Anne Bourchier, 7th Baroness Bourchier

Anne Bourchier (c.1515- 28 January1571) was the 7th Baroness Bourchier, Countess of Essex and Marchioness of Northampton. She was the first wife of William Parr, 1st Marquess of Northampton and the sister-in-law of Queen Catherine Parr, the sixth wife of Henry VIII of England.

Family

Anne was the only child of Henry Bourchier, 2nd Earl of Essex [Anthony Martienssen "Queen Katherine Parr", page 39] , 2nd Count of Eu and Mary Say. Her paternal grandparents were William Bourchier, Viscount Bourchier and Anne Woodville. Her maternal grandparents were William Say and Elizabeth Fray. As the only child of the last Earl of Essex, as well as the contingent heiress of the Countess of Oxford, Anne was one of the wealthiest heiresses in England.

Marriage

On 9 February 1527, Anne was married to William Parr (14th August 1513- 28th October 1571), the only son of Sir Thomas Parr, Sheriff of Nothamptonshire and Maud Green. Anne was approximately twelve years old at the time of her marriage which had been diligently arranged by her determined mother-in-law. [Martienssen, page39] Anne later succeeded to the title of Baroness Bourchier on 13th March, 1540 at the time of her father's death. Her husband had been created 1st Baron Parr of Kendal in 1539.

Adultery

Anne was apparently unhappy with her husband. In 1542, a scandal erupted when she eloped with a lover by the name of Huntley. The following year, Baron Parr applied to Parliament, asking for a divorce from Anne on the grounds of her adultery. On 17th April, he obtained an Act of Parliament, repudiating Anne. At this time, his sister Catherine was being courted by King Henry VIII. She was also a close friend of Anne, and supported her against her brother who was pressing the King to enforce the death penalty for his unfaithful wife. [Alison Weir "The Six Wives of Henry VIII", page492] Catherine petitioned the King to grant clemency for Anne. King Henry agreed, provided Parr himself pardoned her. After much pleading on Catherine's part, William relented. She was,however, constrained to forfeit all her titles and estates to her husband. [Weir, page 492] William was created 1st Earl of Essex on 23rd December, 1543. The marriage was annulled in 1552 by Act of Parliament. Anne had several children by her paramour but they were legally declared bastards. Only one child, Mary, is recorded as having lived to adulthood. She married a Thomas York by whom she had children, but they all lived in obscurity, as did Anne.

Anne Bourchier died on 28th January, 1571. Parr died the same year, having been created 1st Marquess of Northampton on 16th February, 1547. He had married two times after Anne, firstly to Elizabeth Brooke, and secondly to Helena Snakenborg, but fathered no children by any of his wives.

ources

# Alison Weir "The Six Wives of Henry VIII", Ballantine Books, New York, 1991 ISBN 0-345-38072-X
# Anthony Martienssen "Queen Katherine Parr", McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York, 1973 ISBN 0-07-040610-3
# ThePeerage.com.

References