Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Dedication
- Contents
- List of Illustrations
- List of Abbreviations
- Acknowledgements
- Editorial Procedures
- Introduction
- Part I Roots 1548–1562
- 1 Oxford's Essex
- 2 Progenitors
- 3 Doubtful Marriage
- 4 Infancy and Childhood
- 5 The Education of Lord Bolbec
- 6 Long Live the Queen
- 7 The Earl is Dead
- Part II Youth 1562–1571
- Part III Emancipation 1571–1574
- Part IV Exploration 1574–1576
- Part V Alienation 1576–1579
- Part VI Intrigue 1579–1580
- Part VII Sedition 1580–1581
- Part VIII Release 1581–1585
- Part IX Reiteration 1586–1591
- Part X Renewal 1592–1595
- Part XI Re-engagement 1595–1599
- Part XII Decline 1600–1604
- Part XIII Aftermath 1604–1613
- Notes
- Appendix: Oxford's Letters and Libel Documents
- Bibliography
- Index
- Liverpool English texts and Studies
1 - Oxford's Essex
from Part I - Roots 1548–1562
- Frontmatter
- Dedication
- Contents
- List of Illustrations
- List of Abbreviations
- Acknowledgements
- Editorial Procedures
- Introduction
- Part I Roots 1548–1562
- 1 Oxford's Essex
- 2 Progenitors
- 3 Doubtful Marriage
- 4 Infancy and Childhood
- 5 The Education of Lord Bolbec
- 6 Long Live the Queen
- 7 The Earl is Dead
- Part II Youth 1562–1571
- Part III Emancipation 1571–1574
- Part IV Exploration 1574–1576
- Part V Alienation 1576–1579
- Part VI Intrigue 1579–1580
- Part VII Sedition 1580–1581
- Part VIII Release 1581–1585
- Part IX Reiteration 1586–1591
- Part X Renewal 1592–1595
- Part XI Re-engagement 1595–1599
- Part XII Decline 1600–1604
- Part XIII Aftermath 1604–1613
- Notes
- Appendix: Oxford's Letters and Libel Documents
- Bibliography
- Index
- Liverpool English texts and Studies
Summary
On 12 April 1550 a son was born to John de Vere, 16th Earl of Oxford, probably at Castle Hedingham in rural Essex. Noting the time of birth, the Earl consulted his astrologers (Fig. 1). The news was dire:
The mathematicians that calculated the nativity of this Earl Edward told the Earl his father that the earldom would fall in the son's time.
The earldom did in fact shrink almost to nothing during the life of the child now born.
The lands that supported the Oxford earldom lay not in Oxfordshire, but in Essex, just east of London and its adjoining county of Middlesex. Losses by 1594, ten years before Edward's own death, may be appreciated from John Norden's ‘Historical and Chorographical Description of the County of Essex’. Norden begins with a general description:
This shire is moste fatt, frutefull, and full of profitable thinges, exceding (as farr as I can finde) anie other shire for the generall commodities, and the plentie. Thowgh Suffolke be more highlie comended of some[,] wherwith I am not yet acquaynted: But this shire seemeth to me to deserue the title of the englishe Goshen[,] the fattest of the Lande: comparable to Palestina, that flowed with milke and hunnye. But I can not commende the healthfulnes of it: And especiallie nere the sea coastes, Rochford, Dengre, Tendering hundredes and other lowe places about the creekes, which gaue me a most cruell quarterne feuer. But the manie and sweete commodities counteruayle the daunger. … (p. 7)
The principal Oxford estates lay in the north-east quadrant of the shire:
… aboute the hundredes of Waltham, Onger, Becontre, and muche of the libertie of Hauering, are for the moste parte woodes and woodie groundes, and foreste, as the moste part of Essex in time paste hath bene. This forest is well replenished with deere red and fallow, whoe seeme noe good neighbors to the foreste inhabitantes: but the kindnes which they receyue of the forest, may worke their patience towardes the game. Ther is also nere Hatfeylde Broadokes a chace called Hatfeylde Chace[,] a grounde well replenished with fallow deare. This shire seemeth not anie wher altogether destitute of wood, thowgh no wher well stored. / It is full of parkes. … (p. 9)
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- Information
- Monstrous AdversaryThe Life of Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, pp. 7 - 8Publisher: Liverpool University PressPrint publication year: 2003