Frances Walsingham Countess Essex 1567-1633

In January 1562 [her father] Francis Walsingham [aged 30] and Anne Barne [aged 29] were married.

In 1566 [her father] Francis Walsingham [aged 34] and [her mother] Ursula St Barbe [aged 34] were married.

In 1567 Frances Walsingham Countess Essex was born to Francis Walsingham [aged 35] and Ursula St Barbe [aged 35].

On 22nd September 1576 Walter Devereux 1st Earl Essex [aged 35] died. His son [her future husband] Robert [aged 10] succeeded 2nd Earl Essex, 3rd Viscount Hereford, 12th Baron Ferrers of Chartley, 9th Baron Bourchier.

In 1583 Philip Sidney [aged 28] and Frances Walsingham Countess Essex [aged 16] were married. They were half sixth cousins.

On 23rd September 1584 [her brother-in-law] Robert Sidney 1st Earl of Leicester [aged 20] and Barbara Gamage Countess Leicester [aged 21] were married. She her father's heir to his considerable fortune. He, the father, had died some twenty-five days before. The marriage took place apparently against the wishes of Queen Elizabeth I of England and Ireland [aged 51].

In 1585 [her daughter] Elizabeth Sidney Countess Rutland was born to [her husband] Philip Sidney [aged 30] and Frances Walsingham Countess Essex [aged 18]. She married 5th March 1599 Roger Manners 5th Earl of Rutland, son of John Manners 4th Earl of Rutland and Elizabeth Charlton Countess Rutland.

1586 to 1590. Robert "The Elder" Peake [aged 35]. Portrait of Frances Walsingham Countess Essex [aged 19]. Frances was only firmly identified as the sitter in 2023 by Elise Effmann Clifford, a conservator at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. The original inscription had at some point been replaced with a false one identifying the sitter as Mary Queen of Scots. Once old overpaint and modern varnish had been removed, Elise Effmann Clifford was able to analyse traces of the original lettering and under close examination discovered that the original text read, 'The Ladie Sidney daughter/to Secretarye Walsingham.'

In 1590 Robert Devereux 2nd Earl Essex [aged 24] and Frances Walsingham Countess Essex [aged 23] were married. She by marriage Countess Essex. He the son of Walter Devereux 1st Earl Essex and Lettice Knollys Countess Essex and Leicester [aged 46]. They were half fourth cousin once removed.

On 6th April 1590 [her father] Francis Walsingham [aged 58] died.

On 11th January 1591 [her son] Robert Devereux 3rd Earl Essex was born to [her husband] Robert Devereux 2nd Earl Essex [aged 25] and Frances Walsingham Countess Essex [aged 24]. He married (1) 1603 his fourth cousin Frances Howard Countess Essex and Somerset, daughter of Thomas Howard 1st Earl Suffolk and Catherine Knyvet Countess Suffolk (2) 11th March 1630 his fourth cousin Elizabeth Paulet Countess Essex.

In 1594 Henry "Wizard Earl" Percy 9th Earl of Northumberland [aged 29] and [her sister-in-law] Dorothy Devereux Countess Northumberland [aged 30] were married. She the daughter of Walter Devereux 1st Earl Essex and [her mother-in-law] Lettice Knollys Countess Essex and Leicester [aged 50]. He the son of Henry Percy 8th Earl of Northumberland and Katherine Neville Countess Northumberland [aged 49]. They were third cousin once removed.

On 5th March 1599 [her son-in-law] Roger Manners 5th Earl of Rutland [aged 22] and Elizabeth Sidney Countess Rutland [aged 14] were married. She by marriage Countess of Rutland. Childless, unhappy and possibly not consummated. She the daughter of Philip Sidney and Frances Walsingham Countess Essex [aged 32]. He the son of John Manners 4th Earl of Rutland and Elizabeth Charlton Countess Rutland.

On 5th August 1599 Alexander Radclyffe of Ordsall Hall [aged 26] died of wounds and fever in Ulster while campaigning with the [her husband] Robert Devereux 2nd Earl Essex [aged 33] during the unsuccessful attempt to bring Ireland under English control. The Queen [aged 65] herself informed his twin sister of her brother's death.

On 30th September 1599 [her daughter] Frances Devereux Duchess of Somerset was born to [her husband] Robert Devereux 2nd Earl Essex [aged 33] and Frances Walsingham Countess Essex [aged 32]. She married 3rd March 1617 her fourth cousin William Seymour 2nd Duke of Somerset and had issue.

In 1600 [her daughter] Dorothy Devereux Lady Shirley was born to [her husband] Robert Devereux 2nd Earl Essex [aged 34] and Frances Walsingham Countess Essex [aged 33] at Essex House. She married before 9th September 1623 her fourth cousin once removed Henry Shirley 2nd Baronet, son of George Shirley 1st Baronet and Frances Berkeley, and had issue.

In 1601 Ulrick Burke 3rd Earl Clanricarde died. His son [her future husband] Richard [aged 29] succeeded 4th Earl Clanricarde.

On 8th June 1602 [her mother] Ursula St Barbe [aged 70] died at her home in Barn Elms. She was buried the following night in St Paul's Cathedral [Map].

In 1603 Richard Burke 4th Earl Clanricarde 1st Earl St Albans [aged 31] and Frances Walsingham Countess Essex [aged 36] were married. He the son of Ulrick Burke 3rd Earl Clanricarde.

In 1603 Robert Devereux 3rd Earl Essex [aged 11] and Frances Howard Countess Essex and Somerset [aged 12] were married. They were separated after the wedding given their young age. Essex went on a European tour from 1607 to 1609. When he returned she avoided him having fallen for Robert Carr 1st Earl Somerset [aged 16] whilst her husband was away. He was ill with smallpox. She sought an annulment with her father Robert Devereux 2nd Earl Essex and uncle Henry Howard 1st Earl of Northampton [aged 62] acting for her. She maintained the marriage had not been consummated and was examined by ten matrons and two midwives who found her hymen intact. It was widely rumoured at the time that Sir Thomas Monson's [aged 38] daughter was a substitute, which is possible because she had requested to be veiled during the examination "for modesty's sake". He maintained he was capable with other women, but was unable to consummate his marriage blaming her. She the daughter of Thomas Howard 1st Earl Suffolk [aged 41] and Catherine Knyvet Countess Suffolk [aged 39]. He the son of Robert Devereux 2nd Earl Essex and Frances Walsingham Countess Essex [aged 36]. They were fourth cousins.

In 1604 [her son] Ulick Burke 1st Marquess Clanricarde was born to [her husband] Richard Burke 4th Earl Clanricarde 1st Earl St Albans [aged 32] and Frances Walsingham Countess Essex [aged 37]. He married 1622 Anne Compton Lady Rushout, daughter of William Compton 1st Earl of Northampton and Elizabeth Spencer Countess Northampton, and had issue.

Around 1605 [her daughter] Honora Burke Marchioness Winchester was born to [her husband] Richard Burke 4th Earl Clanricarde 1st Earl St Albans [aged 33] and Frances Walsingham Countess Essex [aged 38]. She married 4th October 1633 John Paulet 5th Marquess Winchester, son of William Paulet 4th Marquess Winchester and Lucy Cecil Marchioness Winchester, and had issue.

In 1612 [her daughter] Elizabeth Sidney Countess Rutland [aged 27] died. She was buried at St Mary the Virgin Church, Bottesford, Leicestershire [Map].

On 25th September 1613 [her son] Robert Devereux 3rd Earl Essex [aged 22] and [her daughter-in-law] Frances Howard Countess Essex and Somerset [aged 23] marriage annulled by King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland [aged 47]. She married Robert Carr 1st Earl Somerset [aged 26] three months later.

On 3rd March 1617 [her son-in-law] William Seymour 2nd Duke of Somerset [aged 29] and Frances Devereux Duchess of Somerset [aged 17] were married at Drayton Bassett, Staffordshire [Map]. She the daughter of Robert Devereux 2nd Earl Essex and Frances Walsingham Countess Essex [aged 50]. They were fourth cousins. He a great x 3 grandson of King Henry VII of England and Ireland.

In 1622 Ulick Burke 1st Marquess Clanricarde [aged 18] and Anne Compton Lady Rushout were married. She the daughter of William Compton 1st Earl of Northampton and Elizabeth Spencer Countess Northampton [aged 46]. He the son of Richard Burke 4th Earl Clanricarde 1st Earl St Albans [aged 50] and Frances Walsingham Countess Essex [aged 55].

Before 9th September 1623 [her son-in-law] Henry Shirley 2nd Baronet [aged 35] and Dorothy Devereux Lady Shirley [aged 23] were married. She the daughter of Robert Devereux 2nd Earl Essex and Frances Walsingham Countess Essex [aged 56]. They were fourth cousin once removed.

On 11th March 1630 Robert Devereux 3rd Earl Essex [aged 39] and Elizabeth Paulet Countess Essex were married. She by marriage Countess Essex. He the son of Robert Devereux 2nd Earl Essex and Frances Walsingham Countess Essex [aged 63]. They were fourth cousins.

On 17th February 1633 Frances Walsingham Countess Essex [aged 66] died.

On 12th November 1635 [her former husband] Richard Burke 4th Earl Clanricarde 1st Earl St Albans [aged 63] died. His son Ulick [aged 31] succeeded 5th Earl Clanricarde, 2nd Earl St Albans. Thomas Wentworth 1st Earl Strafford [aged 42] was blamed for his death making an enemy of Ulick Burke 1st Marquess Clanricarde and his half-brother (they shared the same mother Frances Walsingham Countess Essex) Robert Devereux 3rd Earl Essex [aged 44].

[her daughter] Mary Burke was born to Richard Burke 4th Earl Clanricarde 1st Earl St Albans and Frances Walsingham Countess Essex. She married Edward Butler, son of James Butler 9th Earl Ormonde 2nd Earl Ossory and Joan Fitzgerald Countess Ormonde and Ossory, and had issue.