Andrew Dudley
Encyclopedia
Sir Andrew Dudley, KG (c. 1507 – 1559) was an English soldier, courtier, and diplomat. A younger brother of John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland
, he served in Henry VIII's navy and obtained court offices under Edward VI. In 1547–1548 he acted as admiral of the fleet and participated in the War of the Rough Wooing in Scotland, where he commanded the English garrison of Broughty Castle
. He was appointed captain of the fortress of Guînes
in the Pale of Calais
in late 1551. There he got involved in a dispute with the Lord Deputy of Calais
, which ended only when both men were replaced in October 1552.
In October 1549 Andrew Dudley became one of Edward VI's Chief Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber
and later keeper of the Palace of Westminster
, in which function he was responsible for the Royal Wardrobe
and Privy Purse
. In early 1553 he was sent on a diplomatic mission to the Emperor Charles V
to suggest peace talks between France and the Empire
. Andrew Dudley was bethrothed to Margaret Clifford, a first cousin of Lady Jane Grey
, in June 1553; yet his marriage plans came to naught with the accession of Mary I
, and on 19 August 1553 he was condemned to death for his part in his brother's attempt to establish Lady Jane on the English throne. Released in January 1555, he lived in London until his death in 1559.
, a councillor
of King Henry VII, and his second wife Elizabeth Grey, daughter of Edward Grey, 4th Viscount Lisle. When he was a toddler, his father was executed by the young Henry VIII as a scapegoat for the former king's financial policies. His eldest brother was John Dudley, later Duke of Northumberland
, who sought to advance him in the king's service. Andrew Dudley served in the household of Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk
, and as an officer of the exchequer
in the 1540s. Answering a complaint against exchequer activities in October 1540, Norfolk told the Privy Council
that the only two people he had ever found jobs for were Andrew Dudley and Edward Belingeham
.
The brother of the Lord High Admiral
, Dudley served in the royal navy and commanded the new royal ship Swallow in 1545. In March 1546, he went on his first diplomatic mission to the Regent of Flanders. In his role as Equerry of the Stable
, he delivered Henry VIII's
gift of hackney horses
, greyhounds and running dogs. Andrew Dudley is sometimes believed to have been a lifelong bachelor, though in 1539 John Dudley sold him "and his wife" the lands of the former priory of Dudford.
, the English regent
, was contemplating to take up the War of the Rough Wooing once more to press home the agreed marriage of Edward VI and Mary Queen of Scots. On 27 February Andrew Dudley was appointed admiral of the fleet. He was to oversee the "annoyance of the Scots" in the North Sea
and to interrupt the shipping of munition from France to Scotland. On 7 March he captured one of the Scottish principal ships
, the Great Lion off Dover
, giving her a broadside from the Pauncey (correctly the Pensée, sometimes called the Pansy). Odet de Selve
, the French ambassador in London, gained a detailed account from Nicolas d'Arfeville, a French painter and cartographer. Dudley was 30 miles from Yarmouth when he saw the Great Lion, with the Lyonesse, the Mary Gallante and another un-named Scottish ship. The Great Lion was overwhelmed by superior fire power, and the others surrendered, excepting the un-named ship. The Lion was lost while being towed to Yarmouth when she grounded on a sandbank. Those on board were brought as prisoners to the Tower of London
, and at least one notable passenger was killed in the firefight. The Privy Council sent Dudley a letter of commendation on 10 March 1547 for "his hardy enterprise against the Scots" with more detailed instructions. Dudley was told to lay up the Pauncey and other ships for repair; he was to release his Scottish prisoners, except notables, "gentlemen of estimation", and 40 sailors judged to be the best seamen and pilots. Those released would pay their ransom at £
4 for a master or officer, and 40 shillings a sailor or mariner.
Dudley then sailed North to treat with the Fife
lairds who had killed Cardinal Beaton
. They were holding St Andrews Castle
against the Regent Arran with his eldest son James Hamilton
as hostage. The lairds, who became known as the "Castilians", signed a contract with Dudley, according to which they were to receive English aid to hold the castle against the Scottish government:
The Castilians promised to surrender St. Andrews Castle and Arran's son to the English when they should appear. Dudley also struck a bargain with Lord Gray
, a disaffected Scottish noble who owned Broughty Castle
, a fortress near Dundee. The chronicler and eye-witness William Patten
noted its strategic importance: "it standeth in such sort at the mouth of the river Tay, that being gotten, both Dundee and [Perth], and many other towns else shall become subject to this hold or be compelled to forego their use of the river." Lord Gray's contribution would be the surrender of his castle and help in taking Perth
.
St. Andrews Castle fell in July 1547, which greatly strengthened French influence in Scotland and triggered an English invasion. Andrew Dudley assisted the campaign at sea, under the command of Lord Clinton
. Shortly after the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh
Dudley was knighted by Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset. On 20 September 1547 he was appointed captain of the English garrison at Broughty Castle. Lord Gray had surrendered it after three token cannon shots from the English ships. Dudley complained to Somerset in October 1547 that "never had a man had so weak a company of soldiers given to drinking, eating and slothfulness," though, "the house stands well." However, it had "scant window to shut, nor door, nor bolt, ... nor nail". Re-fortification was supervised by a resident Italian engineer, Master John Rossetti, and included building a new platform for cannon on the roof and strengthening of the curtain wall
.
Andrew Dudley secured a bond of alliance from the town of Dundee
by firing on the town from his two ships, the Bark Ager and the Mary Hambroughe, at the end of October 1547. In an effort to promote the Protestant Reformation
, he hoped to distribute Tyndale and Frithe's Bible
in Dundee. Lord Gray and the Master of Ruthven
continued to bargain for the surrender of Perth in December 1547, but the English never secured the town. Dudley was assisted by a subordinate, Thomas Wyndham
who sailed several times up the Tay towards Perth looking for supplies. On 22 January 1548, he sent Wyndham across the Forth to Fife to burn houses. Dudley's plan was to draw his besiegers to attack him and he kept behind his main force. The Scots and French took the opportunity offered to attack Broughty and were repulsed back to Dundee after a "hot skirmish". The trick did not work a second time on 25 January, and Wyndham's landing party in Fife encountered an ambush of 600 men; 10 soldiers were killed and 20 sailors injured. Dudley built a second fort to command Dundee in March 1548 with the engineer Master John Rossetti and Sir Thomas Palmer. He was relieved at Broughty by Thomas Wyndham's nephew, Sir John Luttrell
. On 3 April 1548, Dudley and Luttrell were instructed by the Privy Council to try to agree a yearly pension for Lord Gray at a figure between 600 and 1000 crowns.
against the Western Rebellion
in August 1549. In early 1551 Dudley became captain of the English garrison at Guînes
. However, he incurred large debts "by his service", and became involved in a dispute with Lord Willoughby
, the Lord Deputy of Calais
. In January 1552 they were recalled to England and summoned before the Privy Council
. Finally, to resolve the feud, both men were relieved of their posts in October. During 1552 Dudley also surveyed the coastal defenses of Portsmouth
and the Isle of Wight
to advise on their improvement.
Under Edward VI, Dudley also obtained court appointments and responsibilities; a member of the Privy Chamber
, on 24 March 1547 he was given custody of a purse of £
1435-9s-6d. Dudley's brother John ousted the Protector in October 1549, and Andrew became one of the newly-created Chief Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber. These four "principal gentlemen" had "the singular care" of the King's person and were each rewarded with £100 p.a. A year later Dudley also became keeper of the Palace of Westminster
, where he made an inventory of wardrobe and household goods
. Effectively in charge of the Privy Purse
, he was responsible for receiving and paying out royal cash and looking after "all the jewels ... and other things in the palace".
and France. He first travelled to Brussels
, where he was received by Mary of Hungary on 8 January 1553. Impatient to see the Emperor himself, he tried to intercept him on his way to Flanders
. Sir Richard Morrison
, the English resident ambassador with Charles V
, knew nothing of this until he met Dudley at Treves
. The ailing ruler was averse to be molested by diplomats while journeying, nevertheless Morrison arranged an interview at Luxembourg
in which Charles referred them to a later occasion. On 11 February 1553 the Emperor gave the Englishmen an audience at Brussels. When Dudley offered to kiss his hand, he embraced him. The visitors noted that the chamber was hung with tapestries depicting the Emperor's victories at Tunis. Charles V was non-committal, declaring that he was well-disposed to peace if he only could trust the French king. On returning to England Dudley had an audience with Edward on 19 February. Jehan Scheyfve, the Emperor's agent, reported that Dudley was discreet, and only mentioned that Charles had given him a present. The French ambassador in London was not pleased. Dudley was elected MP
for Oxfordshire
in the March parliament
of 1553, carrying Edward's train at the proceedings.
, which was celebrated on 21 May. In June, Jehan de Scheyfve reported that Dudley himself would marry Margaret Clifford, a grandniece of Mary Tudor, Queen of France, and cousin of Lady Jane, and that he would be made Lieutenant-Governor of the North. Dudley had even reserved a number of items from the wardrobe at Westminster for the marriage, including jewels, silver and gilt cups, a hair-brush, velvet dog-collars, and a pair of pictures of Diana and Actaeon
. However, Edward VI died on 6 July 1553, having named Lady Jane Grey as his heir.
Andrew Dudley assembled a force of 500 men at Ware, Hertfordshire to assist in his brother's campaign against Mary Tudor
. Presumably arrested with him in East Anglia
, he was imprisoned in the Tower on 25 July. Accused with his family of rebellion and high treason
, Dudley stood trial at Westminster Hall on 19 August 1553. He made no plea except that the wife and children of his wardrobe
colleague, Arthur Sturton, might be shown mercy, and his own jewels that had been in Sturton's keeping should not be lost. On 21 August 1553, the day before John Dudley's execution, he appeared with him and other condemned persons at the Tower Chapel St. Peter ad Vincula to abjure his Protestant faith. His life was spared, and he was released in January 1555.
In April 1555, after his formal pardon, Philip
and Mary granted Dudley a pension of £100 p.a. He was allowed to retain some of his earlier possessions, which had been valued at £555 at the time of his arrest in 1553. He moved to Tothill Street, London and, "sick of body", made his will in July 1556. In it he tried to reclaim jewels and other stuffs the Earl of Cumberland
had received in advance of Dudley's intended marriage with Margaret Clifford. Among the intended beneficiaries were his nephews Ambrose
, Robert Dudley
, and Henry Sidney
, his nephew-by-marriage. He died three years later, sometime before his will was proved on 22 November 1559.
John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland
John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland, KG was an English general, admiral, and politician, who led the government of the young King Edward VI from 1550 until 1553, and unsuccessfully tried to install Lady Jane Grey on the English throne after the King's death...
, he served in Henry VIII's navy and obtained court offices under Edward VI. In 1547–1548 he acted as admiral of the fleet and participated in the War of the Rough Wooing in Scotland, where he commanded the English garrison of Broughty Castle
Broughty Castle
Broughty Castle is a historic castle in Broughty Ferry, Dundee, Scotland. It was completed around 1495, although the site was earlier fortified in 1454 when George Douglas, 4th Earl of Angus received permission to build on the site. His son Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus was coerced into...
. He was appointed captain of the fortress of Guînes
Guînes
Guînes is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.-Geography:Guînes is located on the border of the two territories of the Boulonnais and Calaisis, at the edge of the now-drained marshes, which extend from here to the coast. The Guînes canal connects with...
in the Pale of Calais
Pale of Calais
The Pale of Calais is a historical region of France that was controlled by the Kingdom of England until 1558.- History :After the Battle of Crécy in 1346, Edward III of England, having renounced the throne of France, kept some territory within France, namely Aquitaine and the area around Calais,...
in late 1551. There he got involved in a dispute with the Lord Deputy of Calais
Lord Deputy of Calais
The town of Calais, now part of France, was in English hands from 1347 to 1558, and this page lists the commanders of Calais, holding office from the English Crown, called at different times Captain of Calais, King's Lieutenant of Calais , or Lord Deputy of Calais.-Terminology and...
, which ended only when both men were replaced in October 1552.
In October 1549 Andrew Dudley became one of Edward VI's Chief Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber
Privy chamber
A Privy chamber was the private apartment of a royal residence in England. The gentlemen of the Privy chamber were servants to the Crown who would wait and attend on the King and Queen at court during their various activities, functions and entertainments....
and later keeper of the Palace of Westminster
Palace of Westminster
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...
, in which function he was responsible for the Royal Wardrobe
Wardrobe (government)
The wardrobe, along with the chamber, made up the personal part of medieval English government known as the king's household. Its chief officer went under the title of Master or Keeper of the Great Wardrobe. As a result, the wardrobe often appropriated large funds from the exchequer, the main...
and Privy Purse
Privy Purse
The Privy Purse is the British Sovereign's remaining private income, mostly from the Duchy of Lancaster. This amounted to £13.3 million in net income for the year to 31 March 2009. The Duchy is a landed estate of approximately 46,000 acres held in trust for the Sovereign since 1399. It also has...
. In early 1553 he was sent on a diplomatic mission to the Emperor Charles V
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
to suggest peace talks between France and the Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
. Andrew Dudley was bethrothed to Margaret Clifford, a first cousin of Lady Jane Grey
Lady Jane Grey
Lady Jane Grey , also known as The Nine Days' Queen, was an English noblewoman who was de facto monarch of England from 10 July until 19 July 1553 and was subsequently executed...
, in June 1553; yet his marriage plans came to naught with the accession of Mary I
Mary I of England
Mary I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death.She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547...
, and on 19 August 1553 he was condemned to death for his part in his brother's attempt to establish Lady Jane on the English throne. Released in January 1555, he lived in London until his death in 1559.
Family and early career
Andrew Dudley was one of three sons of Edmund DudleyEdmund Dudley
Edmund Dudley was an English administrator and a financial agent of King Henry VII. He served as Speaker of the House of Commons and President of the King's Council. After the accession of Henry VIII, he was imprisoned in the Tower of London and executed the next year on a treason charge...
, a councillor
Privy council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...
of King Henry VII, and his second wife Elizabeth Grey, daughter of Edward Grey, 4th Viscount Lisle. When he was a toddler, his father was executed by the young Henry VIII as a scapegoat for the former king's financial policies. His eldest brother was John Dudley, later Duke of Northumberland
Duke of Northumberland
The Duke of Northumberland is a title in the peerage of Great Britain that has been created several times. Since the third creation in 1766, the title has belonged to the House of Percy , which held the title of Earl of Northumberland from 1377....
, who sought to advance him in the king's service. Andrew Dudley served in the household of Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk
Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk
Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, KG, Earl Marshal was a prominent Tudor politician. He was uncle to Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, two of the wives of King Henry VIII, and played a major role in the machinations behind these marriages...
, and as an officer of the exchequer
Exchequer
The Exchequer is a government department of the United Kingdom responsible for the management and collection of taxation and other government revenues. The historical Exchequer developed judicial roles...
in the 1540s. Answering a complaint against exchequer activities in October 1540, Norfolk told the Privy Council
Privy council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...
that the only two people he had ever found jobs for were Andrew Dudley and Edward Belingeham
Edward Bellingham
Sir Edward Bellingham , lord deputy of Ireland, was a son of Edward Bellingham of Erringham, Sussex, his mother being Jane Shelley of the Shelley family....
.
The brother of the Lord High Admiral
Lord High Admiral
Lord High Admiral can refer to:* Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom * Lord High Admiral of Scotland* Lord High Admiral of the Wash* Lord High Admiral of Sweden-See also:...
, Dudley served in the royal navy and commanded the new royal ship Swallow in 1545. In March 1546, he went on his first diplomatic mission to the Regent of Flanders. In his role as Equerry of the Stable
Equerry
An equerry , and related to the French word "écuyer" ) is an officer of honour. Historically, it was a senior attendant with responsibilities for the horses of a person of rank. In contemporary use, it is a personal attendant, usually upon a Sovereign, a member of a Royal Family, or a national...
, he delivered Henry VIII's
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
gift of hackney horses
Hackney (horse)
The Hackney Horse is a recognized breed of horse that was developed in Great Britain. In recent decades, the breeding of the Hackney has been directed toward producing horses that are ideal for carriage driving. They are an elegant high stepping breed of carriage horse that is popular for showing...
, greyhounds and running dogs. Andrew Dudley is sometimes believed to have been a lifelong bachelor, though in 1539 John Dudley sold him "and his wife" the lands of the former priory of Dudford.
In Scotland, 1547–1548
In early 1547 Protector SomersetEdward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, 1st Earl of Hertford, 1st Viscount Beauchamp of Hache, KG, Earl Marshal was Lord Protector of England in the period between the death of Henry VIII in 1547 and his own indictment in 1549....
, the English regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
, was contemplating to take up the War of the Rough Wooing once more to press home the agreed marriage of Edward VI and Mary Queen of Scots. On 27 February Andrew Dudley was appointed admiral of the fleet. He was to oversee the "annoyance of the Scots" in the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
and to interrupt the shipping of munition from France to Scotland. On 7 March he captured one of the Scottish principal ships
Royal Scots Navy
The Royal Scots Navy was the navy of the Kingdom of Scotland from its foundation in the 11th century until its merger with the Kingdom of England's Royal Navy per the Acts of Union 1707.- Origins :...
, the Great Lion off Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
, giving her a broadside from the Pauncey (correctly the Pensée, sometimes called the Pansy). Odet de Selve
Odet de Selve
Odet de Selve was a French diplomat.He was the son of Jean de Selve, first president at the parlements of Rouen and Bordeaux, vice-chancellor of Milan, and ambassador of the king of France. In 1540 Odet was appointed councillor at the parlement of Paris and in 1542 at the grand council...
, the French ambassador in London, gained a detailed account from Nicolas d'Arfeville, a French painter and cartographer. Dudley was 30 miles from Yarmouth when he saw the Great Lion, with the Lyonesse, the Mary Gallante and another un-named Scottish ship. The Great Lion was overwhelmed by superior fire power, and the others surrendered, excepting the un-named ship. The Lion was lost while being towed to Yarmouth when she grounded on a sandbank. Those on board were brought as prisoners to the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
, and at least one notable passenger was killed in the firefight. The Privy Council sent Dudley a letter of commendation on 10 March 1547 for "his hardy enterprise against the Scots" with more detailed instructions. Dudley was told to lay up the Pauncey and other ships for repair; he was to release his Scottish prisoners, except notables, "gentlemen of estimation", and 40 sailors judged to be the best seamen and pilots. Those released would pay their ransom at £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
4 for a master or officer, and 40 shillings a sailor or mariner.
Dudley then sailed North to treat with the Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
lairds who had killed Cardinal Beaton
David Beaton
The Most Rev. Dr. David Cardinal Beaton was Archbishop of St Andrews and the last Scottish Cardinal prior to the Reformation.-Career:...
. They were holding St Andrews Castle
Siege of St Andrews Castle
The Siege of St Andrews Castle followed the killing of Cardinal David Beaton by a group of Protestants at St Andrews Castle. They remained in the castle and were besieged by the Governor of Scotland. However, over 18 months the Scottish besieging forces made little impact, and the Castle finally...
against the Regent Arran with his eldest son James Hamilton
James Hamilton, 3rd Earl of Arran
James Hamilton, 3rd Earl of Arran was a Scottish nobleman and soldier who fought against French troops during the Scottish Reformation....
as hostage. The lairds, who became known as the "Castilians", signed a contract with Dudley, according to which they were to receive English aid to hold the castle against the Scottish government:
for the better ... surity of themselves and His Majesty's friends in Scotland and the advancement and perfection of the said marriage [as well as] a perpetual peace, unity and ... natural love between both the realms.
The Castilians promised to surrender St. Andrews Castle and Arran's son to the English when they should appear. Dudley also struck a bargain with Lord Gray
Patrick Gray, 4th Lord Gray
Patrick Gray, 4th Lord Gray was a Scottish landowner and Sheriff of Angus active during the war of the Rough Wooing as a supporter of the Scottish Reformation.-Family:...
, a disaffected Scottish noble who owned Broughty Castle
Broughty Castle
Broughty Castle is a historic castle in Broughty Ferry, Dundee, Scotland. It was completed around 1495, although the site was earlier fortified in 1454 when George Douglas, 4th Earl of Angus received permission to build on the site. His son Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus was coerced into...
, a fortress near Dundee. The chronicler and eye-witness William Patten
William Patten (historian)
William Patten was an author, scholar and government official during the reigns of King Edward VI and Queen Elizabeth I.-Early career:...
noted its strategic importance: "it standeth in such sort at the mouth of the river Tay, that being gotten, both Dundee and [Perth], and many other towns else shall become subject to this hold or be compelled to forego their use of the river." Lord Gray's contribution would be the surrender of his castle and help in taking Perth
Perth, Scotland
Perth is a town and former city and royal burgh in central Scotland. Located on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire...
.
St. Andrews Castle fell in July 1547, which greatly strengthened French influence in Scotland and triggered an English invasion. Andrew Dudley assisted the campaign at sea, under the command of Lord Clinton
Edward Clinton, 1st Earl of Lincoln
Edward Fiennes, 1st Earl of Lincoln, KG, also known as Edward Clinton was an English nobleman and Lord High Admiral.-Background:...
. Shortly after the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh
Battle of Pinkie Cleugh
The Battle of Pinkie Cleugh, on the banks of the River Esk near Musselburgh, Scotland on 10 September 1547, was part of the War of the Rough Wooing. It was the last pitched battle between Scottish and English armies, and is seen as the first modern battle in the British Isles...
Dudley was knighted by Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset. On 20 September 1547 he was appointed captain of the English garrison at Broughty Castle. Lord Gray had surrendered it after three token cannon shots from the English ships. Dudley complained to Somerset in October 1547 that "never had a man had so weak a company of soldiers given to drinking, eating and slothfulness," though, "the house stands well." However, it had "scant window to shut, nor door, nor bolt, ... nor nail". Re-fortification was supervised by a resident Italian engineer, Master John Rossetti, and included building a new platform for cannon on the roof and strengthening of the curtain wall
Curtain wall
A curtain wall is an outer covering of a building in which the outer walls are non-structural, but merely keep out the weather. As the curtain wall is non-structural it can be made of a lightweight material reducing construction costs. When glass is used as the curtain wall, a great advantage is...
.
Andrew Dudley secured a bond of alliance from the town of Dundee
Dundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
by firing on the town from his two ships, the Bark Ager and the Mary Hambroughe, at the end of October 1547. In an effort to promote the Protestant Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
, he hoped to distribute Tyndale and Frithe's Bible
Tyndale Bible
The Tyndale Bible generally refers to the body of biblical translations by William Tyndale. Tyndale’s Bible is credited with being the first English translation to work directly from Hebrew and Greek texts. Furthermore it was the first English biblical translation that was mass produced as a result...
in Dundee. Lord Gray and the Master of Ruthven
Patrick Ruthven, 3rd Lord Ruthven
Patrick Ruthven, 3rd Lord Ruthven , played an important part in the political intrigues of the 16th century. He succeeded to the lordship in December 1552...
continued to bargain for the surrender of Perth in December 1547, but the English never secured the town. Dudley was assisted by a subordinate, Thomas Wyndham
Thomas Wyndham (navigator)
Thomas Wyndham was an English naval officer and navigator.The son of Sir Thomas Wyndham of Felbrigg and Elizabeth Wentworth, he was educated at Louvain University and possibly in Italy....
who sailed several times up the Tay towards Perth looking for supplies. On 22 January 1548, he sent Wyndham across the Forth to Fife to burn houses. Dudley's plan was to draw his besiegers to attack him and he kept behind his main force. The Scots and French took the opportunity offered to attack Broughty and were repulsed back to Dundee after a "hot skirmish". The trick did not work a second time on 25 January, and Wyndham's landing party in Fife encountered an ambush of 600 men; 10 soldiers were killed and 20 sailors injured. Dudley built a second fort to command Dundee in March 1548 with the engineer Master John Rossetti and Sir Thomas Palmer. He was relieved at Broughty by Thomas Wyndham's nephew, Sir John Luttrell
John Luttrell (soldier)
Sir John Luttrell was an English soldier, diplomat, and courtier under Henry VIII and Edward VI. He served under Edward Seymour, Earl of Hertford in Scotland and France...
. On 3 April 1548, Dudley and Luttrell were instructed by the Privy Council to try to agree a yearly pension for Lord Gray at a figure between 600 and 1000 crowns.
Military and court appointments
Dudley's next military appointment after his service in Scotland was under Lord RussellJohn Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford
John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford, KG, PC, JP was an English royal minister in the Tudor era. He served variously as Lord High Admiral and Lord Privy Seal....
against the Western Rebellion
Prayer Book Rebellion
The Prayer Book Rebellion, Prayer Book Revolt, Prayer Book Rising, Western Rising or Western Rebellion was a popular revolt in Cornwall and Devon, in 1549. In 1549 the Book of Common Prayer, presenting the theology of the English Reformation, was introduced...
in August 1549. In early 1551 Dudley became captain of the English garrison at Guînes
Guînes
Guînes is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.-Geography:Guînes is located on the border of the two territories of the Boulonnais and Calaisis, at the edge of the now-drained marshes, which extend from here to the coast. The Guînes canal connects with...
. However, he incurred large debts "by his service", and became involved in a dispute with Lord Willoughby
William Willoughby, 1st Baron Willoughby of Parham
William Willoughby, 1st Baron Willoughby of Parham was an English nobleman and soldier who in 1547 was made an hereditary peer of the House of Lords.-Life:...
, the Lord Deputy of Calais
Lord Deputy of Calais
The town of Calais, now part of France, was in English hands from 1347 to 1558, and this page lists the commanders of Calais, holding office from the English Crown, called at different times Captain of Calais, King's Lieutenant of Calais , or Lord Deputy of Calais.-Terminology and...
. In January 1552 they were recalled to England and summoned before the Privy Council
Privy council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...
. Finally, to resolve the feud, both men were relieved of their posts in October. During 1552 Dudley also surveyed the coastal defenses of Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
and the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
to advise on their improvement.
Under Edward VI, Dudley also obtained court appointments and responsibilities; a member of the Privy Chamber
Privy chamber
A Privy chamber was the private apartment of a royal residence in England. The gentlemen of the Privy chamber were servants to the Crown who would wait and attend on the King and Queen at court during their various activities, functions and entertainments....
, on 24 March 1547 he was given custody of a purse of £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
1435-9s-6d. Dudley's brother John ousted the Protector in October 1549, and Andrew became one of the newly-created Chief Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber. These four "principal gentlemen" had "the singular care" of the King's person and were each rewarded with £100 p.a. A year later Dudley also became keeper of the Palace of Westminster
Palace of Westminster
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...
, where he made an inventory of wardrobe and household goods
Inventory of Henry VIII of England
The Inventory of Henry VIII of England compiled in 1547 is a list of the possessions of the crown, now in the British Library as Harley Ms. 1419....
. Effectively in charge of the Privy Purse
Privy Purse
The Privy Purse is the British Sovereign's remaining private income, mostly from the Duchy of Lancaster. This amounted to £13.3 million in net income for the year to 31 March 2009. The Duchy is a landed estate of approximately 46,000 acres held in trust for the Sovereign since 1399. It also has...
, he was responsible for receiving and paying out royal cash and looking after "all the jewels ... and other things in the palace".
Mission to the Emperor, 1553
In 1552 Dudley was made a Knight of the Garter; at the end of the year he was sent on a diplomatic mission to discuss Edward VI's hopes to mediate for peace between the EmpireHoly Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
and France. He first travelled to Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, where he was received by Mary of Hungary on 8 January 1553. Impatient to see the Emperor himself, he tried to intercept him on his way to Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
. Sir Richard Morrison
Richard Morrison (ambassador)
Sir Richard Morrison was an English humanist scholar and diplomat. He was a protégé of Thomas Cromwell, propagandist for Henry VIII, and then ambassador to the German court of Charles V for Edward VI.-Life:...
, the English resident ambassador with Charles V
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
, knew nothing of this until he met Dudley at Treves
Trèves
-France:Trèves is the name or part of the name of several communes in France:* Trèves, in the Rhône department* Trèves, in the Gard department* Trèves, former commune of the Maine-et-Loire department, now part of Chênehutte-Trèves-Cunault...
. The ailing ruler was averse to be molested by diplomats while journeying, nevertheless Morrison arranged an interview at Luxembourg
Luxembourg (city)
The city of Luxembourg , also known as Luxembourg City , is a commune with city status, and the capital of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. It is located at the confluence of the Alzette and Pétrusse Rivers in southern Luxembourg...
in which Charles referred them to a later occasion. On 11 February 1553 the Emperor gave the Englishmen an audience at Brussels. When Dudley offered to kiss his hand, he embraced him. The visitors noted that the chamber was hung with tapestries depicting the Emperor's victories at Tunis. Charles V was non-committal, declaring that he was well-disposed to peace if he only could trust the French king. On returning to England Dudley had an audience with Edward on 19 February. Jehan Scheyfve, the Emperor's agent, reported that Dudley was discreet, and only mentioned that Charles had given him a present. The French ambassador in London was not pleased. Dudley was elected MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
in the March parliament
Parliament of England
The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England. In 1066, William of Normandy introduced a feudal system, by which he sought the advice of a council of tenants-in-chief and ecclesiastics before making laws...
of 1553, carrying Edward's train at the proceedings.
Marriage plans and disgrace
In April 1553 Dudley was commanded by the King to release cloth of silver and gold and velvet for the marriage of his nephew Lord Guildford to Lady Jane GreyLady Jane Grey
Lady Jane Grey , also known as The Nine Days' Queen, was an English noblewoman who was de facto monarch of England from 10 July until 19 July 1553 and was subsequently executed...
, which was celebrated on 21 May. In June, Jehan de Scheyfve reported that Dudley himself would marry Margaret Clifford, a grandniece of Mary Tudor, Queen of France, and cousin of Lady Jane, and that he would be made Lieutenant-Governor of the North. Dudley had even reserved a number of items from the wardrobe at Westminster for the marriage, including jewels, silver and gilt cups, a hair-brush, velvet dog-collars, and a pair of pictures of Diana and Actaeon
Diana and Actaeon
The Greek myth of Diana and Actaeon can be found within Ovid’s Metamorphoses. The tale recounts the unfortunate fate of a young hunter named Actaeon, who was the grandson of Cadmus, and his encounter with chaste Diana, goddess of the hunt. The latter is nude and enjoying a bath in a spring with...
. However, Edward VI died on 6 July 1553, having named Lady Jane Grey as his heir.
Andrew Dudley assembled a force of 500 men at Ware, Hertfordshire to assist in his brother's campaign against Mary Tudor
Mary I of England
Mary I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death.She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547...
. Presumably arrested with him in East Anglia
East Anglia
East Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...
, he was imprisoned in the Tower on 25 July. Accused with his family of rebellion and high treason
High treason
High treason is criminal disloyalty to one's government. Participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplomats, or its secret services for a hostile and foreign power, or attempting to kill its head of state are perhaps...
, Dudley stood trial at Westminster Hall on 19 August 1553. He made no plea except that the wife and children of his wardrobe
Wardrobe (government)
The wardrobe, along with the chamber, made up the personal part of medieval English government known as the king's household. Its chief officer went under the title of Master or Keeper of the Great Wardrobe. As a result, the wardrobe often appropriated large funds from the exchequer, the main...
colleague, Arthur Sturton, might be shown mercy, and his own jewels that had been in Sturton's keeping should not be lost. On 21 August 1553, the day before John Dudley's execution, he appeared with him and other condemned persons at the Tower Chapel St. Peter ad Vincula to abjure his Protestant faith. His life was spared, and he was released in January 1555.
In April 1555, after his formal pardon, Philip
Philip II of Spain
Philip II was King of Spain, Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, while married to Mary I, King of England and Ireland. He was lord of the Seventeen Provinces from 1556 until 1581, holding various titles for the individual territories such as duke or count....
and Mary granted Dudley a pension of £100 p.a. He was allowed to retain some of his earlier possessions, which had been valued at £555 at the time of his arrest in 1553. He moved to Tothill Street, London and, "sick of body", made his will in July 1556. In it he tried to reclaim jewels and other stuffs the Earl of Cumberland
Henry Clifford, 2nd Earl of Cumberland
Henry Clifford, 2nd Earl of Cumberland was a member of the Clifford family which held the seat of Skipton from 1310 to 1676. He was married to Lady Eleanor Brandon, a niece of Henry VIII of England.-Family:...
had received in advance of Dudley's intended marriage with Margaret Clifford. Among the intended beneficiaries were his nephews Ambrose
Ambrose Dudley, 3rd Earl of Warwick
Ambrose Dudley, 3rd Earl of Warwick, KG was an English nobleman and general, and an elder brother of Queen Elizabeth I's favourite, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester...
, Robert Dudley
Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester
Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, KG was an English nobleman and the favourite and close friend of Elizabeth I from her first year on the throne until his death...
, and Henry Sidney
Henry Sidney
Sir Henry Sidney , 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...
, his nephew-by-marriage. He died three years later, sometime before his will was proved on 22 November 1559.
External links
- Description of Dudley's first command, the Swallow, from the Anthony RollAnthony RollThe Anthony Roll is a record of ships of the English Tudor navy of the 1540s, named after its creator, Anthony Anthony. It originally consisted of three rolls of vellum, depicting 58 naval vessels along with information on their size, crew, armament, and basic equipment. The rolls were...
on wikisource. - Description of Dudley's command, the Pauncey, from the Anthony RollAnthony RollThe Anthony Roll is a record of ships of the English Tudor navy of the 1540s, named after its creator, Anthony Anthony. It originally consisted of three rolls of vellum, depicting 58 naval vessels along with information on their size, crew, armament, and basic equipment. The rolls were...
on wikisource.