Robert
RICH
(1st E. Warwick)
Born: ABT 1562
Acceded: 1618
Died: 24 Mar 1618, Felsted, Essex, England
Father: Robert
RICH (2° B. Rich of Leez)
Mother: Elizabeth
BALDRY
Married: Penelope
DEVEREUX (B. Rich) 1581 DIVORCED 15 Nov 1605
Children:
1.
Robert RICH (2° E. Warwick)
2. Henry
RICH (1º E. Holland)
3. Charles
RICH (d. 1627)
4. Lettice (Lucy) RICH
5. Penelope
RICH
6. Essex RICH
7. Isabel RICH
Married 2: Frances WRAY (C. Warwick) (dau. of Christopher Wray
and Anne Girlington)
On 10 Mar 1580/1, the
Earl of Huntingdon, applied through
Lord Burghley for the Queen's consent to
his guard, Penelope Devereux, union with another suitor. Catherine
Dudley, C. Huntingdon, succeeded in making for her the best possible
marriage match; the young and eligible
Lord Rich
who had just succeed to his title and considerable property. The
marriage proved a disaster.
Robert Rich was not the most
pleasant of people and was described as being of a foul and vindictive
disposition and of nasty temper. There is a story that Penelope Devereaux was
forced to marry him. This was in spite of stamping her feet and refusing in the
ceremony and having to be taken into the vestry by her uncle and persuaded by
the threat that she would be turned penniless out into the street if she didn't.
Before 1595, Penelope became
the mistress of
Charles Blount, Lord Mountjoy, and the three sons and two
daughters of whom she became the mother after that date were subsequently
acknowledged by
Mountjoy to be his childred. Lord Rich could hardly have been ignorant of his wife's conduct, but he made no
outward sign.
After the execution of her brother, Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex in 1601,
Lord Rich, by her own statement, abandoned
Penelope. Thereforth, she lived in open adultery with
Lord Mountjoy, but suffered no
loss of esteem at court in consequence.
By mutual arrangement, a divorce "a
mensa et thoro" was obtained. To be fair to Lord Rich he did
abide by the conditions of the divorce settlement whereas she didn't. Only when
she knew she was at death's door did she ask for his forgiveness which he
willingly gave her as she forgave him. This of course was to make the score
sheet look good when either appeared at the pearly gates and was a common thing
to do in those days. It was only after
Penelope's death did he look for another wife.
He at once took advantage of
his
release to marry Frances, daughter of Lord Chief Justice Sir Christopher Wray.
Frances Wray came from Glentworth just three or four miles across the
ridge where she lived at Glentworth Hall. She was married
at the age of 15 to Sir George St. Pol and after 13 years (according to
John
Chadwick, Chaplain to King James I in 1597 but the figures do not tally
accurately), she had the daughter Mattathia who's effigy lies in the
alcove below her. Tragically this only daughter died before her second
birthday and was followed some 16 years later by Sir George, a man once
described by
Lord Burghley as "one of the best men in the
country".
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After being a widow for three years Frances
married Robert Rich of Leez Priory at Felstead in Essex, the gentleman
with the full faced painted portrait on the medallion memorial to the
left of Sir George St Pol's tomb. He appears on this wall memorial as
the Earl of Warwick with his Countess behind him shown half faced
profile with a coronet upon her head. This countess of course is Frances as her husband
Rich purchased the title from a cash strapped King James I. for £10,000. In 1618, only a few months after buying
his title Lord Rich, Earl of Warwick was dead and buried in a vault at
Felstead. Countess Frances rowed with Lord Rich's son,
Robert, second Earl of Warwick, who considered
she had taken advantage of his father's trusting nature. Frances had
made a marriage agreement with Lord Rich in that if she died first he
would get her entire estate and if he did she would get a considerable
part of his. What Rich was not told was that despite the fact that
Frances received £1,700 a year from Sir George's considerable estate
(mega - bucks in modern money) she actually owned no property except
the house in Snarford as it all went to two nephews.
Frances took what was due to her from Rich's estate and retired to Snarford
once more to carry out in the area her good and charitable works to the end of
her days.
Although Frances is portrayed on both of the memorials in Snarford, on her
death she was taken and Buried in the vault with Lord Rich at Felstead where
no memorial of any kind to either exists. The son being of just a nasty
disposition as his father he would not erect a stone to him or Frances.
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