I have read many times that the Anglo-Irish writer Lord Dunsany (Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett, 1878-1957) was related to Burton, but I have never been able to figure out exactly how. The one clue that I have is the name of Dunsany's maternal grandfather: Colonel Francis Augustus Plunkett Burton, Coldstream Guards. He *may* have been Sir Richard's first cousin, but I'm far, far from sure. Can anyone help?

Yrs
Martin

Plunkett, Edward John Moreton Drax, eighteenth Baron of Dunsany 1878-1957, writer, was born in London 24 July 1878 in the house of his grandfather, Admiral Lord Dunsany. He was the eldest son of John William Plunkett, wit, amateur scientist, and member of Parliament (1886-92) for South Gloucestershire. His mother, Ernle Elizabeth Louisa Maria Grosvenor, daughter of Colonel Francis Augustus Plunkett Burton, Coldstream Guards, was very tall, an heiress, and a beauty. She was a relative of the Dunsany family and of Sir Richard Burton [q.v.], the translator of the Arabian Nights, and said to be of Romany descent. The Plunketts are an old Norman family-the title is a fifteenth-century Irish one.

I do not know how reliably the D.N.B. is regarded%3B the entry offers no supporting references.

Best wishes, N.

The first paragraph of the 'Dictionary of National Biography' entry for the gentleman reads:

Plunkett, Edward John Moreton Drax, eighteenth Baron of Dunsany 1878-1957, writer, was born in London 24 July 1878 in the house of his grandfather, Admiral Lord Dunsany. He was the eldest son of John William Plunkett, wit, amateur scientist, and member of Parliament (1886-92) for South Gloucestershire. His mother, Ernle Elizabeth Louisa Maria Grosvenor, daughter of Colonel Francis Augustus Plunkett Burton, Coldstream Guards, was very tall, an heiress, and a beauty. She was a relative of the Dunsany family and of Sir Richard Burton [q.v.], the translator of the Arabian Nights, and said to be of Romany descent. The Plunketts are an old Norman family%3B the title is a fifteenth-century Irish one.

I do not know how reliably the D.N.B. is regarded%3B the entry offers no supporting references.

Best wishes, N.

Yes, that's one of the places where I've seen it mentioned. I think that article is reliable-it was written by Dunsany's nephew-in-law, Lord Longford.

I have a very vague recollection of having seen mentioned in a Burton biography that one of his uncles married into the Plunkett family-could that perhaps account for the reference in the DNB article to Dunsany's mother being "a relative of the Dunsany family"? I would very much like to find out who Colonel Plunkett Burton's parents were, and how they were related to Sir Richard and the Plunketts.

Yrs,
Martin

Here they all are, begorrah, in 1881 census!

John W. PLUNKETT Head M Male 27 Sherbourne, Gloucester, England Law Student

Ernle E. L. M. G. PLUNKETT Wife M Female 26 Marylebone, Middlesex, England

Edward J. M. D. PLUNKETT Son Male 2 Marylebone, Middlesex, England

Reginald A. R. PLUNKETT Son Male 8 m Marylebone, Middlesex, England

Solomon SARGENT Serv U Male 29 Hove, Sussex, England Butler Domestic Serv

Sarah ANGEL Serv U Female 34 Spital, Berkshire, England Ladys Maid Domestic Serv

Annie POOK Serv U Female 29 Tiverton, Devon, England Cook Domestic Serv

Juli WRIGHT Serv U Female 33 Wandsworth, Surrey, England Nurse Domestic Serv

Emma COLLINS Serv U Female 36 Felstead, Essex, England Housemaid Domestic Serv

Eliza WOOLASTONE Serv U Female 22 St Lukes Chelsea Nursery Maid Domestic Serv

I think Plunkett is a VERY Irish name, my grandmother was one, and her brother was (Henry) Harry Grattan (Plunkett), son of Henry, and they had no servants in their house but were a famous acting family.

I apologise if this doesn't transcribe as I lifted it from the UK 1881 census site (below)

Richard Francis Burton's parents were Joseph Netterville Burton and Martha Baker. Joseph's parents were Edward Burton (born about 1769 in Tuam Ireland and a Protestant Minister and an immigrant to Ireland) and Maria Margaretta Campbell (born about 1773, also in Tuam) THEY had twelve children and my GUESS is that Francis Augustus Plunkett Burton would have been one of these twelve and HE married Jane Sawbridge-Erle-Drax with Ernle E.L.M.G. Plunkett as THEIR daughter. She was the mother of Lord Longford.

Notice the Plunkett name is on both sides of the family.

And, talking of lengthy names, my father used to be self-conscious because he was named C.C.A.P.Leveson and yes, the P was for Plunkett!

If my guess is wrong, and the connection is more remote - well then, we all might as well be related to Richard Burton, dammit!

Thank you very much, Richard! I followed your link to www.familysearch.org and lo and behold! I found the elusive Colonel Plunkett Burton -- at least I think so: Francis Augustus Plunkett Burton, born c. 1831 in Castlecar, Meath, Ireland, father of Ernle Elizabeth Louisa Maria, born c. 1857, died 1916 in Sevenoaks, Kent. That fits exactly with what I know about the 18th Lord Dunsany's mother!

Still no clue as to the Colonel's relation to Sir Richard, but judging from his year of birth, my guess is that he was a first cousin of Sir Richard's. I seem to remember reading somewhere that one of Richard's uncles (one of the twelve children you mention, I guess) married into the Plunkett family. Have to check Burke's for likely candidates.

Thanks again!

Col. Augustus Plukett Burton was the son of Admiral Ryder Burton and the Hon. Anna Maria Plunkett (she was the daughter of the 13th Lord Dunsany). Augustus was the son of Bishop Burton of Killala, who was the brother of Rev Edward Burton, Rector of Tuam, Galway. Edward Married Maria Margaretta Campbell, having four chidren one of whom was Col Joseph Nettleville Burton. Joseph Married Martha Baker and they are the parents of Sir Rcihard Francis Burton.

All this from the internet, punch in "The Burtons of Shap", and you should be able to view a fairly complete family tree.

Now, can anyone tell me more about the Burtons of Shap from, which the tree tells us were the forebearers of Edward Burton and Bishop Burton?

Two of the sons of James Burton, Gentleman farmer of Shap in Westmorland, went over to Ireland. The elder, Edmund Burton became Dean of Killala. He was NEVER a Bishop as all the Burton biographies claim he was. He was a Dean on his Tombstone in Tuam Cathedral so a Dean he died! His youngest brother, Edward, was Vicar of Annaghdown in Galway. Edmund was the father of Admiral James Ryder Burton who married Anna Maria Plunkett. Ryder Burton was the father of Francis Augustus Plunkett Burton and grandfather of Ernle Elizabeth Louisa Maria Grosvenor Burton who married John William Plunkett, 17th Baron Dundany. Ernle later added the further surnames of Ernle Erle Drax to the many she already had.
Edward Burton was Sir Richard's grandfather so that Admiral Burton was a first cousin to Richard's father, Joseph Netterville Burton. I think that that makes Richard a first cousin once removed to Admiral Burton.
The family tree in Wright's Life of Sir Richard Burton does say that Admiral Burton married his cousin but I don't think that this was true unless the Dunsany's were also related to the Admiral's mother. She was Martha Judge, one of the three daughters of Samuel Judge of Ballyshiel in the King's county. Martha had been born an Otway. The Otways boasted several admirals and almost certainly found Admiral Ryder Burton a place in the British Navy which he joined at the age of 11.
I do have details of most of the Shap Burtons (and there are many!) if anyone has any queries about these.
Admiral Burton had two brothers and possibly seven sisters. Sir Richard had six Burton uncles and four Burton aunts. His family tree is vast and well spread about the world.
Regards
Helen Burton

Thank you for the additional information! Using Burke's Landed Gentry I managed to find Admiral Burton myself, which led me to an online copy of James Wright's biography, but this is so much clearer.

I was wondering about the whole Bishop/Dean thing, thanks for clearing that up!

Yrs
Martin