Page:The Complete Peerage Ed 1 Vol 3.djvu/288

 286 ESSEX. He was Commander of the expedition against Cadiz, 1G25 ; was bearer of the sceptre with the dove at the Coronation of Charles I, 2 Feb. 1626 ; was one of the four knights dubbed at Windsor, 20 May 1638, with the Prince of Wales when that Prince was installed as Knight of the Garter. ( n ) Tho' early inclined to oppose the Court Measures, he was Lieut. Gen. of the army (north) 1639, and was one of the 16 "popular " noblemen ( h ) named Sep. 1640, by the King to treat with the Scots at Kipon ; P.C. 1641; Lord Lieut, of co. York, 1641-42; Lord Chamberlain of the Household, 1641-42, and C«pt. Gen., south of Trent, 1641. He now however, openly, abandoned the King, and was made by (he 1'arliamcnt, Lord Lieut, of the counties of York, Stafford, Montgomery, Hereford, and Salop, aud, in July 1642, " Qcncral uf the Army of the Pari ," a post he retained till April 1645. ( c ) He m. firstly, 5 Jan 1005/6 (when ho was close upon 15 and she 14), Frauces, yr. da. of Thomas (Howard, Earl op Suffolk, by his second wife, Catherine da. aud h. of Sir Henry Knvvet. She was divorced Oct. 1613, on the grounds of his " incapability " (not as to women in general, but) as to this woman in particular.^) He m. secondly, 11 March 1630/1, at the house uf the Earl of Hertford, at Netley, Hants, Elizabeth, da. of Sir William Paulett, of Eddington, Wilts, one of the illegit. sons of William, 3rd Marquess of Winchester. He d. s.p.s, 14 Sep. 1646, at Essex House, in tho Strand, Midx., aged 56, and was bur. 19 Oct. following in Westm. Abbey, at the expense of £5,000 by the Parl.(o) Admon. 11 Oct. 1646 ; will (in which he styles himself " Earl of Essex and Ewe,"0 &c.) dat. 4 July to 5 Aug. 1642, pr. 15 Dec. 1646.(«) On his death the Earldom uf Exeter became extinct, while tho Visconntcy of Hereford (together with the Baronies of Ferrers and Bourchier) devolved on his cousin and heir. See " Hereford " Visconntcy, cr. 1550. His widow, from whom he had been separated( h ) soon after their marriage, m. shortly after his death, Thomas Hiooons (some 30 years. i ounger than her late husband) of Grnell, Hants, who was knighted 17 June 1663, and who d. 1691, aged 67. She was bur. 16 Sep. 1656, in Winchester Cathedral. Funeral oration upon her. Admon. 23 Jan. 1657/S, to her husband, " Thomas Higgons, Esq." [Kobert Devekeux, stijhd Viscount Hereford, only s. and h. ap. by 2d wife ; b. 5 Nov. [1632 ?]'but d. at the age of 5 years v.p.] ( a ) See the names of the Knights so dubbed p. 251 note " a," sub " Elgin." ( b ) These were the Earls of (1) Hertford ; (2) Bedford ; (3) Salisbury ; (4) Warwick ; (5) Essex ; (6) Holland ; (7) Bristol and (8) Berkshire, together with the Lords ; (D) Kimbolton, afterwards Earl of Manchester ; (10) Wharton ; (11) Dunsmore, afterwards Earl of Chichester; (12) Paget; (13) Brooke; (11) Saville, afterwards Earl of Sussex ; (15) Poulett, and (16) Howard of Escrick. (<■) See list of the Commonwealth Commanders who were Peers or sons of Peers, vol. i, p. 299, note " d," sub " Bedford." It is to be observed that tho' tho Earl of Essex was " nominally Commander in Chief of all the parliamentary armies he practically exercised no authority over the other Generals," while his own career (" his military experience " being "of the slightest ") was ended "by a blunder of the worst description," viz., a march into Cornwall, where he abandoned, in Sep. 1644, his troops (surrounded by a superior force) " leaving Skippon to arrange the terms of surrender." See Stephen's "Nat. Biogr." ( d ) This shameless proceeding was effected entirely thro' the influence of the Court, being carried by the votes of seven out or twelve of the Commissioners, the Archbishop (Abbot) being in the minority. Robert (Kerr), Earl of Somerset, the King's then favourite, espoused the lady (whose intrigues with him previously were notorious) 26 Dec. 1613. ( e ) " A hearse was erected for him in the south cross [of the Abbey], which was afterwards by Cromwell's Boldiers defaced, his effigies hacked to pieces, his spurs and achievements torn down." [Collins, vol. iv. p. 17.] (f) As to the Earldom of Ewe aud other his assumed titles, see p. 285, note "e." (8) His coffin plate, exposed June 1879. is inscribed as under " The Right Hou bl8 and excellent Lord Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex and Ewe, Viscount Hereford, Lord Ferrers of Chartley, Bourchier and Lovayne, late Lord Generall of y° forces raised and imployed by y° Parliament of England, dyed at Essex House, London, on Monday y» 14th of Septemb. A° Dui 1646, aged 56." ( h ) She was accused of crim. con. with Mr. Uvedale.