Honora Burke

Honora Burke, later known as Honora FitzJames, Duchess of Berwick on Tweed, was born around 1675 at Portumna Castle in County Galway, Ireland. She was the youngest child of William Burke, the 7th Earl of Clanricarde, and his second wife, Helen MacCarty. Her paternal family belonged to the Old English aristocracy with longstanding roots in Connacht, while her maternal lineage was Gaelic Irish, being part of the MacCarthy of Muskerry dynasty descending from the kings of Desmond. Honora was raised as a Roman Catholic.

Her father died in 1687, after which her half-brother Richard succeeded as the 8th Earl of Clanricarde. She inherited a sum of £3,500 from her father. Her mother's third marriage took place sometime between 1687 and 1700, to Colonel Thomas Burke.

In the winter of 1689/90, at approximately age 15, Honora married Patrick Sarsfield, who was about 35 years old. The marriage took place at Portumna Abbey, after which they resided at Lucan near Dublin. Patrick Sarsfield was a landowner from County Kildare and a military officer serving in the Irish Army of James II during the Williamite War in Ireland. He quickly rose to prominence, notably leading the Ballyneety Raid, an attack on King William's artillery train in 1690, which contributed to his ennoblement by James II as the 1st Earl of Lucan in January 1691. Following the surrender at Limerick in 1691, Lucan led the Irish defeat into exile in France, known as the Flight of the Wild Geese.

Honora likely left Ireland for France around 1690 with other Jacobite women. In France, she was noted for her beauty and is believed to have introduced the "contredanse anglaise" (English country dance) to the French court. Her husband participated in a failed invasion plan of England in 1692.

They had one son, James Francis Edward Sarsfield, born in April 1693, who later became the 2nd Earl of Lucan. He participated in the planned 1719 Jacobite Rising but died of natural causes in 1719. James was named after James Francis Edward Stuart, known as the Old Pretender.

Patrick Sarsfield was wounded at the Battle of Landen in July 1693 and died shortly thereafter at Huy. The same year, Honora's son was born. There are claims that Catalina Sarsfield, who married a German adventurer known for briefly establishing himself as King Theodore of Corsica, was her daughter; however, this remains uncertain, as Catalina was born in Nantes to David Sarsfield of the Limerick branch, not directly to Honora.

After Sarsfield's death, Honora joined the Jacobite court-in-exile at Saint-Germain-en-Laye. There, she sought to support the impoverished Irish community in exile.

While at Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Honora met James FitzJames, 1st Duke of Berwick, an illegitimate son of James II and Arabella Churchill. They married on 26 March 1695 in the chapel of the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye. This marriage accorded her the title of Duchess of Berwick. Though James II was initially displeased, considering her marriage a less advantageous match, the couple continued to use the ducal titles, as evidenced by contemporary sources such as Saint-Simon in 1698. The couple had a son, James FitzJames, born in 1696, who later served in the Spanish Army and established a dynasty there.

Honora died of consumption on 16 January 1698 and was buried in the Convent of English Benedictines in Pontoise. Her funeral was attended by notable Jacobites including Henry FitzJames, Lord Perth, Melfort, Richard Hamilton, James Porter, Lord Waldegrave, and Dominic Maguire. Her husband later remarried, taking Anne Bulkeley as his wife on 18 April 1700.