Earl of Essex

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Coat of arms of the current Earls of Essex from the House of Capell

Earl of Essex is a hereditary British title of nobility , bestowed eight times in the Peerage of England and named after County Essex .

Awards

The earliest dignity was first created by King Stephen for Geoffrey de Mandeville , probably in December 1139 . With the death of his younger son, the 3rd Earl, on November 14, 1189, the title expired.

The title was re-awarded on May 27, 1199 to Geoffrey Fitzpeter in the second bestowal . He was married to a second niece of the last Earl and had inherited his lands from her right. With the death of his younger son, the 3rd Earl, on January 8, 1227, the title expired again.

The third award went on April 28, 1228 to Humphrey de Bohun, 2nd Earl of Hereford from the House of Bohun , whose father Henry de Bohun married Maud de Mandeville, a sister of the last two earls, and in 1220 the title of Earl created for him in 1200 of Hereford inherited. Both earldoms went out again in 1373 when the seventh and sixth earls died on January 26, 1373.

In 1376 married Thomas of Woodstock , youngest son of King Edward III. Eleanor de Bohun , one of the last earl's two underage daughters at the time. When this came of age around 1381, he received from their right control over the lands of the extinct Earldom of Essex and called himself Earl of Essex . The title was probably never formally awarded to him. In 1385 he was raised to Duke of Gloucester , but opposed the king as Lords Appellant and in 1397 was stripped of all titles for treason.

In the fourth award, the title was newly created on June 30, 1461 for Henry Bourchier, 1st Viscount Bourchier . He had already been raised to Viscount Bourchier in 1446 and inherited the title of 5th Baron Bourchier created in 1342 in 1443 . Earldom and Viscountcy became extinct on the death of his son, the 2nd Earl, on March 13, 1540.

On April 17, 1540, the title was reassigned to Thomas Cromwell, 1st Baron Cromwell . He had been promoted to Baron Cromwell in 1536 . He was executed for high treason on July 28, 1540, and his titles were revoked.

On December 23, 1543 the title was bestowed on William Parr , who had married Anne Bourchier, 7th Baroness Bourchier , the daughter of the 2nd Earl's fourth bestowal. He was also promoted to Marquess of Northampton and Baron Parr in 1547 . His titles were stripped from him under Queen Maria on August 18, 1553 for high treason, but he was finally pardoned by Queen Elizabeth I and at least his title of marque was restored to him on January 13, 1559. Since he had no legitimate children, his titles expired on his death on October 28, 1571.

In the seventh award, the title was newly created on May 4, 1572 for Walter Devereux, 2nd Viscount Hereford . In the female line he was a descendant of the 1st Earl's fourth award and had inherited the title of 8th Baron Bourchier on the death of the first wife of the 1st Earl's sixth award . In addition, he had inherited the titles 2nd Viscount Hereford and 10th Baron Ferrers of Chartley created in 1550 and 1229 from his father in 1558 . The earldom ceased to exist when the third earl died in 1646.

In the eighth and so far last award, the title was bestowed on April 20, 1661 Arthur Capell, 2nd Baron Capell , along with the subordinate title Viscount Malden , of Malden in the County of Essex. In 1649 he had inherited the title of Baron Capell , of Hadham in the County of Hertford, which was conferred on his father on August 5, 1641 . After the death of the 9th Earl in 1981, it was not until 1989 that his fourth-degree uncle could legally prove his entitlement to the next entitled heir and was confirmed retrospectively as the 10th Earl. The heir apparent of the incumbent earl ninth award bears the courtesy title Viscount Malden .

List of the Earls of Essex

Earls of Essex, first bestowed (around 1139)

Earls of Essex, second bestowal (1199)

Earls of Essex, third bestowal (1228)

Earls of Essex, fourth bestowal (1461)

Earls of Essex, fifth bestowal (1540)

Earls of Essex, sixth bestowal (1543)

Earls of Essex, seventh bestowal (1572)

Earls of Essex, eighth bestowal (1661)

Alleged title heir ( Heir Presumptive ) is a fourth cousin of the incumbent Earl, William Jennings Capell (* 1952).

literature

  • George Edward Cokayne: The Complete Peerage . Volume 3, George Bell & Sons, London 1890, pp. 279 ff.

Web links

Commons : Earls of Essex  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files