Biography of Edward Bourchier 4th Earl Bath 1590-1637

On 15th December 1578 [his father] William Bourchier 3rd Earl Bath (age 21) and [his step-mother] Mary Cornwallis Countess Bath were married. The marriage, apparently, taking place secretly at night. She by marriage Countess Bath.

On 7th August 1583 [his father] William Bourchier 3rd Earl Bath (age 25) and [his mother] Elizabeth Russell Countess Bath were married at St Mary Major Church, Exeter. She by marriage Countess Bath, Countess Eu. She the daughter of [his grandfather] Francis Russell 2nd Earl Bedford (age 56) and [his grandmother] Margaret St John Countess Bedford. They were half sixth cousins.

Before 1st March 1590, the date of his baptism at St Peter's Church, Tawstock [Map], Edward Bourchier 4th Earl Bath was born to [his father] William Bourchier 3rd Earl Bath (age 32) and [his mother] Elizabeth Russell Countess Bath at Somerset.

On 24th March 1605 [his mother] Elizabeth Russell Countess Bath died.

On 12th July 1623 [his father] William Bourchier 3rd Earl Bath (age 65) died. His son Edward (age 33) succeeded 4th Earl Bath, 14th Baron Fitzwarin, 5th Baron Daubeney.

On 14th July 1623, two days after the death of his father, and his succeeding as Earl of Bath, Edward Bourchier 4th Earl Bath (age 33) and Dorothy St John Countess Bath were married. She by marriage Countess Bath. He the son of William Bourchier 3rd Earl Bath (deceased) and Elizabeth Russell Countess Bath. They were second cousins.

On 28th December 1624 [his brother-in-law] Oliver St John 1st Earl Bolingbroke (age 44) was created 1st Earl Bolingbroke by King James I of Scotland. Elizabeth Paulet Countess Bolingbroke by marriage Countess Bolingbroke.

In 1626 [his daughter] Elizabeth Bourchier Countess Denbigh was born to Edward Bourchier 4th Earl Bath (age 35) and [his wife] Dorothy St John Countess Bath. Coefficient of inbreeding 1.56%. She married 8th July 1641 Basil Feilding 2nd Earl Denbigh, son of William Feilding 1st Earl Denbigh and Susan Villiers Countess Denbigh.

In 1627 [his daughter] Dorothy Bourchier was born to Edward Bourchier 4th Earl Bath (age 36) and [his wife] Dorothy St John Countess Bath. Coefficient of inbreeding 1.56%. She married 4th June 1646 her half sixth cousin Thomas Grey, son of Henry Grey 1st Earl Stamford and Anne Cecil Countess Stamford, and had issue.

On 21st January 1630 [his son] John Bourchier was born to Edward Bourchier 4th Earl Bath (age 39) and [his wife] Dorothy St John Countess Bath. Coefficient of inbreeding 1.56%. He died aged one in 1631.

In 1631 [his daughter] Anne Bourchier Countess Middlesex was born to Edward Bourchier 4th Earl Bath (age 40) and [his wife] Dorothy St John Countess Bath. Coefficient of inbreeding 1.56%. She married (1) 3rd March 1646 James Cranfield 2nd Earl Middlesex, son of Lionel Cranfield 1st Earl Middlesex and Anne Brett Countess Middlesex, and had issue (2) after 16th September 1651 her fourth cousin Chichester Wrey 3rd Baronet, son of William Wrey 2nd Baronet and Elizabeth Chichester Lady Wrey, and had issue.

In October 1631 [his son] John Bourchier (age 1) died.

On 20th August 1632 [his wife] Dorothy St John Countess Bath died. She was buried on 21st August 1632 at St Peter's Church, Tawstock [Map]. There are letters from her husband Edward Bourchier 4th Earl Bath (age 42) and from the [his grandfather] Earl of Bedford, both dat. 26 May 1633, referring to "the fresh sense he hath of the loss of so noble a wife," and to his unwillingness on that account to marry "Mistress Dorothy Seymour," as suggested by the King.

In 1633 Edward Bourchier 4th Earl Bath (age 42) and Ann Lovett Countess Bath (age 16) were married. She by marriage Countess Bath, Countess Eu. The difference in their ages was 26 years. He the son of William Bourchier 3rd Earl Bath and Elizabeth Russell Countess Bath.

Around June 1636 Baptist Noel 3rd Viscount Campden (age 25) and [his wife] Ann Lovett Countess Bath (age 19) were married.

On 2nd March 1637 Edward Bourchier 4th Earl Bath (age 47) died. He was buried at St Peter's Church, Tawstock [Map]. His first cousin once removed Henry (age 50) succeeded 5th Earl Bath. Baron Daubeney and Baron Fitzwarin abeyant between his three daughters [his daughter] Elizabeth Bourchier Countess Denbigh (age 11), [his daughter] Dorothy Bourchier (age 10) and [his daughter] Anne Bourchier Countess Middlesex (age 6) and their coheirs.

In 1639 [his former wife] Ann Lovett Countess Bath (age 22) died.