Blount, Charles, Earl of Devonshire (1563 -1606)

Charles Blount, eighth Lord Mountjoy was the second son of James, sixth Lord Mountjoy, and Catherine, daughter of Sir Thomas Lee, of St Oswald's in Yorkshire. He was educated at Winchester and created M.A. of Oxford University 16 June 1589, and was a member of Clifford's Inn and the Middle Temple 1579, Member of Parliament for St Ives in 1584, and for Bere Alston in Devon in 1586 and 1593. While at the Middle Temple he was distinguished by Queen Elizabeth, who wished to keep him at Court. In 1588 he was one of the gentlemen who hired ships at their own charge to join in the pursuit of the Spanish Armada, and in the same year was knighted. He was Governor of Plymouth in 1594 and succeeded his brother as Lord Mountjoy. In 1597 he was in the expedition to the Azores as Lieutenant General of the land forces under the Earl of Essex, and was made a Knight of the Garter. In 1599 he was made Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, a post which he held until his death in 1606. He was created Earl of Devonshire 21 July 1603 in recognition of his suppression of Tyrone's rebellion. He married Penelope Devereux, daughter of Walter Devereux, Earl of Essex, after her divorce from Robert 3rd Lord Rich, 26 December 1605. Their illegitimate son Mountjoy Blount was created Baron Mountjoy of Mountjoy in Tyrone 2 January 1618, Baron Mountjoy of Thurneston in 1627, and Earl of Newport, Isle of Wight in 1628. His title became extinct in 1681. Stamp 2 was cut by the Bodleian Library to mark the books bought with a gift of £100 that Lord Mountjoy sent to the library from Waterford in 1602. It is still not clear whether Stamp 3 is also a Bodleian fund stamp, and will not be until it is seen on a book with his signature or one published after his death. There were sales of Bodleian Library duplicates at Sotheby's 21 May 1865, 12 April 1865 and 3 August 1870.

Stamp(s) Stamp Information
Blount, Charles, Earl of Devonshire (1563 - 1606) (Stamp 1) Title: Blount, Charles, Earl of Devonshire (1563 - 1606) (Stamp 1)
Badge: A sun charged with an eye
Dimensions (height x width): 69mm x 60mm
Heraldic Charges: eye, Heraldic Charges: sun
Title: Blount, Charles, Earl of Devonshire (1563 - 1606) (Stamp 2)
Badge: A sun charged with an eye
Dimensions (height x width): 87mm x 57mm
Coronet: Earl
Heraldic Charges: eye, Heraldic Charges: sun
Title: Blount, Charles, Earl of Devonshire (1563 - 1606) (Stamp 3)
Badge: A sun charged with an eye
Dimensions (height x width): 52mm x 36mm
Heraldic Charges: eye, Heraldic Charges: sun