John Bourchier, 1st Earl of Bath

Arms of Bourchier: Argent, a cross engrailed gules between four water bougets sable

John Bourchier, 1st Earl of Bath (20 July 1470 – 30 April 1539) was created Earl of Bath in 1536. He was feudal baron of Bampton in Devon.

Origins

John Bourchier was born in Essex, England, the eldest son and heir of Fulk Bourchier, 10th Baron FitzWarin (d. 18 September 1479)[1] by his wife Elizabeth Dynham, 2nd daughter and co-heiress of John Dynham, 6th Baron Dynham.[2] He was the brother of Elizabeth Bourchier.

Marriages

Bourchier married thrice:

Progeny

Small monumental brass (c. one ft high) in St Brannock's Church, Braunton, Devon, of Lady Elizabeth Bourchier (d.1548), daughter of John Bourchier, 1st Earl of Bath & wife of Edward Chichester (d.1522) of Raleigh, Pilton. She kneels at prayer before a prie dieu on which is an open book. Gothic text inscription under: "Here lyethe Lady Elyzabethe Bowcer daughter of John Erle of Bathe & sumtyme wyffe to Edwarde Chechester Esquyer the whyche Elyzabethe decessyd the XXXIIIth day of August in the yere of O_r Lorde God M Vc (i.e. 5*c) XLVIII apon whose soule God have m(er)cy". The brass is a palimpsest, engraved on the reverse is the face of a knight, with helmet unfinished, apparently containing an artistic error which led to its abandonment & reuse

By his 1st wife Cecily Daubeny he had the following progeny:

Death & burial

John Bourchier, 1st Earl of Bath was buried in Bampton Church in Devon, in which he had endowed a chantry. Although part of an elaborate chest tomb survives in the church, it is according to Pevsner that of his grandmother Thomasine Hankford (d.1453), heiress of Bampton, wife of William Bourchier, 9th Baron FitzWarin(1407-1470).[8] The 1st Earl's tomb, which was destroyed sometime after 1770, was situated in the north aisle of Bampton Church and showed effigies of himself and his wife Cecily Daubeny with their 8 children.[9]

Sources

Notes

  1. Cokayne 1926, p. 509.
  2. Vivian, (ed.), Heralds' Visitations of Devon, 1895, p.106
  3. Cokayne 1912, p. 10.
  4. Cokayne 1912, p. 10.
  5. Cokayne 1912, p. 10.
  6. Pevsner, Devon, 2004, p.208
  7. Vivian, (ed.) Heralds' Visitation of Devon, 1895, p.107
  8. Pevsner, Nikolaus & Cherry, Bridget, The Buildings of England: Devon, London, 2004, p.147
  9. Hoskins, W.G., A New Survey of England: Devon, London, 1959 (first published 1954), p.327

References

Peerage of England
Preceded by
Fulk Bourchier
Baron FitzWarin
1479–1539
Succeeded by
John Bourchier
Preceded by
New title
Earl of Bath
1536–1539
Succeeded by
John Bourchier