Henry Wriothesley

Henry WRIOTHESLEY, 3rd Earl of Southampton 1573-1624

Biographical Note

Born at Cowdray House near Midhurst in Sussex; son of Henry Wriothesley, 2nd Earl of Southampton (d.1581). Admitted to St John's College, Cambridge in 1585. A literary patron, dedications to Wriothesley were made by Shakespeare and Thomas Nashe. He was sent to the Tower for his involvement in Essex's rebellion and was initially condemned to death, but spared as a result of Sir Robert Cecil's intervention on his behalf. After James' accession he was restored to his position at court, and was made lord lieutenant of Hampshire and Queen Anne's master of the game. He became a member of the Virginia Company's council and a member of the East India Company in 1609.

Books

Gave £100 to the Bodleian Library in 1605; at the end of his life, he bought ca.1000 books and ca.200 manuscripts of William Crashaw’s to give to St John’s College, Cambridge.

Sources

• Honan, Park. "Wriothesley, Henry, third earl of Southampton (1573–1624), courtier and literary patron." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
• Jayne, S. Library catalogues of the English renaissance. Godalming, 1983, 152.