Egerton, John, 1st Earl of Bridgewater (1579 -1649)

John Egerton 1st Earl of Bridgewater was the second bit only surviving son of Thomas Viscount Brackley by his first wife Elizabeth daughter of Thomas Ravenscroft of Bretton in Flintshire. Member of Parliament for Callington 1597, he went to Ireland with Essex’s expedition on which his elder brother Thomas was killed, Baron of the Exchequer of Chester from 1598 to 1605 in succession to his brother and Member of Parliament for Shropshire in 1601. On James I’s accession he was made a Knight of the Bath 24 July 1603. On his father’s death in 1617 he became 2nd Viscount Brackley and was made Earl of Bridgewater 27 May 1617 as the result of James’s promise to his father. Buckingham is said to have received £20,000 from him as the price of this honour. He married Francis Stanley daughter and coheir of Ferdinando Earl of Derby, and a daughter of his father’s 3rd wife. He was nominated President of the Council of Wales in 1631 with his official residence at Ludlow Castle. He died on 4 December 1649. This is the third of the stamps used by his father.