Family tree - Sidney - 2nd Earl of Leicester

 
Sidney Contents


2nd Earl of Leicester
Robert Sidney, 2nd Earl of Leicester,
of Penshurst, born 1595,
mar Lady Dorothy Percy [dau of Henry Percy, 9th Earl of Northumberland, descendant of Edward III, see Table 6 in [Moncreiffe, 1982]],
built huge Leicester House, N side of Leicester Square, London, 1631-5 [demolished early 1700s, no trace remains except for the name now given to this famous square, note that the original Leicester Square is in Penshurst village],
Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland 1641,
died Penshurst, Nov 1677, age 82 yrs, having had issue:
  1. Lady Dorothy Sidney, born 1617,
    the poet Edmund Waller made unsuccessful attempt to win her hand at marriage, wrote love poetry to her, addressing her as "Sacharissa",
    but she mar 1639 to Henry Spencer, 1st Earl of Sunderland and had issue,
    when she was an elderly dowager, she asked Waller "when he would write such fine verses on her again?", he replied "Oh, madam, when you are as young again!"

  2. Philip Sidney, 3rd Earl of Leicester, born 1619.

  3. Algernon Sidney, Republican martyr,
    born Penshurst 1622,
    executed along with William Russell, Lord Russell for the "Rye House Plot" 1683, age 61 yrs.
    See images at [NPG].
    And at Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.

  4. Lucy Sidney, mar Sir John Pelham and had issue,
    ancestors of Aga Khan IV,
    and also of:

    1. Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney, born 1733,
      cr 1783, took name of title after his Sydney ancestors, that family's title had gone extinct 1743,
      Sydney, Australia is named after him.

  5. Robert Sidney.

  6. Henry Sidney, 1st Earl of Romney, born 1641,
    used Sidney family emblem to mark government property (the symbol used on prison uniforms),
    he was one of the prominent men who invited William of Orange to take the throne 1688, perhaps the single most influential man in securing William's accession,
    fought at the Boyne 1690,
    Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland 1692-3,
    cr 1694, died 1704, age 63 yrs.

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