Henry RADCLIFFE

(4th E. Sussex)

Born: ABT 1530/2

Acceded: 1583

Died: 10 Apr/14 Dec 1593

Buried: 19 Jan 1593/4, Boreham, Essex, England

Notes: Knight of the Garter. 10º B. Fitzwalter The Complete Peerage vol.V,p.488. 4°Viscount FitzWalter / The Complete Peerage vol.XIIp1,p.525-526.

Father: Henry RADCLIFFE (2° E. Sussex)

Mother: Elizabeth HOWARD (C. Sussex)

Married: Honora POUND (dau. of Anthony Pound of Drayton, Farlington, Hants) 6 Feb 1549

Children:

1. Robert RADCLIFFE (5º E. Sussex)

The details in this biography come from the History of Parliament, a biographical dictionary of Members of the House of Commons.

Born by 1533, second son of Henry Radcliffe, 2nd Earl of Sussex, by his first wife, Elizabeth, dau. of Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk; bro. of Sir Thomas; married lic. 6 Feb 1549, Honora, dau. and coh. of Anthony Pound of Drayton in Farlington, Hants (d.1547), 1s. Kntd. 2 Oct 1553; suceeded his brother as 4th Earl of Sussex 9 Jun 1583; KG nom. 22 Apr; inst. 19 Dec 1589.  Sewer by 1556; PC [I] 1557; Lt. Leix and Offaly 1557-64; constable, Portchester castle and Lt. Southbere forest 14 Jun 1560; jt. steward, crown possessions in Essex 1561; warden and caps. Portsmouth May 1571-d., high steward 9 Sep 1590-d.; j.p.q. Hants 1573/74, commr. musters by 1576, jt. (with William Paulet, 3rd Marquess of Winchester) ld. lt. 1585- d.; trier of petitions in the Lords, Parlts. of 1586, 1589, 1593.

Henry Radcliffe can have been scarcely of age when Edward VI died but he was already married, for in May 1553 his wife and her sister came into their inheritance in Hampshire. He and his father early declared their support for Mary and he was knighted at her coronation. The Earl, a great landowner in Essex, obtained one of the Maldon seats in the Queen's first Parliament for his servant John Raymond, and undoubtedly did the same for his son two years later. As a Member of this Parliament Radcliffe is not listed as having voted against one of the government's bills, as did his uncle Sir Humphrey Radcliffe, but both were doubtless concerned with the unsuccessful bill for the Countess of Sussex's jointure. In Jul 1556 Radcliffe was granted by the Queen an annuity of 50 marks for his services, and in the following year he went to Ireland in the service of the lord deputy, his brother Thomas, Earl of Sussex since the death of their father in Feb 1557. The two brothers returned to attend Elizabeth's coronation and to sit in her first Parliament, but then went back to Ireland, from which Radcliffe came home for good in 1565. Sir Henry Radcliffe together with Sir George Delves and Sir Henry Stanley, reported on the state of that country in 1564.

He was to sit twice more in the Commons and after succeeding to the earldom he took his place in the Lords.

By 1587 he was writing to the Queen about his own and his family’s debts, and his deteriorating financial situation was exacerbated by a dispute with the dowager Countess of Sussex. He also had differences with his fellow lord lieutenant about the Hampshire defences. He made his will a few days before his death on 14 Dec 1593. The son and heir, Robert, was executor and residuary legatee.

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