Henry Spencer, 1st Earl of Sunderland

Henry Spencer, 1st Earl of Sunderland (c. October 1620 – 20 September 1643), known as The Lord Spencer between 1636 and June 1643, was an English peer who fought and died in the English civil war on the side of the Cavaliers.

Henry was born at Althorp to William Spencer, 2nd Baron Spencer and was baptised on 23 November 1620 at Great Brington church. He attended Magdalen College, Oxford and graduated from there with a Master of Arts degree on 31 August 1636. He then succeeded to his father's title of Baron Spencer later that year on 19 December 1636.

On 20 July 1639, he married Lady Dorothy Sidney (who had previously rejected Edmund Waller's hand in marriage), daughter of Robert Sidney, 2nd Earl of Leicester at Penshurst Place. He and his wife had three children:

• Lady Dorothy Spencer (1640–1670), married George Savile, 1st Marquess of Halifax and had issue.
• Robert Spencer, 2nd Earl of Sunderland (1641–1702)
• Lady Penelope Spencer (c. 1644–1645), died in infancy.

Henry fought in the Battle of Edgehill in 1642 and was rewarded for his services on 8 June 1643 by being created 1st Earl of Sunderland (although the title cost him £3000). He then fought in the Siege of Gloucester in August 1643 and the First Battle of Newbury on 20 September of that year (where he was killed, aged 23, by a cannon ball).

[edit] References

• thepeerage Accessed 13 October 2008