Edmund Dudley
Encyclopedia
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. While waiting for his execution he wrote The Tree of Commonwealth.
. After studying at Oxford
and at Gray's Inn
, Dudley came under the notice of Henry VII, and is said to have been made a privy councillor
at the early age of 23. In 1492 he helped to negotiate the Peace of Etaples
with France and soon assisted the King in checking the lawlessness of the barons. He and his colleague Sir Richard Empson
were prominent councillors of the Council Learned in the Law
, a special tribunal of Henry VII's reign, which collected debts owed to the King, requested bonds as surety, and employed further financial instruments against high born and wealthy subjects. Henry VII took a strong interest in these procedures and closely supervised the accounts of the two men.
Dudley was elected MP for Lewes
in 1491 and knight of the shire for Sussex
in 1495. He was chosen as Speaker of the House of Commons
in 1504. While collecting the King's money, Dudley amassed a great amount of wealth for himself, which resulted in estates in Sussex
, Dorset
and Lincolnshire
. When Henry VII died in April 1509, Dudley was imprisoned and charged with the crime of constructive treason
. Dudley's nominal crime was that during the last illness of Henry VII he had ordered his friends to assemble in arms in case the King died, but the real reason for his charge was his unpopularity stemming from his financial transactions. He was attainted and made preparations to escape from the Tower of London
. He gave up his plan, though, when parliament did not confirm his attainder, which led him to believe that he would be pardoned. Dudley and his colleague Empson were executed on 17 August 1510 on Tower Hill
.
During his imprisonment Dudley sought to gain the favour of King Henry VIII
by writing a treatise in support of absolute monarchy called The Tree of Commonwealth. It may never have reached the King, however. Several manuscript editions survive, the earliest was possibly commissioned by Dudley's son John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, while the second oldest was made by John Stow
in 1563 for Dudley's grandson, Robert Dudley
.
, with whom he had a daughter, Elizabeth, who was born c. 1500 and later married William Stourton, 7th Baron Stourton
. Dudley's next marriage, between 1500 and 1503, to Elizabeth Grey (c. 1480–1525), the daughter of Edward Grey, 4th Viscount Lisle, was a sign of his rising social status. Three sons were born to this marriage: John
(1504–22 August 1553), later Duke of Northumberland
; Andrew
(c. 1507–1559); and Jerome (d. after 1555). Jerome Dudley was destined for the Church by his father, yet was mentally or physically incapacitated.
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
. He served as Speaker of the House of Commons
Speaker of the British House of Commons
The Speaker of the House of Commons is the presiding officer of the House of Commons, the United Kingdom's lower chamber of Parliament. The current Speaker is John Bercow, who was elected on 22 June 2009, following the resignation of Michael Martin...
and President of the King's Council
Lord President of the Council
The Lord President of the Council is the fourth of the Great Officers of State of the United Kingdom, ranking beneath the Lord High Treasurer and above the Lord Privy Seal. The Lord President usually attends each meeting of the Privy Council, presenting business for the monarch's approval...
. After the accession of Henry VIII, he was imprisoned in 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 executed the next year on a 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...
charge. While waiting for his execution he wrote The Tree of Commonwealth.
Career
Edmund Dudley was the son of Sir John Dudley of Atherington and a grandson of John Sutton, 1st Baron DudleyJohn Sutton, 1st Baron Dudley
John Sutton, 1st Baron Dudley, KG was an English nobleman. A diplomat and councillor of Henry VI, he fought in several battles during the Hundred Years War and the Wars of the Roses, and acted as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland 1428–1430.-Family and peerage:John Sutton was born at 25 December 1400 and...
. After studying at Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
and at Gray's Inn
Gray's Inn
The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
, Dudley came under the notice of Henry VII, and is said to have been made a privy 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...
at the early age of 23. In 1492 he helped to negotiate the Peace of Etaples
Peace of Etaples
The Peace of Etaples was signed in Étaples between the kings Charles VIII Valois of France and Henry VII Tudor of England on November 3, 1492.-History:...
with France and soon assisted the King in checking the lawlessness of the barons. He and his colleague Sir Richard Empson
Richard Empson
Sir Richard Empson , minister of Henry VII, King of England, was a son of Peter Empson, an influential inhabitant of Towcester....
were prominent councillors of the Council Learned in the Law
Council Learned in the Law
The Council Learned in the Law was a highly controversial tribunal of Henry VII of England's reign.The brainchild of Sir Reginald Bray, the Council Learned was introduced in 1495 to defend Henry’s position as a feudal landlord. It dealt with the king's fiscal matters and enforced payments of debts...
, a special tribunal of Henry VII's reign, which collected debts owed to the King, requested bonds as surety, and employed further financial instruments against high born and wealthy subjects. Henry VII took a strong interest in these procedures and closely supervised the accounts of the two men.
Dudley was elected MP for Lewes
Lewes (UK Parliament constituency)
Lewes is a constituency located in East Sussex and centred on the town of Lewes. It is represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was a safe Conservative seat until 1997, but the Liberal Democrats have gained a strong foothold.-Boundaries:The constituency is...
in 1491 and knight of the shire for Sussex
Sussex (UK Parliament constituency)
Sussex was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832...
in 1495. He was chosen as Speaker of the House of Commons
Speaker of the British House of Commons
The Speaker of the House of Commons is the presiding officer of the House of Commons, the United Kingdom's lower chamber of Parliament. The current Speaker is John Bercow, who was elected on 22 June 2009, following the resignation of Michael Martin...
in 1504. While collecting the King's money, Dudley amassed a great amount of wealth for himself, which resulted in estates in Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
, Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
and Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
. When Henry VII died in April 1509, Dudley was imprisoned and charged with the crime of constructive treason
Constructive treason
Constructive treason refers to the judicial extension of the statutory definition of the crime of treason. For example, the English Treason Act 1351 declares it to be treason "When a Man doth compass or imagine the Death of our Lord the King." This was subsequently interpreted by the courts to...
. Dudley's nominal crime was that during the last illness of Henry VII he had ordered his friends to assemble in arms in case the King died, but the real reason for his charge was his unpopularity stemming from his financial transactions. He was attainted and made preparations to escape from 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...
. He gave up his plan, though, when parliament did not confirm his attainder, which led him to believe that he would be pardoned. Dudley and his colleague Empson were executed on 17 August 1510 on Tower Hill
Tower Hill
Tower Hill is an elevated spot northwest of the Tower of London, just outside the limits of the City of London, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Formerly it was part of the Tower Liberty under the direct administrative control of Tower...
.
During his imprisonment Dudley sought to gain the favour of King Henry VIII
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...
by writing a treatise in support of absolute monarchy called The Tree of Commonwealth. It may never have reached the King, however. Several manuscript editions survive, the earliest was possibly commissioned by Dudley's son John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, while the second oldest was made by John Stow
John Stow
John Stow was an English historian and antiquarian.-Early life:The son of Thomas Stow, a tallow-chandler, he was born about 1525 in London, in the parish of St Michael, Cornhill. His father's whole rent for his house and garden was only 6s. 6d. a year, and Stow in his youth fetched milk every...
in 1563 for Dudley's grandson, 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...
.
Marriages and issue
Edmund Dudley married around 1494 Anne Windsor, sister of Andrew Windsor, 1st Baron WindsorAndrew Windsor, 1st Baron Windsor
Sir Andrew Windsor, 1st Baron Windsor was an English nobleman. He inherited the manor of Stanwell in Middlesex. In 1542, during a visit by King Henry VIII, he was obliged to surrender the manor to the crown. In return he was offered the lands of Tardebigge and the seat of Hewell Grange in modern...
, with whom he had a daughter, Elizabeth, who was born c. 1500 and later married William Stourton, 7th Baron Stourton
William Stourton, 7th Baron Stourton
William Stourton, 7th Baron Stourton was the son of Edward Stourton.He succeeded his father in 1535, and upon his death was succeeded by his son Charles.-References:...
. Dudley's next marriage, between 1500 and 1503, to Elizabeth Grey (c. 1480–1525), the daughter of Edward Grey, 4th Viscount Lisle, was a sign of his rising social status. Three sons were born to this marriage: John
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...
(1504–22 August 1553), 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....
; Andrew
Andrew Dudley
Sir Andrew Dudley, KG 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...
(c. 1507–1559); and Jerome (d. after 1555). Jerome Dudley was destined for the Church by his father, yet was mentally or physically incapacitated.