Person Page - 3842

     John Petty, 1st Earl of Shelburne was born in 1706.² He was the son of Thomas FitzMaurice, 1st Earl of Kerry and Anne Petty.¹ He married Mary FitzMaurice, daughter of Lt.-Col. Hon. William FitzMaurice and Deborah Brookes, on 16 February 1734.² He died on 14 May 1761.² He was buried at Borwood, Wiltshire, England^G.²
     He was given the name of John FitzMaurice at birth.² He was educated between May 1715 and 1719 at Westminster School, Westminster, London, England^G.² He was admitted to Middle Temple on 3 January 1727.² He held the office of Sheriff of County Kerry in 1732.² He held the office of Member of Parliament (M.P.) (Whig) for County Kerry [Ireland] between 1743 and 1751.² In 1751 his name was legally changed to John Petty.² He was created 1st Baron Dunkeron [Ireland] on 7 October 1751.² He was created 1st Viscount FitzMaurice [Ireland] on 7 October 1751.² He was created 1st Earl of Shelburne, co. Wexford [Ireland] on 6 June 1753.² He held the office of Governor of County Kerry in 1754.² He held the office of Member of Parliament (M.P.) for Chipping Wycombe between 1754 and 1760.² He was appointed Privy Counsellor (P.C.) [Ireland] on 8 February 1754.² He was created 1st Lord Wycombe, Baron of Chepping Wycombe, co. Bucks [Great Britain] on 20 May 1760.²

     William FitzMaurice, 2nd Earl of Kerry was baptised on 2 March 1694 at Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland^G.¹ He was the son of Thomas FitzMaurice, 1st Earl of Kerry and Anne Petty.¹ He married, firstly, Elizabeth Moss in 1730.¹ He married, secondly, Lady Gertrude Lambart, daughter of Richard Lambart, 4th Earl of the County of Cavan and Margaret Trant, on 29 June 1738.² He died on 4 April 1747 at age 53 at Lixnaw, Ireland^G.²
     He held the office of Governor of Ross Castle, County Kerry in 1721.¹ He was styled as Viscount Clanmaurice between 1723 and 1742.¹ He gained the rank of Colonel in the Coldstream Guards.¹ He succeeded as the 2nd Viscount Clanmaurice [I., 1723] on 16 March 1741.¹ He succeeded as the 2nd Earl of Kerry [I., 1723] on 16 March 1741.¹ He succeeded as the 20th Baron of Kerry and Lixnaw [I., c. 1295] on 16 March 1741.¹ He held the office of Lord-Lieutenant of County Kerry.¹ He held the office of Custos Rotulorum of County Kerry.¹ He held the office of Governor of County Kerry in 1746.¹ He was appointed Privy Counsellor (P.C.) [Ireland] on 14 April 1746.¹
     The Marquess of Lansdowne wrote that he was "gentleman-like and spirited, but weak and debauched, and married into a very weak family, the Earl of Cavan's."²

     Mary FitzMaurice was the daughter of Lt.-Col. Hon. William FitzMaurice and Deborah Brookes.^2,1 She married John Petty, 1st Earl of Shelburne, son of Thomas FitzMaurice, 1st Earl of Kerry and Anne Petty, on 16 February 1734.² She died on 9 December 1780 at Llewenny Hall, Denbighshire, Wales^G.² Her will was proven (by probate) in May 1781.²
     From 16 February 1734, her married name became FitzMaurice. From 1751, her married name became Petty.²

     Lt.-Col. Hon. William FitzMaurice was born on 30 July 1670 at St. Gile's-in-the-Fields Church, London, England^G.¹ He was the son of William FitzMaurice, 18th Baron of Kerry and Lixnaw and Constance Long.¹ He married Deborah Brookes, daughter of Sir John Brookes, 1st Bt. and Mary Waller.² He died in 1710.²
     He lived at Gallane, County Kerry, Ireland^G.³

     Deborah Brookes was the daughter of Sir John Brookes, 1st Bt. and Mary Waller.¹ She married Lt.-Col. Hon. William FitzMaurice, son of William FitzMaurice, 18th Baron of Kerry and Lixnaw and Constance Long.²
     Her married name became FitzMaurice.

     Sir John Brookes, 1st Bt. was the son of James Brookes.² He married Mary Waller, daughter of Sir Hardress Waller and Elizabeth Dowdall, circa 1670.² He died on 18 November 1691.² He was buried at St. Martin's Church, Coney Street, York, Yorkshire, England^G.²
     He was admitted to Gray's Inn on 21 October 1650.² He was created 1st Baronet Brookes, of York [England] on 13 June 1676.² He held the office of Member of Parliament (M.P.) for Boroughbridge between 1679 and 1681.²

     William FitzMaurice, 18th Baron of Kerry and Lixnaw was born in 1633.¹ He was the son of Patrick FitzMaurice, 17th Baron of Kerry and Lixnaw and Honor FitzGerald.¹ He married Constance Long, daughter of William Long, circa 1665.¹ He died in March 1696/97.¹
     He succeeded as the 18th Baron of Kerry and Lixnaw [I., c. 1295] circa January 1660/61.¹ He fought in the Battle of the Boyne on 1 July 1690.² He followed King James II to France after the Battle of the Boyne, but was named as one of those who would be pardoned on returning to Ireland.¹

     Thomas FitzMaurice, 1st Earl of Kerry was born in 1668.¹ He was the son of William FitzMaurice, 18th Baron of Kerry and Lixnaw and Constance Long.¹ He married Anne Petty, daughter of Sir William Petty and Elizabeth Waller, Baroness Shelburne, on 14 January 1692/93.² He died on 16 March 1741 at Lixnaw, Ireland^G.² He was buried on 21 March 1741/42 at Killtomy, Ireland^G.²
     He held the office of Member of Parliament (M.P.) for County Kerry [Ireland] from 1692 to 1693.¹ He held the office of Member of Parliament (M.P.) for County Kerry [Ireland] between 1695 and 1697.¹ He succeeded as the 19th Baron of Kerry and Lixnaw [I., c. 1295] in March 1696/97.¹ He was appointed Privy Counsellor (P.C.) [Ireland] before April 1711.¹ He was created 1st Viscount Clanmaurice [Ireland] on 17 January 1722/23.¹ He was created 1st Earl of Kerry [Ireland] on 17 January 1722/23.¹
     His grandson, the Marquess of Lansdowne, wrote unflatteringly of him, "my grandfather did not want the manners of the country nor the habits of his family to make him a tyrant. He was so by nature. He was the most severe character which can be imagined, obstinate and inflexible; he had not much understanding, but strong nerves and great perseverance, and no education, except what he had in the army, where he served in his youth, with a good degree of reputation for personal bravery and activity. He was a handsome man and, luckily for me and mine, married a very ugly woman, who brought into his family whatever degree of sense may have appeared in it, or whatever wealth is likely to remain in it, the daughter of Sir William Petty... With all this he had high principles of honour and a strict love of justice, which made him govern the country better than he did his own family... His children did not love him, but dreaded him; his servants the same."²

     Anne Petty was the daughter of Sir William Petty and Elizabeth Waller, Baroness Shelburne.^1,2 She married Thomas FitzMaurice, 1st Earl of Kerry, son of William FitzMaurice, 18th Baron of Kerry and Lixnaw and Constance Long, on 14 January 1692/93.² She died in November 1737.² She was buried at East Clogher, Ireland^G.²
     From 14 January 1692/93, her married name became FitzMaurice. After her marriage, Anne Petty was styled as Countess of Kerry on 17 January 1722/23.
     Swift wrote that "Lady Kerry is most egregiously ugly; but perfectly well bred, and governable as I please."² The Marquess of Lansdowne, wrote that "my grandmother was was of an ambitious active disposition and during her life, by dint of superior understanding, address and temper (for he made an excessive bad husband as appears by several letters), sometimes drew him back into the world, and by a conduct which was a perfect model of sense, prudence and spirit, furnished several houses, supported a style of living superior to any family whatever in Ireland, and with all this improved his fortune."²

     Sir William Petty was born on 26 May 1623 at Romsey, Hampshire, England.³ He was the son of Anthony Petty. He married Elizabeth Waller, Baroness Shelburne, daughter of Sir Hardress Waller and Elizabeth Dowdall, in 1667.⁴ He died on 16 December 1687 at age 64.
     He graduated with a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.)⁵ He was appointed Fellow, Royal Society (F.R.S.)⁶ He was Professor of Anatomy in 1651 at Oxford University, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England^G.⁶ He was awarded the A Treatise of Taxes and Contributions in 1662.³ He wrote the book Verbum Sapienti, published 1665.³ He was appointed Knight. He wrote the book The Political Anatomy of Ireland, published 1672.³