possessions and pre-eminences which his father had; and so finally among them to exclude the king from all his regalities within this land." Court Page's murder In 1540 Court Page came to Ireland and established himself in Barony Kerrycurrihy in southern County Cork, which together with the barony of Imokilly, had been taken from Desmond in 1539 by Grey, helped by Ormond. On 19 March 1540 Court Page was killed by his cousin, Maurice fitz John FitzGerald, called Totane, Desmond's brother. Court Page is reported to have died at a place called Leacan Sgail in County Kerry that does not seem to have been identified. In April 1540 the council informed Henry VIII of England that "your grace's servant James Fitzmaurice, who claimed to be Earl of Desmond, was cruelly slain the Friday before Palm Sunday, of unfortunate chance, by Maurice FitzJohn FitzGerald, brother to James FitzJohn FitzGerald, then usurper of the earldom of Desmond. After which murder done, the said James Fitzjohn immediately resorted to your town of Youghal, where he was well received and entertained, and ere he departed entered into all such piles and garrisons in the county of Cork as your majesty's deputy, with the assistance of your army and me, the Earl of Ormonde, obtained before Christmas last." Ormonde was sent to parley with FitzGerald, but he refused to trust him. On the arrival of St Leger as deputy, however, FitzGerald again renewed his offer of submission, and promised, upon pledges being given for his safety, to meet him at Cashel. This he did, and renounced the supremacy of the Pope. "And then," wrote St Leger, "considering the great variance between the Earl of Ormond and him, concerning the title of the earldom of Desmond ... I and my fellows thought it not good to leave that cancer remain, but so laboured the matter on both sides, that we have brought them to a final end of the said title." St Leger assured King Henry "that sith my repair into this your land I have not heard better counsel of no man for the reformation of the same than of the said Earl of Desmond, who undoubted is a very wise and discreet gentleman", for which reason, he said, he had sworn him of the council and given him "gown, jacket, doublet, hose, shirts, caps, and a riding coat of velvet, which he took very