Roger Manners, 5th Earl of Rutland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Earl of Rutland
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| Born | Roger Manners 5 October 1576 Kirk Deighton |
| Died | 26 June 1612 (aged 35) |
| Resting place | St Mary the Virgin's Church, Bottesford |
| Title | Earl of Rutland |
| Tenure | 1588 – 1612 |
| Other titles | Lord Ros |
| Nationality | English |
| Spouse(s) | Elizabeth Sidney |
| Parents | John Manners, 4th Earl of Rutland Elizabeth Charleton |
Roger Manners, 5th Earl of Rutland (born October 6, 1576 – died June 26, 1612) was an important English nobleman. He was the oldest son of John Manners, 4th Earl of Rutland and his wife, Elizabeth Charleton. Roger Manners traveled across Europe and took part in military actions. He was also involved in a rebellion against Queen Elizabeth I.
Later, he became a favorite of King James I. People at the time thought he was very smart and talented. He was friends with famous writers and artists of the Elizabethan age and Jacobean age. In 1603, he led a special trip to Denmark. This was the home country of King James's wife, Anne of Denmark. Roger Manners also supported the famous architect Inigo Jones. He likely helped Jones get work at the royal court. Jones later became very important in Jacobean architecture and designing royal shows called masques.
Life of Roger Manners
Roger Manners was probably born in Kirk Deighton, Yorkshire. He was baptized there on November 19, 1576.
His uncle, Edward Manners, 3rd Earl of Rutland, died in 1587. The title of Earl of Rutland went to Roger's father, John. But another title, Baron de Ros, went to his uncle's daughter, Elizabeth. Roger's father, the 4th Earl, died less than a year later in 1588. This meant Roger became the 5th Earl of Rutland.
Roger was only 11 years old when his father died. Because he was so young, he became a "royal ward" of Queen Elizabeth. This meant the Queen was legally responsible for him. His guardian became Sir William Cecil, who was the Queen's chief advisor.
From late 1587, Roger Manners studied at Queens' College, Cambridge and later at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. He received his Master of Arts degree in 1595. This was a big ceremony organized by Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, who was a favorite of the Queen.
Roger Manners became a supporter of Robert Devereux, the Earl of Essex. This caused him serious trouble later on. He was involved in the Essex Rebellion in 1601. After the rebellion failed, Roger was put in the Tower of London for several months. He also had to pay a very large fine. To pay this money, he had to sell some of his family's land. This caused a big disagreement with his mother.
When King James I came to the throne, Roger's situation got a bit better. However, he still faced financial problems.
Marriage
Roger Manners married Elizabeth Sidney in 1599. She was the daughter of Sir Philip Sidney. Elizabeth was also the stepdaughter of Robert Devereux, the Earl of Essex. Roger and Elizabeth did not have any children.
Death and Legacy
Roger Manners died in 1612 when he was 35 years old. His titles then went to his brother, Francis Manners.
Between 1618 and 1619, a craftsman named Gerard Johnson the elder built a tomb for Roger and his wife. This tomb is in St Mary the Virgin's Church in Bottesford, Leicestershire. Roger's mother had also asked Johnson to build monuments for the 3rd and 4th Earls earlier.
Shakespeare Authorship Theories
In the early 1900s, some people suggested that Roger Manners might have written the plays and poems usually credited to Shakespeare. This idea was first brought up in 1906. The theory suggested that Roger Manners worked with another nobleman, the Earl of Southampton. They believed Roger wrote the comedies, poems, and sonnets.
Later, other writers supported this idea, but they dropped the idea of Southampton being a co-writer. This theory was strongly promoted by a German critic named Karl Bleibtreu in 1907. Other authors from different countries also supported this idea over the years.
