ambrose dudley 2
St Mary's Collegiate Church, Warwick, Warwickshire
Ambrose Dudley was born in 1530 the fourth son of Sir John Dudley and Jane Guildford. He and his 12 siblings were in part educated by the mathematician John Dee and rhetorician Thomas Wilson.
August 1549 he went into his first battle, fighting the rebel peasant army of Robert Kett, alongside his father.
That year he was knighted and married Anne Whorwood, daughter of William Whorwood the Attorney-General. In 1552 they had a daughter, but she died shortly afterwards, whilst Anne herself also contracted the sweating sickness and died the same year.
Ambrose quickly remarried, this time to Lady Elizabeth Talboys, a Baroness in her own right and landholder in Lincolnshire and Yorkshire.
1553 he marched with his father and elder brother John against Mary Tudor in support Of Lady Jane Grey (his sister-in-law). When the rebellion was over he was imprisoned in the Tower of London. Although all the brothers were condemned to death, only their father the Duke and Guildford were actually executed. His older brother John also died whilst in prison which left Ambrose as heir. He remained in prison until late 1554 and was released after a plea by his wife and influential Spanish nobles.
January 1555 his mother died and he was allowed to inherit her lands. However, he and his family were only welcome at court when Philip of Spain was there, and later that year he was banned completely from London for a year due to fears he was involved in another plot.
January 1557 he joined the Spanish forces in France and took part in the Battle of St Quentin, where his brother Henry was killed. For their service the two remaining brothers were formerly restored to the blood by an Act of Parliament.
1558 under Queen Elizabeth, and with some thanks to his brothers relationship with the Queen, he received the post of Master of the Ordnance.
26 Dec 1561 he was created Baron Lisle and Earl of Warwick and received a large portion of his fathers confiscated lands. he also received Warwick castle.
1562 he lead a troop of 6000 men in the first War of Religion for Elizabeth in France. They held Le Havre in 1563 against French siege until the walls started crumbling. He was permitted to surrender when Plague ravaged the army and Ambrose was shot in the leg.
On his return, and even though it was basically a failure, he was rewarded with The Welsh Lordship of Ruthin and the Order of the Garter.
Lady Talboy had died whilst he was on campaign and so on 11 November 1565 he married the 16 year old Anne Russell. The wedding was a lavish affair with the bride being given away by Robert Dudley and the Queen throwing a banquet in their honour. Anne would become a good friend of the Queen.
Nov 1569 he was commissioned as a commander against the Northern Rebellion but because of his ill health he returned to his estates in 1570.
1587 he was a commissioner at the trial of Mary Queen of Scots, but he did not attend her execution. That duty fell to Robert.
The two brothers remained close throughout their lives and when Robert died, Ambrose (childless after three marriages) took care of his illegitimate teenage son, Robert.
In 1590 he finally had to have his wounded leg amputated as it had turned gangrenous. He died as a result at Bedford House in London on 21 February.
The Countess Ann commissioned his monument in St Marys church, Warwick.
ambrose dudley 2
St Mary's Collegiate Church, Warwick, Warwickshire
Ambrose Dudley was born in 1530 the fourth son of Sir John Dudley and Jane Guildford. He and his 12 siblings were in part educated by the mathematician John Dee and rhetorician Thomas Wilson.
August 1549 he went into his first battle, fighting the rebel peasant army of Robert Kett, alongside his father.
That year he was knighted and married Anne Whorwood, daughter of William Whorwood the Attorney-General. In 1552 they had a daughter, but she died shortly afterwards, whilst Anne herself also contracted the sweating sickness and died the same year.
Ambrose quickly remarried, this time to Lady Elizabeth Talboys, a Baroness in her own right and landholder in Lincolnshire and Yorkshire.
1553 he marched with his father and elder brother John against Mary Tudor in support Of Lady Jane Grey (his sister-in-law). When the rebellion was over he was imprisoned in the Tower of London. Although all the brothers were condemned to death, only their father the Duke and Guildford were actually executed. His older brother John also died whilst in prison which left Ambrose as heir. He remained in prison until late 1554 and was released after a plea by his wife and influential Spanish nobles.
January 1555 his mother died and he was allowed to inherit her lands. However, he and his family were only welcome at court when Philip of Spain was there, and later that year he was banned completely from London for a year due to fears he was involved in another plot.
January 1557 he joined the Spanish forces in France and took part in the Battle of St Quentin, where his brother Henry was killed. For their service the two remaining brothers were formerly restored to the blood by an Act of Parliament.
1558 under Queen Elizabeth, and with some thanks to his brothers relationship with the Queen, he received the post of Master of the Ordnance.
26 Dec 1561 he was created Baron Lisle and Earl of Warwick and received a large portion of his fathers confiscated lands. he also received Warwick castle.
1562 he lead a troop of 6000 men in the first War of Religion for Elizabeth in France. They held Le Havre in 1563 against French siege until the walls started crumbling. He was permitted to surrender when Plague ravaged the army and Ambrose was shot in the leg.
On his return, and even though it was basically a failure, he was rewarded with The Welsh Lordship of Ruthin and the Order of the Garter.
Lady Talboy had died whilst he was on campaign and so on 11 November 1565 he married the 16 year old Anne Russell. The wedding was a lavish affair with the bride being given away by Robert Dudley and the Queen throwing a banquet in their honour. Anne would become a good friend of the Queen.
Nov 1569 he was commissioned as a commander against the Northern Rebellion but because of his ill health he returned to his estates in 1570.
1587 he was a commissioner at the trial of Mary Queen of Scots, but he did not attend her execution. That duty fell to Robert.
The two brothers remained close throughout their lives and when Robert died, Ambrose (childless after three marriages) took care of his illegitimate teenage son, Robert.
In 1590 he finally had to have his wounded leg amputated as it had turned gangrenous. He died as a result at Bedford House in London on 21 February.
The Countess Ann commissioned his monument in St Marys church, Warwick.