A portrait of Essex of doubtful authorship, dated 1597, is in the National Portrait Gallery. Another, by Hilliard, is at Gorhambury, and miniatures by Oliver are known. Engravings appear in Holland's 'Herωologia,' in Duncumb's 'Herefordshire' (from a portrait at Kyre House, Tenbury), and in Devereux's 'Earls of Essex' (after Hilliard). Houbraken, Boissard, Stent, and Pass are among the engravers of extant prints of the earl's portraits, all of which are rare.
[All the letters and despatches known to be extant, except those at Hatfield, are printed in Devereux's Lives of the Earls of Essex. A French lite (Hague, 1607) is chiefly drawn from Bacon's Declaration. The contemporary authorities are Anthony Bacon's Papers (to 1597), printed in Birch's Memoirs of Queen Elizabeth; Wotton's Parallel between Essex and Buckingham (1641); Correspondence with James VI (Camd. Soc.), where many important papers from Hatfield are printed in Appendix ii.; Winwood's Memorials; Camden's Annals; Stow's Chronicle; Cal. State Papers, Dom. and Irish, 1589-1601; Egerton Papers (Camden Soc.); Sidney Papers; Chamberlain s Letters (Camden Soc); and Harington's Nugæ Antique. The chief modern authority is Spedding's Bacon, i. and ii. Spedding in order to exculpate Bacon from the charge of treachery to Essex, which his public conduct after the earl's return from Ireland goes far to justify, takes the worst view of Essex's conduct in Ireland. He accepts all the accusations made against him, whether officially or unofficially; and treats Bacon's 'Declaration' and 'Apologie' as true throughout. But this view cannot be upheld when the original authorities are carefully re-examined. Dr. Abbott, in his 'Bacon and Essex' (1877), has examined the evidence exhaustively, and Spedding's conclusions should be corrected by it. See also Lingard's History, E. P. Shirley's Hist. of Monaghan, and article by Professor Brewer on the Hatfield Papers with extracts in Quarterly Review for 1876. For the history of a pocket-dial given by Essex to his chaplain Ashton, see Archæologia, xl. pt. ii. 344 et seq., and Notes and Queries, 4th series, ix. 9. Besides Banks's play about Essex, mentioned above, Henry Brooke produced another in 1749. The valueless History of Elizabeth's Amours with Essex was reprinted at Cologne in 1695, and repeatedly in London in the eighteenth century. Other authorities are mentioned in the text.]
DEVEREUX, ROBERT, third Earl of Essex (1591–1646), parliamentary general, was son of Robert, second earl of Essex [q. v.], and Frances, daughter of Sir Francis Walsingham, and widow of Sir Philip Sidney. His father having been attainted in 1601, he was restored in blood and honour by act of parliament in 1604.
On 15 Jan. 1606, when Essex was almost fourteen, he was married to Frances Howard, a younger daughter of the Earl of Suffolk. The marriage had been arranged by the king, who was favourably disposed to all who were connected with the late Earl of Essex, and who was glad to bring about an alliance between his son and the Howard family, which now stood high in his favour. About the end of 1607 the earl was sent abroad to travel on the continent, and towards the end of 1609 he returned to England.
During the earl's absence, his young wife attracted the notice of Sir Robert Carr and warmly returned his affection. Her husband's advances were repugnant to her, and for three years she succeeded in remaining his wife only in name. In 1613 she thought, or was advised to think, that it would be expedient to procure a sentence of nullity of marriage on the ground of physical incapacity in her husband. On 16 May a commission was issued to adjudge the case, and on 25 Sept. the commissioners, by a majority of seven to five, pronounced in favour of the nullity on the ground that Essex was incapable of marriage, not with women in general, but with the particular person who happened to be his wife. Lady Essex was shortly afterwards married to Carr, who was now created Earl of Somerset [see Carr, Robert, Earl of Somerset].
In 1620 Essex commanded a company in the regiment of English volunteers which set forth under Sir Horace Vere to defend the Palatinate. He saw scarcely any service, as he returned speedily to England to attend to his parliamentary duties, and on 13 Jan. 1621 he became a member of the council of war, appointed to consider the measures to be taken for the defence of the Palatinate if, as was then expected, James should interfere in person. During the summer of that year he visited the Netherlands, and accompanied the Prince of Orange to the field, but he again returned to be present at the winter sitting of parliament.
In 1625 Essex was vice-admiral in the Cadiz expedition. In 1626 he refused payment to the forced loan, and in the debates in 1628 on the petition of right he sided with the popular party. In 1631 he married a second time, Elizabeth, daughter of Sir William Paulet. The marriage did not turn out well. A child was born who died in infancy, and the mother was accused of adultery. A separation took place, though the lady affirmed that the charge against her was the result of a conspiracy among Essex's attendants, who were jealous of her influence over him. Whatever may be the truth, subsequent events showed that over-confidence in
