Aylmer family genealogy

Arms: Ar. a cross sa. betw. four Cornish choughs ppr. Crest: A Cornish chough rising out of a ducal coronet all ppr. Motto: Hallelujah.

This family-name appears to be an anglicised form of the Irish O’Aillemeair (“aille:” Irish, the superlative of “alain,” fair, handsome; “mear,” sprightly, jolly, merry), meaning the descendants of Aillemear, “the very handsome and sprightly man.” The earliest notice of the name that we met with in our research is in the MS. Vol. F. 1. 21, in the Library of Trin. Coll. Dublin, in which the name Ailmer is mentioned as being settled in the county Kildare, immediately after the English invasion. In the tenth of Henry VI., a.d. 1421, we find Richard Aylmer, Esq., of Lyons, county Kildare,[1] mentioned as one of the Keepers of the Peace for that county, as well as for the adjoining county of Dublin.

The Baronetcy of Ireland was conferred, 25th January, 1621, ten years after the institution of the Order, by King James I., upon:

1. Sir Gerald Aylmer, Knt., of Donada (now Donadea), son of George Aylmer, Esq., of Cloncurrie, and grandson of Richard Aylmer, Esq., of Lyons. That Sir Gerald (who d. 19th August, 1634) married, first, Mary (who d. 28th Nov., 1610) dau. and co-heiress of Sir John Travers, and relict of James Eustace, Viscount Baltinglass; but by that lady had no issue. He m. secondly, Julia (d. 12th Nov., 1617), dau. of Christopher, Lord Delvin, by whom he had two daughters (one of whom was Letice), and a son:
2. Sir Andrew, who m. Ellen, dau. of Thomas, Viscount Thurles, and sister of James, first Duke of Ormonde, and had, with one daughter, a son:
3. Sir Gerald, who m. Jane, dau. and heiress of Philip Fitzgerald, Esq., of Alloone, co. Kildare, and had:
4. Sir Fitzgerald (d. 11th June, 1685), who m. in June, 1681), Helen, second dau. of Luke, third Earl of Fingal, and had:
5. Sir Justin (d. 1711), who m. in 1702 Ellice, dau. of Sir Gerald Aylmer, of Balrath, co. Meath, and had two sons; his eldest being:
6. Sir Gerald (d. 6th Jan., 1736), who m. in Oct. 1726, Lucy, dau. of Admiral Sir John Norris, Knt., of Hempstead, Kent, and had, with two daughters (Lucy and Elizabeth), a son:
7. Sir Fitzgerald (d. 1794), who m. Elisabeth, dau. and heiress of Fenton Cole, Esq., of Silver Hill, co. Fermanagh, and had, with other children who died young—1. Fenton, his heir; 2. Arthur, who was a Lieut.-General in the Army.
8. Sir Fenton (d. 23rd May, 1816), who m. 4th June, 1795, Jane-Grace, sister of John, 6th Lord Carbery, and dau. of Sir John Evans Freke, Bart, of Castle Freke, co. Cork, and had:
   1. Gerald-George, the ninth Baronet
   2. Arthur-Percy.
   3. William-Josiah.
   4. John-Freke.
9. Sir Gerald, D.L. (d. 8th Feb., 1878), the ninth Baronet, b. 1st Dec. 1798; m., 24th April, 1826 Maria (d. 9th May, 1879), eldest dau. and co-heir of Col. Hodgson, of Carlisle, and had an only son:
10. Sir Gerald-George Aylmer, of Donadea Castle, co. Kildare; b. 20th May, 1830; m., 6th April, 1853, Alice-Hester-Caroline, dau. of Conway R. Dobbs, Esq., of Castle-Dobbs, co. Antrim, and had:
    1. Justin-Gerald, b. 17th Nov., 1863; killed at Cambridge, from a fall off a bicycle, when the title passed to his great-uncle Arthur-Percy Aylmer, a very old man, to whom his son Sir Arthur Aylmer, Bart., (living in 1887) has succeeded.
    1. Caroline-Maria.
    2. Helen-Charlotte-Nichola, who d. young.

Notes

[1] Kildare: The representative of the Aylmers of Lyons, and head of the family (in 1881) was Michael Valentine Aylmer, Esq., of Derry, Rathcabbin, co. Tipperary.