Edward Courtenay, 1st Earl of Devon (1485 creation) facts for kids
Edward Courtenay, 1st Earl of Devon (died 1509) was an important English nobleman. He was the first person to hold the title of Earl of Devon with this specific creation. He belonged to the very old and powerful Courtenay family. He was also a Knight of the Garter, which was a very special honor given by the king.
Who Was Edward Courtenay?
Edward Courtenay was born into a noble family. His father was Sir Hugh Courtenay of Boconnoc in Cornwall. His grandfather was also named Sir Hugh Courtenay, from Haccombe in Devon. The Courtenay family had many important members throughout history.
Edward's Role in History
Edward Courtenay's family strongly supported the Lancaster family during the Wars of the Roses. This was a long series of wars fought in England over who should be king.
When King Richard III was in power, Edward Courtenay secretly worked against him. He helped connect important people in England, like Margaret Beaufort and Elizabeth Woodville, with Henry Tudor. Henry Tudor was living in France at the time.
Edward Courtenay acted as a messenger, carrying secret plans between them. He then joined Henry Tudor when he came back to England. Edward fought alongside Henry at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. This battle was very important because Henry Tudor won and became King Henry VII.
Before this, the Courtenay family had lost their title of Earl of Devon. This happened because they supported the Lancasters, and the other side, the Yorks, had won for a while. After Henry VII became king, he rewarded Edward Courtenay for his loyalty. In 1485, King Henry VII made Edward Courtenay the Earl of Devon.
His Family Life
Edward Courtenay married Elizabeth Courtenay. She was the daughter of Sir Philip Courtenay of Molland. Edward and Elizabeth were actually distant cousins.
They had one son named William Courtenay, 1st Earl of Devon (died 1511). Sadly, William faced difficulties. He was put in prison during King Henry VII's reign. When Henry VII's son, Henry VIII, became king, William was released. However, he died before he could officially get his earldom back.
William's son, Henry Courtenay, 1st Marquess of Exeter, later became a marquess in 1525. But he also faced a sad end, being executed in 1539.
His Death and Burial
Edward Courtenay wrote his will on May 27, 1509. He died in the same month. He asked to be buried in a special chapel in Tiverton, next to his wife. This was a chapel where the Courtenay family used to be buried. He left money for religious services to be held there.
There was once a beautiful monument in the Tiverton chapel for Edward Courtenay and his wife. However, this monument was destroyed before the end of the 1500s. A historian named Tristram Risdon wrote about it. He said it had statues of Edward and his wife made of alabaster, which were once covered in gold. He also mentioned that there might have been a poem written on it.
