Sir Edward Burgh

Sir Edward Burgh (pronounced "Borough"; died before April 1533) was the eldest son and heir to Sir Thomas Burgh, 1st Baron Burgh and his wife Agnes Tyrwhit. He is known for being the first husband of Catherine Parr, later queen of England. 18th-century historians have mistaken him for his grandfather, the elderly, Edward Burgh, 2nd Baron Burgh. Background The Boroughs of Gainsborough in Lincolnshire were an old and well-established gentry family. Sir Edward's great-grandfather, the 1st Baron had been an outstanding Yorkist in the reign of King Edward IV in the neighbourhood of fanatical Lancastrians. He was a tough-minded and hard-handed individual, who was awarded the Order of the Garter in 1496 by King Henry VII, proving his ability to change and adapt with the constant royal change. Sir Thomas' son, Sir Edward Borough, who, in 1496, became baron in name only, was not so fortunate. In 1510, only a few years after succeeding to the barony, Borough was declared a lunatic and was kept under restraint in his own home, Gainsborough Old Hall. After his incarceration, Sir Thomas, his eldest son, took over as head of the family. By August 1528, the 2nd Baron was dead. For centuries, historians, such as Agnes Strickland, and antiquarians alike have confused the grandfather, Lord Borough, with the grandson, Sir Edward, throwing the Scrope-Parr marriage negotiations into the mix for good measure. The idea of twelve-year-old Catherine Parr being sent away to marry an aged lunatic was a wonderful story filled with drama – but nonetheless was a myth. Through recent research of documents and the will of Catherine Parr's mother, biographers Linda Porter, David Starkey, and Antonia Fraser all confirm that Catherine married the 2nd Baron's grandson, who coincidentally shared his first name. As the dowry had not been fully paid, Maud Parr in her will, dated May 1529, mentioned Sir Thomas, father of Edward, saying I am indebted to Sir Thomas Borough, knight, for the marriage of my daughter. At the time of his son's marriage, Sir Thomas, was thirty-five which would have made Edward around Catherine's age. When Edward and Catherine married in 1529, Sir Edward was in his early twenties and, although almost nothing is known about his character, it appears that his health kept him in a frail condition.