Lady Henrietta PERCY

  General Notes:

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~irlcar2/Letter_20.htm

... I must now speak of my great grandmother Lady Butler.

I remember as a child sitting upon her great bed. I was about 4 years old when she died.

She was formerly Miss Percy, of the Northumberland House.

Her husband was Sir Richard Butler, she was early left a widow when her husband, Sir Richard, died on a visit at Kilkenny Castle. to visit his cousin, Lord Ormonde, having been accidentally suffocated by the sulphur of Kilkenny coal in his bedroom.

Her eldest son was killed by a fall from his horse when out hunting;

Her second son, Pierce, emigrated to America, and served under General Washington in the American Army. (his grandson, Pierce Mease Butler married Miss Fanny Kemble in 1834, the noted British actress and writer.)

Her third son, William, married Harriet Nickson.

Her eldest daughter, Anne Eliza, married my grandfather William Steuart.

Her second daughter was Henrietta, Mrs Eustace, from whom is descended the present Countess of Howth.

Her third daughter, Jane, married the Hon. Mr French, brother to the Earl of Clancarty. (her son was Captain Nicolas French, Inspector of Constabulary.)

Her fourth daughter, Miss Butler, married Mr Gordon of Belmount.

Her fifth daughter, Fanny, died unmarried.
It is a rather singular circumstance that for several generations there have been three Ladies Butler living at the same time, owing to the premature death of their husbands.

As my grandfather's first wife died early in life, and my grandfather married again, Lady Butler took my father and his five sisters to live with her at Ballintemple.

Her daughter, Mrs Eustace also died young and my grandmother also took her children into her care at Ballintemple.

At one point thirty of her descendants resided at one time beneath her roof.

Her only income was £1,000 per annum, what would the present generation think of so many being supported by such a sum?

However, she had several acres of land in her own possession and tended a very productive garden that supplied all of the necessary dietary needs for her extensive extended family.

She attained a great age, and her death was a heavy loss to many of her descendants.

Henrietta married Sir Richard BUTLER, son of James BUTLER and Eleanor LOFTUS, in 1728. (Sir Richard BUTLER was born in 1699 in Ballintemple, Carlow, Ireland and died on 25 Dec 1771 in Kilkenny Castle, Ireland.)