Lord Edward Manners

3rd Earl of Rutland

Birth:

  Born: 12 July 1549

Death:

 Died: 14 April 1587, Puddle Wharf, London, England
 Father:

        Mother:

 Henry Manners 2 Earl. Rutland

Margaret Neville Countess. Rutland
 Married: 6 June 1573  Isabel, daughter of Sir Thomas Holcroft of Vale Royal, Cheshire
  Children: One daughter and sole heiress, named Elizabeth; who, in right of her father, became baroness Ros, and, at the age of thirteen, married William Cecil, esq; eldest son of Sir Thomas Cecil, knight, eldest son to lord Burghley, afterwards Earl of Exeter.
Personnel information Edward was the eldest son of Henry, second Earl of Rutland. He was educated at Oxford and Cambridge. He bore the title of Lord Roos or Ros, the old title of his family until 1563, when with the death of his father he became third Earl of Rutland. Edward was made one of the Queen's wards, and was specially under the charge of Sir William Cecil, who was connected with him by marriage.
In 1569, at 20 years of age and in ward to her majesty, he joined the Earl of Sussex, then lieutenant - general of her majesty’s forces, taking his tenants with him, and held a command in the army which suppressed the northern insurrection against the earls of Northumberland and Westmoreland. Edward was made lieutenant as also coronel of foot. In 1570 he passed into  At home he received many offices.  On 5 Aug 1570 he became constable of Nottingham Castle, and steward, keeper, warden, and chief justice of Sherwood Forest; in 1571 he was feodary of the duchy of Lancaster for the counties of Nottingham and Derby; in 1574 he was appointed lord-lieutenant of Nottinghamshire.

On Jun 1577 Rutland was placed on the ecclesiastical commission for the province of York, and in 1579 on the council of the north. In the grand tilting match of 1580 Rutland and twelve others contended with a similar number, headed by Essex, before the queen at Westminster. John Manners, managed his estate. On 23 Apr 1584 he became K.G., and on 14 Jun 1585 lord-lieutenant of Lincolnshire.

After negotiations with several other ladies like Frances Howard (daughter of William, lord Howard of Effingham, later Countess of Hertford) and Elizabeth Hastings (dau. of Francis, second Earl of Huntingdon, later Countess of Worcester), he married (later than Jan 1571-2) Isabel, daughter of Sir Thomas Holcroft of Vale Royal, Cheshire. His style of living was very expensive; when he went with his countess to London about 1586 he had with him forty-one servants, including a chaplain, trumpeter, gardener, and apothecary.

In Jun 1586 a commission was directed from Queen Elizabeth, leading to the ratification of a firm league of amity between her majesty and James the Sixth King of Scotland at Berwick. His uncle Roger wrote that his conduct had been approved by the court.

On 6 Oct he was one of the commissioners to try Mary Queen of Scots.

Camden relates, that the queen promised to make him Lord Chancellor after the death of Sir Thomas Bromley, which took place 12 Apr 1587, and he was for a day or two so styled. He died, however, on 14 Apr 1587. Camdem says that he was “being a profound lawyer, and a man accomplished with all polite learning.”

His funeral was very costly; his body was taken to Bottesford, Leicestershire, and buried in the church, where there is an epitaph.

The widow, who lived till 1606, was troubled with money difficulties owing to her husband’s debts, and engaged in litigation about his will. By Isabel he left one daughter and sole heiress, named Elizabeth; who, in right of her father, became baroness Ros, and, at the age of thirteen, married William Cecil, esq; eldest son of Sir Thomas Cecil, knight, eldest son to lord Burghley, afterwards Earl of Exeter.