Henry Wriothesley Southampton, third earl of, an English statesman, born Oct. 0, 1573, died in Holland, Nov. 10, 1624. When he was 20 years old Shakespeare dedicated to him his poem of " Venus and Adonis," and in the next year " The Rape of Lucrece." Sir Edwin Sandys converted him to Protestantism. In 1590 he took part in the expedition of the earl of Essex against Cadiz. In 1599, accompanying Essex to Ireland, he was made general of horse. From that command he was recalled by the queen, and went speedily into the Netherlands. On his recall from that country he confederated with Essex and appeared with him in the insurrection which he then made in London. On his trial for treason he protested that he had never entertained a thought against the queen; sentence of death and attainder was passed against him, but he was immediately relieved of the former by the queen, and in the first year of James I. the attainder was removed by act of parliament. As an assign of Sir Walter Raleigh he took part in colonizing America, and in 1602 sent out the Concord under Gosnold. He interested those connected with him, Lord Arundel, his brother-in-law, and Cecil Calvert, afterward Lord Baltimore, who was Lord Arundel's son-in-law. In 1005, in conjunction with Lord Arundel, he despatched Waymouth to New England. The secretary of Virginia ascribes to lum the principal part in obtaining the first charter for the London company of Virginia, though his name does not appear in the charter itself.

In the second charter his name stands next to those of the high officers of state. The firm friend of Sir Edwin Sandys, when the latter retired from the office of treasurer (governor) of the company, Southampton was unanimously chosen in his stead, and he remained in the chair till the charter was taken away. In parliament he was one of the firmest supporters of liberty. In June, 1621, he was committed to close custody by the king, and he asked to know the charges against him and to see his accusers. The tendency of his mind in religious affairs appears from the charge made against him of corresponding with the Independents. The duke of Buckingham visited him in prison and caused him to be set free, but he was watched till near the end of August, when by the king's direction Sir George Calvert as secretary of state gave him his liberty. After the suppression of the Virginia company he went to the Netherlands to fight for Dutch independence, and took command of a regiment. In their winter quarters at Rozendaal he and his son were both seized with burning fever.

The son died; the father recovered enough to depart from Rozendaal with the intention to bring his son's body to England, but died at Bergen-op-Zoom. He is the only man from whom Shakespeare acknowledges having received a benefit.