Sir Peter FitzGerald, 1st Baronet

Peter George FitzGerald was born on 15 September 1808 and was raised in the banking house of his maternal grandfather in Dublin. He was the eldest surviving son of the Right Hon. Sir Maurice FitzGerald, 18th Knight of Kerry (1774–1849) of Gleanleam, Valentia Island, County Kerry and his wife Maria, the daughter of the Right Honourable David la Touche of Marlay.{{cite ODNB|last1=Smith|first1=G.B.|editor-first1=Peter |editor-last1=Gray |title=Fitzgerald, Sir Peter George|url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/9581|year=2004 |doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/9581 |accessdate=10 August 2016}}

Sir Peter entered the civil service and was appointed Vice-Treasurer of Ireland in the last ministry of Sir Robert Peel. In 1849, he succeeded his father and resided almost constantly on Valentia Island, devoting himself to the improvement of his estates, and the welfare of his tenantry. He especially earned the thanks of the people by the erection of substantial homesteads in place of the old and poorly maintained cabins, with which the middleman system had covered the west of Ireland.{{cite news|last1=News|first1=Gorrespondence of the London|title=Laying the Shore End of the Great Cable--Scenery of County Kerry--Valentia and its Surroundings--The Natives as they Are--Irish Aspirations Looking to America--Ceremonies of Bringing the Cable Ashore--A Good Beginning.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1865/08/07/news/laying-shore-end-great-cable-scenery-county-kerry-valentia-its-surroundings.html|accessdate=10 August 2016|work=The New York Times|date=7 August 1865}} FitzGerald manifested a keen interest in all questions which had a practical bearing on the progress or prosperity of Ireland and, in contributions to The Times, he deprecated the censure which at that time and since was cast indiscriminately upon all Irish landlords.

His own admirable personal qualities, his hatred of abuses, his engaging manners, and his generous nature, made him a great favourite with the Irish peasantry. His hospitality at Glanleam was enjoyed by the Prince of Wales and other distinguished guests. The Transatlantic telegraph cable had its British termination on his Valentia estates, and he evinced much public spirit and energy in connection with the successful laying of the cable.

Both his UK baronetcy and his hereditary Irish knighthood have been inherited by his successors.{{Cite web |title=Burke's Peerage |url=http://burkespeerage.com/ |access-date=2022-08-16 |website=burkespeerage.com |language=en}}

On 11 August 1838, FitzGerald married Julia Hussey, daughter of Peter Bodkin Hussey of Farranikilla House, County Kerry, a lineal descendant of the Norman family of Hoses, which settled on the promontory of Dingle in the thirteenth century. He and Lady Julia had four sons and seven daughters:{{cite book|last1=Foster|first1=J.|title=The Royal Lineage of our Noble and Gentle Families|date=1886|publisher=Рипол Классик|isbn=9785871806173|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fT8IAwAAQBAJ&q=Robert+John+La+Touche+FitzGerald+%281852-&pg=PA44|accessdate=10 August 2016|language=en}}

• Mary Emily Francis FitzGerald (1863–1917),{{cn|date=October 2020}} who in 1863 married Sir Capel Molyneux, 7th Baronet (died 1879) of Castle Dillon, County Armagh.
• Emily FitzGerald (died 1932), unmarried.{{cn|date=October 2020}}
• Frances Caroline FitzGerald (died 1921), unmarried.{{cn|date=October 2020}}
• Katharine FitzGerald (died 1927), who in 1873 married Rev. Henry Bell, vicar of Muncaster, Cumberland.
• Elizabeth Anne FitzGerald (died 1922), who in 1882 married Francis Spring Rice, 4th Baron Monteagle (1852–1937) (the brother of Thomas Spring Rice, 2nd Baron Monteagle). Their son was Charles Spring Rice, 5th Baron Monteagle (1887–1946).
• Julia Emma Isabella FitzGerald (died 1936), who in 1888 married Stephen Spring Rice (1856–1902). After Spring Rice's death, Julia married Baron Monteagle, her sister Elizabeth's widower.{{cn|date=October 2020}}
• Eileen Gertrude FitzGerald, who in 1886 married Brig. Gen. Edward Kaye Daubeney, son of Reverend Robert Thomas Daubeney{{cn|date=October 2020}}
• Sir Maurice Fitzgerald, 20th Knight of Kerry, 2nd Baronet of Valentia (1844–1916), who in 1883 married Amélie Bischoffsheim (1858–1947), daughter of Dutch banker Henri Louis Bischoffsheim (1829–1908) and granddaughter of Louis-Raphaël Bischoffsheim (1800–1873).
• Robert John La Touche FitzGerald (1852–?), who married Marion Harte, eldest daughter of Mahony Harte, Esq.
• Peter David FitzGerald (1855–1935), who in 1890 married Helen Mary Percy (died 1904), daughter of Major William Francis Percy{{cn|date=October 2020}}
• Brinsley John Hamilton FitzGerald (1859–1931), who in 1918 married Margarita (née Armstrong) Drexel.{{cite news|title=LORD WINCHILSEA, DREXEL KIN, WEDS: 15th Earl Marries in London Mary A. Conroy, Daughter of Fruit Merchant|url=http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1946/06/18/107137003.html?pageNumber=28|accessdate=10 August 2016|work=The New York Times|date=18 June 1946}}

FitzGerald was a magistrate and deputy-lieutenant for County Kerry, and was High Sheriff of Kerry in 1849, and of County Carlow in 1875. On 8 July 1880, he was created a baronet of Valentia in the County of Kerry, in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom.{{London Gazette |issue=24862 |date=9 July 1880 |page=3878}}

Peter FitzGerald died on 6 August 1880. He was succeeded in his titles and estates by his eldest son, Captain Maurice FitzGerald, who became 2nd Baronet, 20th Knight of Kerry. Captain Fitzgerald served with distinction in the Anglo-Ashanti wars, being present at the battles of Amoaful, Becquah, and Ordahau, and at the capture of Coomassie.

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{{s-ttl|title=Baronet| creation = (of Valentia)| years=1880–1880}}

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Category:Irish knights

Peter

Category:1808 births

Category:1880 deaths

Category:Politicians from County Kerry

Category:High sheriffs of Kerry

Category:Deputy lieutenants of Kerry

Category:19th-century Anglo-Irish people

Category:Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom

Category:19th-century Irish landowners

FitzGerald