Background
Born at Charterhouse, London, Sackville was styled Lord Buckhurst from 1608 until 1609, when he succeeded his father as Earl of Dorset and inherited the family home of Knole House.
Born at Charterhouse, London, Sackville was styled Lord Buckhurst from 1608 until 1609, when he succeeded his father as Earl of Dorset and inherited the family home of Knole House.
During the years 1612-1624 Sackville served as a Lord Lieutenant of Sussex. Sackville is perhaps best remembered as the first husband of Lady Anne Clifford. A rumor noted later by the antiquary John Aubrey had it that one of Richard Sackville"s "concubines" was Venetia Stanley.
She was said to have had children by him and he settled upon her an annuity of £500 per annum.
Among the Earl"s other mistresses was Martha Penistone, the wife of Sir Thomas Penistone, one of the Earl"s retinue. Their two daughters, Isabella (born 6 October 1612, died 22 August 1719) and Margaret (born 2 July 1614, died May 1676) were longer lived.
Margaret became the wife of John Tufton, 2nd Earl of Thanet. He was buried on 7 April 1624 at Saint Michael"s Parish Church in Withyham, Sussex.
They married on 27 February 1609, but their marriage was not a success. Partisans of the Earl tended to blame Lady Anne"s powerful personality, while partisans of the Countess pointed to the Earl"s repeated infidelities, not to mention his extravagance and indebtedness – "one of the seventeenth century’s most accomplished gamblers and wastrels".
