Stained glass portrait said to be of Francis Norris

Francis Norris, 1st Earl of Berkshire (6 July 1579 – 31 January 1622) was an English nobleman with the title of

Earl of Berkshire Earl of Berkshire is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of England. It was created for the first time in 1621 for Francis Norris, 1st Earl of Berkshire. For more information on this creation (which became extinct on his death in ...

. He was the son of Captain

Sir William Norreys Sir William Norreys (c. 1441 – before 10 January 1507) was a famous Lancastrian soldier, and later an Esquire of the Body to King Edward IV. Probably born at Yattendon Castle, William was the eldest son of Sir John Norreys of Ockwells an ...

(d. 1579) and Elizabeth Morison, daughter of

Sir Richard Morrison Sir Richard Morrison (1767 – 31 October 1849 / 1844Philip Smith (writer), ''An Introduction to the Architectural Heritage of County Wicklow'' (Dublin: Wordwell Press / Government of Ireland, Department of the Environment, Heritage, and Local Gov ...

Cassiobury The Cassiobury Estate is a suburban residential area of Watford in Hertfordshire, England. It is bounded to the south by Cassiobury Park, the main public park in the town, to the west by playing fields next to the River Gade, and to the northe ...

Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is one of the home counties in southern England. It borders Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the north, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south, and Buckinghamshire to the west. For govern ...

, and was born at

Wytham Wytham ( ) is a village and civil parish on the Seacourt Stream, a branch of the River Thames, about northwest of the centre of Oxford. It is just west of the Western By-Pass Road, part of the Oxford Ring Road ( A34). The nearest village is ...

Berkshire Berkshire ( ; in the 17th century sometimes spelt phonetically as Barkeshire; abbreviated Berks.) is a historic county in South East England. One of the home counties, Berkshire was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II as the Royal County of Berk ...

(now

Oxfordshire Oxfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the north west of South East England. It is a mainly rural county, with its largest settlement being the city of Oxford. The county is a centre of research and development, primarily ...

). He married

Bridget de Vere Bridget Norris (née de Vere), Countess of Berkshire (6 April 1584 – December 1630/March 1631) was an English noblewoman, the daughter of Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford. Bridget was brought up by her maternal grandfather, the powerful st ...

, although they later separated. The marriage gave Norris access to Bridget's uncle Sir Robert Cecil who was at the heart of the Elizabethan government. Their only issue was

Elizabeth Norris Elizabeth Norris, 3rd Baroness Norreys of Rycote, ''suo jure'' (c. 1603 – November 1645) was an English noblewoman. She was the wife of Edward Wray, Groom of the Bedchamber to King James I of England, with whom she eloped in 1622, and incurr ...

. He held the titles Baron Norris of

Rycote Rycote is a hamlet southwest of Thame in Oxfordshire. The Oxfordshire Way long-distance path passes through. Saint Michael's chapel Richard and Sybil Quartermayne, lord and lady of the manor of Rycote, founded Saint Michael's chapel as a cha ...

, 1st Viscount Thame and 1st Earl of Berkshire. He was sent to Fleet Prison after attacking Lord Scrope in front of the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the Bicameralism, upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by Life peer, appointment, Hereditary peer, heredity or Lords Spiritual, official function. Like the ...

. He shot himself with a crossbow on 29 January 1622 and died two days later on 31 January. His estates and titles became forfeit to the crown. His daughter was later given his barony. His illegitimate son Francis was knighted and appointed

High Sheriff of Oxfordshire The High Sheriff of Oxfordshire, in common with other counties, was originally the King's representative on taxation upholding the law in Saxon times. The word Sheriff evolved from 'shire-reeve'. The title of High Sheriff is therefore much olde ...

in 1636. He was buried at Dorchester, Oxfordshire.

Notes

References

* * 1579 births 1622 deaths Earls of Berkshire 2 People from Vale of White Horse (district) 16th-century English nobility 17th-century English nobility

Francis Francis may refer to: People *Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State and Bishop of Rome *Francis (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters *Francis (surname) Places * Rural M ...

Inmates of Fleet Prison Suicides by firearm in England British politicians who committed suicide 17th-century suicides {{England-earl-stub