Page:The Complete Peerage Ed 1 Vol 1.djvu/416

 BOURCniER. [Wiuum Boi-rchii:r, sl;/led VISC'OrXT BOURCHIER s. and U. ap. He m. Anne, da. of Richard (Widvii.i.e), Eabi. Rivebs, sister to Elizabeth, Queen Consoiit of Edward IV. Hi' . being slain .it the battle of Iiarnct (mi the Yorkist side) 14 April 1 171. His widow in. in 14S0 Cteargu (Ghev), Eari Of Kent, who  10. 7. Axxe, m«oj«re, Baroxesss Bourchier, tla. and solo h. She 01. by lie. from 111', of Loudon, 9 Feb. 1520/7 (as the first of his three wives) William I'aku. cr. in 1539 BaBON I'abb OS Kkndai,, in 151-3 Kabi. of Essex, and subsequently (1547 and 1559) Mauqvkss or KonTHiMTTOH. His creation as Iv.wl of Essex, 23 Dee. 1543, is remarkable as being " with the same place and voice in Pai l, as hit wife's father had in his lifetime," notwithstanding that, early that year, he had repudiated his said wife and obtained an Act of Par]., 17 April 1513, declaring her children bastards and incapable of inheriting. In 1552 his influence as leader of the Protestant party enabled him to obtain another Act altogether annulling such marriage and declaring his marriage, e'« Am said wife's lifetimc{ h ) to Elizabeth Brooke to bo valid. His divorced wife (the Baroness) (/. in obscurity and s.p. legit. 28 January 1570/1. The Marquess d. soou afterwards, 23 Oct. 1571. See fuller account of him under " Northampton " Marquessate of, cr. 1547 and 1559 ; ex. 1571. VIII. 1571. 8 Walter (Devereux), Viscount Hereford, ") Loud Ferrers i>e Chartlky, and LORD Buirchier, calling himself also " Viscount Bourcli icr," ( c ) cousin and h.,() being s. and h. of Sir Richard Devereux, who was s. and h. ap. of Walter, 1st Vl.scor.vr Hkreforii, &c, who was s. and h. of John (Devereux), LolU) Ferrers BE Ciiaiitlkv, by Cicely, sister (whose issue became sole heir) to Henry (Bourchier), Karl . of Essex, Viscount Bourchier and Lord Bourchier, father of Anne, tuo jure )• tt BARONESS Boi'Bcjiieb. above-named. On 4 May, 1572, he was cr. EARL OF ESSEX. He d. 22 Sep. 1570. IX. L"i7G, !>. Robei:t (Devereux), Earl of Essex, &c.() to s. and h., the celebrated favourite of Queen Elizabeth. 1001 . JJeluadcd and attainted 25 Feb. 1000/1. 3- 5 i — i-t it graudaughter to King Edward HI., and that his wife Isabel, "of York," was paternal aunt to Edwasd IV., the reigning Sovereign, one only wonders that he did not obtain even higher honours. ( a ) The Earldom of Eu. in Normandy should have devolved on John (Bourchier) Earl of Bath, the It. male of the body of the grantee. These heirs male however, who Hever assumed that foreign title, became extinct in 11151. The style of " Karl of Eu " was, (as early as 1570) use 1 (wrongfully) by the heirs general (Devereux) Earls of Kssex, till their extinction in 1048. (*') "This Act was without precedent, and was not passed without protest, for the Catholic doctrine, that the bond of matrimony was insoluble was still an article of national belief, and, until the time of the Commonwealth, judgment in causes matri- monial was reserved to the Church." See "The Earls of Ku," by R. E. Chester Waters alluded to, ante, page 303 note "c," ( c ) Will dated 11 June, 1570, styling himself " Erie of Essex and Ewe, Viscount Hereford and lloureheir, Lord Ferrers of Chartley, Boureheir and Lotayne." Of these titles as to those marked in italics, the first belonged to the Earl of Bath, the second was extinct in 15 10, anil the third never existed as a l'eerage Barony. ( d ) Sce^wsJ, page 395, note " a."