Edward De Courtenay 1st Earl of Devon created 1485 ¹

  General Notes:

Sir Edward Courtenay (d.1509), great-nephew of the 3rd/11th Earl, fought on the winning side at Bosworth on 22 August 1485, ending the Wars of the Roses and two months later the new King, Henry VII (1485\endash 1509), by letters patent dated 16 October 1485, created Edward Courtenay Earl of Devon (or Devonshire), with the usual remainder to the heirs male of his body.[31]

As the son and heir of Sir Hugh Courtenay (died 1471/2) of Bocconoc, Sir Edward Courtenay was the heir male of his family, his father being the son and heir of Sir Hugh Courtenay of Haccombe, younger brother of Edward de Courtenay, 3rd/11th Earl of Devon (d.1419), "The Blind".

He united the Tiverton and Powderham lines of the family, having married Elizabeth Courtenay, a daughter of a younger son of the Powderham line. He died 28 May 1509, when the earldom was forfeited by the attainder in 1504 of his son and heir, William Courtenay (d.1511).


Origins
Edward Courtenay was the son of Sir Hugh Courtenay (c.1427\endash 6 May 1471) of Boconnoc in Cornwall, son of Sir Hugh Courtenay (aft 1358\endash 5 or 6 March 1425) of Haccombe in Devon, younger brother of Edward de Courtenay, 3rd/11th Earl of Devon (d. 1419).

Career
A member of a family that had consistently supported the Lancastrian cause throughout the Wars of the Roses, Courtenay became involved with the opposition to King Richard III in the 1480s, having secret dealings with Margaret Beaufort, the dowager queen Elizabeth Woodville, and the latter's son Thomas Grey, 1st Marquess of Dorset. He acted a courier between the conspirators in England and Henry Tudor's entourage in France, and accompanied Henry on his expedition to England and fought for him at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485.

Raised to Earldom of Devon
Their Lancastrian partisanship had led to the forfeiture of the Courtenay earldom of Devon under Edward IV. On the restoration of Henry VI in 1470, John Courtenay, 7th/15th Earl of Devon had been restored to the earldom, but was attainted by Edward IV on his return to power in 1471 and killed shortly afterwards at the Battle of Tewkesbury.

Edward Courtenay, as the senior surviving descendant of the previous Courtenay earls, and as a reward for his support, was created earl of Devon by the new king Henry VII in 1485.

Marriage and progeny
He married Elizabeth Courtenay, daughter of Sir Philip Courtenay (b. 1445) of Molland, granddaughter of Sir Philip Courtenay (d. 1463) of Powderham by Elizabeth Hungerford, daughter of Walter Hungerford, 1st Baron Hungerford (d. 1449). Edward and Elizabeth his wife were third cousins once removed, sharing a common descent from Hugh de Courtenay, 2nd/10th Earl of Devon (d. 1377). They had the following progeny, an only son:[1]

William Courtenay, 1st Earl of Devon (d.1511), attainted 1504, imprisoned during the reign of Henry VII and released by his son Henry VIII but died before being formally restored to the earldom. His son Henry Courtenay, 1st Marquess of Exeter was restored in blood and honours and created a marquess in 1525, but beheaded in 1539 for conspiring to place Reginald Pole upon the throne.[2]
Death and burial
Edward made his will on 27 May 1509 and died in the same month, possibly only hours later. His will was proved at Lambeth on 15 July 1509. He requested to be buried in "the chapel at Tiverton", next to his wife. This refers to the now demolished Courtenay chantry chapel, within St Peter's Church, the parish church of Tiverton, next to Tiverton Castle, which once contained no doubt many richly decorated Courtenay family monuments. To this chantry he left lands of the yearly value of £4 for the performance of religious rites.[3] ²

Edward married Elizabeth De Courtenay, daughter of Sir Philip De Courtenay Lord of Molland, Sheriff of Devon in 1470, Member of Parliment and Elizabeth Wonwell. (Elizabeth De Courtenay was born about 1460 in Molland, North Devon District, Devon, England, died about 1509 in Tiverton, Mid Devon District, Devon, England and was buried in St Peter Churchyard, Tiverton, Mid Devon District, Devon, England ³.)

Edward next married Alice Wotton, daughter of John Wotton and Joan Johanna Damerell, in 1493 in Landrake, Cornwall, England. (Alice Wotton was born about 1473 in Wotton Parish, Landrake, Cornwall, England, died on 29 Sep 1533 in Ladock, Cornwall, England and was buried in Ladock Parish Cemetery, Ladock, Cornwall Unitary Authority, Cornwall, England.)