 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Baron Bourchier" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(November 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
The titleBaron Bourchier is anabeyant peerage which was created in thePeerage of England in 1342 forSir Robert Bourchier, who had beenLord High Chancellor of England from 1340–41.
The title passed through the male line until the death of the third baron in 1409 when it passed to his only daughter,Elizabeth. Upon her death in 1433, it was inherited by her cousin,Henry, who was later createdViscount Bourchier in 1446 and Earl of Essex in 1461. On the death of the2nd Earl of Essex (the 1st earl's grandson) in 1540, the title passed to his only child,Anne. She was married toLord Parr (later created Earl of Essex in 1543 and Marquess of Northampton in 1547) who later divorced Anne and had their children declared illegitimate so they were unable to inherit the barony. When Anne died in 1571, the title passed to her cousinLord Hereford, who was later created Earl of Essex in 1572. When the 3rd Earl of Essex died without male heirs in 1646, the barony became abeyant between his sisters, theDuchess of Somerset and Lady Dorothy Stafford and their descendants.