Keywords: people ancient round circle Ambrose Dudley, 3rd Earl of Warwick (b. c.1528, d. 21 February 1590), was the fourth son of John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland and his wife Jane Guilford. He was an elder brother of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester. In 1561 he became Earl of Warwick and Queen Elizabeth I employed him in military expeditions in France and in England. In 1563 he was made a Knight of the Garter, and in 1573 he was admitted to the Privy Council. The Dudley boys had such excellent tutors and companions as Roger Ascham,[2] John Dee,[3] and Thomas Wilson.[4] By 1550, Ambrose Dudley was married to Anne Whorwood, daughter of William Whorwood, Attorney-General, and in 1551 they had a son who died soon.[5] Anne died in 1552, and Ambrose soon married for the second time: Elizabeth Lady Tailboys (or Talboys), who was a baroness in her own right with large possessions in Lincolnshire and Yorkshire.[6] From July 1553 till January 1555,[7] Ambrose was imprisoned with his brothers in the Tower of London following the attempt by his father to place Lady Jane Grey on the Throne of England. All brothers and his father were condemned to death, but in the end only their father and brother Guilford were executed. In January 1557, Dudley and his brothers raised personal contingents in order to fight for King Philip II of Spain, who was then king consort of England. Ambrose, Henry and Robert Dudley all joined the forces of Philip II in France and took part in the Battle of St. Quentin, where Henry was killed. For these services Ambrose Dudley, together with his siblings, was restored in blood by Act of Parliament.[8] With the accession of Queen Elizabeth in November 1558, Robert Dudley came into great favour and Ambrose wanted to participate in it. He pressed his brother successfully for the post of Master of the Ordnance.[9] On 26th December 1561, Ambrose was created Earl of Warwick and received a large portion of the lands confiscated from the Duke of Northumberland on his attainder.[10] His magnificent seat was Warwick Castle, where Queen Elizabeth made a memorable visit in the summer of 1572.[11] Ambrose, Earl of Warwick was an earnest Puritan,[12] fervently believing in the Protestant cause.[13] In 1562, Elizabeth sent some six thousand English troops to assist the Huguenots in France. Ambrose Dudley was chosen to lead the expedition.[14] The town of "Newhaven" (Le Havre) was besieged by the forces of Francis, Duke of Guise, the leader of the Catholic French army. Ambrose Dudley's persistence to hold the city for the Huguenots, was hampered from the outset by misadventures ranging from the simple lack of troops and finance to a plague that decimated his army. In August 1563, Elizabeth finally conceded defeat, not so much on account of the Catholic siege as because of the general circumstances, and allowed Warwick to withdraw. The consequence was that the troops imported the plague into London, where thousends fell ill and died. Ambrose Dudley himself had been wounded while parleying with the other side and returned to England severely ill. His brother Robert visited him despite the plague. On 11th November 1565, Ambrose Dudley, whose wife Elizabeth Tailboys had died in 1560,[16] married for the third time. His bride was Anne Russell, daughter of Francis Russell, 2nd Earl of Bedford, a political ally of Robert, Earl of Leicester who had arranged the match. The wedding was a great society event and Anne, Countess of Warwick became one of the Queen's closest female friends.[17] The marriage remained childless, as had Warwick's second marriage. During the Northern Rebellion in 1569, Ambrose, Earl of Warwick was one of the commanders defeating the rebels.[18] At the 1587 trial of Mary Queen of Scots, he was a commissioner asked by the Scottish Queen to plead for her with his brother, the absent Earl of Leicester.[19] Warwick was not present when sentence was pronounced on her.[20] With his brother Robert, Earl of Leicester, Ambrose was on excellent personal terms, sharing his brother's private secrets.[21] Robert Dudley's great mansion Leicester House was also the London home of the Earl of Warwick and his countess, and Robert always cared for his brother's well-being. They frequently spent their leasure time together.[22] When Robert had incurred the Queen's displeasure serving in the Netherlands as Governor-General (1586), Ambrose wrote to him: "if I were you...I would go to the furthest part of christendom rather than ever come into England again." And: "Let me have your best advice what is best for me to do, for that I mean to take such part as you do."[23] Ambrose Dudley never had quite recovered from his war injury, and in later life he was often unable to move about because he "hath no use of his legs".[24] In February 1590 he died at Bedford House in the Strand, London. Ten days before, his diseased leg had been amputated. He was buried on 9 April 1590 in the Beauchamp Chapel of Collegiate Church of St Mary, Warwick. Ambrose Dudley, 3rd Earl of Warwick (b. c.1528, d. 21 February 1590), was the fourth son of John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland and his wife Jane Guilford. He was an elder brother of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester. In 1561 he became Earl of Warwick and Queen Elizabeth I employed him in military expeditions in France and in England. In 1563 he was made a Knight of the Garter, and in 1573 he was admitted to the Privy Council. The Dudley boys had such excellent tutors and companions as Roger Ascham,[2] John Dee,[3] and Thomas Wilson.[4] By 1550, Ambrose Dudley was married to Anne Whorwood, daughter of William Whorwood, Attorney-General, and in 1551 they had a son who died soon.[5] Anne died in 1552, and Ambrose soon married for the second time: Elizabeth Lady Tailboys (or Talboys), who was a baroness in her own right with large possessions in Lincolnshire and Yorkshire.[6] From July 1553 till January 1555,[7] Ambrose was imprisoned with his brothers in the Tower of London following the attempt by his father to place Lady Jane Grey on the Throne of England. All brothers and his father were condemned to death, but in the end only their father and brother Guilford were executed. In January 1557, Dudley and his brothers raised personal contingents in order to fight for King Philip II of Spain, who was then king consort of England. Ambrose, Henry and Robert Dudley all joined the forces of Philip II in France and took part in the Battle of St. Quentin, where Henry was killed. For these services Ambrose Dudley, together with his siblings, was restored in blood by Act of Parliament.[8] With the accession of Queen Elizabeth in November 1558, Robert Dudley came into great favour and Ambrose wanted to participate in it. He pressed his brother successfully for the post of Master of the Ordnance.[9] On 26th December 1561, Ambrose was created Earl of Warwick and received a large portion of the lands confiscated from the Duke of Northumberland on his attainder.[10] His magnificent seat was Warwick Castle, where Queen Elizabeth made a memorable visit in the summer of 1572.[11] Ambrose, Earl of Warwick was an earnest Puritan,[12] fervently believing in the Protestant cause.[13] In 1562, Elizabeth sent some six thousand English troops to assist the Huguenots in France. Ambrose Dudley was chosen to lead the expedition.[14] The town of "Newhaven" (Le Havre) was besieged by the forces of Francis, Duke of Guise, the leader of the Catholic French army. Ambrose Dudley's persistence to hold the city for the Huguenots, was hampered from the outset by misadventures ranging from the simple lack of troops and finance to a plague that decimated his army. In August 1563, Elizabeth finally conceded defeat, not so much on account of the Catholic siege as because of the general circumstances, and allowed Warwick to withdraw. The consequence was that the troops imported the plague into London, where thousends fell ill and died. Ambrose Dudley himself had been wounded while parleying with the other side and returned to England severely ill. His brother Robert visited him despite the plague. On 11th November 1565, Ambrose Dudley, whose wife Elizabeth Tailboys had died in 1560,[16] married for the third time. His bride was Anne Russell, daughter of Francis Russell, 2nd Earl of Bedford, a political ally of Robert, Earl of Leicester who had arranged the match. The wedding was a great society event and Anne, Countess of Warwick became one of the Queen's closest female friends.[17] The marriage remained childless, as had Warwick's second marriage. During the Northern Rebellion in 1569, Ambrose, Earl of Warwick was one of the commanders defeating the rebels.[18] At the 1587 trial of Mary Queen of Scots, he was a commissioner asked by the Scottish Queen to plead for her with his brother, the absent Earl of Leicester.[19] Warwick was not present when sentence was pronounced on her.[20] With his brother Robert, Earl of Leicester, Ambrose was on excellent personal terms, sharing his brother's private secrets.[21] Robert Dudley's great mansion Leicester House was also the London home of the Earl of Warwick and his countess, and Robert always cared for his brother's well-being. They frequently spent their leasure time together.[22] When Robert had incurred the Queen's displeasure serving in the Netherlands as Governor-General (1586), Ambrose wrote to him: "if I were you...I would go to the furthest part of christendom rather than ever come into England again." And: "Let me have your best advice what is best for me to do, for that I mean to take such part as you do."[23] Ambrose Dudley never had quite recovered from his war injury, and in later life he was often unable to move about because he "hath no use of his legs".[24] In February 1590 he died at Bedford House in the Strand, London. Ten days before, his diseased leg had been amputated. He was buried on 9 April 1590 in the Beauchamp Chapel of Collegiate Church of St Mary, Warwick. |