He was knighted in 1616, and after his brother's death in 1625 was in his memory ennobled as Baron Chichester, of Belfast and Viscount Chichester, of Carrickfergus both in the County of Antrim, both in the Peerage of Ireland. He succeeded his brother in his extensive estates as well as in his offices of Governor of Carrickfergus and Lord High Admiral of Lough Neagh. He took his seat in the Irish House of Lords in 1634.
Marriages and children
Edward Chichester married twice: plaster escutcheon of four quarters in upstairs bedroom of RuxfordBarton, near Crediton, Devon, with initials "EC" and "AC" for Edward Chichester, 1st Viscount Chichester and his wife Anne Copleston
Firstly in 1605 to Anne Copleston, the sole daughter and heiress of John Copleston Esq., of Eggesford by his wife Dorothy Biston. They had the following children:
*Lt-Col. Edward Chichester, a Royalist during the Civil War, who married Elisabeth Fisher, 5th daughter of Sir Edward Fisher, Knight, the latter who in 1611 had obtained letters patent from King James I for extensive lands in Wexford, Ireland, from which he ejected the local population by force of arms and formed into the "Manor of Chichester", and in 1617 renamed Fisherstown, with his seat at "Fisher's Prospect".
*Mary Chichester, younger daughter, who married firstly Thomas Wise of Sydenham in the parish of Marystow, Devon, and secondly John Harris of Radford.
Secondly after 1616 and before 1626, as evidenced by a date stone on Eggesford Barton bearing the inscription: "E.C.M. 1626", to Mary Denham.
Death and burial
He died on 8 July 1648 at his manor of Eggesford in Devon, where he was buried.
Monument
He has a particularly fine alabaster effigy and monument against the north wall of the north aisle in Eggesford Church, Devon, to the immediate west of which stood his manor house, Eggesford House, demolished in 1824. The monument shows recumbent effigies of himself and his first wife with two tablets above inscribed as follows: On a lunette above, probably the text planned by the deceased himself:
"In memory of Edward Lord Viscount Chichester & Dame Anne his wife and in humble acknowledgement of the good providence of God in advancing their house".
"Fam'd Arthur Ireland's dreade in armes in peace, Her tutelar genius Bellfast's honour wonne, Edward and Anne, blest payre, begott increase, Of lands and heires: Viscount was grafted onn, Next Arthur in God's caus and King's stak't all, And had to's honour added Donnegall".
On the wall to the right above the monument is a black stone tablet inscribed as a memorial to Anne Copleston's parents:
"Here lyeth buried ye bodies of John Copleston Esq., & Dorothie his wife daughter to Sr. George Biston of Biston Castel in Chelshere, knight. They had issue Anne their sole daught. & heire who is now maryed to Edwarde Chichester Esq., one of ye sonnes of Sr. John Chichester of Rawleigh, knight, in whose memory the said Edwarde Chichester their son in law hath erected this monument in ye yere 1614. She departed ye 29 of July in ye yere 1601 he departed ye 11 of... in ye yere 1606, living together 30 yeres in much peace w.th God & lovinge societie e.ch w.th other".
Sir George Beeston of Beeston House near Bunbury, Crewe, Cheshire, acquired Beeston Castle from the Crown shortly before his death. He was a naval captain who commanded HMS Dreadnought against the Spanish Armada in 1588, and was knighted at sea on board the Ark Royal by Lord Howard of Effingham the Lord High Admiral. He served as MP for Cheshire in 1589. His wife, and Dorothy's mother, was Alice Davenport, daughter of Thomas Davenport Esq., of Henbury. Sir George's effigy and elaborate monument exists against the north wall of the sanctuary in St Boniface's Church, Bunbury.
