. Ormond was an old Royalist who sacrificed much to the Stuart monarchy and was not always treated well by either Charles I or II. He is noted during this time period for his exceptional moral character and ease of manner, two things that seemed quite missing from most men in the court of Charles II. Several of the volumes dedicate a great deal of time to his governmental dealings in Ireland and also his interactions and support of the Stuarts. He was a fast thinking and unflappable man who carried himself with dignity and with in his interactions. One of my favorite anecdotes takes place between Lady Castlemaine (Charles
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Footnote from Grammont
James Butler, Duke of Ormond, born 19th October, 1610, and died 21st July, 1688. Lord Clarendon, in the Continuation of his Life, observes, that “he frankly engaged his person and his fortune in the king’s service, from the first hour of the troubles, and pursued it with that courage and constancy, that when the king was murdered, and he deserted by the Irish, contrary to the articles of peace which they had made with him, and when he could make no longer defence, he refused all the conditions which Cromwell offered, who would have given him all his vast estate if he would have been contented to live quietly in some of his own houses, without further concerning himself in the quarrel; and transported himself, without so much as accepting a pass from his authority, in a little weak vessel into France, where he found the king, from whom he never parted till he returned with him into England. Having thus merited as much as a subject can do from a prince, he had much more credit and esteem with the king than any other man.” — Continuation of the Life of Lord Clarendon, p. 4, fol. edit. Bishop Burnet says of him, “he was a man every way fitted for a court; of a graceful appearance, a lively wit, and a cheerful temper; a man of great expense; decent even in his vices, for he always kept up the form of region. He had gone through many transactions in Ireland with more fidelity than success. He had made a treaty with the Irish, which was broken by the great body of them, though some few of them adhered still to him. But the whole Irish nation did still pretend, that though they had broke the agreement first, yet he, or rather the king, in whose name he had treated with them, was bound to perform all the articles of the treaty. He had miscarried so in the siege of Dublin, that it very much lessened the opinion of his military conduct. Yet his constant attendance on his master, his easiness to him, and his great suffering for him, raised him to be lord-steward of the household, and lord-lieutenant of Ireland. He was firm to the protestant religion, and so far firm to the laws, that he always gave good advices; but when bad ones were followed, he was not for complaining too much of them.” — Burnet’s Own Times, vol. i. p. 230.
http://www.pseudopodium.org/repress/grammont/notes02.html see note 44 -
I am looking for Name Mc Ormond back ground
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I am looking for Name Mc Ormond back ground
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James Butler, 2nd Duke of Ormond
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Butler,_2nd_Duke_of_Ormonde -
The papers of James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormond, form part of the Carte collection at the Bodleian Library. An online calendar of the papers from the Restoration period (1660-1687) is available.
http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/dept/scwmss/projects/carte/carte.html