Henry Bourchier, 1st Earl of Essex

Henry Bourchier, 5th Baron Bourchier, 2nd Count of Eu, 1st Viscount Bourchier, 1st Earl of Essex, KG (c. 1404-1406 – 4 April 1483), was the eldest son of William Bourchier, 1st Count of Eu and Anne of Gloucester. On his mother's side, he was a great-grandson of Edward III of England.

Henry Bourchier
5th Baron Bourchier 1st Viscount Bourchier Earl of Essex
Canting arms of Bourchier: Argent, a cross engrailed gules between four water bougets sable
Born	c. 1404-1406
Died	(1483-04-04)4 April 1483 (aged 77-79)
Noble family	Bourchier
Spouse(s)	Isabel of York
Issue William Bourchier, Viscount Bourchier Henry Bourchier Humphrey Bourchier, 1st Baron Cromwell John Bourchier Edward Bourchier Thomas Bourchier Florence Bourchier Fulk Bourchier Hugh Bourchier Isabella Bourchier Laura, Countess of Devon
Father	William Bourchier, Count of Eu
Mother	Anne of Gloucester

Garter stall plate of Henry Bourchier, 1st Earl of Essex, 2nd Count of Eu (1404-1483), nominated as a Knight of the Garter in 1452. St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. Inscribed below: "Mons. Henry Bourcheher le Count de Essex". Arms: Quarterly 1st & 4th: Bourchier; 2nd & 3rd: Gules billety or a fess of the last (sometimes a fess argent[1]) (Louvain, feudal barons of Little Easton, Essex, for the mother of the 1st Count of Eu, Eleanor de Louvain (d.1397)). Crest: A man's (Moor's) head in profile proper ducally crowned or with a pointed cap gules[2] The Bourchier bougets appear on the mantling

Arms of Sir Henry Bourchier, 5th Baron Bourchier, at the time of his installation into the Most Noble Order of the Garter: Quarterly 1st & 4th: Argent, a cross engrailed gules between four water bougets sable (Bourchier); 2nd & 3rd: Gules billety or, a fess of the last (Louvain of Little Easton) the whole surrounded by the Garter

Titles

He inherited the title of 5th Baron Bourchier from his cousin Elizabeth Bourchier, 4th Baroness Bourchier on her death in 1433. He became the 1st Viscount Bourchier in 1446, a Knight of the Order of the Garter in 1452, and was created 1st Earl of Essex in 1461.[3]

Career

He saw considerable military action in France and for his services was created Viscount Bourchier during the parliament of 1445–6 and elected Knight of the Garter on his third nomination in 1452. He later saw action in 1461 as a Yorkist supporter at the Second Battle of St Albans and the Battle of Towton, soon after which Edward IV created him Earl of Essex.

He held the post of Lord High Treasurer from 29 May 1455 - 5 October 1456, 28 July 1460 - 14 April 1462, and 22 April 1471 - 4 April 1483. He also became Justice in Eyre south of the Trent in 1461, holding that title until his death. Bourchier's tenure as Lord High Treasurer occurred during the Great Bullion Famine and the Great Slump in England.

He died on 4 April 1483 and was buried at Beeleigh Abbey, although his tomb was subsequently moved to Little Easton church.

Marriage and issue

Prior to 1426, he married Isabel of Cambridge, a great-granddaughter Edward III. She was the elder sister of Richard Plantagenet, which made her the aunt of Richard's two sons, the future Edward IV and Richard III.

Henry and Isabel were parents to at least eleven children.

• William Bourchier, Viscount Bourchier (d. 1480). Married Anne Woodville, daughter of Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers and Jacquetta of Luxembourg. They were parents of Henry Bourchier, 2nd Earl of Essex and Cicely Bourchier, wife of John Devereux, 8th Baron Ferrers of Chartley.[4]
• Henry Bourchier (d. 1462). Married Elizabeth de Scales, Baroness Scales. No known children.[4]
• Humphrey Bourchier, 1st and last Lord Bourchier of Cromwell (d. 14 April 1471). Killed in the Battle of Barnet.[4]
• John Bourchier (d. 1495). Married first Elizabeth Ferrers and secondly Elizabeth Chichele. No known children.[4]
• Edward Bourchier (d. 30 December 1460). Killed in the Battle of Wakefield.[4]
• Thomas Bourchier (d. 1492). Married Isabella Barre. No known children.[4]
• Florence Bourchier (d. 1525).[4]
• Fulk Bourchier. Considered to have died young.[4]
• Hugh Bourchier. Considered to have died young.[4]
• Isabella Bourchier. Considered to have died young.[4]
• Laura Bourchier (1440- ) married John Courtenay (killed at Tewkesbury, 1471)

On his death she did not remarry and died more than a year later.

References

1. See garter plate of his grandson the 2nd Earl
2. Vivian, Heralds' Visitations of Devon, 1895, p.106
3. "Memorial of the parishes of Greensted-Budworth, Chipping Ongar and High Laver, with an account of the families of Cleeve and Budworth". Archived from the original on 2017-07-28.
4. Alison Weir, Britain's Royal Family: A Complete Genealogy (London, U.K.: The Bodley Head, 1999), page 111.

Bibliography

• Clark, Linda (2008). "Bourchier, Henry, first earl of Essex (c. 1408–1483)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online). doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/2987. Archived from the original on 2019-02-07.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

External links

• Luminarium Dictionary: Henry Bourchier, Earl of Essex (d.1483)

Ancestry

Ancestors of Henry Bourchier, 1st Earl of Essex

16. John Bourchier 8. Robert Bourchier 17. Helen Colchester 4. Sir William Bourchier 18. Thomas Prayers 9. Margaret Prayers 19. Margaret de Essex 2. William Bourchier, 1st Count of Eu 20. Thomas de Louvaine 10. Sir John de Louvaine 21. Joan de Basing 5. Alianore de Lovayne 22. Sir Thomas Weston 11. Margaret Weston 23. ?? 1. Henry Bourchier, 1st Earl of Essex 24. Edward II of England 12. Edward III of England 25. Isabella of France 6. Thomas of Woodstock, 1st Duke of Gloucester 26. William I, Count of Hainaut 13. Philippa of Hainault 27. Joan of Valois 3. Anne of Gloucester 28. William de Bohun, 1st Earl of Northampton 14. Humphrey de Bohun, 7th Earl of Hereford 29. Elizabeth de Badlesmere 7. Eleanor de Bohun 30. Richard Fitzalan, 10th Earl of Arundel 15. Joan Fitzalan 31. Eleanor of Lancaster

Political offices
Preceded by James Butler	Lord High Treasurer 1455–1456	Succeeded by John Talbot
Preceded by James Butler	Lord High Treasurer 1460–1461	Succeeded by John Tiptoft
Preceded by John Tiptoft	Lord High Treasurer 1471–1483	Succeeded by John Wood
Peerage of England
New creation	Earl of Essex 5th creation 1461–1483	Succeeded by Henry Bourchier
	Viscount Bourchier 1446–1483
Preceded by Elizabeth Bourchier	Baron Bourchier 1433–1483