Edward
Sackville, the son of 2nd Earl of Dorset, was born in 1590. As
a young man he became involved in a scandal. In 1613, at the age of
23, Edward Sackville and Lord Edward Bruce both fell in love with
a woman called Venetia Stanley. The two men decided to fight a duel
to decide who should become her husband. To avoid the king's punishment,
Sackville and Bruce travelled to Bergen in Holland to fight the duel.
Lord Bruce was killed in the duel but this did not win Sackville his
bride. When he arrived back in England he discovered that Venetia
Stanley had decided to marry Sir Kenelm Digby.
Sackville was forgiven
by James for killing Lord Bruce and the following year was allowed
to represent Sussex in the House of Commons.
After the death of James I Sackville loyally
served Charles
I. In 1623 Sackville
was Governor of Bermuda and in 1631 helped administer the British
settlement in Virginia, America.
When Edward Sackville became
the 4th Earl of Dorset in 1624, he the king's policies in the House
of Lords. When Puritans
rioted against the influence
of the Bishops in 1641, Edward Sackville took charge of the the Middlesex
militia and ordered them to fire on the protesters. This upset the
Puritans in the House of Commons and attempts
were made to have him arrested.
Charles
I
protected the Earl of Dorset against the Puritans
and on 4th January 1642,
Charles
I sent
his soldiers to arrest John Pym and other
leading radicals in Parliament. After failing to arrest Pym, the king
fled from London and aware that a Civil
War was inevitable, began forming an army.
The Earl of Dorset and
his two sons, Richard and Edward, joined the king's army at York
in January, 1642. In August the Earl of Dorset was sent to meet the
leaders of Parliament in an attempt to negotiate an end to the conflict.
The negotiations were unsuccessful and soon afterwards the Parliamentary
army took possession of Knole House, the Earl of Dorset's home in
Sevenoaks. The house was ransacked and a great deal of property was
stolen.
The Earl of Dorset took
part in the Battle of Edgehill in October
1642. His sons also took an active role in the Civil
War. Richard, the eldest son was taken prisoner at Mile End Green
when the Royalist army attempted to march on London.
The younger brother, Edward, was wounded at Newbury
and later taken prisoner
at Kidlington near Oxford. Edward died
on 11th April, 1646 while a prisoner of the Parliamentary army. It
was later claimed that Edward had been murdered by one of Cromwell's
soldiers.
After the execution of
Charles
I on
30th January, 1649, the Earl of Dorset retired to his home in London
and stayed there until his death in July, 1652. Edward Sackville,
4th Earl of Dorset was buried in the family vault at Withyham.
Oliver
Cromwell refused permission for Edward's son Richard to inherit
his father title. Some of his property was also seized as punishment
for fighting for the royalist army against Parliament. However, when
the monarchy was restored in 1660, Charles
II restored Richard's
title.
(1)
Edward Sackville, letter written in 1613.
We commanded our doctors
to withdraw a pretty distance from us... There in the meadow (ankle-deep
in water) we removed our doublets and we began to charge each other...
I made a thrust at my enemy, but was short; and, in drawing back my
arm, I received a great wound... In revenge, I pressed it to him,
but I missed him... I then received a wound which passed through my
body, and almost to my back... we then wrestled for the two greatest
and dearest prizes we could ever expect, our honour and our life...
with a kick and a wrench I freed my long-captive weapon and held it
at his throat. I demanded that he should ask for his life... he bravely
refused... Myself being wounded, and feeling faint because of a loss
of blood... I struck at his heart, but I missed my aim... drawing
back my sword, I repassed it through him in another place.. I easily
became master of him, laying him on his back... His surgeon cried
out that Lord Bruce would die if his wounds were not treated! I asked
him again if he would request his life... He scorned it! I could not
find in my heart to offer him any more violence... I retired to my
surgeon.... Lord Bruce later died.
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