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Henry Bourchier
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	4 April 1483 (aged 76–79)
Noble family	Bourchier
Spouse(s)	Isabel of York
Issue	Henry Bourchier, 2nd Earl of Essex; Humphrey Bourchier, 1st Baron Cromwell; John Bourchier; Edward Bourchier; Thomas Bourchier; Florence Bourchier; Fulk Bourchier; Hugh Bourchier; Isabella Bourchier;
Father	William Bourchier, Count of Eu
Mother	Anne of Gloucester

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.

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 of Edward III. She was the elder sister of Richard Plantagenet, which made her the aunt of Richard's sons, the future kings 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, 9th 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]

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

References

^ See garter plate of his grandson the 2nd Earl
^ Vivian, Heralds' Visitations of Devon, 1895, p.106
^ "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 28 July 2017.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j 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) (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/2987. ISBN 978-0-19-861412-8. Archived from the original on 7 February 2019. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

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
New creation	Viscount Bourchier 1446–1483
Preceded by Elizabeth Bourchier	Baron Bourchier 1433–1483