My wife's ancestors - Sidney - Contents

Robert Sidney, 2nd Earl of Leicester

2nd Earl of Leicester.
From Powis Castle.
Image from National Trust.

Robert Sidney, 2nd Earl of Leicester (see here),
of Penshurst,
born 1595.
He mar Dorothy Percy.
She is descendant of Edward III. See descent by Ed Mann. See also Table 6 in [Moncreiffe, 1982]. See also here.
2nd Earl built the huge Leicester House, on N side of Leicester Square, London, 1631-1635.
Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland 1641.
He died Penshurst, Nov 1677, age 82 yrs.
2nd Earl and Dorothy had issue:

1. Dorothy Sidney, born 1617.
   She mar 1639 to Henry Spencer, 1st Earl of Sunderland and had issue.

   
   

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

   
   

3. Algernon Sidney, Republican martyr,
   born Penshurst, 1622,
   executed for the "Rye House Plot" 1683, age 61 yrs.

   
   

4. Lucy Sidney,
   mar Sir John Pelham and had issue.
   They are ancestors of Aga Khan IV.
   Also ancestors of:
   1. Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney, born 1733.
      He was cr Viscount Sydney in 1783. He took name of title after his Sydney ancestors. That family's title had gone extinct in 1743.
      Sydney, Australia is named after him.

Leicester House, NE side of Leicester Square ("Leicester Fields").
From Homann Heirs' map of London, 1736.

Leicester House on map of 1746.
From section 3 of Sheet B2 of Rocque's Map of London, 1746.

View of Leicester Square, London, in 1750, looking N.
Leicester House is the large house set back behind a forecourt at the NE corner.
Leicester House was demolished 1791-92.
No trace remains except for the name now given to this famous square.
From here.

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• The original Leicester Square is in Penshurst village.