Essex, Earl of, was the title held by two English noblemen who became famous as soldiers.
Robert Devereux
(1566-1601), second Earl of Essex, was a favorite of Elizabeth I of England. He was born in Netherwood, in Herefordshire. He fought at the Battle of Zutphen (1586), in the Netherlands, during the English wars against Spain, and led a successful naval raid on Cádiz in 1596. In 1599, Elizabeth appointed him Lord Lieutenant of Ireland but recalled him when he made an unauthorized truce with the Earl of Tyrone, an Irish rebel leader. In 1600, he was deprived of all his official posts. The following year, he tried unsuccessfully to raise a rebellion against Elizabeth. He was tried for treason and executed on Feb. 25, 1601.
Robert Devereux
(1591-1646), third Earl of Essex, was the son of the second earl. He was born in London. He supported Parliament against Charles I at the outbreak of the English Civil War in 1642 and became commander of the parliamentary army. At the battles of Edgehill and Newbury, he showed himself to be a brave but uninspired leader. In 1644, he led an army into Cornwall, but was defeated at Lostwithiel. He resigned from the army in 1645 and died on Sept. 14, 1646.
See also English Civil War.
