William Courtenay

Who is William Courtenay?

Sir William Courtenay was a landowner in Devon. He was the son of George Courtenay, who predeceased his own father, by his wife Catherine St Ledger, daughter of Sir George St Ledger. He succeeded his grandfather Sir William Courtenay, of Powderham in 1535. He was knighted in 1553 and elected to Parliament for Plympton in 1555. A decision of the House of Lords in 1831 determined that he had succeeded his sixth cousin once removed Edward Courtenay, 1st Earl of Devon as de jure 2nd Earl of Devon in 1556.