Henry Sydney, 1st Earl of Romney

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

PC
Master-General of the Ordnance
In office
1693–1702
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
In office
March 1692 – May 1693
Secretary of State for the Northern Department
In office
1690–1692
Lord Lieutenant of Kent
In office
1689–1704
Member of Parliament
for Tamworth
In office
January 1689 – April 1689
Envoy to the United Provinces
In office
June 1679 – 1681
Member of Parliament
for Bramber
In office
July 1679 – January 1681
Personal details
Born1641
Lieutenant General
UnitColonel, First Foot Guards
Battles/warsWilliamite War in Ireland
The Boyne; Waterford; First Limerick

Henry Sydney, 1st Earl of Romney (March 1641 – 8 April 1704) was an English Army officer, Whig politician and peer who served as Master-General of the Ordnance from 1693 to 1702. He is best known as one of the Immortal Seven, a group of seven Englishmen who drafted an invitation to William of Orange, which led to the November 1688 Glorious Revolution and subsequent deposition of James II of England.

Personal details

Penshurst Place, the Sydney family home in Kent

Henry Sydney was born in

Algernon (1623–1683), a political theorist closely associated with John Locke who was executed in 1683 for his part in the Rye House Plot.[1] Another brother, Robert (1626–1668), served in the army of the Dutch Republic, and was a close companion of the exiled Charles II of England, although he fell from favour shortly before his death.[2]

His eldest sister

MP for Sussex for most of the period from 1654 to 1695. A Whig who supported the Glorious Revolution, two of his grandsons served as Prime Minister.[4]

Although Sydney had an illegitimate son, Henry Worthley, he never married; on 8 April 1704, he died of smallpox at his house in London and was buried a few days later in St James's Church, Piccadilly. His titles became extinct.[5]

Career

Sydney was brought up at Penshurst Place, the family home in Kent and spent much of the period from 1658 to 1664 travelling in Europe with his nephew and contemporary, the Earl of Sunderland. On his return, he held a number of positions at court and in 1667 was commissioned as captain in the Holland Regiment, commanded by his brother Robert. He carried out a number of minor diplomatic missions in the 1670s and received his first significant office in 1678 when Charles appointed him Master of the Robes.[6]

In early 1678, England re-entered the Franco-Dutch War as an ally of the Dutch Republic and Sydney was given command of a new regiment raised to fight in it. Although the war ended before he saw active service, he became friends with William of Orange; with the support of Sunderland, then Secretary of State for the Northern Department, in June 1679 he was appointed Envoy to the United Provinces, a position he held with marked success until 1681.[5]

In October 1679, he was also elected as

Mary, rather than Charles' illegitimate son, James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth. This ultimately led to his dismissal, although he was permitted to return to the Netherlands in 1682 and given command of one of the English regiments of the Dutch Anglo-Scots Brigade.[6]

Sydney's nephew, contemporary and close friend, Robert Spencer, 2nd Earl of Sunderland, Lord President of the Council under James II of England

In 1683, Algernon Sydney was executed for his part in the Rye House Plot, an alleged conspiracy to assassinate Charles II along with his brother James, and place Monmouth on the throne.

Immortal Seven, representatives from the key political constituencies whose support William needed to commit to an invasion, it was drafted by Sydney, later described as "the great wheel on which the Revolution rolled".[8]

In August, he journeyed to

Privy Councillor and received a number of other offices, including Lord Lieutenant of Kent and Constable of Dover Castle.[6]

Sydney accompanied William in 1690 when he took personal charge of the

At the same time, he purchased the office of Chief Ranger of Greenwich Park, allowing him to use the Queen's House as a personal residence. He undertook a series of improvements, one of which was to alter the course of the main road between Woolwich and Deptford, part of which is now called "Romney Road".[11] He remained a close advisor to William and accompanied him to The Hague for the negotiations that led to the signing of the Second Grand Alliance in September 1701. However, when William died and Queen Anne came to the throne in March 1702, he lost most of his offices and retired from active political life; he died of smallpox at his house in London on 8 April 1704, and was buried a few days later at St James's Church, Piccadilly.[5]

Legacy

Sydney's reputation has been subject to a variety of views; some contemporaries considered him lazy and superficial, while Tory satirist Jonathan Swift dismissed him as 'an idle, drunken, ignorant rake, without sense or honour'. [12] Other perspectives are more charitable and in general present him as "an individual with flaws, but also remarkable for his even temper, straight dealing, good judgement, and a knack for gaining the trust of others".[6]

It has been suggested the use of the pheon, or broad arrow, on government property dates from Sydney's period as Master General of the Ordnance.[13] However, the Oxford English Dictionary argues "this is not supported by the evidence", as the use of the device predates his association with the Board.[14]

References

  1. ^ Scott 2004.
  2. ^ Luscombe, Stephen. "Robert Sidney". British Empire. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  3. ^ Speck 2008.
  4. ^ Crook 1983.
  5. ^ a b c Mimardière 1983.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Hosford 2004.
  7. ^ Harris 1993, p. 92.
  8. ^ Jones 1988, p. 222.
  9. ^ Harris 2006, p. 282.
  10. ^ Jackson 2021, p. 493.
  11. ^ Weinreb & Hibbert 1992, p. 651.
  12. ^ Swift 1962, p. 288.
  13. ^ Spence 2000, p. 204.
  14. ^ "broad arrow, n.". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)

Sources

Political offices
Preceded by Secretary of State for the Northern Department
1690–1692
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Lords Justices
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
1692–1693
Succeeded by
Lords Justices
Military offices
Preceded by Colonel of the 1st Regiment of Foot Guards
1689–1690
Succeeded by
Vacant
Title last held by
The 1st Duke of Schomberg
Master-General of the Ordnance
1693–1702
Succeeded by
Preceded by Colonel of the 1st Regiment of Foot Guards
1693–1704
Succeeded by
Court offices
Preceded by Master of the Robes
1679–1685
Succeeded by
Preceded by
The Earl of Portland
Groom of the Stole

1699–1704
Succeeded by
Honorary titles
Preceded by Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports
1691–1702
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Vice-Admiral of Kent

1689–1702
Succeeded by
Preceded by Lord Lieutenant of Kent
jointly with The Earl of Westmorland 1692–1693

1689–1704
Custos Rotulorum of Kent
1689–1704
Peerage of England
New title Earl of Romney
1694–1704
Extinct
Viscount Sydney
1689–1704