    thumb|right|sir henry sidney, 1573 sir henry sidney (1529 â 5 may 1586), lord deputy of ireland, was the eldest son of sir william sidney of penshurst, a prominent politician and courtier during the reigns of henry viii and edward vi, from both of whom he received extensive grants of land, including the manor of penshurst in kent, which became the principal residence of the family. henry sidney was brought up at court as the companion of prince edward, afterwards king edward vi, and he continued to enjoy the favour of the crown, particularly throughout the reign of queen elizabeth i. ==marriage and family== sidney married mary dudley, eldest daughter of john dudley, 1st duke of northumberland, in 1551. they would have three sons and four daughters. his eldest son was sir philip sidney, and his second was robert sidney, 1st earl of leicester. his daughter mary sidney married henry herbert, 2nd earl of pembroke, and by reason of her literary achievements was one of the most celebrated women of her time. ==career== ===first trip to ireland=== in 1556 sidney served in ireland with the lord deputy, thomas radclyffe, 3rd earl of sussex, who in the previous year had married his sister frances. sidney had a large share in the administration of the country, especially in the military measures taken by his brother-in-law for bringing irish chieftains into submission to the english crown. in the course of the lord deputy's expedition to ulster in 1557 sidney devastated the island of rathlin. in the following year, during the absence of sussex in england, he had sole responsibility for the government of ireland and conducted himself with marked ability. a second absence of the lord deputy from ireland, on the accession of queen elizabeth, threw the chief control into sidney's hands at the outbreak of trouble with shane o'neill, and he displayed great skill in temporising with the chieftain until sussex reluctantly returned to his duties in august 1559. about the same time sidney resigned his office of vice-treasurer of ireland on his appointment as president of the council of the marches in wales, and for the next few years he resided chiefly at ludlow castle, with frequent visits to the court in london. ===lord deputy===  in 1565 sidney was appointed lord deputy of ireland in place of sir nicholas arnold, who had succeeded the earl of sussex in the previous year. he found the 
1529_births 1586_deaths 16th-century_English_people Knights_of_the_Garter Lords_Lieutenant_of_Ireland People_of_Elizabethan_Ireland People_of_the_Tudor_period Sidney_family