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The Earl of Essex | |
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Born | 11 January 1591 |
Died | 14 September 1646 | (aged 55)
Education | Eton College |
Alma mater | Merton College, Oxford |
Title | Earl of Essex |
Spouse(s) | Frances Howard Elizabeth Paulet |
Parent(s) | Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex Frances Walsingham |
Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex, KB, PC (/ˈdɛvəˌruː/; 11 January 1591 – 14 September 1646) was an English Parliamentarian and soldier during the first half of the 17th century. With the start of the Civil War in 1642, he became the first Captain-General and Chief Commander of the Parliamentarian army, also known as the Roundheads. However, he was unable and unwilling to score a decisive blow against the Royalist army of King Charles I. He was eventually overshadowed by the ascendancy of Oliver Cromwell and Thomas Fairfax, and resigned his commission in 1646.