Sex

Male

Marital Status

Married

Spouse Name

Mary

Occupation Status

Knight

Remarks

Richard Egerton of Ridley was the son of Sir Rafe Egerton of Ridley and his wife, Margaret. He married Mary, daughter of Richard Grosvenor of Eaton and widow of Thomas Leigh of Adlington. Lady Mary Egerton was a prominent recusant and continued to be presented to the authorities until 1598, the year before her death.

Richard Egerton was the father of an illegitimate son, Thomas Egerton, 1^st Viscount Brackley, who was Lord Keeper and Lord Chancellor for more than two decades. He was perhaps able to use his position to protect his stepmother.

Sir Richard Egerton died in 1579, leaving extensive lands in several counties, and was buried at Bunbury.

Sources:

George Ormerod, The History of the County Palatine and City of Chester, (second edition, revised and enlarged by T. Helsby, 3 vols, London: George Routledge & Sons, 1882), vol ii, pp. 299, 301

J. Paul Rylands (ed.), The Visitation of Cheshire in the year 1580 (The Harleian Society, 18, 1882), p. 96

K. R. Wark, Elizabethan Recusancy in Cheshire (Chetham Society, 3rd series, 19, 1971), pp. 31, 49, 116, 148

Causes

EDC 5/13/2 – plaintiff

Sex

Male

Marital Status

Unknown

Remarks

Francis Ederman was born in Germany. It was said that he was the father of an illegitimate child called Francis, whose mother was Cecily Darcie, a married woman.

Causes

EDC 5/1580/3 – accused of adultery with defendant