Robert FitzGerald, 17th Knight of Kerry

Robert FitzGerald, 17th Knight of Kerry (1717 – 5 December 1781)[1] was an Irish politician, barrister and hereditary knight.

He was the second son of Maurice FitzGerald, 14th Knight of Kerry and his wife Elizabeth Crosbie, second daughter of David Crosbie.[2] He graduated with a Bachelor of Law and served then as Judge of the Admiralty Court.[3] In 1741, he entered the Irish House of Commons and sat for Dingle, the same constituency his older brother John had represented before, until his death.[1] In 1779, he succeeded his nephew Maurice as Knight of Kerry.[4]

In March 1746, FitzGerald married firstly Lucy Leslie, daughter of John Leslie of Tarbert, County Kerry, and niece of James Leslie (bishop) of Limerick.[5] She died only four years later[citation needed] and he married secondly Catherine FitzGerald, second daughter of Thomas FitzGerald, 18th Knight of Glin in 1752.[6] After the death of his second wife in 1759,[6] FitzGerald married lastly Catherine Sandes, daughter of Lancelot Sandes in 1770 and had by her two sons and a daughter.[citation needed] FitzGerald died in 1781 and was succeeded in his title by his older son Maurice.[4]

  1. ^ a b "Leigh Rayment - Irish House of Commons 1692-1800". Archived from the original on 7 June 2008. Retrieved 30 May 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. ^ Burke, John (1847). John Bernhard Burke (ed.). Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry. Vol. I. London: Henry Colburn. p. 416.
  3. ^ Foster, Joseph (1884). The Royal Lineage of Our Noble and Gentle Families Together with Their Paternal Ancestry. London: Hatchards. pp. 43–44.
  4. ^ a b "Public Record Office of Northern Ireland - FitzGerald Papers" (PDF). Retrieved 30 May 2009.
  5. ^ page 255
  6. ^ a b "Ask about Ireland - Thomas FitzGerald, 18th Knight of Glin". Retrieved 30 May 2009.