William Parr, 1st Marquess of Northampton
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William Parr, 1st Marquess of Northampton and 1st Earl of Essex KG (c. 1512 – October 28, 1571) was the son of Sir Thomas Parr and his wife, Matilda or Maud Greene, daughter of Sir Thomas de Greene, of Greenes Norton, and brother of Katherine Parr, the sixth and final wife of Henry VIII.
On February 9, 1526, William married Anne Bourchier, 7th Baroness Bourchier, daughter of Henry Bourchier, 2nd Earl of Essex. On April 17, 1543, their marriage was annulled by an Act of Parliament and her children were declared bastards.
He later married Elisabeth Brooke, daughter of George Brooke, 8th Baron Cobham.
Their marriage was declared valid in 1548, invalid in 1553, and valid again in 1558.
He was Edward VI's 'beloved uncle' and one of the most important men at Edward's court, especially during the time of John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland's time as leader of the government. Parr, and especially his wife, were leaders in the plot to put Jane Grey on the throne after Edward's death.
Five months before he died, he married Helena Snakenborg, a lady in waiting, who was from Sweden.
He was created Baron Parr of Kendal in 1539, Earl of Essex in 1543 and Marquess of Northampton in 1547. He was stripped of these title by Mary I in 1553, but they were restored by Elizabeth I in 1559. On his death, as he had no children, the titles became extinct.
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| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| New title | Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire 1547 – Date unknown |
Succeeded by Unknown |
| Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire 1549 – 1551 |
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| Lord Lieutenant of Surrey 1551 – 1553? |
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| Preceded by The Earl of Bedford |
Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire 1553 – 1559 |
Succeeded by The Duke of Norfolk |
| Honorary titles | ||
| Preceded by The Lord Braye |
Captain of the Gentlemen Pensioners 1550 – 1553 |
Succeeded by The Earl of Sussex |
| Peerage of England | ||
| New creation | Earl of Essex 7th creation 1543 – 1553 (Forfeit) |
Extinct |
| Marquess of Northampton 1st creation 1547 – 1553 (Forfeit) (Restored) 1559 – 1571 |
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| Baron Parr 1547 – 1553 (Forfeit) (Restored) 1559 – 1571 |
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