Essex Finch, Countess Of Nottingham

Essex Finch, Countess of Nottingham (née Rich; circa 1652 – 23 March 1684), was an English noblewoman known for her marriage to Daniel Finch, 2nd Earl of Nottingham. She was the youngest daughter of Robert Rich, 3rd Earl of Warwick, and his second wife, Anne Cheeke. Her maternal lineage included descent from Robert Rich, 1st Earl of Warwick, through her maternal grandmother, who was also named Essex.

Following the death of her mother, Essex Rich was raised alongside her sisters within the household of her maternal uncle, Charles Rich, 4th Earl of Warwick. Her paternal grandparents were Robert Rich, 2nd Earl of Warwick, and Frances Hatton.

Regarding her early prospects for marriage, she was considered by suitors including the son of Baron Berkeley of Stratton and Thomas Vane. Ultimately, she married Daniel Finch on 16 June 1674 at Leez Priory, near Felsted. After the marriage, the couple resided with Finch’s parents at Kensington Palace.

Essex and Daniel Finch had eight children, though only one daughter, Mary Finch, survived to adulthood. Mary Finch was born in 1677 and died in 1718. She became the second wife of William Savile, 2nd Marquess of Halifax, after the death of his first wife, Elizabeth Grimston. Following Halifax’s death in 1700, Mary Finch married John Ker, 1st Duke of Roxburghe.

Essex Finch, Countess of Nottingham, died in childbirth in 1684. She was interred in the family vault at Ravenstone. After her death, her husband Daniel Finch remarried to her distant cousin, the Honorable Anne Hatton, with whom he had numerous children.

References for her biography are documented but not specified in the provided information.