| The Right Honourable Bridget (Morrison) Radcliffe (Countess of Sussex) | |
| Other Names: | Bridgett Alexandra The Right Honourable and Virtuous Lady Radclyffe Lady Fitzwalter Countess of Sussex Lady Sussex |
| Spouse: | Robert Radclyffe, 5th Earl of Sussex |
| Issue: | Honour Radcliffe Elizabeth (Radcliffe) Ramsey Thomas Radcliffe Henry Radcliffe |
| Father: | Charles Morison (MP for Tavistock) |
| Mother: | Dorothea (Clerke) Morrison |
| Birth Date: | c. 11 Mar 1575 |
| Birth Place: | Watford, Hertfordshire, England |
| Death Date: | Dec. 1623 |
| Death Place: | Clerkenwell, Middlesex, England |
Bridget (Morrison) Radcliffe (Countess of Sussex) (c. 1575 – 1623) was an English noblewoman.
Bridget was a daughter of Sir Charles Morison of Cassiobury, Hertfordshire.[1] She married Robert Radclyffe, 5th Earl of Sussex in 1592 in Clerkenwell, Middlesex, England. They had four children:
Contemporaries praised Bridget's wit, grace, charm, and beauty (see expressions given in the dedications below). Her marriage was not solid. John Manningham chronicled in his Diary, 12 October 1602, that the Earl was unfaithful, treated her cruelly, and that before 1602 she and her children separated from Sussex, who allowed her £1,700 a year.[3]
The text from Manningham's diary regarding this unfortunate situation is:
The Earle of Sussex keepes Mrs Sylvester Morgan (sometyme his ladies gentlewoman) at Dr Daylies house as his mistress, calls hir his Countesse, hyres Captain Whitlocke, with monie and cast suites, to brave his Countess, with telling of hir howe he buyes his wench a wascote of £10, and puts hir in hir veluet gowne, &c.: thus, not content to abuse hir by keeping a common wench, he striues to invent meanes of more greife to his lady, whoe is of a verry goodly and comely personage, of an excellent presence, and a rare witt. Shee hath brought the Earle to allowe hir £1700 a yeare for the maintenaunce of hir selfe and hir children while she lives apart. It is conjectured that Captain Whitlocke, like a base pander, hath incited the Earl to followe this sensuall humour, ... as he did the Earl of Rutland. (J. Bramstone nar.) The Countesse is daughter to the Lady Morrison in Hertfordshire, with whom it is like she purposeth to live. ... A practise to bring the nobilitie into contempt and beggery, by nourishing such as may provoke them to spend all upon lechery and such base pleasures.[4]
In addition to his kept mistress, Mrs. Sylvester Morgan, Bridget's former waiting gentlewoman, the Earl of Sussex had an intimate relationship with Frances Meautas Shute, daughter of Hercules Meautas of West Ham, Essex (c.1548-1587), and Philippa Cooke, widow of Edward Shute. In 1609, the Earl and Frances Meautas had an illegitimate daughter, Jane Radcliff.[5]
Bridget, Countess of Sussex, died in December 1623. The day after she died the Earl of Sussex married his mistress Frances, widow of Francis Shute, daughter of Hercules Meautas, of West Ham. She was a sister of Jane Cornwallis[6]
Several authors dedicated books to the Countess of Sussex, including:
| B | Beauties chief ornament of nature's treasure | |
| R | Richly adorns her heavenly countenance: | |
| I | In wisdom’s school she builds her bower of pleasure, | |
| D | Divine for wit and Godly governance. | |
| G | Garnished with virtue, grace, and modesty, | |
| E | Even in her breast true honor is enrolled. | |
| T | To praise her patience, love, and loyalty, | |
| T | The Muses charge it is with pens of gold. | |
| S | She is the star that gives a golden light | |
| U | Unto posterities, for liberal mind: | |
| S | She puts ambitious covetousness to flight, | |
| S | So bountiful she is so meek and kind, | |
| E | Endless her honor, unspotted is her fame, | |
| X | Xhrist (Christ) grant His glory to this virtuous name. |
Three Galliard songs with titles 'of Countesse of Sussex', attributed to Philip Rosseter, are included in William Barley's A New Book of Tabliture for the Orpharion written and published in 1596:[11]