Sir Robert Sidney, Viscount De L'Isle and Earl of Leicester (1563-1626), was born November 19, 1563, at the Sidney family home in
Penshurst, Kent. He was the third child of Sir Henry Sidney,
thrice Lord Deputy of Ireland, and nephew of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester.
He had an elder brother, Philip (1554-1586), and an elder sister, Mary (1561-1621), both poets. The Sidneys were a
literary family indeed—Robert wrote poetry, Sir Philip Sidney became one of
the most famous poets in the court of Elizabeth I, and
Mary, later Countess of Pembroke,
also became an author in her own right.
Robert Sidney was educated at Christ Church, Oxford, after which he travelled extensively on the Continent 1578-83. In 1584, he married
Welsh heiress Barbara Gamage, who possessed a sizeable fortune. The marriage was not a love-match, but a speedy arrangement on
behalf of Barbara's guardians, following her father's death, in order to prevent other relatives from getting control of her wealth. The
couple grew to a great affection for each other, however, and eventually had twelve children: eight girls and four boys, two of whom died
in infancy. The most famous of their offspring was Mary, later Lady Mary Wroth,
yet another writer in the Sidney lineage.
In 1585, Robert Sidney entered Parliament, after which he accompanied his brother Sir Philip Sidney
to Flushing in Holland, where they fought against Spain. In 1586, Robert was knighted for gallantry on the battlefield of Zutphen,
but ten days later his brother died from wounds received in the selfsame battle. The Sidneys, as indeed all of England, mourned the
passing of Sir Philip Sidney.
Robert Sidney became head of the Sidney family and owner of Penshurst Place. From 1589 until 1616, when Flushing was returned to the
Dutch, he served as governor of the town, enjoying a long and distinguished career in the military and in public service.
King James I created him Baron Sidney in 1603, when he also became Lord Chamberlain to
Anne of Denmark, Queen consort to King James. He was created Viscount De L'Isle in 1605 and eventually
Earl of Leicester in 1618. Sir Robert Sidney died at Penshurst on July 13, 1626. He was immortalized as a patron of poets
in Jonson's famous poem To Penshurst.
Sir Robert Sidney's poetry was not printed in his lifetime, and it disappeared in the early 19th century. It was rediscovered in 1973 by Peter
Croft, and edited by him for the Clarendon Press (1983). The poetry includes songs, sonnets, and pastorals, in the style of his brother
Philip's verse. It is preserved in an autograph manuscript notebook, showing the poet's own alterations and corrections. It
is the largest body of original verse from the period entirely set down by a poet himself.
Article Citation:
Jokinen, Anniina. “Sir Robert Sidney.” Luminarium.
1 May 2023. [Date when you accessed the page].
<https://www.luminarium.org/encyclopedia/robertsidney.htm>
Other Local Resources:
Books for further study:
Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing, 2006.
Croft, P. J., ed. The Poems of Robert Sidney.
Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1989.
Hannay, M. P., et al. Domestic Politics And Family Absence: The Correspondence (1588-1621) of Robert Sidney, First Earl of Leicester, and Barbara Gamage Sidney, Countess of Leicester.
Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing, 2005.
Hay, Millicent V. The Life of Robert Sidney, Earl of Leicester.
Cranbury, NJ: AUP for The Folger Shakespeare Library, 1984.
Mazzola, Elizabeth. Favorite Sons: The Politics and Poetics of the Sidney Family.
New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003.
Sidney, Mary. Historical Guide to Penshurst Place.
Tunbridge Wells: Goulden & Curry, 1931.
Sidney, Philip. The Sidneys of Penshurst.
London: S H Bousfield & Co Ld, 1901.
Sir Robert Sidney on the Web:
— Lady Sidney and Her Children
— Letters from Robert Sidney to Barbara
— The Family of Sir Robert Sidney
to Renaissance English Literature
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Created by Anniina Jokinen on March 15, 2002. Last updated May 1, 2023.