3. William, who was summoned to Parliament on 2nd January 1449, as Baron Fitz Warine, in right of his wife, and was ancestor of the Earls of Bath.

4. John, who had summons to Parliament 26th May, 1455, also in right of his wife, as Baron Berners, the only one of the peerages held by the Bourchier family now extant, being held by Emma Harriet, daughter of the late Rev. Robert Wilson, who married Sir Henry Thomas Tyrwhitt, Bart., now deceased. The Baroness Berners is a second cousin of Major Archdale Wilson, late Adjutant of the Kilkenny Militia, who is also a descendant of William Bourchier, Lord Berners, whose male descendants failed on the death of his grandson, John, second Lord Berners, in 1532. This John, second Lord Berners, had by a concubine, Elizabeth Bakyn, three sons, James, Humphrey, and George, and a daughter, Ursula, all of whom he named in his will. (Books in the College of Arms prove this, 2 D.V., fol. 51. Cert. Book, 1, 5, fol. 162 B.1)

1. Eleanor, married John Mowbray, third Duke of Norfolk. Henry, second Earl of Ewe, eldest son of William (Bourchier), first Earl, was advanced in 1446 to the dignity of Viscount Bourchier. He married Lady Isabel Plantagenet, sister of Richard, Duke of York, the father of King Edward IV., who soon after his accession created him Earl of Essex, and gave him large grants out of the forfeited estates of the unfortunate Lancastrians. He had seven sons, viz.—(1) William, who married Lady Ann Widville, sister of Elizabeth, queen of Edward IV., by whom he left an only son, Henry, who succeeded his grandfather as second Earl Essex in 1483; (2) Henry; (3) Humphrey; (4) John; (5) Thomas; (6) Edward, slain at Wakefield; and (7) Fulke. None of his younger sons left any heirs male, and consequently the earldom of Essex and the viscountcy of Bourchier became extinct on the death of Henry, the second Earl of Essex.

Henry, second son, was captain of the body-guard called "The Spears," to King Henry VIII. upon his accession. This company was composed of fifty gentlemen at arms, splendidly mounted, equipped, and furnished, and afterwards attended him with great pomp to the "Field of the Cloth of Gold" in France. He married Mary, daughter and co-heir of Sir William Say, and by her had an only child, Anne, who married Sir William Parr; but that marriage was dissolved by Parliament in the 5th of Edward VI., and her issue declared illegitimate.

There remained only therefore of the great Bourchier family the line of William, third son of William, first Earl of Ewe, who had been summoned to Parliament in right of his wife as Baron Fitz Warine. He married, in 1437, Thomasine, eldest daughter and co-heir of Sir Richard Hankford of Hankford, she then being only fourteen years of age. Her mother was Elizabeth, sole daughter and heir of Fulke, sixth Baron Fitz Warine;

1 Banks'

"Dormant and Extinct Baronage," vol. ii., Berners.

she was married in 1420, and died before 1430, leaving a second daughter, Elizabeth, who died unmarried in 1433-4. Sir Richard Hankford married secondly, Lady Anne Montacute, daughter of John, third Earl of Salisbury of that name, and by her, who died in 1457, left another daughter, Anne, co-heir with her half-sister, Thomasine. She was only twelve weeks old when her father died, and her mother's only child. (Inq. p. m., 28th February, 1434). She became the wife of Thomas de Ormonde, who was third son of James, fourth Earl of Ormonde, and eventually succeeded as seventh Earl on the death of his brother John, sixth Earl, in 1478, unmarried. Thomas, seventh Earl of Ormonde, had by his first wife, Anne Hankford, two daughters, Lady Anne Butler, who married Sir James St. Leger, and Lady Margaret Butler, who married Sir William Boleyn; and their granddaughter, Anne, was the mother of Queen Elizabeth, of famous memory.

William Bourchier, Baron Fitz Warine, died in 1470, and was succeeded by his son,

Fulke Bourchier, ninth Baron Fitz Warine, who had summons to Parliament the 19th August, 1472. His wife was Elizabeth, daughter of John, sixth Baron Dynham, by Joan, daughter and heir of Sir Richard de Arches, and sole heir to her brother John, seventh Baron Dynham, who died s. p. in January, 1508-9. They had one son, John, who succeeded his father, and two daughters, Joan who married James, Lord Audley, and Elizabeth, who married firstly, Sir Edward Stanhope, and secondly, Sir Richard Page. Both the Marquess and Marchioness of Ormonde are descended from Anne (daughter of Sir Edward Stanhope and Elizabeth Bourchier), who married, as his second wife, Edward Seymour, first Duke of Somerset, K.G., Lord Protector in the reign of Edward VI., who was beheaded on the 22nd of January, 1552, The Marchioness is also descended from Henry Bourchier, second Earl of Ewe, and from John Bourchier, Lord Berners in right of his wife, therefore from three sons of William, first Earl of Ewe.

Fulke, Baron Fitz Warine, died in 1479, and was succeeded by his son John, tenth Baron Fitz Warine, who was nine years of age at his father's death, and, on making proof of his age in 1491, had livery of his estates, and was summoned to Parliament, 12th August, 1492. He inherited the Dynham estates through his mother, but also further enriched himself by marrying about 1499, Cecilia, daughter of Giles, Baron Daubeney, who was heir to her brother Henry, Earl of Bridgwater, Being a great favourite of Henry VIII., he was created Earl of Bath in 1536; he died 30th April, 1539. His eldest son, John, second Earl of Bath, succeeded to his father's honours and estates; he was born in 1500, being aged forty years when his father died. He married, firstly, Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Walter Hungerford, who died early, leaving an only child, Elizabeth. The Earl married secondly, Eleanor, daughter of George Manners, Lord de Ros, and sister of the first Earl of Rutland, and by her had issue, four sons and two daughters :

1. John, Lord Fitz Warine, born 1529, who married in Dec., 1548, Frances, daughter of Sir Thomas Kitson, and died 28th Feb., 1556, in v. p., leaving a son William, who succeeded his grandfather as third Earl of Bath.

2. Henry, of whom we have no further account, as he probably died young and unmarried.

3. Sir George, of whom hereafter.

4. Fulke, who also apparently died young.

1. Mary, married Hugh Wyot, of Exeter.

2. Cecilia, married Thomas Peyton, of Plymouth.

John, second Earl of Bath, married thirdly (ma. lic. dated same day as that of his eldest son), in December, 1548, Margaret, widow of abovementioned Sir Thomas Kitson, and mother of his son's wife, by whom he had further issue, two daughters, viz. :

3. Susanna.

4. Bridget, married Thomas Price, of Vaynor, in Montgomeryshire. The Earl died on 10th Feb., 1560-1..

We now turn to Sir George Bourchier, the father of the two children commemorated on the tablet of which we have been treating. He was probably born between 1535 and 1540; but no record of his baptism has come to light. Like his forefathers, he was a gallant soldier, and became a capable commander and man of affairs. He appears by the Calendar of State Papers relating to Ireland to have been sent over as a military captain in 1567, and in December, 1571, he was in command of the garrison of Kilmallock, consisting of 200 Englishmen, evidently placed there to hold the Geraldines in check. On the 6th December Michael Meagh, sovereign of that town, wrote to the Government that James Fitz Maurice (known as the arch-traitor), having preyed Sir William Burke's country, is pursued by Sir Thomas of Desmond, Capt. Bourchier, Apsley, and William Lacye, who killed eight score, besides many drowned in the Meilkearne. On 4th January following, Lord Deputy Fitz William and the Council wrote the same to the Queen. This defeat brought the arch-traitor to his knees literally, for on 10th December, 1572, Andrew Skyddye wrote to the Lord President of Munster that Mr. Bourchier, on 8th December, had a conference with James FitzMaurice at Duntrileague, who there made his humble submission, lighting from his horse, and kneeling upon both his knees in the mire, cried for God and Her Majesty's

mercy.

In December, 1573, Captain George Bourchier wrote to the Lord. Deputy that the Earl of Desmond would do great mischief but for the Countess and John Fitz Edmund's1 continual crying to him. On January 7th following, Justice Walsh wrote to the Lord Deputy that Desmond

1 Sir John Fitz Edmund Fitz Gerald, of Cloyne, whose daughter, Eleanor, m. Robert Walsh, of Castle Hoyle, County Kilkenny.

refuses to put away his great numbers till Captain George Bourchier with his soldiers shall leave Kilmallock.

On March 8th, 1574, the Lord Deputy and Council wrote to the Earl of Desmond the Queen's commands:-"Charge him to deliver to the possession of Captain Bourchier the castles of Ballymartyr, Castlemaigne, Castlemange, the castles and pieces of Kenry, and all other castles and pieces in Munster. And to render himself simply before the last of March." Desmond having got out of the Queen's clutches after spending seven years in the Tower, had no notion of putting himself into that predicament again, but clearly meant to defy her. One of his followers soon after robbed Bourchier's man coming from Dublin to Kilmallock with money to pay the garrison; in consequence, the Lord Deputy and Council again wrote to Desmond on May 12th, requiring that he should punish one Fox for this robbery, and restore the money—a mandate which he probably also treated with contempt, as he had done the previous one. By some stratagem, not mentioned in the State Papers, Desmond captured Bourchier, for he wrote on the 14th May to the Lord Deputy that he had taken Captain Bourchier and his men for raising a stir in the country. This was a flagrant act of rebellion; but the Lord Deputy seemed to be powerless to make reprisals, and Bourchier remained in durance vile for two months. Captain Robert Holmes wrote from Kilmallock on 27th May that his captain is closely kept, and not suffered to speak to a friend, but does not say where he was imprisoned. Devereux, Earl of Essex, who had been lately sent over as Earl Marshal of Ireland, wrote on June 5th from Dublin to Desmond, with whom he had probably been well acquainted in London, entreating him that his cousin George Bourchier may be released, and remonstrated with Desmond against following evil counsel. Next day the Earl of Ormond wrote to Burghley, "that the Earl of Desmond handles Captain Bourchier cruelly." On June 15th the Queen wrote to Lord Deputy Fitz William :-"We marvel much, considering the advertisements you write you receive daily almost from every quarter of Munster, how Desmond goeth forward in surprising good subjects and exacting pledges of them, how he retaineth Captain Bowerchier in very straight holds. . . . . Therefore without attending further answer from him, you shall proceed against him with the forces you have, which are such as heretofore have sufficed for others, that have supplied (filled) your place, to have prevented like rebels of greater strength and force than we perceive he is of."

Fitz William does not appear to have bestirred himself, even after this sharp reproof. Essex, however, on July 10th, wrote to the Lords that he had had an interview with Desmond, and a conference in presence of his Countess and the Earl of Kildare. That Captain Bourchier was released, and that, in his opinion, war was concluded against Desmond unseasonably. Here "concluded" perhaps means "determined upon."

Jour. R.S.A.I.

Vol. XIV., Fifth Series,

Vol. XXXIV, Consec. Ser.}

2 D

The Queen was evidently highly incensed against Desmond, for, writing to the Lord Deputy on August 20th, 1574, she said: "and not to rashly run to such excessive and rebellious doings as to take by subtility or force castles being in our possession from us, and to keep in prison our faithful servant, Captain Bourchier, without any cause." On January 2nd, 1575, Bourchier was about to go to England, as the Lord Deputy wrote to Burghley on that date, "the behaviour of the bearer, Captain George Bourchier, every way answered to his noble descent."

On January 13th following, the Earl of Essex writing to the Privy Council, asked "for preferment of his cousin George Bourchier, having served seven years. His Company's sufficiency. His miserable imprisonment in Munster."

On the next day Vice-Treasurer Fitton wrote to Burghley: "Has given his bill to bearer, Captain Bourchier, uncle to the Earl of Bath. He hath well deserved both by valiantness of hand, and enduring imprisonment, &c."

These commendations were not without good results; Bourchier in 1571 had been granted a lease of the monastery and lands of Gallen, in the King's County, moieties of tithes of Fyrrye, Gallen, and Rennagh, late in County Westmeath, now united to King's County, and moiety of tithes belonging to Laragh, in O'Ferrall Bane's country (Longford), to hold for twenty-one years, rent £3 128. 2d. Also in 1574, another lease of the priory of Ballibeg, County Cork; the lands of Ballibeg, and the tithes of thirteen rectories, for twenty-one years, rent £41 10s. for seven years, and £81 10s. for remainder of term. Now more substantial rewards were to come. Grant under Queen's letter of 30th April, 1575, to George Bourchier, Esq., of the whole manor of Onaght, County Tipperary, and the islands of Great Saltes and Little Saltes, County of Wexford. To hold for ever by the service of one-fortieth of a Knight's fee. Rent, £15 6s. 8d. 25th August, 1575.

Grant under same letter of the lands of Much Riverston, Little Riverston, and Kenock, County of Meath, possessions of Christopher Eustace, attainted-To hold for ever in fee-farm by service of onetwentieth of a Knight's fee, rent £15 198. 2d. Grant under same letter to George Bowchier, alias Bowrgchier, Esq., of lands of Ballibegan, alias Ballilogan, parcel of the lands of the Earl of Shrewsbury in the County of Wexford, parcel of the Manor of Carrick, alias Carge (rent 208.); a close containing sixty acres by the town of Wexford (68. 8d.); the ferry of Carge, alias Carrick, possessions of the said Earl of Shrewsbury (58.); a ruined castle and land in Rosbrenagh, parcel of the possessions of the late Hospital of S. John of Athy (38. 4d.); the Church of S. Olave, alias S. Tullock, in Dublin, with the cemetery and precinct, belonging to the late Monastery of S. Augustine of Bristol, in England (138. 4d.). To hold for ever in socage, rent 488. 4d., as above. 28th August, 1575.

Grant under same letter. A messuage in Kilmainham, and a small