James fitz Thomas FitzGerald, called the Súgán Earl (died 1608), was a pretender to the Earldom of Desmond who made his claim and led a rebellion after the last earl, Gerald FitzGerald, 14th Earl of Desmond had been killed in 1583. The pretended earl derived his claim from being the eldest grandson of James FitzGerald, 13th Earl of Desmond. However, the marriage of his paternal grandparents had been annulled for consanguinity as his paternal grandmother was the 13th Earl's grandniece. Birth and origins James was the eldest son of Thomas FitzGerald and his wife Ellice Power. His father's full name, including the patronymic and his Gaelic sobriquet "ruadh" (the red) was: Thomas Ruadh fitz James FitzGerald. His father was the eldest son of James FitzGerald, 13th Earl of Desmond and his wife Joan Roche, daughter of Maurice Roche, Lord Fermoy. His mother ...His father's and his mother's family were part of the Desmond FitzGeralds. James should have been heir apparent to the earldom. However, his paternal grandmother, Joan Roche was his grandfather's grandniece which as a fourth-degree relationship was within the forbidden range of consanguinity. The marriage of his paternal grandparents was therefore annulled, and their son, Sir Tomás Ruadh FitzGerald of Conna, father of James (Séamus) Fitzgerald, "the Sugán Earl," was declared illegitimate and therefore disinherited. His mother was a daughter of Richard Power, 1st Baron le Power and Coroghmore, by Catherine Butler, daughter of Piers Butler, 8th Earl of Ormond. His mother's family was Old English. Tomás Ruadh and Ellice Power had at least two other children, John FitzThomas, and a daughter, who married Donal of the Pipes, 17th Prince of Carbery. Inclined to dispute the claim of his father's younger, legitimate brother Gerald FitzGerald, 14th Earl of Desmond, the current of politics proved too strong against James FitzThomas. Toward the end of his short life, the putative earl of Desmond eventually sank into obscurity. Marriage and children James Fitzthomas FitzGerald married Ellen, widow of Maurice FitzGibbon, elder brother of Edmund FitzGibbon FitzGerald, the White Knight, but had no issue. Claims to the earldom When of an age to understand his position as heir to a contested title, James Fitzthomas repaired to court to petition Elizabeth for a restoration of his rights. At first, his petition was regarded with favour. The crown offered slight encouragement and promised him a yearly allowance. Consequently, during the rebellion of his uncle