Baron Bourchier
Encyclopedia
The title Baron Bourchier is an abeyant
peerage which was created in the Peerage of England
in 1342 for Sir Robert Bourchier, who had been Lord High Chancellor from 1340–41.
The title passed through the male line until the death of the third baron in 1409 when it passed to his only daughter, Elizabeth. Upon her death in 1433, it was inherited by her cousin, Henry
, who was later created Viscount Bourchier in 1446 and Earl of Essex in 1461. On the death of the 2nd Earl of Essex
(the 1st earl's grandson) in 1540, the title passed to his only child, Anne
. She was married to Lord Parr
(later created Earl of Essex in 1543 and Marquess of Northampton in 1547) who later divorced Anne and had their children declared illegitimate so they were unable to inherit the barony. When Anne died in 1571, the title passed to her cousin Lord Hereford
, who was later created Earl of Essex in 1572. When the 3rd Earl of Essex died without male heirs in 1646, the barony became abeyant between his sisters, the Duchess of Somerset and Lady Dorothy Stafford and their descendants.
Abeyance
Abeyance is a state of expectancy in respect of property, titles or office, when the right to them is not vested in any one person, but awaits the appearance or determination of the true owner. In law, the term abeyance can only be applied to such future estates as have not yet vested or possibly...
peerage which was created in the Peerage of England
Peerage of England
The Peerage of England comprises all peerages created in the Kingdom of England before the Act of Union in 1707. In that year, the Peerages of England and Scotland were replaced by one Peerage of Great Britain....
in 1342 for Sir Robert Bourchier, who had been Lord High Chancellor from 1340–41.
The title passed through the male line until the death of the third baron in 1409 when it passed to his only daughter, Elizabeth. Upon her death in 1433, it was inherited by her cousin, Henry
Henry Bourchier, 1st Earl of Essex
Henry Bourchier, 5th Baron Bourchier, 1st Viscount Bourchier, 1st Earl of Essex, KG , was the eldest son of William Bourchier, 1st Count of Eu and Anne of Gloucester...
, who was later created Viscount Bourchier in 1446 and Earl of Essex in 1461. On the death of the 2nd Earl of Essex
Henry Bourchier, 2nd Earl of Essex
Henry Bourchier, 2nd Earl of Essex, KG, PC was an English soldier, peer and courtier at the courts of Henry VII and Henry VIII. He married Mary Say, by whom he had one daughter, Anne, who became his heir.- Family :...
(the 1st earl's grandson) in 1540, the title passed to his only child, Anne
Anne Bourchier, 7th Baroness Bourchier
Anne Bourchier was the suo jure 7th Baroness Bourchier, suo jure Lady Lovayne, and Baroness Parr of Kendal. She was the first wife of William Parr, 1st Marquess of Northampton, Earl of Essex, and the sister-in-law of Catherine Parr, the sixth wife of Henry VIII of England.She created a scandal in...
. She was married to Lord Parr
William Parr, 1st Marquess of Northampton
William Parr, 1st Marquess of Northampton, 1st Earl of Essex and 1st Baron Parr, KG was the son of Sir Thomas Parr and his wife, Maud Green, daughter of Sir Thomas Green, of Broughton and Greens Norton...
(later created Earl of Essex in 1543 and Marquess of Northampton in 1547) who later divorced Anne and had their children declared illegitimate so they were unable to inherit the barony. When Anne died in 1571, the title passed to her cousin Lord Hereford
Walter Devereux, 1st Earl of Essex
Walter Devereux, 1st Earl of Essex, KG , an English nobleman and general. From 1573 until his death he fought in Ireland in connection with the Plantation of Ulster, where he ordered the massacre of Rathlin Island...
, who was later created Earl of Essex in 1572. When the 3rd Earl of Essex died without male heirs in 1646, the barony became abeyant between his sisters, the Duchess of Somerset and Lady Dorothy Stafford and their descendants.
Barons Bourchier (1342)
- Robert Bourchier, 1st Baron Bourchier (d. 1349)
- John Bourchier, 2nd Baron Bourchier (d. 1400)
- Bartholomew Bourchier, 3rd Baron Bourchier (d. 1409)
- Elizabeth Bourchier, 4th Baroness Bourchier (c.1399–1433)
- First husband: Hugh Stafford, jure uxoris 4th Baron Bourchier, later 1st Baron Stafford (d. 1420)
- Second husband: Lewis Robessart, jure uxoris 4th Baron Bourchier (d. 1431)
- Henry Bourchier, 1st Earl of Essex, 1st Viscount Bourchier, 5th Baron BourchierHenry Bourchier, 1st Earl of EssexHenry Bourchier, 5th Baron Bourchier, 1st Viscount Bourchier, 1st Earl of Essex, KG , was the eldest son of William Bourchier, 1st Count of Eu and Anne of Gloucester...
(c.1404–1483) - Henry Bourchier, 2nd Earl of Essex, 2nd Viscount Bourchier, 6th Baron BourchierHenry Bourchier, 2nd Earl of EssexHenry Bourchier, 2nd Earl of Essex, KG, PC was an English soldier, peer and courtier at the courts of Henry VII and Henry VIII. He married Mary Say, by whom he had one daughter, Anne, who became his heir.- Family :...
(c.1472–1540) - Anne Bourchier, 7th Baroness BourchierAnne Bourchier, 7th Baroness BourchierAnne Bourchier was the suo jure 7th Baroness Bourchier, suo jure Lady Lovayne, and Baroness Parr of Kendal. She was the first wife of William Parr, 1st Marquess of Northampton, Earl of Essex, and the sister-in-law of Catherine Parr, the sixth wife of Henry VIII of England.She created a scandal in...
(d. 1571)
- Henry Bourchier, 1st Earl of Essex, 1st Viscount Bourchier, 5th Baron Bourchier
- Husband: William Parr, 1st Marquess of NorthamptonWilliam Parr, 1st Marquess of NorthamptonWilliam Parr, 1st Marquess of Northampton, 1st Earl of Essex and 1st Baron Parr, KG was the son of Sir Thomas Parr and his wife, Maud Green, daughter of Sir Thomas Green, of Broughton and Greens Norton...
(c.1512–1571)- Walter Devereux, 1st Earl of Essex, 8th Baron BourchierWalter Devereux, 1st Earl of EssexWalter Devereux, 1st Earl of Essex, KG , an English nobleman and general. From 1573 until his death he fought in Ireland in connection with the Plantation of Ulster, where he ordered the massacre of Rathlin Island...
(1541–1576) - Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, 9th Baron BourchierRobert Devereux, 2nd Earl of EssexRobert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, KG was an English nobleman and a favourite of Elizabeth I. Politically ambitious, and a committed general, he was placed under house arrest following a poor campaign in Ireland during the Nine Years' War in 1599...
(1566–1601) - Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex, 10th Baron BourchierRobert Devereux, 3rd Earl of EssexRobert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex was an English Parliamentarian and soldier during the first half of the seventeenth century. With the start of the English Civil War in 1642 he became the first Captain-General and Chief Commander of the Parliamentarian army, also known as the Roundheads...
(1591–1646), abeyant.
- Walter Devereux, 1st Earl of Essex, 8th Baron Bourchier
Co-heirs
The current co-heirs to the barony are the descendants of the daughters of the 9th Baron (2nd Earl of Essex):- Mary Freeman-Grenville, 12th Lady Kinloss (b. 1922)
- Michael Brudenell-Bruce, 8th Marquess of AilesburyMichael Brudenell-Bruce, 8th Marquess of AilesburyMichael Sydney Cedric Brudenell-Bruce, 8th Marquess of Ailesbury , styled Viscount Savernake until 1961 and Earl Bruce between 1961 and 1974, is a British peer. The son of Cedric Brudenell-Bruce, 7th Marquess of Ailesbury and Joan Houlton Salter, he succeeded his father as 8th Marquess on the...
(b. 1926) - Robert Shirley, 13th Earl FerrersRobert Shirley, 13th Earl FerrersRobert Washington Shirley, 13th Earl Ferrers PC , styled Viscount Tamworth between 1937 and 1954, is British Conservative politician and member of the House of Lords as one of the remaining hereditary peers...
(b. 1929)