Elizabeth O'Brien, Countess of Inchiquin

Elizabeth O'Brien, Countess of Inchiquin (25 March 1651 (date baptised) – 3 February 1718) was an English noblewoman who made three notable marriages.

She was the youngest daughter and co-heir of George Brydges, 6th Baron Chandos, and his wife, the former Lady Susan Montagu.[1] She was described by a contemporary as "a great beauty of £10,000".[2]

Her first husband, whom she married on 20 August 1673, was Edward Herbert, 3rd Baron Herbert of Chirbury; she was his second wife and around 18 years his junior. Herbert had been involved in Booth's Rebellion of 1659, and earned favour with the new king, Charles II of England, following the Restoration of the Monarchy, holding the position of Custos Rotulorum of Denbighshire until his death in 1678. In the course of their marriage, Herbert built a new home at Lymore Park,[3] which no longer stands. The couple had no children and the baron was succeeded by his brother.

Her second husband was William O'Brien, 2nd Earl of Inchiquin. Like her first husband, the earl was a widower and some years her senior; however, he had children from his first marriage. They were married some time after 1684, but the earl, having been appointed Governor of Jamaica, died there in 1692. There were no children from their marriage.[4]

Finally, in about 1694, Elizabeth married Charles Howard, 4th Baron Howard of Escrick. About three years later, she brought divorce proceedings against him on the grounds of bigamy.[5] It was reported to the House of Lords in 1698 that Lord Howard had been "ordered by the peers to waive his privilege" and had offered his wife terms of divorce through an intermediary, his relative Charles Howard, 3rd Earl of Carlisle.[6] This third marriage also produced no children. Lord Howard died in 1715 and his barony became extinct.

The former countess died in 1718, aged 67.

References
  1. Mosley, Charles, editor. Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes. Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A.: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003. Page 2039)
  2. John Harold Wilson (1976). Court Satires of the Restoration. Ohio State University Press. pp. 248–. ISBN 978-0-8142-0249-4.
  3. Peter Smith (1988), Houses of the Welsh Countryside, Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales, 2nd edition.
  4. "O'Brien, William (1638?-1692)" . Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
  5. "Miscellaneous papers". National Archives. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
  6. William John Hardy; Edward Bateson (1933). Calendar of State Papers: Preserved in the Public Record Office. Domestic series, of the reign of William III... H.M. Stationery Office.
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