Earl of Essex

Description

Robert Devereux, eldest son of the 2nd Earl of Essex who was famously executed by Elizabeth I, was born in 1591. Although one of the wealthiest men in England at the time of the English Civil War, he was never a favourite at the court of Charles I. He gained his early military experience fighting in the Thirty Years War for the protestant cause in Germany and the Low Countries. Essex firmly tied himself to the cause of Parliament by warning the five MP’s about to be arrested on the Kings orders. He was in fact the highest ranking noble to support Parliament and was made Lord General of al Parliament forces in 1642. Essex was a naturally cautious general, although undeniably brave. In fact, at Edgehill he was seen in the thick of the action with pike in hand. Beloved by his men, he was nicknamed ‘Old Robin’ by them as a term of endearment, his regiment becoming known as ‘Olde Robin’s Foote’