Sir Richard Grenville | |
|---|---|
 Grenville arms, Gules, three clarions or; detail from the now demolished Stowe House | |
| MP for Fowey | |
| In office 1628–1629 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 26 June 1600 Stowe, Kilkhampton, Cornwall |
| Died | 21 October 1659 (aged 59) Ghent |
| Spouse | Mary Fitz (1596–1671) |
| Relations | Sir Bevil Grenville (1595–1643) Admiral Sir Richard (1542–1591) |
| Children | Richard (ca 1631–1657?) Elizabeth (1632-after 1671) |
| Parent(s) | Sir Bernard Grenville (1567–1636); Elizabeth Bevill (1564–1636) |
| Alma mater | Leiden University |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Dutch Republic 1618–1623  England 1625–1628  Royalist 1640–1646 |
| Years of service | 1618–1646 |
| Rank | Major General |
| Commands | Governor Trim 1642–1643 |
| Battles/wars | Thirty Years War War of the Three Kingdoms |
Sir Richard Grenville (26 June 1600 – 21 October 1659) was a professional soldier from Cornwall, who served in the Thirty Years War, and 1638 to 1651 Wars of the Three Kingdoms. He was the younger brother of Sir Bevil Grenville, who died at Lansdowne in 1643, and grandson of Admiral Sir Richard, killed at Flores in 1591.
He began his military career during the 1618 to 1624 Bohemian Revolt, an early phase of the Thirty Years War, then served under the Duke of Buckingham. In 1628, he became MP for Fowey, and married Mary Fitz, a well-connected and wealthy widow; they divorced in 1632, and he was imprisoned for debt. In 1633, he escaped to Europe; from 1634 to 1639, he fought with the Swedes, then the Dutch Republic, before returning home to take part in the Bishops Wars. He served in Ireland from 1642 to 1643, followed by a brief spell with the Parliamentarian army, before defecting to the Royalists in March 1644.
He spent the rest of the war in the West Country; arrested for insubordination by Sir Ralph Hopton in early 1646, he was released when the Royalists surrendered in March. His feud with the Earl of Clarendon meant he was barred from the exiled court of Charles II and died in Ghent on 21 October 1659. Although his negative portrayal in Clarendon's 'History of the Rebellion' was undoubtedly affected by their personal conflict, he was loathed by many on both sides for his brutality and greed. A modern assessment is that while a courageous and competent soldier, capable of inspiring great loyalty, this was offset by a narrow focus on his own self-interest, and violent temper.[1]
- ^ Barratt 2004, p. 158.