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John de Bermingham, 1st Earl of Louth

1290 – 1329

Irish peer

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About John de Bermingham, 1st Earl of Louth

Lived 1290 – 1329 (aged 38–39). John de Bermingham, 1st Earl of Louth was a military personnel.

John de Bermingham, 1st and last Earl of Louth (died 13 June 1329) was an Irish peer. He was the commander of the Anglo-Irish army in the Battle of Faughart, the decisive battle in the Irish Bruce Wars 1315–1318. In this battle, Edward Bruce was killed, and Bermingham had Bruce's severed head 'salted in a chest' and transported to England to be put on display before Edward II. He was briefly Viceroy of Ireland in 1321.

Bermingham was the son of Piers FitzJames MacPhioris de Bermingham and Ela de Odingsells. He was contracted to marry Matilda de Burgh in 1308 but was married to Aveline de Burgh: both were daughters of Richard Óg de Burgh, 2nd Earl of Ulster. In 1312 he was made a knight by the Lord Deputy of Ireland. He was the commander of the English army in Ireland in 1318. He fought in the Battle of Faughart on 14 October 1318 as commander of the forces loyal to King Edward II of England against the army led by Edward Bruce, who had been crowned High King of Ireland. Bruce was killed in the battle. He was created 1st Earl of Louth and granted estates at Ardee on 12 May 1319 as a reward for his services to the Crown in defeating the Scots and given the county of Louth to hold as a jurisdictional Liberty. In 1320 the pope ratified his marriage to Aveline, despite his having been contracted to marry her sister.

Bermingham was killed in the Braganstown massacre on 13 June 1329 in a feud between the Anglo-Irish families of Louth, along with some 200 members of his family and household. With his death the Earldom of Louth became extinct and the Liberty of Louth was appropriated by Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March. In 1749 the earldom was created again for a collateral descendant, Thomas Bermingham, 1st Earl of Louth, but it became extinct again on his death in 1799.

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Important facts

Born
1290
Birth century
Occupation
Positions held
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
Also known as
John de Bermingham, 1st and last Earl of Louth

People in John de Bermingham, 1st Earl of Louth's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped John de Bermingham, 1st Earl of Louth's

Frequently asked questions

Who was John de Bermingham, 1st Earl of Louth?

Irish peer

When was John de Bermingham, 1st Earl of Louth born?

John de Bermingham, 1st Earl of Louth was born in 1290.

When did John de Bermingham, 1st Earl of Louth die?

John de Bermingham, 1st Earl of Louth died on 10 June 1329.

What was John de Bermingham, 1st Earl of Louth's occupation?

John de Bermingham, 1st Earl of Louth was a military personnel.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: John de Bermingham, 1st Earl of Louth

· Wikidata: Q6265490

· DBpedia: John de Bermingham, 1st Earl of Louth

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). John de Bermingham, 1st Earl of Louth. https://biography.guide/john-de-bermingham-1st-earl-of-louth/

MLA: "John de Bermingham, 1st Earl of Louth." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/john-de-bermingham-1st-earl-of-louth/.

Chicago: "John de Bermingham, 1st Earl of Louth." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/john-de-bermingham-1st-earl-of-louth/.

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