History of the Mackenzies | Page 6

Justice of Ireland in 1247,
and by her had three sons, Maurice, Gerald, and Thomas. Maurice
Fitzgerald has no wife given him in the Colin Fitzgerald genealogy.
Thomas, the youngest son, had a son John, who ultimately, on the death
of Maurice, fifth Baron Offaly, without issue, succeeded as sixth Baron,
and was, on the 14th May, 1316, created the first Earl of Kildare.
Maurice Fitz Gerald was succeeded by his eldest son,
VII. MAURICE FITZ MAURICE, as third Baron Offaly. He married
Emelina, daughter of Sir Stephen de Longespee, a rich heiress, and by
her had a son and two daughters. He was succeeded by his only son,
VIII. GERALD FITZ MAURICE, 4th Baron Offaly, who died without
issue in 1287, when he was succeeded by his cousin Maurice, only son
of Gerald, second son of Maurice Fitzgerald, second Baron Offaly, as
IX. MAURICE FITZGERALD, 5th Baron Offaly, who married Agnes
de Valance, daughter of William Earl of Pembroke, without issue,
when he was succeeded by his cousin John, son of Thomas, third son of
Maurice Fitzgerald, second Baron Offaly, as
X. JOHN FITZ THOMAS FITZ GERALD, sixth Baron Offaly, and
first Earl of Kildare. From him, by his wife Blanche, daughter of John
Roche, Baron of Fermoy, are descended the present Duke of Leinster
and other Irish Fitzgeralds. He died on the 10th November, 1316.
Several important particulars bearing on the points in dispute are

noticeable in this genuine Fitzgerald genealogy, a few of which may be
remarked upon. (1) There is no trace of a Colin Fitzgerald, or of any
other Colin, in the real family genealogy from beginning to end, down
to the present day. (2) Gerald, the 4th Baron Offaly, died in 1287. He
was succeeded by his cousin Maurice, as 5th Baron, who in turn was
succeeded by his cousin John Fitz Thomas Fitz Gerald, who died
comparatively young in 1316. According to the Colin Fitzgerald theory,
this John, first Earl of Kildare, was twice married, and by his second
wife had six sons, of whom Colin Fitzgerald, who really ought to have
been described as Colin Fitz John - for it will be observed that the
Chiefs in the real genealogy are invariably described as Fitz or son of
their fathers - was the eldest. This was impossible. How could John Fitz
Thomas Fitzgerald, who died at a comparatively early age in 1316,
have had a son by his second marriage, who must have arrived at a
mature age before he "was driven" from Ireland to Scotland in 1261,
and be able to fight, as alleged by his supporters, with great distinction,
as a warrior who had already an established reputation, at the battle of
Largs, in 1263? Let us suppose that Colin's reputed father was 70 years
old when he died. He (the father) must thus have been born as early as
1246. Let us take it that his eldest son, the reputed Colin, by his second
wife, was born when his father was only 24 years of age - say in 1270 -
and the result of the Fitzgerald origin theory would be that Colin must
have fought at the battle of Largs 7 years before, according to the laws
of nature, he could have been born. In other words, he was not born, if
born at all, for seven years after the battle of Largs, four years after the
reputed charter of 1266, and 40 years subsequent to 1230, the last year
in which either of the witnesses whose names are upon the alleged
charter itself was in life. (3) But take the genealogy as given by the
upholders of the Colin Fitzgerald origin themselves Maurice, who died
in 1257, had, according to it, two sons - Thomas and Gerald. This
Thomas, they say, succeeded his father as third Lord Offaly, and had a
son, John, who, by his second wife, had Colin Fitzgerald. That is,
Maurice, who died in 1257, had a great grandson Colin, who, as a
warrior of mature years and experience, fought at the battle of Largs
only six years after his great-grandfathers death. But there was in fact
no Earl of Kildare at this early date. That title was, as already stated,
not created until 1316, twenty-eight years after his son Colin Fitzgerald

was, according to the testimony of his supporters, buried in Icolmkill. It
is surely unnecessary to add that such a consummation is absolutely
impossible; and these facts alone, though no other shred of evidence
was forthcoming, would dispose of the Colin Fitzgerald origin of the
Mackenzies for ever.
Colin's five brothers are given by the upholders of the Fitzgerald origin
as Galen, said to have been the same as Gilleon or Gillean, the ancestor
of the Macleans; Gilbert, ancestor of the White Knights; John,