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.

... 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.

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: [8] [9] [10] 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]