William Courtenay (died 1630)


Sir William Courtenay, Knight, of Powderham in Devon was a prominent member of the Devonshire gentry. He was Sheriff of Devon in 1579–80 and received the rare honour of having been three times elected MP for the prestigious county seat in 1584, 1589 and 1601.

Origins

He was the only son and heir of Sir William Courtenay of Powderham, MP for Plympton Erle in 1555, by his wife Elizabeth Paulet, a daughter of John Paulet, 2nd Marquess of Winchester. He was 9th in descent from Hugh de Courtenay, 2nd Earl of Devon, of Tiverton Castle, feudal baron of Okehampton and feudal baron of Plympton, one of whose younger sons was Sir Philip Courtenay of Powderham, founder of the junior line of Courtenay of Powderham.

Career

In 1557 at the age of 4 he succeeded his father. He trained as a lawyer in the Middle Temple. He was knighted on 25 March 1576, served as Sheriff of Devon for 1579–80 and was also involved in the Munster Plantation in Ireland in the 1580s, being granted Desmond Hall and Castle in Newcastle West. Sir William was elected as a Member of Parliament for Devon in 1584, 1589 and 1601. In 1831 he was recognised by a retrospective decision of the House of Lords as having been de jure 3rd Earl of Devon.

Marriages and issue

He married three times:

First marriage

At some time between 18 January 1572 and 1573, he married firstly Elizabeth Manners, a daughter of Henry Manners, 2nd Earl of Rutland, and by her had seven sons and three daughters:
On 25 Aug 1595 he married secondly Elizabeth Sydenham, a daughter of Sir George Sydenham of Combe Sydenham in Somerset and widow of Admiral Sir Francis Drake.

Third marriage

Thirdly he married Jane Hill, a daughter of Robert Hill of Taunton, Somerset.

Death

He died in London on 24 June 1630 and was buried in Powderham Church, Devon.