The Earl of Holland | |
|---|---|
 Henry Rich, 1st Earl of Holland byAnthony van Dyck, circa 1640 | |
| Chancellor of the University of Cambridge | |
| In office 1628–1649 | |
| Governor ofWindsor Castle andLandguard Fort | |
| In office 1628–1648 | |
| Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire &Middlesex | |
| In office 1628–1643 | |
| Groom of the Stool | |
| In office 1636–1643 | |
| Privy Council of England | |
| In office 1624–1642 | |
| Member of Parliament forLeicester | |
| In office April 1614 – June 1614 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 15 August 1590 (baptised) |
| Died | 9 March 1649(1649-03-09) (aged 58) |
| Resting place | St Mary Abbots |
| Nationality | English |
| Spouse | Isabel (1612 – until his death) |
| Children | Frances (1617–1672); Robert (1619–1675); Henry (1620–1669); Isabella (1623–1670); Susannah (1628–1649); Diana (d. 1659); Charles (d. 1645); Cope (1635–1676); Mary (1636–1666) |
| Parent(s) | Robert Rich, 1st Earl of Warwick Penelope Devereux |
| Residence | Holland House |
| Alma mater | Emmanuel College, Cambridge |
| Occupation | Soldier and courtier |
| Military service | |
| Rank | General |
| Battles/wars | War of the Jülich Succession Siege of Jülich (1610); Eighty Years War Anglo-French War (1627–1629) Siege of Saint-Martin-de-Ré; Wars of the Three Kingdoms First Battle of Newbury;Battle of St Neots (1648) |
Henry Rich, 1st Earl of Holland (baptised 15 August 1590, died 9 March 1649), was an Englishcourtier and politician executed byParliament after being captured fighting for theRoyalists during theSecond English Civil War. Younger brother ofRobert Rich, 2nd Earl of Warwick, aPuritan activist and commander of theParliamentarian navy during theWars of the Three Kingdoms, Henry was better known as an "extravagant, decorative, quarrelsome and highly successful courtier".[1]
A close friend ofCharles I and his favourite theDuke of Buckingham, Rich performed various diplomatic errands, including negotiations for Charles' marriage toHenrietta Maria of France in 1625. He took part in the unsuccessful attack onSaint-Martin-de-Ré in 1627 and held a number of important positions at court during the 1630s. When theFirst English Civil War began in August 1642, Rich remained inLondon rather than joining the Royalists, but like other moderates became disillusioned with the war. He defected in July 1643 after failing to persuade his cousin and commander-in-chief of the Parliamentarian army,Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex, to negotiate peace terms.
When Charles agreed a truce with theCatholic Confederation in September 1643, Rich returned to London and narrowly escaped being tried for treason. After peace talks between Charles and Parliament broke down in late 1647, he fought for the Royalists in the Second English Civil War and was captured in July 1648. Having escaped trial previously, he was executed in March 1649, although Rich claimed he had always been faithful to Parliament and never changed the "principles that ever I professed". This was a view shared by many Parliamentarian moderates, particularly after theExecution of Charles I in January 1649.[2]
Henry Rich, later Lord Holland, was the second son and youngest of four children born toRobert Rich, 1st Earl of Warwick (1559–1619) and his first wifePenelope (1563–1607). His parents separated soon after Henry's birth, although they did not formally divorce until 1605, when Penelope married her long-time partner,Charles Blount, 8th Baron Mountjoy (1563–1606). Penelope was sister of theEarl of Essex, executed for treason in 1601, making Rich a cousin to futureParliamentarian generalRobert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex.[3]
He had two sisters, Essex (1585–1658) and Lettice (1587–1619) and a brotherRobert Rich, 2nd Earl of Warwick (1587–1658). He also had a number of half brothers and sisters, including Penelope (b. 1592), Isabella,Mountjoy Blount, 1st Earl of Newport (1597–1666), and Charles (1605–1627). Almost certainly fathered by Charles Mountjoy, these children were brought up within the Rich family and appear in its pedigree, with the exception of Mountjoy, who was legitimised after his father's death.[4]
His father Robert was the wealthiest landowner inEssex, createdEarl of Warwick in 1618, and a prominent supporter of reforms within theChurch of England, as were his sons. However, while his elder brother was a devoutPuritan throughout his life, Henry acquired a reputation as an "extravagant, decorative, quarrelsome and highly successful courtier".[1]
In 1612, he marriedIsabel Cope, whosedowry included Cope House inKensington. This was greatly expanded by Rich in 1624 to 1625 and renamedHolland House; largely destroyed in1940, parts of the original house still remain.[5] They had numerous children, including Frances (1617–1672), who marriedWilliam Paget, 5th Baron Paget, Robert (1619–1675), Henry (1620–1669), Isabella (1623–1670),Susannah (1628–1649), Diana (d. 1659), Charles (d. 1645), Cope (1635–1676) and Mary (1636–1666).[6] Several of the family tombs are atSt Mary Abbots Church, Kensington.[7]
Rich was educated atEton and graduated fromEmmanuel College, Cambridge in 1603. Reportedly agodson ofHenry IV of France, he travelled toParis in 1607 before returning to England in 1610. Elected asMP for the vacant seat ofLeicester in May, he wasknighted in June whenJames I's heirHenry was created Prince of Wales.[8] Shortly thereafter, he served as a volunteer in theSiege of Jülich (1610), part of theWar of the Jülich Succession which preceded the wider conflict of theThirty Years' War.[9]
As was then common, Rich completed his education by studying law at theInner Temple in 1611 and was re-elected for Leicester in the short-livedAddled Parliament of 1614.Clarendon later wrote he was ideally suited to theJacobean era court, being "a very handsome man, of a lovely and winning presence".[10] However, wealth was also a prerequisite; his father-in-law SirWalter Cope died in 1614 with debts of over £27,000, greatly impacting Rich's ability to advance.[11]
Rich became close toCharles, installed as heir to the throne when Prince Henry died in 1612, as well as his favourite, theDuke of Buckingham. He took part in various diplomatic missions and briefly served as a volunteer in theEighty Years War, before being createdBaron Kensington in 1623. The next year he was made a member of thePrivy Council of England, and sent to Paris to help negotiate the marriage contract between Charles andHenrietta Maria of France, a process completed byJames Hay. When Charles succeeded his father in March 1625, Hay was madeEarl of Carlisle and RichEarl of Holland, taking his title from an area inLincolnshire.[3]
In 1627, Rich was involved in the disastrousSiege of Saint-Martin-de-Ré, which led to Buckingham's impeachment by Parliament; although this failed, he was assassinated on 23 August 1628. The next day, Rich wrote to Charles claiming he had been promised the positionGovernor of Windsor Castle.[12] This request was granted, along with an appointment asGovernor of Landguard Fort, and he benefited from his relationship with Henrietta Maria, who had replaced Buckingham as Charles' closest advisor. Over the next few months, he was madeLord Lieutenant of Berkshire andMiddlesex,Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, and numerous other offices.[13]
Although he failed to becomeFirst Lord of the Admiralty, the 1630s was the highpoint of his career as a courtier; as a Privy councillor, he was frequently consulted on foreign affairs, although his anti-Spanish policy was at odds with that pursued by Charles. In 1636, he was appointedGroom of the Stool; by this stage the term indicated proximity to the monarch rather than function, and the officeholder was an important part of the Royal household.[14]
Despite his close links to the court and reputation for extravagance and ambition,Lord Conway described Rich and his brother Warwick as the "temporal and spiritual heads of the Puritans".[3] This shows the danger of conflating "Roundhead" and "Puritan", which often implied a political outlook as much as a moral one. While the majority supported Parliament during the civil war, men likeSir William Savile were equally opposed to Catholicism but became Royalists out of a sense of personal loyalty.[15]
Rich used his patronage to appoint "Godly" clergy, while opposingLaudianism and "Popery", causing a breach with Henrietta Maria, who was a devout Catholic.[16] In addition, he supported two causes central to the Puritan movement, the first being the restoration of Charles' Protestant nephew,Charles I Louis, Elector Palatine, to his hereditary lands in theElectoral Palatinate.[16]
The second was participation in the colonial movement, which sought to establish English possessions in theWest Indies andNorth America, then dominated by Spain. Rich supported colonies inVirginia andBermuda and from 1630 to 1642 was governor of theProvidence Island Company. While his attendance at company meetings was irregular, he helped secure funding and support for its activities, includingPrivateer attacks on Spanish merchant ships.[17] Many of his colleagues were leaders of theParliamentarian opposition in 1641, includingJohn Pym,John Hampden,Lord Saye andLord Brooke.[18]
TheWars of the Three Kingdoms began in 1639 with the first of the twoBishops' Wars against the ScotsCovenanters; Rich served as General of Horse in a chaotic campaign that ended without significant action. A second defeat in 1640 forced Charles to recall Parliamentin November, which impeached bothArchbishop Laud and theEarl of Strafford. A long-time opponent of Strafford, Rich gave evidence against him but abstained from the vote which led to his execution in May 1641.[3]
Although Charles appointed him commander of themilitia inNorthern England, Rich sided with Parliament at the start of theFirst English Civil War in August 1642.[8] Many on both sides expected a short, relatively bloodless conflict and were shocked by the casualties incurred atEdgehill in October 1642. In early 1643, Rich tried to persuade his cousin and Army commanderRobert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex to force Parliament to make peace; when this failed, he defected to theRoyalists atOxford. Although present atNewbury in September, he was treated with indifference by Charles and returned to Westminster in November, reportedly because he opposed the "Cessation" negotiated by Royalists in Ireland with theCatholic Confederacy.[19]
He resumed his seat in theHouse of Lords, while an attempt to impeach him for treason was blocked byDenzil Holles, head of the "Peace" faction in Parliament.[20] Rich was one of ten lords appointed to theWestminster Assembly, a body established with Scottish representatives to agree reforms for the Church of England.[21] By the time Charles surrendered in June 1646, his opponents were divided between moderates led by Holles who dominated Parliament and radicals within theNew Model Army, headed byOliver Cromwell. After negotiations between the king and Parliament broke down in late 1647, theScots, English moderates and Royalists created an alliance to restore Charles to the throne. TheSecond English Civil War began in April 1648.[22]
On 4 July, a petition was presented to Parliament demanding the resumption of negotiations with Charles, and on the same day, Rich andGeorge Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham raised 400 cavalry in an attempt to seize London. This was insufficient for the task and the Royalists retreated throughSurrey, before being intercepted and scattered outsideSurbiton by SirMichael Livesey. Rich and 200 men reachedSt Neots on Sunday 9 July, along with ColonelJohn Dalbier, an experienced German mercenary who served with him in the 1627 Saint-Martin-de-Ré expedition.[23]
The next day, they were attacked by a detachment from the New Model under ColonelAdrian Scrope; Dalbier was killed, Buckingham escaped to France and Rich taken prisoner toWindsor Castle.[24] The war ended with Parliamentarian victory atPreston in August, followed by theExecution of Charles I on 30 January 1649. On 27 February, Rich was taken to London for trial; many felt he should have been punished in 1643 and despite pleas from his brother Warwick, he was executed on 9 March along withLord Capell and theDuke of Hamilton.[25]
Shortly before his death, Rich composed a statement arguing he had always been faithful to Parliament, a "remarkable claim for someone who had deserted them twice".[2] However, the suggestion he never changed the "principles that ever I professed" and was more consistent than thoseresponsible for executing Charles was a view shared by many Parliamentarian moderates.[2]
{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link){{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard 1617–1632 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Master of the Horse 1628 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire 1628–1643 With:The Earl of Banbury 1628–1632 | Interregnum |
| Preceded by | Lord Lieutenant of Middlesex 1628–1643 With:The Earl of Dorset 1628–1642 | Interregnum |
| Legal offices | ||
| Preceded by | Justice in Eyre south of the Trent 1631–1649 | Vacant |
| Parliament of England | ||
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forLeicester 1610–1621 With:Henry Beaumont 1610–1614,Francis Leigh 1614–1621 | Succeeded by |
| Peerage of England | ||
| New creation | Earl of Holland 1624–1649 | Succeeded by |
| Baron Kensington 1623–1649 | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
