Death of Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford

 

 On this day ~ 24th June 1604 
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 Death of Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford 

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 Edward de Vere was born on 12th April 1550 at Castle Hedingham in the county of Essex.

His father, John de Vere, 16th Earl of Oxford, was hereditary Lord Great Chamberlain, and attended the coronations of both Mary and Elizabeth Tudor.

In August 1562, John de Vere died and the twelve-year-old Edward became the 17th Earl of Oxford.

 According to the law of the time, all noble men under the age of 21 became wards of the Crown.

Their education and upbringing became the responsibility of the Royal Court of Wards.

Edward lived for eight years as a royal ward under the care of William Cecil, Lord Burghley.

 In December 1571 Edward married Burghley’s daughter, Anne Cecil.

Edward's relationship with Anne, appears to have been tense during the early years.

For some reason Edward, seemed reluctant to consummate the marriage with Anne.
Anne eventually became pregnant about three years later, in early 1575.

 In March 1581, a Gentlewoman of the Queen’s Bedchamber Anne Vavasour, gave birth to a son, allegedly fathered by Edward de Vere.

A disapproving Queen Elizabeth jailed both parents briefly, and Edward was absent from court, for the next two years.

 On 5th June 1588 Edward's wife Anne Cecil died at court of a fever, she was 31.

In 1591 Edward married Elizabeth Trentham, another one of Queen Elizabeth's Maids~of~Honour.

Elizabeth Trentham gave birth to Edward's only surviving son and heir, Henry de Vere.

 As a young man, Edward de Vere began a life-long practice of sponsoring works of literature.

During the early 1570s several of Edward’s poems were published.

Over the decades, Edward de Vere became an acknowledged playwright, poet, theatrical producer, musician, dancer and literary figure of the Elizabethan era.

He would write under several pen names and also under names of living persons, but.....

Some Shakespearians believe his most famous pen name was.....
"William Shakespeare!!"

 Edward de Vere~17th Earl of Oxford died on 24th June 1604, of unknown causes at King's Place, Hackney.

He was buried on 6th July in the Hackney churchyard of St Augustine's.

 Apart from him being Shakespeare, another one of the mystery's involving Edward de Vere, is that he was actually Queen Elizabeth I's son!

In the summer of 1548, the thirteen-year-old Princess Elizabeth Tudor was secluded at Cheshunt, England.

According to witnesses, she gave birth to a boy.

 The boy's alleged father was Thomas Seymour, Elizabeth's stepfather~and Husband to Dowager Queen, Katherine Parr.

The child was placed in the household of John de Vere, 16th Earl of Oxford and the baby was raised as....

Edward de Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford!

Of course, this is pure speculation, subject to some good hard evidence ~ of which there is none ~ so needs to be taken with a good pinch of salt 

The Tudor Intruders (and more)

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 Source ~ shakespeareoxfordfellowship/edward-de-vere

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 17th-century portrait based on lost 1575 original, National Portrait Gallery, London.