http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Sidney,_2nd_Earl_of_Leicester

Robert Sidney, 2nd Earl of Leicester (1 December 1595 – 2 November 1677) was an English aristocrat and diplomat.

He was the son of Robert Sidney, 1st Earl of Leicester, and his first wife, Barbara Gamage. He was educated at Christ Church, Oxford and entered parliament as member for Wilton in 1614.

He served in the army in the Netherlands during his father's governorship of Flushing, In 1616 he was given command of an English regiment in the Dutch service; he was called to the bar in 1618. He succeeded his father as Earl of Leicester in 1626 and was employed on diplomatic business in Denmark in 1632

In 1631, the earl began the construction of Leicester House, a huge mansion on the site of what is now Leicester Square in London. He undertook further diplomatic work in France from 1636 to 1641.

He was then appointed Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in place of The Earl of Strafford. When the governorship of Dublin became vacant, Leicester appointed George Monck. Charles I, however, overruled the appointment in favour of Lord Lambart.

In 1643 he resigned without having set foot in Ireland.

Family His wife, Dorothy Percy, was the daughter of Henry Percy, 9th Earl of Northumberland. They had three notable sons Henry Sydney, 1st Earl of Romney, Philip Sidney, 3rd Earl of Leicester and Algernon Sydney. Philip and Algernon supported the Parliamentary cause in the English Civil War.

-------------------- Robert Sidney, 2nd Earl of Leicester From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Robert Sidney, 2nd Earl of Leicester (1 December 1595 – 2 November 1677), was an English aristocrat and diplomat.

Life

He was the son of Robert Sidney, 1st Earl of Leicester, and his first wife, Barbara Gamage. He was educated at Christ Church, Oxford and entered parliament as member for Wilton in 1614. He served in the army in the Netherlands during his father's governorship of Flushing, In 1616 he was given command of an English regiment in the Dutch service; he was called to the bar in 1618. He succeeded his father as Earl of Leicester in 1626 and was employed on diplomatic business in Denmark in 1632 In 1631, the earl began the construction of Leicester House, a huge mansion on the site of what is now Leicester Square in London. He undertook further diplomatic work in France from 1636 to 1641. He was then appointed Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in place of The Earl of Strafford. When the governorship of Dublin became vacant, Leicester appointed George Monck. Charles I, however, overruled the appointment in favour of Lord Lambart. In 1643 he resigned without having set foot in Ireland. [edit]Family

His wife, Dorothy Percy, was the daughter of Henry Percy, 9th Earl of Northumberland. They had three notable sons Henry Sydney, 1st Earl of Romney, Philip Sidney, 3rd Earl of Leicester and Algernon Sydney. Philip and Algernon supported the Parliamentary cause in the English Civil War.

References

This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.

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:

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!" Philip Sidney, 3rd Earl of Leicester, born 1619. 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. Lucy Sidney, mar Sir John Pelham and had issue, ancestors of Aga Khan IV, and also of: 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. Robert Sidney. 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.