56 GORMANSTON. II. 13%. S. Ciiiustopiiuu (Preston), Lord Gohmaxstox [L], B. aud h. He sue. to the peerage [[.] iu 1390, was knighted (in the field) by the Earl of March, iu 1397, but was afterwards imprisoned iu Trim Castle for treason. He m. Elizabeth, da. and h. of William Laundres, Lord of the Barony of Naas, by Emma, da. and h. of William Fitz Mauuick, Lord of the Barony of Naas afsd. IIL 1430? 3. Christopher (Pkestox), Lord Gormanstox [I.], s. aivl h. He inherited the Lordship of Naas from his mother and sue. to the peerage [I.], probably about 1130. He m. Jane, da. of Sir Jenico Daiitois, a native o£ Gascony. Inq post mortem, temp. Hen. VI. IV. 1450? 1 and J+. Robert (Preston), Lord Gormaxston [I.], i rT , s. and h., aged 15, when at the death of his father, probably about viscounty li.i 1450 _ he suc U) tJje pecrng0 rt.j, Deputy Chancellor [I.] 1161 ; I. 1478. was one of the 13 persona elected a Knight of St. George [I.], in 1472.( a ) Dep. Chief Gov. [I.] 1478, under the Duke of York, the Viceroy, then a minor. He was <r.( b ) VISCOUNT^) Birmingham, by that title [Kells ■] iu the reign of Edward III.," making, in fact, the petitioner hold two distinct peerage Baronies of which " the peerage of GoumansTown was puisne but that of Kells was senior to Slake, and, therefore, the Pari, decreed the precedence to Preston, as Lord of Kells, which he inherited as heir general to his mother [great-grandmother ?]. Both consequently [sic, sal </«crc ?] were titles in fee descendible to heirs general." This solution of the difficultly, which seems founded on the supposition that because, in 1671, it was established that English Baronies created by writ from the Oram, were capable of descending to heirs female, the same would apply to the long list of those summoned by the Chief Governor of Ireland, will hardly in these days of greater criticism, find acceptance. The theory also involves that the precedence granted to the 1st Lord Govmauston over the Lord Shine, was (not iu right of the Gonuauston Barony, trhicb says Bethaiu " was puisne," but was) jure uxoris, namely in right of his father-in-law's Barony of Kells, which was (according to Betham), " senior to Slane." ( a ) " The Brotherhood of St. George " was instituted in 1 172, by the Government to enable the Anglo-Irish (who had been much weakened by the " wars of the Roses ") to defend themselves against the Natives. It consisted of 13 members, chosen from the 4 counties of the pale who were to inaiutain 120 mounted archers, 10 horsemen and 40 pages for the protection of the border, and to assemble yearly at Dublin on " St. George's Day, while, to meet this expense a charge of 12d per pound on all mer- chandise sold in Ireland was imposed. Their names were (1) The Kant, of Kildare, Lord Deputy, who was the Founder of Fraternity; (2) Kowland (Eustace), Loan Portlesteu ; (3) Sir Rowland Eustace [or fSir Nicholas Woqan], which three were for co. Kildare ; (4) Lord Howth ; (5) The Mayor of Dublin for the time being ; (0) Sir Robert Dowdal (or tJames Keating, Prior of St. John's Hospital] which last three were for co. Dublin ; (7) Lord Gormanston ; (8) Edward Plunkett, Seneschal of Meath [or fjames (Fleming), Lord Slank] ; (9) Alexander Plunkett ; (10) Barnaby Barnewall [or tSir John Plunkett], which last four were for co. Meath ; (11) the Mayor op Dbooheda for the time being ; (12) Sir Laurence Taakfe [or {•Nicholas Taaffe, " Esq."] and (13) Richard Bellhw, which last three wero for co. Louth. This military fraternity was, however, abolished iu 1 194, under the Poyninks's act, having lasted but 12 years. ( h ) There are but 12 " documents expressly conferring titles of honour in Ireland before the year 1500," of which this is the 12th and last, viz. (1) Earldom of Ulster (Lacy), by King John; (2) Earldom of Carrick (Butler) 1315 ; (3) Earldom of Kildare (Fits Gerald), 1316; (4) Earldom of Louth (Bcrmingham), 1819 ; (5) Earldom of Ormond (Butler), 1328; (G) Earldom of Desmond (Fit: Gerald), 1329; (7) Earldom of Waterford (Talbot), 1446 ; (8) Barony of Trimlestown (Barnewall), 1461/2 ; (9) Barony of Portlester (Fitz Eustace), 1461/2; (10) Barony of Ratowth (Bold), 1468; (11) Barony of Rathweir (Daniel), 1475, and (12) Viscountcy of Gormanstown (Preston), 1478. See an account of these creations in " Lynch," pp. 177 — 181. ( c ) The dignity of Viscount had been introduced into England from France about t These variations are from Ware's Hist. [I.], 1705. The list itself is front Cox's History [I.], 1689, p. 171 as taken from the Rolls office in Dublin. See " N. it Q," 6th s. viii, 410. See also " Lib. Ilib." vol. i, p. 29, and Leland's " Ireland," vol. ii, p. 60.
