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| Keywords: people indoor Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex (11 January 1591 – 14 September 1646) was an English Parliamentarian and soldier during the first half of the seventeenth century. With the start of the English Civil War in 1642 he became the first Captain-General and Chief Commander of the Parliamentarian army, also known as the Roundheads. However, he was unable and unwilling to score a decisive blow against the Royalist army of King Charles I. He was eventually overshadowed by the ascendancy of Oliver Cromwell and resigned his commission in 1646. Robert Devereux was the son and heir of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, the courtier and soldier from the later reign of Queen Elizabeth I. His mother was Frances Walsingham (1569–1631), the only daughter of Sir Francis Walsingham, Elizabeth's spymaster. The 2nd Earl led an unsuccessful rebellion against Elizabeth in 1601. He was subsequently executed for treason and the family lost its title. However King James I chose to restore it when he became King of England in 1604. In that year Robert Devereux became the 3rd Earl of Essex.In his youth, Essex was a close friend of Henry Stuart, Prince of Wales. Essex's marriage to Frances Howard at the age of 13 was not successful. After she began an affair with Viscount Rochester, their marriage was annulled on the grounds of his impotency. Essex claimed that he was only impotent with her, had been perfectly capable with other women and added that she "reviled him, and miscalled him, terming him a cow and coward, and beast."[1] Their divorce was a public spectacle and it made him a laughing-stock at court. Frances Howard soon married her lover, that meanwhile had been created Earl of Somerset and was a favorite of King James I; however, three years later the new couple was tried and condemned to death by a panel of Lords, for their part in the murder of Sir Thomas Overbury; Essex sat as a juror in the trial of his former wife and pressed the King to send her to the scaffold [2]. On 11 March 1630 Essex married Elizabeth Paulet, daughter of William Paulet, 4th Marquess of Winchester. This marriage also failed, though not as publicly. They separated in 1631. There was a child produced from the union. However, the father was largely suspected to be her lover, Sir Thomas Uvedale. In 1620 Essex embarked on what was to be an undistinguished military career prior to the start of the First English Civil War. Between 1620 and 1624 he served in Protestant armies in Germany and the Low Countries. In 1620 he joined Sir Horace Vere's expedition to defend the Palatine. In 1621 he served with Prince Maurice of Nassau. In 1624 he commanded a regiment in the unsuccessful campaign to relieve the siege of Breda. And in 1625 he commanded the failed English expedition to Cadiz. Despite the lack of distinction, this period of his life gave him a good working knowledge of continental war methods and strategies, even if most of his own experience was limited to defensive operations. Following a period of little distinguished activity in the 1630s, Essex served in the army of King Charles I during the first Scottish Bishops' War in 1639. However he was denied a command in the second, which took place in 1640. This pushed him further into the arms of the growing number of the King's opponents in Parliament. The Earl of Essex died in September 1646 without an heir. The earldom died with him, until it was revived in 1661 for Arthur Capel. His death not only weakened the presbyterian faction in Parliament, it also began the decline of the influence of the nobles who supported the Parliamentary cause. His death led to a large display of mourning. Parliament contributed £5000 to the expenses of his funeral and he was buried in Westminster Abbey. For the occasion the chancel of the Abbey was draped in black from floor to ceiling and a funeral effigy of the earl dressed in scarlet breeches, a military buff-coat and Parliamentary robes was erected beneath a catafalque designed by Inigo Jones. This was left standing after the ceremony until a poor farmer from Dorset hacked it down on the grounds that an angel had told him to do so.[6] The effigy was restored but Charles II ordered that it be taken down during the Restoration. Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex (11 January 1591 – 14 September 1646) was an English Parliamentarian and soldier during the first half of the seventeenth century. With the start of the English Civil War in 1642 he became the first Captain-General and Chief Commander of the Parliamentarian army, also known as the Roundheads. However, he was unable and unwilling to score a decisive blow against the Royalist army of King Charles I. He was eventually overshadowed by the ascendancy of Oliver Cromwell and resigned his commission in 1646. Robert Devereux was the son and heir of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, the courtier and soldier from the later reign of Queen Elizabeth I. His mother was Frances Walsingham (1569–1631), the only daughter of Sir Francis Walsingham, Elizabeth's spymaster. The 2nd Earl led an unsuccessful rebellion against Elizabeth in 1601. He was subsequently executed for treason and the family lost its title. However King James I chose to restore it when he became King of England in 1604. In that year Robert Devereux became the 3rd Earl of Essex.In his youth, Essex was a close friend of Henry Stuart, Prince of Wales. Essex's marriage to Frances Howard at the age of 13 was not successful. After she began an affair with Viscount Rochester, their marriage was annulled on the grounds of his impotency. Essex claimed that he was only impotent with her, had been perfectly capable with other women and added that she "reviled him, and miscalled him, terming him a cow and coward, and beast."[1] Their divorce was a public spectacle and it made him a laughing-stock at court. Frances Howard soon married her lover, that meanwhile had been created Earl of Somerset and was a favorite of King James I; however, three years later the new couple was tried and condemned to death by a panel of Lords, for their part in the murder of Sir Thomas Overbury; Essex sat as a juror in the trial of his former wife and pressed the King to send her to the scaffold [2]. On 11 March 1630 Essex married Elizabeth Paulet, daughter of William Paulet, 4th Marquess of Winchester. This marriage also failed, though not as publicly. They separated in 1631. There was a child produced from the union. However, the father was largely suspected to be her lover, Sir Thomas Uvedale. In 1620 Essex embarked on what was to be an undistinguished military career prior to the start of the First English Civil War. Between 1620 and 1624 he served in Protestant armies in Germany and the Low Countries. In 1620 he joined Sir Horace Vere's expedition to defend the Palatine. In 1621 he served with Prince Maurice of Nassau. In 1624 he commanded a regiment in the unsuccessful campaign to relieve the siege of Breda. And in 1625 he commanded the failed English expedition to Cadiz. Despite the lack of distinction, this period of his life gave him a good working knowledge of continental war methods and strategies, even if most of his own experience was limited to defensive operations. Following a period of little distinguished activity in the 1630s, Essex served in the army of King Charles I during the first Scottish Bishops' War in 1639. However he was denied a command in the second, which took place in 1640. This pushed him further into the arms of the growing number of the King's opponents in Parliament. The Earl of Essex died in September 1646 without an heir. The earldom died with him, until it was revived in 1661 for Arthur Capel. His death not only weakened the presbyterian faction in Parliament, it also began the decline of the influence of the nobles who supported the Parliamentary cause. His death led to a large display of mourning. Parliament contributed £5000 to the expenses of his funeral and he was buried in Westminster Abbey. For the occasion the chancel of the Abbey was draped in black from floor to ceiling and a funeral effigy of the earl dressed in scarlet breeches, a military buff-coat and Parliamentary robes was erected beneath a catafalque designed by Inigo Jones. This was left standing after the ceremony until a poor farmer from Dorset hacked it down on the grounds that an angel had told him to do so.[6] The effigy was restored but Charles II ordered that it be taken down during the Restoration. | ||||
