WINCHILSBA, 177 WINCHILSEA. Earldom. 1, Elizadbto, sxio jure Yisoountbss Maidstonb, was I. 1628. ^:» ^^ -^"^y ^^'^^» COUNTKSS OF WINCHILSEA,(«) co. Sunez, with rem. of that Earldom to the heirs male of her body. She wm b, nboiit 1557, being da. and h. of Sir Thomas Hbnbaor, of Copt Hall, CO. Essex. Chanoellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, by his first wife Anue, dn. of Sir Nichohis Potktk, of Acton, co. Qloucester, and was, on the death of the said Anne (her mother), 30 Not. 1593, aged 30. She m., before 15 Jan. 1576, Sir Moyle FiKCH, of Ksstwell, CO. Kent, who was er. a Baronet 29 July 1611, and who cf. 18 Dec. 1614, and was bur. at Eastwell M.I. Funeral certif. at Coll. of Arms. Will pr. 1616. Hin willow, (*)) after some efforts as early as 161 8(o) to obtain a peerage, was (as Dame Klixabcth Finch) er., 8 July 1623, VISCOUNTESS MAIDSTONB, oo. Kent, with rem. of that Viscountc^ to the hoira m:ile of her body,('l) being, 6 years later, tr,^ 11 July 1628, Oounteu of irinchiUea as abovestated.(<l) She <L at Eastwell 23 March 1633/4, .igefl about 76, and was bur, 5 April 1634, at Eastwell. M.L Funeral oertiC at Coll. of Arms. Will pr. 1634. II. 1634. 9. Thomas (FiKcn), Earl op Winchilsba and Viscount Maidstonk, also a Bsronet, 2d but 1st surv. s. and h. of his said mother {^) b. about 1575 ; was knif/hUd 8 Jan. 1608/9, at Whitehall ; sue. his eldest hr. aa 3d Burt, between 1614 and 1623 ; was M.P. for Wiucholsea, 1621-22, and for CO. Rent, 1628-20 ; ttpled Viscount Maidhtonii from 1628 till he tue, to the peerage, M above, 12 March 1633/4. He si. in 1699. Cioely, sister of Sir John Wentwouth, Burt, da. of John W. of Gosfield, co. Essex, by Cicely, da. and coheir of Sir l<>lward Untok. He ci. 4 Nov. 1639, at his house in Charterhouae yard and was bur, at Eastwell. Will dat 23 Oct to 4 Nov. 1639, pr. 12 Oct. 1640. His widow d. 1642, and was bur, at Eastwell. Will dat 17 May and pr. 1 Dec 1642. III. 1639. 3, Hbnbaob (Fikch), Earl of Winchilsba, tc, Ist s. and h ; 5. about 1620 ; ed. at Emman. Coll., Cambridge ; itpled Viscount Maidqtons fi-om 1631 till hetti^. to the peerage, as above, 4 Nov. 1639 ; took an active part, on the side of the King, in the civil war ; Qov. of Dover Castle at the (*) Wincliilsea is the orthography in the "Peers Rolls," and is doubtless that of the patent, but in the " Creations, 1483-1616," in ap. 47th llep. D. K. Pub. Records, it is spelt " Winchelsea.*' (t») Lord Cnrew, in a letter, Jan. 1614/5, speaks of her as being " pressed with suitors, being, as I take it, the richest widow in present estate both in jointure, moveables, and inheritance of her own that is in England." (e) J. Chamberlain writes to Sir D. Carleton, 7 Nov. 1618, that Uie "example" of the recent creation of the Countess of Buckingham *' they sav hath drawn on the Lady Finch to become a Countess, if the bargain go on 'twixt her and the Lord of Doucnstcr for Copt Hnll and all the land about it in Essex." In "CoUim,** vol. iii, p. 382, is this note to the Viscountcy of 1623. "See a letter of Lord Bacon in the Cabitta, and the account of Arthur Wilson of the purchaie of the peerage, which raised much talk and wonder at the time. The price is said to have been the Lady's fine seat at Copt Hall in Ehscx as a bribe to Lonl Treasurer Cranfield." Ihis estate in Epping pari«h had, in 1561, been granted to her father, Sir Thomas Heneagei The sale is elxewhere spoken of as being acoompnuiod with £7,000 in cash, and a suite of tapestry hangings. There is lucong Earl Delawarr*s MSS. at Knole, co. Kent, a memoratidum dated 1623, stating that her son and heir ap., Thomas Finch, and his wife had agreed with Sir Arthur Ingram that, if Ijody Finch was made a ViHconntesa, they would grant to him Copt Hull in Essex, and |mrk and the manor of Gladwin's, redeemable on the payment of £13,000 and £500 a year. (^) The precetlence of the sons nnd daughters of a Viscount was granted to her children at the same time [1623]. as was aUo that of an Earl in the patent of 1628, a precedence that one would have thought they would have had de jure without any such clause. («) His eldest br. Theophilus, m.it. at Oxf«)rd (Mag. Coll.), 25 Oct 1588, aged 16 ; B.A., 1 Feb. 1591/2 ; was knighted SO July 1599 ; iuc. his father as 2d Banmet^ 18 Deo. 1614, was M.P. for Great Varmotitli, 1614, but d, s.p. (before his mother) previous to 1623, and was bur, at St PhuI's, Lomlon. From his younger br.. Sir Heneage Finch, sprang the Earls of Nottingliatn, who in 1729, inherited the Earldom of Wiuchilsea. N
