Sigismund Zinzan facts for kids

Sir Sigismund Zinzan, also known as Sir Sigismund Alexander, was an important person in the royal court of England. He served as an equerry (a special assistant who looks after horses) for Queen Elizabeth I. He was also a skilled champion in the tiltyard, which was an area where knights would compete in jousting tournaments. He took part in these exciting events during the last years of Queen Elizabeth's rule and throughout the time of King James I.

Sigismund Zinzan was also connected to the famous Globe Theatre. He was the stepfather of Sir Matthew Brend, who owned the land where the Globe Theatre stood. For a few years, from 1624 to 1627, Sigismund Zinzan was actually in charge of the Globe Theatre himself.

The Zinzan Family History

The Zinzan family is thought to have come to England from Italy or Albania. Some people believe they might have been Muslims. One of the earliest known family members was Hannibal Zinzan, who worked as a master farrier (someone who shoes horses) for Henry VIII in 1547. Another family member, Alexander Zinzan, was a royal horse rider around the same time.

Alexander Zinzan had three sons: Alexander, Robert, and Andrew. Robert Zinzan (born around 1547, died 1607) started working with horses in the royal stables when he was young. By 1574, he became an equerry for Elizabeth I. Many family members, starting with Robert, often used the last name 'Alexander'.

In 1585, Queen Elizabeth I sent Robert Zinzan to Scotland with a gift of four horses for King James VI. Robert was a regular participant in tournaments at court from 1565 to 1591. He was even given a special business deal to import certain spices for twenty years.

Robert Zinzan was knighted by King James I in 1603. He died in 1607, and his son, Henry, took over his job of supplying body armor. Sigismund Zinzan was a younger son of Robert Zinzan. His mother's name was Margaret, and her family lived at Handsacre Hall in Staffordshire. Sigismund had two brothers, Robert and Henry, and three sisters.

Sigismund's Royal Career

Just like his father, Sigismund Zinzan was an equerry for Queen Elizabeth I. Both he and his brother Henry were very good at jousting and took part in many tournaments at court.

Tournaments and Royal Connections

In 1603, when King James I came to the throne, the Zinzan brothers participated in a special event for him. Lady Anne Clifford, a famous writer, wrote about how they competed in a jousting match where Henry Zinzan was accidentally hurt.

The Zinzan brothers continued to be regular jousting partners for the King's sons, Prince Henry and Prince Charles. From 1608 to 1624, they received money from the royal treasury for each tournament they joined. This suggests they might have also helped organize these events. Henry Zinzan jousting for twenty-seven years. He later asked the King for financial help because of his long service and injuries he received while jousting with the princes.

In 1610, King James I held a grand ceremony to make his fifteen-year-old son, Henry, the Prince of Wales. The next day, a play called Masque of Oberon was performed. On the third day, a big tournament was held, and the Zinzan brothers were among the skilled jousters.

When Prince Henry sadly died in 1612 at just eighteen years old, Sigismund Zinzan had an important role in the funeral procession. He led a horse covered in black cloth.

The Zinzan brothers, along with the future King Charles I, also jousted in 1620 to celebrate King James's Accession Day (the day he became King). Their last Accession Day tournament was in 1624. King James died in 1625, and his son, Charles I, later stopped these special jousting events.

Globe Theatre Ownership

Around 1605, Sigismund Zinzan married Margaret Brend. She was the widow of Nicholas Brend, who owned the land where the famous Globe Theatre was built. When Margaret's son, Matthew Brend, was too young to manage his inheritance, Margaret was supposed to receive money from her late husband's lands.

In 1623, Sigismund Zinzan and Matthew Brend made an agreement for Margaret to receive her payments. This agreement changed later that year when Matthew needed to provide for his future wife. A new deal was made where Margaret was given control of the properties in Southwark, including the land with the Globe Theatre, for the rest of her life.

Because of this agreement, Sigismund Zinzan became the effective owner of the Globe Theatre through his wife in late 1624. He managed it for over two years, even though Matthew Brend tried to challenge him in court. Eventually, they reached a settlement. Sigismund's connection to the Globe Theatre ended when Margaret Zinzan died around mid-1627.

Sigismund also had some disagreements with his stepson, Matthew. For example, Matthew claimed that Sigismund had cut down valuable timber on the family estate. Sigismund denied this, saying he only took a few trees to repair buildings and fences.

Military Service and Later Life

From 1624 to 1627, Sigismund Zinzan served as a captain in the military in the Low Countries (modern-day Netherlands and Belgium). He earned a salary of £15 a month. His service was paused for 18 months when Prince Charles called him back to England. He later returned to the Low Countries but stopped campaigning around mid-1627.

In 1628, facing financial difficulties, Zinzan asked King Charles I for help. He was granted a pension of £100 a year, starting in 1631, for as long as the King wished.

During the English Civil War, Sigismund Zinzan did not fight for the King. Instead, he joined the Parliamentary forces under the Earl of Essex. He served in a cavalry (horse-riding soldiers) regiment from 1642 to 1643.

In 1654, Sigismund Zinzan asked Oliver Cromwell for financial help, saying he was very poor and that the Crown owed him money for his service. Even though the records didn't fully support his claim, he was given a pension of 20 shillings a week, starting in 1655. After the monarchy was brought back in 1660, King Charles II continued Zinzan's pension. However, Sigismund Zinzan died around mid-July 1661, at over ninety years old, before he could collect it.

Marriage and Children

Around 1605, Sigismund Zinzan married Margaret Strelley. She was the widow of Nicholas Brend and the daughter of Sir Philip Sterley from Nottinghamshire. Together, Sigismund and Margaret had five sons and three daughters:

• Henry Zinzan, who married Jacoba, a daughter of Sir Peter Vanlore.
• Sigismund Zinzan.
• Robert Zinzan.
• Charles Zinzan, who married three times.
• John Zinzan.
• Margaret Zinzan.
• Elizabeth Zinzan.
• Letitia Zinzan.

Through his wife's previous marriage to Nicholas Brend, Sigismund Zinzan also had two stepsons and three stepdaughters. They were all children when their father died:

• Sir Matthew Brend, the eldest son, who was less than two years old when his father died. He married Frances Smith.
• John Brend.
• Jane Brend (born around 1595).
• Mercy Brend (born 1597), who married Robert Meese.
• Frances Brend (born 1598).