Edward de Courtenay, 3rd/11th Earl of Devon (c.1357 – 5 December 1419), known by the epithet the "Blind Earl", was the son of Sir Edward de Courtenay and Emeline Dawnay, and in 1377 succeeded his grandfather, Hugh Courtenay, 10th Earl of Devon, as Earl of Devon. The ordinal number given to the early Courtenay Earls of Devon depends on whether the earldom is deemed a new creation by the letters patent granted 22 February 1334/5 or whether it is deemed a restitution of the old dignity of the de Redvers family. Authorities differ in their opinions,[1] and thus alternative ordinal numbers exist, given here.
Edward de Courtenay, 3rd/11th Earl of Devon
Arms of early Courtenay Earls of Devon: Or, three torteaux a label azure
Edward Courtenay, born about 1357, was the elder of two sons of Sir Edward de Courtenay (d. between 2 February 1368 and 1 April 1371) and Emeline or Emme Dawnay (c.1329 – 28 February 1371), daughter and heiress of Sir John Dawney (d.1346/7) by Sybil Treverbyn. He succeeded to the earldom at the age of 20 at the death of his grandfather, Hugh Courtenay, 10th Earl of Devon, on 2 May 1377.[2]
Courtenay had a younger brother, Sir Hugh Courtenay of Haccombe and Bampton (after 1358 – 5 or 6 March 1425), who married successively Elizabeth Fitzpayn, Elizabeth Cogan, Philippa Arcedekne, and Maud Beaumont.[3]
Career
Sir John Dawney (d.1346/7) is said to have held 'fifteen large manors in Cornwall' which came to the Courtenay family through Edward Courtenay's marriage to Emeline Dawney.[4] In 1378 Courtenay proved his age, and had livery of the lands of his mother and his grandfather, the 10th Earl.[5]
Like his ancestors, Courtenay was a soldier. He served in the Scottish wars and after some success was knighted in 1380 by the Earl of Buckingham. The following year King Richard II sent Courtenay as an emissary to escort his Queen Elizabeth of Bohemia from Gravelines harbour to London for her marriage. In 1383 he was appointed Admiral of the West, responsible for policing the seas off the coasts of Devon and Cornwall; his brother Sir Hugh Courtenay was a famed pirate. The Council believed that the Earl should protect the River Exe as French pirates had attempted several incursions into the Devonshire interior.[citation needed] Edward however was more of a soldier and relinquished his naval post. He was appointed to the King's Council which in 1395 attended Richard II in Westminster Hall. By 1400, the Earl was blind. He had probably contracted a disease such as leprosy or erysipelas which attacked the retina in his eyes.[citation needed]
Courtenay died on 5 December 1419, directing in his will that he be buried at Forde Abbey. A 'magnificent monument' at Tiverton Castle, said to be his and destroyed about the end of the 16th century, bore the following inscription, according to Thomas Risdon's Survey of Devon (1630):
Ho, ho who lies here? I, the good Earle of Devonshire, And Mauld my wife that was full deare, We lived together LV yeare. That we spent we had: That we gave we have: That we left we lost.''
However, as Cokayne points out, this inscription is 'certainly far from contemporary' with the 11th Earl's death.[6]
Marriage and children
Alabaster effigy of Elizabeth Courtenay (d.1471) in St Dubricius Church, Porlock, Somerset
Drawing from 1890 of effigies in Church of St Dubricius, Porlock, of John Harington, 4th Baron Harington (d.1418) and his wife Elizabeth Courtenay (d.1471), daughter of Edward de Courtenay, 3rd Earl of Devon (d.1419)
A boar, which animals were used as heraldic supporters by the Courtenay Earls of Devon, serves as the footrest to the effigy of Elizabeth Courtenay at Porlock Church
^Watson, in Cokayne, The Complete Peerage, new edition, IV, p.324 & footnote (c): "This would appear more like a restitution of the old dignity than the creation of a new earldom"; Debrett's Peerage however gives the ordinal numbers as if a new earldom had been created. (Montague-Smith, P.W. (ed.), Debrett's Peerage, Baronetage, Knightage and Companionage, Kelly's Directories Ltd, Kingston-upon-Thames, 1968, p.353)
M. Cherry, 'The Crown and the Political Community in Devonshire, 1377-1461' (Unpublished PhD Thesis, University of Wales, Swansea, 1981).
M. Cherry, "The Disintegration of a Dominant Medieval Affinity: the Courtenay family", in: Southern History; 1979 & 1986.
Cokayne, George Edward (1916). The Complete Peerage, edited by Vicary Gibbs. Vol. IV. London: St. Catherine Press.
Lodge, John, rev. by Mervyn Archdall (1789). The Peerage of Ireland. Vol. V. Dublin: James Moore. Retrieved 25 October 2012.
Richardson, Douglas (2011). Magna Carta Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, ed. Kimball G. Everingham. Vol. I (2nd ed.). Salt Lake City.
Richardson, Douglas (2011). Everingham, Kimball G. (ed.). Magna Carta Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families. Vol. IV (2nd ed.). Salt Lake City, Utah. ISBN978-1460992708.
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Edward de Courtenay 3rd 11th Earl of Devon c 1357 5 December 1419 known by the epithet the Blind Earl was the son of Sir Edward de Courtenay and Emeline Dawnay and in 1377 succeeded his grandfather Hugh Courtenay 10th Earl of Devon as Earl of Devon The ordinal number given to the early Courtenay Earls of Devon depends on whether the earldom is deemed a new creation by the letters patent granted 22 February 1334 5 or whether it is deemed a restitution of the old dignity of the de Redvers family Authorities differ in their opinions 1 and thus alternative ordinal numbers exist given here Edward de Courtenay 3rd 11th Earl of DevonArms of early Courtenay Earls of Devon Or three torteaux a label azureBornc 1357Died5 December 1419buried at Forde AbbeyNoble familyCourtenaySpouse s Maud CamoysIssueSir Edward CourtenayHugh Courtenay 12th Earl of DevonFatherSir Edward de CourtenayMotherEmeline DawneyRuins of Tiverton Castle seat of the Earls of Devon Contents 1 Family 2 Career 3 Marriage and children 4 Footnotes 5 ReferencesFamily EditEdward Courtenay born about 1357 was the elder of two sons of Sir Edward de Courtenay d between 2 February 1368 and 1 April 1371 and Emeline or Emme Dawnay c 1329 28 February 1371 daughter and heiress of Sir John Dawney d 1346 7 by Sybil Treverbyn He succeeded to the earldom at the age of 20 at the death of his grandfather Hugh Courtenay 10th Earl of Devon on 2 May 1377 2 Courtenay had a younger brother Sir Hugh Courtenay of Haccombe and Bampton after 1358 5 or 6 March 1425 who married successively Elizabeth Fitzpayn Elizabeth Cogan Philippa Arcedekne and Maud Beaumont 3 Career EditSir John Dawney d 1346 7 is said to have held fifteen large manors in Cornwall which came to the Courtenay family through Edward Courtenay s marriage to Emeline Dawney 4 In 1378 Courtenay proved his age and had livery of the lands of his mother and his grandfather the 10th Earl 5 Like his ancestors Courtenay was a soldier He served in the Scottish wars and after some success was knighted in 1380 by the Earl of Buckingham The following year King Richard II sent Courtenay as an emissary to escort his Queen Elizabeth of Bohemia from Gravelines harbour to London for her marriage In 1383 he was appointed Admiral of the West responsible for policing the seas off the coasts of Devon and Cornwall his brother Sir Hugh Courtenay was a famed pirate The Council believed that the Earl should protect the River Exe as French pirates had attempted several incursions into the Devonshire interior citation needed Edward however was more of a soldier and relinquished his naval post He was appointed to the King s Council which in 1395 attended Richard II in Westminster Hall By 1400 the Earl was blind He had probably contracted a disease such as leprosy or erysipelas which attacked the retina in his eyes citation needed Courtenay died on 5 December 1419 directing in his will that he be buried at Forde Abbey A magnificent monument at Tiverton Castle said to be his and destroyed about the end of the 16th century bore the following inscription according to Thomas Risdon s Survey of Devon 1630 Ho ho who lies here I the good Earle of Devonshire And Mauld my wife that was full deare We lived together LV yeare That we spent we had That we gave we have That we left we lost However as Cokayne points out this inscription is certainly far from contemporary with the 11th Earl s death 6 Marriage and children Edit Alabaster effigy of Elizabeth Courtenay d 1471 in St Dubricius Church Porlock Somerset Drawing from 1890 of effigies in Church of St Dubricius Porlock of John Harington 4th Baron Harington d 1418 and his wife Elizabeth Courtenay d 1471 daughter of Edward de Courtenay 3rd Earl of Devon d 1419 A boar which animals were used as heraldic supporters by the Courtenay Earls of Devon serves as the footrest to the effigy of Elizabeth Courtenay at Porlock ChurchCourtenay married Maud Camoys the daughter of Sir John de Camoys 7 of Gressenhall Norfolk by his second wife Elizabeth le Latimer the daughter of William le Latimer 3rd Baron Latimer 8 They had three sons and a daughter 9 Sir Edward de Courtenay c 1385 1418 who married before 20 November 1409 Eleanor Mortimer second daughter of Roger Mortimer 4th Earl of March by Eleanor Holland daughter of Thomas Holland 2nd Earl of Kent They had no children 10 Hugh de Courtenay 12th Earl of Devon 1389 16 June 1422 who married Anne Talbot daughter of Richard Talbot 4th Baron Talbot d 8 or 9 September 1396 by Ankaret d 1 June 1413 daughter of John Le Strange 4th Baron Strange of Blackmere Anne Talbot was the sister of John Talbot 1st Earl of Shrewsbury c 1392 17 July 1453 whom Thomas Nashe termed brave Talbot the terror of the French 11 James Courtenay who died childless 12 Elizabeth Courtenay who married John 4th Lord Harington in 1411 After his death 11 April 1418 she remarried to William Bonville 1st Baron Bonville 1392 1461 a childless marriage She died on 28 October 1471 13 Footnotes Edit Watson in Cokayne The Complete Peerage new edition IV p 324 amp footnote c This would appear more like a restitution of the old dignity than the creation of a new earldom Debrett s Peerage however gives the ordinal numbers as if a new earldom had been created Montague Smith P W ed Debrett s Peerage Baronetage Knightage and Companionage Kelly s Directories Ltd Kingston upon Thames 1968 p 353 Cokayne 1916 p 325 Richardson I 2011 pp 239 43 540 7 Cokayne 1916 p 325 Richardson I 2011 pp 546 8 Lodge 1789 pp 72 3 Richardson I 2011 p 546 Cokayne 1916 p 325 Cokayne misidentifies her as the daughter of Thomas Lord Camoys Richardson I 2011 pp 397 8 546 7 Richardson I 2011 pp 387 8 546 Richardson I 2011 p 547 Cokayne 1916 p 326 Richardson I 2011 p 547 Richardson IV 2011 pp 167 70 Richardson I 2011 p 547 Richardson I 2011 pp 255 6 References EditM Cherry The Crown and the Political Community in Devonshire 1377 1461 Unpublished PhD Thesis University of Wales Swansea 1981 M Cherry The Disintegration of a Dominant Medieval Affinity the Courtenay family in Southern History 1979 amp 1986 Cokayne George Edward 1916 The Complete Peerage edited by Vicary Gibbs Vol IV London St Catherine Press Lodge John rev by Mervyn Archdall 1789 The Peerage of Ireland Vol V Dublin James Moore Retrieved 25 October 2012 Richardson Douglas 2011 Magna Carta Ancestry A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families ed Kimball G Everingham Vol I 2nd ed Salt Lake City Richardson Douglas 2011 Everingham Kimball G ed Magna Carta Ancestry A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families Vol IV 2nd ed Salt Lake City Utah ISBN 978 1460992708 Peerage of EnglandPreceded byHugh Courtenay Earl of Devon1377 1419 Succeeded byHugh Courtenay Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Edward de Courtenay 3rd 11th Earl of Devon amp oldid 1125730176, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
