Sigismund Zinzan

Sir Sigismund Zinzan
Spouse(s)	Margaret Strelley
Children	Henry Zinzan Sigismund Zinzan Robert Zinzan Charles Zinzan John Zinzan Margaret Zinzan Elizabeth Zinzan Letitia Zinzan
Parent(s)	Sir Robert Zinzan

Sir Sigismund Zinzan alias Sir Sigismund Alexander was an equerry to Queen Elizabeth I and a champion in the tiltyard who participated in tournaments during the latter years of Queen Elizabeth's reign and throughout the reign of King James. He was the stepfather of Sir Matthew Brend, owner of the Globe Theatre, and during the years 1624-7 was himself the effective owner of the Globe.

The Zinzan family is said to have come to England from Italy. Beginning with Sir Robert, members of the family frequently used the surname 'Alexander'.

Sigismund Zinzan was a younger son of Robert Zinzan (c.1547–1607), an equerry in the royal stables during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. In 1585 the Queen sent Robert Zinzan to the court of King James in Scotland with a gift of horses. Between the years 1565 and 1591 he was a regular participant in tournaments at court. On 3 July 1593 he asked Lord Burghley to make him surveyor of the refiners of sugar, in accordance with similar grants made to others such as that to Dr Lopez for aniseed; some months later, in April 1594, Zinzan and a fellow equerry, Richard Mompesson, were granted a monopoly to import anise seeds and sumac for twenty years. He was knighted by King James (as 'Robert Alexander') at Whitehall on 23 July 1603. Sir Robert Zinzan died in 1607, at which time his son, Henry, succeeded him in his office of brigandery (supplier of body armour).

The first name of Sir Sigismund Zinzan's mother is unknown; her father was surnamed Westcote, was an esquire, and resided at Handsacre Hall in Staffordshire.

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