Editing Henry Rich, 1st Earl of Holland (section)

==Early life==
Henry Rich, later Lord Holland, was the second son and youngest of four children born to [[Robert Rich, 1st Earl of Warwick]] (1559–1619) and his first wife [[Penelope Rich, Lady Rich|Penelope]] (1563–1607). His parents separated soon after Henry's birth, although they did not formally divorce until 1605, when Penelope married her long-time partner, [[Charles Blount, 8th Baron Mountjoy]] (1563–1606). Penelope was sister of the [[Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex|Earl of Essex]], executed for treason in 1601, making Rich a cousin to future [[Roundhead|Parliamentarian]] general [[Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex]].{{sfn|Smut|2004}} 

He had two sisters, Essex (1585–1658) and Lettice (1587–1619) and a brother [[Robert Rich, 2nd Earl of Warwick]] (1587–1658). He also had a number of half brothers and sisters, including Penelope (b. 1592), Isabella, [[Mountjoy Blount, 1st Earl of Newport]] (1597–1666), and Charles (1605–1627). Almost certainly fathered by Charles Mountjoy, these children were brought up within the Rich family and appear in its pedigree, with the exception of Mountjoy, who was legitimised after his father's death.{{sfn|Usher|2004}}  

[[File:Holland Park.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.0|[[Holland House]]; remains of the west side in 2004]]

His father Robert was the wealthiest landowner in [[Essex]], created [[Earl_of_Warwick#Earls_of_Warwick;_Third_creation_(1618)|Earl of Warwick]] in 1618, and a prominent supporter of reforms within the [[Church of England]], as were his sons. However, while his elder brother was a devout [[Puritan]] throughout his life, Henry acquired a reputation as an "extravagant, decorative, quarrelsome and highly successful courtier".{{sfn|Donagan|1976|p=317}}    

In 1612, he married [[Isabel Rich, Countess of Holland|Isabel Cope]], whose [[dowry]] included Cope House in [[Kensington]]. This was greatly expanded by Rich in 1624 to 1625 and renamed [[Holland House]]; largely destroyed in [[The Blitz|1940]], parts of the original house still remain.<ref>{{NHLE |num=1267135 |desc=Holland House |grade=II |access-date=23 February 2021}}</ref> They had numerous children, including Frances (1617–1672), who married [[William_Paget,_5th_Baron_Paget]], Robert (1619–1675), Henry (1620–1669), Isabella (1623–1670), [[Susannah Howard|Susannah]] (1628–1649), Diana (d. 1659), Charles (d. 1645), Cope (1635–1676) and Mary (1636–1666).{{sfn|Cracroft's Peerage}} Several of the family tombs are at [[St Mary Abbots|St Mary Abbots Church, Kensington]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lysons |first1=Daniel |title=Kensington Pages 170-230 The Environs of London: Volume 3, County of Middlesex. |url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/london-environs/vol3/pp170-230 |website=British History Online |access-date=7 November 2021}}</ref>