James Butler, 9th Earl of Ormond and 2nd Earl of Ossory, known as The Lame, was the son of Piers Butler, 8th Earl of Ormond and Margaret Fitzgerald, Countess of Ormond.
Background
In early 1522, it was proposed by King Henry VIII that he marry his cousin Anne Boleyn, who was the great-granddaughter of Thomas Butler, 7th Earl of Ormond. This was to resolve a dispute her father Thomas Boleyn had with James" father Piers over the Ormond inheritance and title: Wolsey himself supported the proposal.
Career
He was created, in 1535, Viscount Thurles, and was confirmed by Acting of Parliament, 6 November 1541, in the Earldom of Ormond, as 9th Earl with the pre-eminence of the original earls. His death by poisoning in London remains an unsolved mystery. During the early 1540s he gradually restored the Butler dynasty to their former position of influence, leading to antagonism from the quarrelsome Lord Deputy of Ireland, Sir Anthony Street Leger.
Street Leger gave Ormonde command of the Irish forces in the Anglo-Scottish War of 1544.
Ormond himself demanded an inquiry into claims that Street Leger had planned his murder, and the matter was thought to merit a Privy Council investigation. The Council found in favour of Street Leger and he and Ormond ordered to work together amicably.
On 17 October 1546, James had gone to London with many of his household. They were invited to dine at Ely Palace in Holborn.
He was poisoned along with his steward, James Whyte, and 16 of his household.
He died nine days later, on 28 October, leaving Joan a widow in her thirties. lieutenant is surprising, in view of Ormond"s high social standing, that no proper investigation into his death was carried out. His host at the dinner, John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland, though he could be ruthless enough, is not known to have had any quarrel with Ormond.
A recent historian remarks that it would be an extraordinary coincidence if Street Leger had no part in the sudden and convenient removal of his main Irish opponent.