Sir Thomas Egerton, 1st Viscount Brackley (1540-1617)
British (English) School
Category
Art / Oil paintings
Date
1613 (inscribed and dated)
Materials
Oil on canvas
Measurements
1110 x 910 mm
Order this imageCollection
Belton House, Lincolnshire
NT 436127
Summary
Oil painting on canvas, Sir Thomas Egerton, 1st Viscount Brackley (1540-1617), British (English) School, inscribed and dated 1613. A half-length portrait of Egerton in Chancellors robes with the Purse on the table by his side. He was the natural son, born of Sir Richard Egerton and Alice Sparke. He married, firstly, Elizabeth Ravenscroft, daughter of Thomas Ravenscroft and Catharine Grosvenor, before 1576 and, secondly, Elizabeth More, daughter of Sir William More and Margaret Daniell around 1596, and, thirdly, Alice Spencer, daughter of Sir John Spencer and Katherine Kitson, on 20 October 1600. He was educated at Brasenose College, Oxford and was admitted to Lincoln's Inn in 1572. Solicitor-General 1581-1592. MP for Cheshire between 1584 and 1587. Treasurer of Lincoln's Inn,1587. Took part in the trial of Mary Queen of Scots and of the Earl of Essex. Attorney-General 1592-1594. Master of the Rolls 1594-1603. Chamberlain of Chester 1594-1603. He was invested as a Knight on 18 May 1594.Privy Counsellor on 6 May 1596. Lord Keeper 1596-1603. On 18 December 1598 he inherited the estate of Tatton, Chester (and others) from Richard Brereton (his brother-in-law). He was created 1st Baron of Ellesmere on 21 July 1603; Lord Chancellor 1603-1616/17; Lord High Steward 1603, for the trial of peers; Lord-Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire 1607-1616; Chancellor of Oxford University 1610-1617; Lord High Steward in 1616 and created 1st Viscount Brackley in 1616. He wrote 'Privileges of Prerogative of the High Court of Chancery'. The children of Thomas Egerton, 1st Viscount Brackley and Elizabeth Ravenscroft were: Hon. Mary Egerton, Sir Thomas Egerton (before 1579-1599), John Egerton, 1st Earl of Bridgwater (1579-1649). He died on 15 March 1616/17 at York House, Whitehall, London, England. He was buried on 10 April 1617 at Doddleston, Chester.
Credit line
Belton House, The Brownlow Collection (acquired with the help of the National Heritage Memorial Fund by the National Trust in 1984)
Makers and roles
British (English) School, artist