Sir Edward Burgh
Encyclopedia
Sir Edward Burgh (d. before April 1533) was the eldest son and heir to Sir Thomas Burgh, 1st Baron Burgh
and his wife Agnes Tyrwhit. He is known for being the first husband of Catherine Parr
, later Queen consort to King Henry VIII
. 18th-century historians have mistaken him for his grandfather, the elderly, Sir Edward Burgh, 2nd Baron Burgh of Gainsborough.
The Baron Boroughs of Gainsborough
in Lincolnshire
were an old and well-established gentry family. Sir Edward's great-grandfather, the 1st Baron had been an outstanding Yorkist
in the reign of King Edward IV
in the neighbourhood of fanatical Lancastrians
. He was a tough-minded and hard-handed individual, who was given the Order of the Garter
in 1496 by King Henry VII
, proving his ability to change and adapt with the constant royal change. Sir Thomas' son, Sir Edward Borough, who in 1496 became the 2nd Baron in name only, was not so fortunate. In 1510, only a few years after succeeding to the barony, Sir Edward was declared a lunatic and was kept under restraint in his own home, Gainsborough Old Hall
. After his incarceration, Sir Thomas
, his eldest son, took over as head of the family. By August 1528, the 2nd Baron was dead.
For centuries, historians, such as Agnes Strickland
, and antiquarians alike have confused the grandfather, Lord Borough, with the grandson, Sir Edward, throwing the Scrope-Parr marriage negotiations into the mix for good measure. The idea of twelve-year-old Catherine Parr
being sent away to marry an aged lunatic was a wonderful story filled with drama -- but nonetheless was a myth that can now be laid to rest. The truth, however, is not quite so lurid, though it had its own moments of drama.
Through recent research of documents and the will of Catherine Parr
's mother, biographers Susan James, Linda Porter
, David Starkey
, and Antonia Fraser
all confirm that Catherine married the 2nd Baron's grandson, who coincidentally shared his first name. As the dowry
had not been fully paid, Maud Parr
in her will, dated May 1529, mentioned Sir Thomas, father of Edward, saying I am indebted to Sir Thomas Borough, knight, for the marriage of my daughter. At the time of his son's marriage, Sir Thomas, was thirty-five which would have made Edward around Catherine's age.
When Edward and Catherine
married in 1529, Sir Edward was in his early twenties and, although almost nothing is known about his character, it appears that his health kept him in a frail condition. Whether his physical health was frail or whether he inherited the bad seeds of his grandfather's lunacy is uncertain. There were also rumours that Edward may have been homosexual. Whatever his condition, Edward was competent enough for his father to allow him the duties and responsibilities of part of his inheritance — he served as both a feofee and a justice of peace.
Life at Gainsborough
, was under an over-bearing father given to violent rages, and the memories of the recently deceased lunatic were prevalent. Sir Edward's father ruled his family with an iron hand, requiring absolute obedience. Some time after his marriage to Catherine, his father had another daughter-in-law, Elizabeth Owen, thrown out of the household and her children with his younger brother, Thomas, declared bastards. Sir Edward lived in constant fear of his own father.
The duty of Sir Edward's wife, Catherine, was to bear sons, which did not happen. Failure to do so, however, may not have been all her fault. Having been raised in a liberal and enlightened household maintained by her mother, Edward Borough's new bride was unused to the paternal tyranny of the household at Gainsborough. If Sir Thomas attempted to intimidate his daughter-in-law, he did not succeed. In fact, Sir Thomas came to find that Catherine was made of sterner stuff than his own sons. The historical record on whether or not Catherine was ever pregnant by Edward is silent. If she was, certainly no child lived to full term or survived infancy. Although her immediate family would have known, they, along with Catherine, never spoke of it and there is no record of children by Sir Edward.
For a time, Edward and Catherine lived with Edward's family at Gainsborough Old Hall
. If his wife was homesick or unhappy, she had reason to be and wrote frequently to her mother for advice. Maud Parr
would travel north in 1530 to see Catherine and it is most likely at her urging that the couple move out of the Old Hall after two years of marriage. Sir Thomas was a steward to the manor of the soke of Kirton-in-Lindsey, a small village about ten miles above Gainsborough. Thomas was persuaded to secure a joint patent in survivorship with his son. In October 1530, Edward and Catherine moved to Kirton-in-Lindsey. It was a modest residence, but mainly it was away from Edward's family and was a household in which the couple could manage their own affairs. Instead of becoming the passive lady of the household, Edward's wife, Catherine, took control of the household immediately. It brought both Edward and Catherine great joy to be away from the Old Hall.
In 1532, Edward was named to the various commissions of peace that held session in the area, but by April of 1533, Edward and Catherine's marriage came to a fragile end when Edward Borough died. Sir Edward Burgh died never fulfilling the title of Lord (Baron) Burgh. His widow, Catherine, unable to remain at Kirton-in Lindsey, which belonged to her father-in-law, had limited options. Her in-laws showed no desire to have her move back into Gainsborough Old Hall. Sir Thomas turned over the income of two of his manors in Surrey and one in Kent as her dowry and that was the end of it. With no children from their marriage, she no longer had ties to the Boroughs and was most likely more than happy to be free from them.
Biographers of Catherine Parr
, Susan James and Linda Porter
, state that the younger Sir Edward Burgh died in the spring of 1533. Others state before April 1533.
On 28 February 1550, Edward's father was succeeded by Edward's younger brother, William, 2nd Baron Burgh.
Thomas Burgh, 1st Baron Burgh
Thomas Burgh, 1st Baron Burgh or Borough , 1st Baron Borough of Gainsborough, also de jure 5th Baron Strabolgi and 7th Baron Cobham of Sterborough, was an English peer. He was knighted on Flodden Field in 1513 where he was one of the King's Spears . He was a Member of Parliament in 1529 and Lord...
and his wife Agnes Tyrwhit. He is known for being the first husband of Catherine Parr
Catherine Parr
Catherine Parr ; 1512 – 5 September 1548) was Queen consort of England and Ireland and the last of the six wives of King Henry VIII of England. She married Henry VIII on 12 July 1543. She was the fourth commoner Henry had taken as his consort, and outlived him...
, later Queen consort to King Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
. 18th-century historians have mistaken him for his grandfather, the elderly, Sir Edward Burgh, 2nd Baron Burgh of Gainsborough.
The Baron Boroughs of Gainsborough
Baron Burgh
Baron Burgh is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of England. The first creation was for William de Burgh in 1327.The second, and still existing, peerage is of uncertain date...
in Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
were an old and well-established gentry family. Sir Edward's great-grandfather, the 1st Baron had been an outstanding Yorkist
House of York
The House of York was a branch of the English royal House of Plantagenet, three members of which became English kings in the late 15th century. The House of York was descended in the paternal line from Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York, the fourth surviving son of Edward III, but also represented...
in the reign of King Edward IV
Edward IV of England
Edward IV was King of England from 4 March 1461 until 3 October 1470, and again from 11 April 1471 until his death. He was the first Yorkist King of England...
in the neighbourhood of fanatical Lancastrians
House of Lancaster
The House of Lancaster was a branch of the royal House of Plantagenet. It was one of the opposing factions involved in the Wars of the Roses, an intermittent civil war which affected England and Wales during the 15th century...
. He was a tough-minded and hard-handed individual, who was given the Order of the Garter
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
in 1496 by King Henry VII
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
, proving his ability to change and adapt with the constant royal change. Sir Thomas' son, Sir Edward Borough, who in 1496 became the 2nd Baron in name only, was not so fortunate. In 1510, only a few years after succeeding to the barony, Sir Edward was declared a lunatic and was kept under restraint in his own home, Gainsborough Old Hall
Gainsborough Old Hall
Gainsborough Old Hall in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire is over five hundred years old and one of the best preserved medieval manor houses in England....
. After his incarceration, Sir Thomas
Thomas Burgh, 1st Baron Burgh
Thomas Burgh, 1st Baron Burgh or Borough , 1st Baron Borough of Gainsborough, also de jure 5th Baron Strabolgi and 7th Baron Cobham of Sterborough, was an English peer. He was knighted on Flodden Field in 1513 where he was one of the King's Spears . He was a Member of Parliament in 1529 and Lord...
, his eldest son, took over as head of the family. By August 1528, the 2nd Baron was dead.
For centuries, historians, such as Agnes Strickland
Agnes Strickland
Agnes Strickland was an English historical writer and poet.-Biography:The daughter of Thomas Strickland of Reydon Hall, Suffolk, Agnes was educated by her father, and began her literary career with a poem, Worcester Field, followed by The Seven Ages of Woman and Demetrius...
, and antiquarians alike have confused the grandfather, Lord Borough, with the grandson, Sir Edward, throwing the Scrope-Parr marriage negotiations into the mix for good measure. The idea of twelve-year-old Catherine Parr
Catherine Parr
Catherine Parr ; 1512 – 5 September 1548) was Queen consort of England and Ireland and the last of the six wives of King Henry VIII of England. She married Henry VIII on 12 July 1543. She was the fourth commoner Henry had taken as his consort, and outlived him...
being sent away to marry an aged lunatic was a wonderful story filled with drama -- but nonetheless was a myth that can now be laid to rest. The truth, however, is not quite so lurid, though it had its own moments of drama.
Through recent research of documents and the will of Catherine Parr
Catherine Parr
Catherine Parr ; 1512 – 5 September 1548) was Queen consort of England and Ireland and the last of the six wives of King Henry VIII of England. She married Henry VIII on 12 July 1543. She was the fourth commoner Henry had taken as his consort, and outlived him...
's mother, biographers Susan James, Linda Porter
Linda Porter (historian)
Linda Porter was born in Exeter, Devon in 1947. Her family have long-standing connections to the West Country, but moved to the London area when she was a small child. She was educated at Walthamstow Hall School in Sevenoaks and at the University of York, from which she has a doctorate in History...
, David Starkey
David Starkey
David Starkey, CBE, FSA is a British constitutional historian, and a radio and television presenter.He was born the only child of Quaker parents, and attended Kendal Grammar School before entering Cambridge through a scholarship. There he specialised in Tudor history, writing a thesis on King...
, and Antonia Fraser
Antonia Fraser
Lady Antonia Margaret Caroline Fraser, DBE , née Pakenham, is an Anglo-Irish author of history, novels, biographies and detective fiction, best known as Antonia Fraser...
all confirm that Catherine married the 2nd Baron's grandson, who coincidentally shared his first name. As the dowry
Dowry
A dowry is the money, goods, or estate that a woman brings forth to the marriage. It contrasts with bride price, which is paid to the bride's parents, and dower, which is property settled on the bride herself by the groom at the time of marriage. The same culture may simultaneously practice both...
had not been fully paid, Maud Parr
Maud Green, Lady Parr
Maud Green was best known as the mother of Catherine Parr, the sixth wife of King Henry VIII of England. She was a close friend and lady-in-waiting to Catherine of Aragon...
in her will, dated May 1529, mentioned Sir Thomas, father of Edward, saying I am indebted to Sir Thomas Borough, knight, for the marriage of my daughter. At the time of his son's marriage, Sir Thomas, was thirty-five which would have made Edward around Catherine's age.
When Edward and Catherine
Catherine Parr
Catherine Parr ; 1512 – 5 September 1548) was Queen consort of England and Ireland and the last of the six wives of King Henry VIII of England. She married Henry VIII on 12 July 1543. She was the fourth commoner Henry had taken as his consort, and outlived him...
married in 1529, Sir Edward was in his early twenties and, although almost nothing is known about his character, it appears that his health kept him in a frail condition. Whether his physical health was frail or whether he inherited the bad seeds of his grandfather's lunacy is uncertain. There were also rumours that Edward may have been homosexual. Whatever his condition, Edward was competent enough for his father to allow him the duties and responsibilities of part of his inheritance — he served as both a feofee and a justice of peace.
Life at Gainsborough
Gainsborough Old Hall
Gainsborough Old Hall in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire is over five hundred years old and one of the best preserved medieval manor houses in England....
, was under an over-bearing father given to violent rages, and the memories of the recently deceased lunatic were prevalent. Sir Edward's father ruled his family with an iron hand, requiring absolute obedience. Some time after his marriage to Catherine, his father had another daughter-in-law, Elizabeth Owen, thrown out of the household and her children with his younger brother, Thomas, declared bastards. Sir Edward lived in constant fear of his own father.
The duty of Sir Edward's wife, Catherine, was to bear sons, which did not happen. Failure to do so, however, may not have been all her fault. Having been raised in a liberal and enlightened household maintained by her mother, Edward Borough's new bride was unused to the paternal tyranny of the household at Gainsborough. If Sir Thomas attempted to intimidate his daughter-in-law, he did not succeed. In fact, Sir Thomas came to find that Catherine was made of sterner stuff than his own sons. The historical record on whether or not Catherine was ever pregnant by Edward is silent. If she was, certainly no child lived to full term or survived infancy. Although her immediate family would have known, they, along with Catherine, never spoke of it and there is no record of children by Sir Edward.
For a time, Edward and Catherine lived with Edward's family at Gainsborough Old Hall
Gainsborough Old Hall
Gainsborough Old Hall in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire is over five hundred years old and one of the best preserved medieval manor houses in England....
. If his wife was homesick or unhappy, she had reason to be and wrote frequently to her mother for advice. Maud Parr
Maud Green, Lady Parr
Maud Green was best known as the mother of Catherine Parr, the sixth wife of King Henry VIII of England. She was a close friend and lady-in-waiting to Catherine of Aragon...
would travel north in 1530 to see Catherine and it is most likely at her urging that the couple move out of the Old Hall after two years of marriage. Sir Thomas was a steward to the manor of the soke of Kirton-in-Lindsey, a small village about ten miles above Gainsborough. Thomas was persuaded to secure a joint patent in survivorship with his son. In October 1530, Edward and Catherine moved to Kirton-in-Lindsey. It was a modest residence, but mainly it was away from Edward's family and was a household in which the couple could manage their own affairs. Instead of becoming the passive lady of the household, Edward's wife, Catherine, took control of the household immediately. It brought both Edward and Catherine great joy to be away from the Old Hall.
In 1532, Edward was named to the various commissions of peace that held session in the area, but by April of 1533, Edward and Catherine's marriage came to a fragile end when Edward Borough died. Sir Edward Burgh died never fulfilling the title of Lord (Baron) Burgh. His widow, Catherine, unable to remain at Kirton-in Lindsey, which belonged to her father-in-law, had limited options. Her in-laws showed no desire to have her move back into Gainsborough Old Hall. Sir Thomas turned over the income of two of his manors in Surrey and one in Kent as her dowry and that was the end of it. With no children from their marriage, she no longer had ties to the Boroughs and was most likely more than happy to be free from them.
Biographers of Catherine Parr
Catherine Parr
Catherine Parr ; 1512 – 5 September 1548) was Queen consort of England and Ireland and the last of the six wives of King Henry VIII of England. She married Henry VIII on 12 July 1543. She was the fourth commoner Henry had taken as his consort, and outlived him...
, Susan James and Linda Porter
Linda Porter (historian)
Linda Porter was born in Exeter, Devon in 1947. Her family have long-standing connections to the West Country, but moved to the London area when she was a small child. She was educated at Walthamstow Hall School in Sevenoaks and at the University of York, from which she has a doctorate in History...
, state that the younger Sir Edward Burgh died in the spring of 1533. Others state before April 1533.
On 28 February 1550, Edward's father was succeeded by Edward's younger brother, William, 2nd Baron Burgh.
Further reading
- Cole, Robert Eden George. History of the manor and township of Doddington, otherwise Doddington-Pigot, in the county of Lincoln and its successive owners, with pedigrees, James Williamson, Printer, 1897. pg 41-50. Google ebook