'The Political Career of Edward Sackville, Fourth Earl of Dorset (1590-1652)'
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'THE POLITICAL CAREER OF EDWARD SACKVILLE, FOURTH EARL OF DORSET (1590-1652)' BY DAVID LAWRENCE SMITH SELWYN COLLEGE A Dissertation submitted in the Faculty of History for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Michae1mas Term 1989 ABSTRACT Title: 'The Poli tical Career of Edward Sackvi1le, fourth Earl of Dorset (1590-1652)' Author: David Lawrence Smith, Selwyn College This dissertation seeks to illuminate early Stuart political history by a study of one important public figure. The fourth Earl of Dorset was a member of Charles I's Privy Council, Lord Chamberlain to Queen Henrietta Maria, and Lord Lieutenant of Sussex and Middlesex. He attended all the Parliaments of the 1620's, and sat in the Short and Long Parliaments. He was active in Court and Council throughout the 1630's, and sided with the King in the Civil War. He consistently advocated harmony and reconciliation in a period of growing polarisation. This study investigates Dorset's perception of early seventeenth century political developments, his response to them, and the reasons why he and other moderates failed to prevent civil war. It thus contributes to current debates both on the early modern peerage, and on the origins and nature of the English Civil War. The first chapter looks at Dorset's life and career up to the age of thirty. In Chapter Two a discussion of his rapid rise to political prominence during the 1620's explores the reasons for his success and the nature of his motivation. Chapter Three investigates Dorset's activities as a Privy Councillor and as the Queen's Lord Chamberlain in the 1630's. It analyses in turn the sources of his political power; his record as a patron; his relationships with other leading Caroline po1i ticians; his view of the Personal Rule; and his growing alienation from Charles I. Dorset's religious attitudes are reconstructed in Chapter Four, and the extent to which they determined his political behaviour is evaluated. Chapter Five assesses Dorse t 's strength as a local magnate, and discusses his landed estates, his career as Lord Lieutenant of Middlesex and Sussex, and his electoral influence. Chapter Six examines Dorset's attitudes to the breakdown of 1640-2 and to the Civil Wars. It shows how these motivated his involvement in peace negotiations, and considers why such negotiations failed. Dorset's sufferings at the hands of Parliament's finance committees are described in Chapter Seven, and the material cost of his Royalist allegiance is assessed. The Conclusion summarises the broader significance of Dorset's life and career. FOR MY MOTHER AND FATHER STATEMENT This dissertation is the result of my own work, and includes nothing which is the outcome of work done in collaboration. It does not exceed 80,000 words inclusive of appendices, but exclusive of footnotes and bibliography. CONTENTS Acknowledgements vi Abbreviations ix Introduction 1 1. Early years, 1590-1620 9 2. Dorset and the Politics of the 1620's 51 3. Dorset and the Personal Rule of Charles I 114 4. Dorset's Religious Attitudes 208 5. Dorset as a local magnate, 1624-1642 260 6. Dorset in Parliament, Court and Council, 1640-1646 335 7. 'The Experience of Defeat', 1642-1652 399 Conclusion 452 Appendix 1: The Sackville Family Tree 468 Appendix 2: Ministers Presented to Livings by Dorset 469 Bibliography 472 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Over the last three years I have accumulated debts to many institutions and individuals. This research was funded by a British Academy Postgraduate Studentship. Additional financial assistance was provided by the Master and Fellows of Selwyn College, Cambridge, who elected me to a Research Scholarship at the start of my first year, to a non-stipendiary Research Fellowship at the start of my third, and latterly to the Centenary Research Fellowship. By far my greatest academic debt is owed to my supervisor, Dr John Morrill. It was he who first introduced me to early modern England as an undergraduate. Later he encouraged me to undertake research and suggested this subject. Throughout, he has been an unfailing source of illumination, stimulation and inspiration. The many debts which I have incurred while researching and writing this dissertation are but the most recent in a long line extending over nearly a decade. Several other scholars have also been very generous in their assistance. Professor Sir Geoffrey Elton read earlier versions of Chapters Three and Four, and made many incisive observations. Professor Conrad Russell commented on drafts of Chapters Two, Three and Four, suggested several valuable new perspectives and shared many references with me. Professor -vi- Colin Davis' comments on Chapters Four and Six opened up a number of important lines of thought, especially on the nature of moderate politics in the early 1640's. Mr Peter Salt alerted me to much useful evidence, lent me several microfilms and wrote a detailed commentary on the first half of Chapter Six. Dr Kevin Sharpe made many helpful suggestions for Chapters Four and Six. Dr John Adamson passed on numerous references, lent me various materials and read an early version of Chapter Six. Mr Ian Atherton has been a very generous source of information and wise advice on all aspects of Dorset's career, especially his religious attitudes. In addition, I wish to thank the following for sending me references and/or helping me on specific points: Sabrina Alcorn, Richard Cust, Dagmar Freist, Ken Fincham, Paul Hammer, Caroline Hi bbard, Maija Jansson, Frances Kelly, Pe ter Lake, Sheila Lambert, Keith Lindley, Anthony Milton, Menna Prestwich, Daniel Reagan, John Scally, John Sutton, Nicholas Tyacke, and espeCially Simon Groenveld, Christopher Thompson and Ian Ward. I am grateful to Alan Davidson for letting me see material prior to publication. Thanks are also due to all those who patiently listened to and then discussed my thoughts on Dorset at seminars in Cambridge (at Professor Sir Geoffrey Elton' s Tudor History seminar and Dr John Morrill's early modern -vii- British History seminar) and at the Institute of Historical Research, London (at Professor Conrad Russell's early modern British History seminar). For permission to consult family papers, I am very grateful to the Duke of Northumberland, K.G.; and to the Viscount De L'Isle, V.C., K.G. I owe a further considerable debt to the staffs of all the archives listed in the Bibliography for their courteous assistance. In particular, I wish to thank the staff of Cambridge University Library, especially those in the Manuscripts and Rare Books Departments; David McKitterick, the Wren Librarian at Trinity College, Cambridge; Graham Mayhew at the East Sussex Record Office; Shirley Corke at the Guildford Muniment Room; Donald Gibson at the Kent Archives Office; Harry Cobb, Clerk of the Records at the House of Lords Record Office; Geoffrey Davenport, Librarian of the Royal College of Physicians; and David Postles, Principal Archivist at the Sheffield Central Library. I have left my overriding debt until last. Without my parents' constant encouragement and support over the years this dissertation would never have come to be written. I dedicate it to them, with love and gratitude. D.L.S. -viii- ABBREVIATIONS A.O. Acts and Ordinances of the Interre num, ed. C.H. Firth and R.S. Rait 3 vols., London, 1911) A.P.C. The Acts of the Privy Council of England, 1542-1631, ed. J.R. Dasent et al. (46 vols., London, 1890-1964) B.L. British Library Bod. Lib. Bodleian Library B.R.O. Berkshire Record Office C.C.A.M. Calendar of the Proceedings of the Committee for the Advance of Mone , ed. M.A.E. Green 3 vols., London, 1 ) C.C.C. Calendar of the Proceedings of the Committee for Compounding with Deliniuents, 1643-60, ed. M.A.E. Green (5 vo s., London, 1889) C.D. Commons Debates, 1621, ed. W. Notestein, F.H. Re1f and H. Simpson (7 vols., New Haven, 1935) C. D. 2 1629 Commons Debates for 1629, ed. W. Notestein and F.H. Re1f (Minneapolis, 1921) C.J. Journals of the House of Commons ( London, 1803) C.L.R.O. Corporation of London Records Office Complete Peerage G.E. C[okayne], The Complete Peerage (New edition, ed. V. Gibbs et al., 14 vols., London, 1910-59) C.S.P.D. Calendar of State Papers Domestic for the Reign of Charles I, ed. J. Bruce et al. (23 vols., London, 1858-97) C.S.P.v. Calendar of State Pa ers Vene t ian, ed. R. Brown et al. 0 vols., London, 1864- 1940) C.U.L. Cambridge University Library -ix- D.N.B. Dictionar Stephen ..;..e..;..t.-.,;;.;;...;;;..;;. 1900) E.S.R.O. East Sussex Record Office H.L.R.O. House of Lords Record Office H.M.C. Historical Manuscripts Commission K.A.O. Kent Archives Office L.J. Journals of the House of Lords (London, 1846) MP Main Papers of the House of Lords (at the H.L.R.O.) N.R.O. Northamptonshire Record Office P.R.O. Public Record Office, Chancery Lane P.R.O. (Kew) Public Record Office, Kew Proceedings, 1625 Proceedin s in Parliament ed. M. Jansson and W.B. Bi we 1 Haven, 1987) Proceedings, 1628 Proceedings in Parliament, 1628, ed. M.F. Keeler, M.J. Co1e and W.B. Bidwe11 (6 vols., New Haven, 1977-83) SC Strafford Correspondence (at the S.C.L.) S.C.L. Sheffield Central Library SP State Papers (at the P.R.O.) S.T.C. A Short-Title Catalogue of Books Printed in England, Scotland and Ireland and of English Books Printed Abroad, 1475-1640, ed. A.W. Pollard and G.R. Redgrave (2nd edition, ed. W.A. Jackson, F.S.