Whittington families » Dorothy (Lady)(Countess of Sunderland) SYDNEY (SPENCER)(SMYTHE) (1617-1683)

Personal data Dorothy (Lady)(Countess of Sunderland) SYDNEY (SPENCER)(SMYTHE) 


Household of Dorothy (Lady)(Countess of Sunderland) SYDNEY (SPENCER)(SMYTHE)

(1) She is married to Henry (1St Earl Of Sunderland)(3rd Baron Spencer) SPENCER.

They got married


Child(ren):



(2) She is married to Robert (Of Roundes) SMYTHE.

They got married


Notes about Dorothy (Lady)(Countess of Sunderland) SYDNEY (SPENCER)(SMYTHE)

Birth: «tab»unknown

Death: «tab»1675

Lady Dorothy Sidney was the eldest of eight daughters of Robert Sidney, 2nd Earl of Leicester and Dorothy Percy, the ninth daughter of the Earl of Northumberland. Dorothy's parents called her "Doll" and she was their favorite child.

Lady Dorothy married Henry, 1st Earl of Sunderland & 3rd Baron Spencer, he was the son of William, 2nd Baron Spencer and Penelope in 1639. Henry had studied at Oxford, where he had received a Master of Arts degree. The couple went to France to live with Dorothy'sparents, where her father was ambassador and then returned to England in 1641. Two children were born to this union: Dorothy and Robert.

Henry was killed in The Battle of Newbury. His death devastated Dorothy and she lost the baby girl she was carrying. Her physical and mental health began to plummet and she refused to leave Althorp or see anyone. Only after her father wrote to her, did she begin to come out of her depression and misery.

Dorothy took over the running of Althorp and ensured its protection from both warring parties. She managed to see that no devastation overtook Althorp, aided by her husband's uncle, Sir Edward Spencer. Dorothy was responsible for the dramatic transformation in Althorp, from Tudor to Stuart style. She had the old open courtyard in the center of the house covered with a roof and ordered the construction of the handsome wooden staircase in the Saloon.

Dorothy was persuaded to remarry again by her father. She married Robert Smythe, of Roundes, in the parish of Bidborough, Kent. Smythe was from the family of Viscounts Stangford, of Ireland. The couple had one child: Robert who became governor of Dover Castle during the reign of Charles II.

Burial:

St Mary the Virgin with St John Churchyard

Great Brington

Northamptonshire, England

Created by: KRW

Record added: Jun 30, 2006

Find A Grave Memorial# 14785334

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Timeline Dorothy (Lady)(Countess of Sunderland) SYDNEY (SPENCER)(SMYTHE)

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Ancestors (and descendant) of Dorothy (Lady)(Countess of Sunderland) SYDNEY (SPENCER)(SMYTHE)


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About the surname SYDNEY (SPENCER)(SMYTHE)


The Whittington families publication was prepared by .contact the author
When copying data from this family tree, please include a reference to the origin:
Philip James Wood, "Whittington families", database, Genealogy Online (https://www.genealogieonline.nl/whittington-families/I49764.php : accessed May 19, 2024), "Dorothy (Lady)(Countess of Sunderland) SYDNEY (SPENCER)(SMYTHE) (1617-1683)".