Henry Wriothesley, 2nd Earl of Southampton
A Tudor nobleman whose life was a turbulent chess game of royal favor, rebellion, and imprisonment, forever overshadowed by his more famous literary son.
1545–1581 (age 36)·English peer·Birthday: April 24
Biography
Henry Wriothesley's life as the 2nd Earl of Southampton was a masterclass in the perils of being a wealthy peer in Elizabethan England. Inheriting the title as a child, he grew into a man known for his Catholic sympathies and a temperament that often clashed with the crown. His first marriage to Mary Browne was famously unhappy and politically complicated, ending in a prolonged separation after he accused her of adultery. Wriothesley's true notoriety came from his entanglement in the 1569 Northern Rebellion, a Catholic uprising against Queen Elizabeth I. Though his precise role remains debated, it was enough for the Queen to imprison him in the Tower of London, where he would spend the better part of a decade. He was released in 1573 but remained under a cloud, his vast estates managed by the crown. His legacy is often a footnote to that of his son, the 3rd Earl of Southampton, who became a famed patron of William Shakespeare.
#1 When Henry Was Born
The biggest hits of 1545
Henry's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1545Born
1550Started school
1558Became a teenager
1561Could drive
1563Could vote
1566Turned 21
1575Turned 30
1581Died at 36
Key Achievements
- Maintained the Southampton earldom and its considerable estates through a period of extreme political danger.
- Survived imprisonment in the Tower of London for suspected involvement in a major rebellion against the monarchy.
- Was the father of Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton, the noted patron of Shakespeare and the dedicatee of two of the poet's narrative poems.
Did You Know?
He was imprisoned in the Tower of London for approximately seven or eight years.
His wife, Mary Browne, was the daughter of Sir Anthony Browne, a key courtier.
The famous 'Southampton portrait' of a beautiful young nobleman long thought to be his son may actually be a likeness of him.
His death in 1581 allowed his son, the third Earl, to inherit while still a minor, placing him under the wardship of Lord Burghley.
“My loyalty to the old faith is my inheritance and my burden.”
