Charles Sackville
Charles Sackville, 6th Earl of Dorset, was born on January 24, 1643, in Essex, England, into an aristocratic lineage, being a descendant of both the earls of Dorset and Middlesex. His educational journey began at Westminster School, though he found the environment challenging and attended for only a year. Known for his vibrant personality, Sackville's life included notable events such as killing a highwayman in 1662, for which he received a pardon, and instigating a public disturbance in 1663. A man of both military and diplomatic engagement, he fought against the Dutch in 1664 and conducted several missions to France.
Sackville was also recognized for his contributions to literature, with his pastoral poems emerging in print by 1668. His personal life was marked by several relationships, including a notable affair with Nell Gwyn and multiple marriages, the most significant being with Mary Compton. A prominent Whig and patron of the arts, Sackville played a role in royal affairs, particularly during the Glorious Revolution of 1688, and served as lord chamberlain under King William III. He passed away on January 29, 1706, in Bath, leaving behind a legacy of both political involvement and literary contributions.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Charles Sackville
Courtier
- Born: January 24, 1643
- Birthplace: Near or at Copt Hall, Essex, England
- Died: January 29, 1706
- Place of death: Bath, England
Biography
Charles Sackville was born on January 24, 1643, near or at Copt Hall, Essex, England, the second son of Richard Sackville, Lord Bruckhurst, fifth Earl of Dorset, and Lady Frances Cranfield. A descendent of the earls of Dorset on his father’s side and the earls of Middlesex on his mother’s, Sackville would grow up to be a playful pastoral poet who lived a long and interesting life.
Little is known of Sackville’s earliest years. One biographer describes his father as “prudent and pedestrian.” On October 28, 1647, Sackville entered Westminster School, where he found the rigors of his disciplinarian teacher, Richard Busby, intolerable and attended the school for only a year. In 1658, he was put under the tutelage of a more lenient teacher.
On February 18, 1662, Sackville killed a highwayman, but he was pardoned for the murder. He nearly incited a riot with Sir Charles Sedley and Sir Thomas Ogle on June 16, 1663, when he and Ogle stood atop a balcony, needling a crowd of about one thousand people who were watching from below while Sedley stripped naked and uttered blasphemous words. In 1664, Sackville sailed into battle against the Dutch with James, duke of York. By 1670, Sackville had gone on several diplomatic missions to France, and that year he was made a gentleman of the king’s bedchamber for life. In 1667, he took Nell Gwyn (who would later be mistress to King Charles II) as his mistress.
Sackville’s lyrical cavalier and pastoral poems began to appear in print in 1668. At the same time, he fathered three illegitimate daughters born to Phillipa Waldegrave while courting Mary, Countess of Falmouth. Upon the death of his uncle in 1675, Sackville became fourth Earl of Middlesex and publicly announced his secret marriage to the countess. After his father died in 1677, Sackville became sixth Earl of Dorset. Two years later, his wife died while giving birth. Sackville later married Mary Compton, a beautiful and bright woman and the daughter of the Earl of Northampton, and the couple had several children before she died in 1691.
Sackville became a member of the protective escort for Princess Anne, sister to Queen Mary II, during the Glorious Revolution of 1688, and he later was appointed lord chamberlain by Mary’s husband, King William III. In addition, Sackville was a loyal Whig and a devoted patron of writers. In October, 1704, he married his housekeeper, Anne Roche, and around this time he also retired due to poor health. Sackville died on January 29, 1706, at his home in Bath.