Sir Edward Norreys (or Norris) (died 1603) was a 16th-century Governor of

Ostend Ostend ( ; ; ; ) is a coastal city and municipality in the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerke, Raversijde, Stene and Zandvoorde, and the city of Ostend proper – the la ...

and English Member of Parliament.

Life

Norreys was the third son of

Henry Norris, 1st Baron Norreys Henry Norris (or Norreys), 1st Baron Norreys ({{circa, 1525{{spaced ndash27 June 1601){{sfn, Fuidge, 1981 of Rycote in Oxfordshire, was an English people, English politician and diplomat, who belonged to an old Berkshire family, many members of wh ...

and his wife, Lady Margery Williams, then of

Wytham Wytham ( ) is a village and civil parish on the Seacourt Stream, a branch of the River Thames, about northwest of the centre of Oxford. It is just west of the Western By-Pass Road, part of the Oxford Ring Road ( A34). The nearest village is ...

Berkshire Berkshire ( ; abbreviated ), officially the Royal County of Berkshire, is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Oxfordshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the north-east, Greater London ...

(now

Oxfordshire Oxfordshire ( ; abbreviated ''Oxon'') is a ceremonial county in South East England. The county is bordered by Northamptonshire and Warwickshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the east, Berkshire to the south, and Wiltshire and Glouceste ...

). He was elected as Member of Parliament for Abingdon in the Parliaments of 1584–1585 and 1588–1589. Like his more famous brother, Sir

John Norreys John Norreys may refer to: *Sir John Norris (soldier) or Norreys (c. 1547–1597), the son of Henry Norris, 1st Baron Norreys, a lifelong friend of Queen Elizabeth *Sir John Norreys (Keeper of the Wardrobe) for Henry VI of England (c. 1400–1466) * ...

, Edward became a distinguished soldier, fighting in

the Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

. He was knighted by the

Earl of Leicester Earl of Leicester is a title that has been created seven times. The first title was granted during the 12th century in the Peerage of England. The current title is in the Peerage of the United Kingdom and was created in 1837. History Earl ...

in 1586 and was appointed Governor of

in 1590. In February the following year he raided the Spanish fort at

Blankenberge Blankenberge (; ; ) is a seaside Municipalities of Belgium, municipality and City status in Belgium, city in the Belgium, Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the town of Blankenberge proper and the settlement of Uitke ...

and destroyed it, returning to Ostend with little loss.Knight, Charles Raleigh: ''Historical records of The Buffs, East Kent Regiment (3rd Foot) formerly designated the Holland Regiment and Prince George of Denmark's Regiment''. Vol I. London, Gale & Polden, 1905
p. 11
/ref> In England, Sir Edward lived on a small estate at Englefield in

. Dudley Carleton was his secretary. Edward was relieved of his post as Governor of Ostend by the Queen. She sent him home as all of his brothers had died as soldiers and Elizabeth wanted her friend, and his mother, Margery to have one of her sons by her. Margery died soon afterwards in 1599 and the Queen wrote off £2,000 of their debt. Sir Edward married Elizabeth Norreys in 1600, but the cousinly union did not produce any children. He died in October 1603.

Thomas Edmondes Sir Thomas Edmonds (1563 – 20 September 1639) was an English diplomat and politician who served under three successive monarchs, Queen Elizabeth I, Kings James I and Charles I, and occupied the office of Treasurer of the Royal Household fr ...

wrote that Norreys died after a quarrel with his wife left his mind unbalanced. She subsequently married the Scottish courtier Sir Thomas Erskine.

Edmund Lodge Edmund Lodge, Royal Guelphic Order, KH (1756–1839), herald, was a long-serving England, English Officer of Arms, officer of arms, a writer on heraldry, heraldic subjects, and a compiler of short biographies. Life and career Lodge was born in P ...

''Illustrations of British History'', vol. 3 (London, 1838), p. 55
/ref>

References

* * Robert H O'Byrne (1948). ''The Representative History of Great Britain and Ireland, Part II - Berkshire''. London: John Ollivier. {{DEFAULTSORT:Norreys, Edward 1603 deaths 16th-century English knights People from Englefield, Berkshire Year of birth unknown

Edward Edward is an English male name. It is derived from the Anglo-Saxon name ''Ēadweard'', composed of the elements '' ēad'' "wealth, fortunate; prosperous" and '' weard'' "guardian, protector”. History The name Edward was very popular in Anglo-S ...

16th-century English soldiers 17th-century English soldiers 16th-century births English MPs 1584–1585 English MPs 1589 Younger sons of barons