The Sidneys of Penshurst and the Monarchy, 1500û1700

by Brennan,Michael G.

• ISBN13: 9780754650607
• ISBN10: 075465060X
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-01-28
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

The Sidneys rank amongst the most influential families in early modern England, and can count amongst their number many of leading lights of the Tudor and Stuart period. From the Elizabethan poet and soldier Philip, to the republican Algernon, the Sidney family were intimately bound up with the political, cultural and courtly life of early modern England. Taking a broadly chronological approach, this volume offers an overview of the Sidneys across several generations. By analysing various individuals and their writings, an intriguing new perspective is offered, not only on the culture of English politics, but also on the self-perception and ambitions of a leading renaissance family. During the Tudor period their long and fruitful (but sometimes problematical) association with the Dudley family in court and royal affairs is reassessed with regard to their relations with Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I. During the Stuart period the Sidneys intimacy and loyalty to James I, Queen Anne and Charles I is contrasted to their more neutral (even hostile) attitudes to Charles II and James II. Against the backdrop of this shifting royal favour and religious and political upheaval, the Sidneys' political and domestic tactics used to preserve the family's reputation, estates and property are explored. The first book length study of the Sidney family's relationship with the English monarchy, this work will be welcomed by all those with an interest in English political and cultural history. Drawing upon both historical and literary sources it offers an absorbing insight into the self-perceptions of a leading renaissance family and how they adapted to the vicissitudes of the sixteenth and seventeenth century world.

Table of Contents

List of Plates	vi
Acknowledgements	vii
Abbreviations	ix
Table: The Sidney Family	x
Table: The Dudley Family	xiii
Introduction	1	(7)
The Sidneys, Brandons, Guildfords, and Dudleys, 1500--1554	8	(20)
The Dudleys and Sidneys, 1554--1572	28	(20)
The Ascendancy of Philip Sidney, 1572--1577	48	(21)
Great Expectations for the Sidneys, 1577--1585	69	(24)
The Last Years of Queen Elizabeth, 1585--1603	93	(21)
The Sidneys and King James I, 1603--1621	114	(19)
The Sidneys and Royal Service, 1621--1644	133	(16)
The Survival of the Sidneys, 1644--1700	149	(20)
Postscript	169	(1)
Bibliography	170	(7)
Index	177