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Sussex, Earl of (E, 1529 - 1643)

Creation: let.pat. 8 Dec 1529

Extinct: Jul 1643

Family name: Ratcliffe

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Arms:

Argent a Bend engrailed Sable

Crest:

On a Chapeau Gules turned up Ermine two Wings of the first conjoined by a Nimbus pendent therefrom a Fetterlock and surmounted by an Estoile all Or

Supporters:

On either side a Bull Sable ducally gorged armed and chained Or

Motto:

 Virtus Propter Se

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Robert [Ratcliffe], 10th Baron FitzWalter later 1st Viscount FitzWalter later 1st Earl of Sussex, KG PC

1st surv. son and heir of John [Ratcliffe], 9th Baron FitzWalter, by his second wife Margaret Whetehill, dau. of Richard Whetehill, of Calais

born

c. 1483

mar. (1)

aft. 23 Jul 1505 Lady Elizabeth Stafford (d. bef. 11 May 1532), 2nd dau. of Henry [Stafford], 2nd Duke of Buckingham, by his wife Lady Katharine Wydville, 6th dau. of Richard [Wydville], 1st Earl Rivers

children by first wife

1. Hon Henry Ratcliffe, later 2nd Earl of Sussex

2. Hon George Ratcliffe

3. Hon Sir Humphrey Ratcliffe (d. 1566), of Elstow, co. Bedford, mar. Isabel Harvey, dau. and hrss. of Edmund Harvey, of Elstow, co. Bedford, and had issue:

1a. Edward Ratcliffe, later 6th Earl of Sussex

1a. Frances Ratcliffe, mar. Henry Cheeke

mar. (2)

c. 1532 Lady Margaret Stanley (dspm. aft. Jan 1533/4), only dau. of Thomas [Stanley], 2nd Earl of Derby, by his wife Hon Anne Hastings, sister of George [Hastings], 1st Earl of Huntingdon, and only dau. of Edward [Hastings], 2nd Baron Hastings of Hastings

children by second wife

1. Lady Anne Ratcliffe (d. 7 Jun 1561), mar. c. Apr 1547 Thomas [Wharton], 2nd Baron Wharton, and had issue

2. Lady Jane Ratcliffe (d. 22 Jul 1552), mar. Anthony [Browne], 1st Viscount Montagu, and had issue

mar. (3)

14 Jan 1536/7 Mary Arundell (mar. (2) 19 Dec 1545 as his second wife Henry [FitzAlan], 19th or 12th Earl of Arundel; d. 20 Oct 1557), only child of Sir John Arundell, of Lanherne, co. Cornwall, by his second wife Katherine Grenville, dau. of Sir Thomas Grenville, of Stowe, co. Cornwall

only child by third wife

4. Hon Sir John Ratcliffe (dsp.)

died

27 Nov 1542

created

18 Jun 1525 Viscount FitzWalter

8 Dec 1529 Earl of Sussex

suc. by

son by first wife

note

obtained the reversal of the attainder of his father by Letters Patent dated 3 Nov 1505 and an Act of Parliament 1509 to the same effect; Knight of the Bath at the Coronation of Henry VIII 1509; served in France from 1513; Knight of the Garter 1524; Privy Councillor bef. 1525/6; a Chamberlain of the Exchequer 1532-42; appointed Hereditary Lord Sewer 1533; Chief Steward of the Honour of Beaulieu 1536; Chief Steward of the Duchy of Lancaster, Northern Parts 1539-40; Steward of the Manor of Writtle 1540; Great Chamberlain of England for life 1540-42

Henry [Ratcliffe], 2nd Earl of Sussex, KG PC

born

c. 1507

mar. (1)

bef. 21 May 1524 Lady Elizabeth Howard (18 Sep 1534), 1st dau. of Thomas [Howard], 2nd Duke of Norfolk, by his second wife Agnes Tilney, sister and hrss. of Sir Philip Tilney, and dau. of Hugh Tilney, of Skirbeck and Boston, co. Lincoln

children by first wife

1. Hon Thomas Ratcliffe, later 12th Baron FitzWalter later 3rd Earl of Sussex

2. Hon Henry Ratcliffe, later 4th Earl of Sussex

3. Hon Francis Ratcliffe (dsp.)

mar. (2)

bef. 21 Nov 1538 (div. by Act of Parliament 1555) Anne Calthorp, dau. of Sir Philip Calthorp, by his second wife Jane Blennerhassett, dau. of John Blennerhassett

children by second wife

4. Hon Egremont Ratcliffe, took part in the failed rebellion of the Northern Earls, fled the country and was put to death at Namur by order of Don John of Austria (dsp.)

1. Lady Frances Ratcliffe, mar. Sir Thomas Mildmay, of Moulsham, co. Essex (d. 1608), and had issue:

1a. Sir Thomas Mildmay, of Moulsham, co. Essex (d. unm. 1625)

2a. Sir Henry Mildmay, of Moulsham, co. Essex, later de jure 15th Baron FitzWalter

died

17 Feb 1556/7

suc. by

son by first wife

note

Knight of the Bath at the Coronation of Queen Anne Boleyn 1533; Joint Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk 1551, 1552 and 1553; Capt General of Queen Mary's Forces 1553; Privy Councillor 1553; Chief Justice in Eyre, South of Trent 1553-56/7; Knight of the Garter 1554; Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk and Suffolk 1556-56/7

Thomas [Ratcliffe], 12th Baron FitzWalter later 3rd Earl of Sussex, KG PC

born

c. 1525

mar. (1)

bef. 1 Nov 1545 Lady Elizabeth Wriothesley (bur. spms. 15 Jan 1554/5), 2nd dau. of Thomas [Wriothesley], 1st Earl of Southampton, by his wife Jane Cheney, dau. and hrss. of William Cheney, of Chesham Bois, co. Buckingham

children by first wife

1. Henry Ratcliffe (d. young)

2. Robert Ratcliffe (d. young)

mar. (2)

bef. 29 Apr 1555 Frances Sydney, founded Sydney and Sussex College, Cambridge (dsp. 9 Mar 1588/9), sister of Sir Henry Sydney KG, and dau. of Sir William Sydney, of Penshurst, co. Kent, by his wife Anne Pagenham, dau. of Hugh Pagenham

died

s.p.s. 9 Jun 1583

suc. by

brother

note

served in the Boulogne campaign; knighted 1544; Warden and Captain of Portsmouth 1549; Member of Parliament for Norfolk 1553; sum. to Parliament v.p. in his father's Barony of FitzWalter 14 Aug 1553; Captain of the Gentlemen Pensioners 1553-53; a Gentleman of the Privy Chamber to King Philip 1554; Lord Deputy of Ireland 1556-60 and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland 1560-65; Knight of the Garter 1557' Chief Justice in Eyre, South of Trent 1557-83; Lord President of the Council of the North 1568-72; Lord Lieutenant of the North 1569-70; Privy Councillor 1570; Lord Chamberlain of the Household 1572-83

Henry [Ratcliffe], 4th Earl of Sussex, KG PC

born

c. 1532

mar.

6 Feb 1548/9 Honor Pound (d. bef. 9 Nov 1593), dau. and cohrss. of Anthony Pound, of Drayton in Farlington, co. Hampshire, by his wife Anne Wingfield, dau. of Lewis Wingfield, of Bishop's Sutton, co. Hampshire, 9th son of Sir John Wingfield, of Letheringham, co. Suffolk

only child

1. Hon Robert Ratcliffe, later 5th Earl of Sussex

died

14 Dec 1593

suc. by

son

note

knighted 1553; Member of Parliament for Maldon 1555, for Hampshire 1571 and for Portsmouth 1572-83; Member of the Irish Parliament for Carlingford 1559 ; Privy Councillor [I] 1556/7; Lieutenant of Leix and Offaly 1557-64; Captain of a Troop of Horse and Foot in Ireland 1557-65; Warden and Captain of Portsmouth 1571-93; Joint Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire 1585-93; Knight of the Garter 1589

Robert [Ratcliffe], 5th Earl of Sussex, KG

born

12 Jun 1573

mar. (1)

c. 1592 Bridget Morrison (bapt. 11 Mar 1575; bur. 11 Dec 1623), 1st dau. of Sir Charles Morrison, of Cashiobury Park, co. Hertford, by his wife Dorothy Clark, dau. of Nicholas Clark

children by first wife

1. Hon Sir Henry Ratcliffe, styled Viscount FitzWalter, Knight of the Bath at the creation of Henry, Prince of Wales 1610 (b. 1 Aug 1596; bur. vp. and sp. 15 Sep 1620), mar. 28 Feb 1613/4 Jane Stanhope (mar. (2) 25 Apr 1621 Sir William Withipole, of Christ Church, Ipswich, co. Suffolk; dspms. bef. 1655), 1st dau. and cohrss. of Sir Michael Stanhope, of Sudbury, co. Suffolk, by his wife Anne Reade, dau. of Sir William Reade, of Osterley, co. Middlesex

2. Hon Sir Thomas Ratcliffe, Knight of the Bath at the creation of Henry, Prince of Wales 1610 (b. 15 Jul 1597; bur. vp. 14 Aug 1619)

1. Lady Elizabeth Ratcliffe (b. 31 May 1594; d. 6 Dec 1618), mar. 8 Feb 1607/8 as his first wife John [Ramsay], 1st Earl of Holderness, and had issue

2. Lady Honor Ratcliffe (b. 27 Aug 1598; bur. vp. 14 May 1613)

mar. (2)

Dec 1623 Frances Shute (widow of Edward Shute; d. 18 Nov 1627), dau. of Hercules Meautys, of West Ham, co. Essex, by his wife Philippa Cooke, dau. of Richard Cooke, of Gidea Hall, Havering, co. Essex

died

s.p.s. legit. 22 Sep 1629

suc. by

cousin

note

knighted 1596; Earl Marshal 1597 and 1601; Knight of the Garter 1599; Lord Lieutenant of Essex 1603-25 and 1626-29; Governor of Harwich and Landguard Fort 1626-27/8; on his death the Barony of FitzWalter passed to his heirs general, descendants of his paternal aunt Lady Frances Mildmay

Edward [Ratcliffe], 6th Earl of Sussex

born

bef. 10 Nov 1559

mar. (1)

c. 1582 Elizabeth Gostwicke (widow of John Gostwicke, of Willington, co. Bedford), half-sister of John [Petre], 1st Baron Petre, and 2nd dau. of Sir William Petre, of Ingatestone, co. Essex, Secretary of State to Henry VIII, Edward VI and Mary I, by his first wife Gertrude Tyrrell, dau. of Sir John Tyrrell, of Warley, co. Essex

mar. (2)

30 May 1594 Jane Catesby (widow of (1) William West, of Marsworth, co. Buckingham, and (2) John Catesby, of Newnham in Goldington, co. Bedford; bur. 1 Dec 1633), dau. of Sir Francis Hynde, of Madingley, co. Cambridge, by his wife Jane Verney, dau. of Sir Ralph Verney, of Pendley in Aldbury, co. Hertford

mar. (3)

22 May 1634 Eleanor Lee (widow of Sir Henry Lee, 1st Bt., of Quarendon; mar. (3) 30 Mar 1646 as his third wife Richard [Rich], 2nd Earl of Warwick, and (4) 15 Jul 1659 as his 4th wife Edward [Montagu], 2nd Earl of Manchester; d. 20 Jan 1666/7), 4th dau. of Sir Richard Wortley, of Wortley, co. York, by his wife Elizabeth Boughton, dau. of Edward Boughton, of Cawston, co. Warwick

died

s.p. Jul 1643

note

Member of Parliament for Petersfield 1586-87, for Bedfordshire 1588-89, 1601 and 1604-11, and for Portsmouth 1593; knighted 1594; High Sheriff of Bedfordshire 1598-99

On the death of the 6th Earl of Sussex both his titles became extinct

 First written 15 Feb 2003

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