Cromwell, Edward (1560?–1607), 3rd Baron Cromwell , soldier, was son of Henry Cromwell, 2nd Baron Cromwell, and his wife Mary (née Paulet), daughter of the marquis of Winchester. He spent some time at Jesus College, Cambridge, but was not created MA till 1593. Meanwhile he served at the siege of Rouen (1591) as colonel of a regiment, and succeeded his father in 1592. Four years later he sold the family seat at Oakham. He was summoned to attend the house of lords in 1594, and served with the earl of Essex, Robert Devereux (qv) at Cadiz (1597). In 1598, hoping to recoup his fortunes, he successfully petitioned Lord Cecil for renewed employment with Essex, and in March 1599 accompanied Essex and a large army to Ireland, on what was to prove an unsuccessful campaign against Hugh O'Neill (qv), earl of Tyrone. Essex knighted him at Dublin (12 July 1599), but Cromwell was disappointed at not being made marshal of the army.
He returned to England as Essex's campaign and career fell apart, and was arrested in London (January 1601) after Essex's attempted rebellion. Luckier than his patron, he was imprisoned, tried, and fined £6,000 on confessing his guilt, and was released in July 1601; in 1603 he was made a privy counsellor by James I. In 1605 he and Phelim McCartan of Down arranged that McCartan's son would be educated and provided for by Cromwell, in exchange for a large area of McCartan's former territory. The king formally regranted the lands to the two men on their surrender of them to him (October 1605), and created Cromwell governor of Lecale. Cromwell probably also exchanged at this time his remaining English property for a reversionary interest in Downpatrick, which had been owned by Charles Blount (qv), Lord Mountjoy.
Cromwell died in Downpatrick (24 September 1607), and was buried there. Fr Edmund Mac Cana, writing c.1643, erroneously blamed Cromwell for burning the cathedral of Down and saints’ relics held there. Cromwell married first Elizabeth Upton (or Umpton) (d. January 1593) of Devon; secondly Frances Rugge (or Reppes), who survived him and later married Richard Wingfield (qv), 1st Viscount Powerscourt. There was one daughter of the first marriage, and two daughters and a son of the second; the son, Thomas, was made earl of Ardglass in 1645. The Downpatrick property passed by marriage to the Southwells.