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Ambrose Dudley, 3rd Earl of Warwick KG (c. 1530^[1] – 21 February 1590) was an English nobleman and an elder brother of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester. In 1561 he was created Earl of Warwick, and in 1573 was admitted to the Privy Council.^[2] Queen Elizabeth I employed him as a commander in military expeditions in France and during the Northern Rebellion of 1569/1570.

Life

Ambrose Dudley was the fourth son of John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland and his wife Jane Guildford. The Dudley boys had such excellent tutors and companions as Roger Ascham,^[3] John Dee,^[4] and Thomas Wilson.^[5] In 1549 Ambrose Dudley married Anne Whorwood, daughter of William Whorwood, deceased Attorney-General, and in 1552 they had a daughter who soon died. Anne also died in 1552 of the sweating sickness.^[1] 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] Ambrose was imprisoned with his brothers from July 1553 in the Tower of London following the attempt by his father to place Lady Jane Grey on the Throne of England. All brothers and their father and uncle were condemned to death, but only Northumberland and Guilford Dudley were executed. Of the brothers, only Ambrose was still in the Tower in November 1554, soon to be released.^[7]

In January 1557, Dudley and his brothers raised personal contingents in order to fight for King Philip II, 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 in 1558.^[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 26 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 thousands 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.^[15]

In 1563 Warwick was admitted to the Order of the Garter.^[2] His wife Elizabeth Tailboys had died in 1560,^[16] and on 11 November 1565, Ambrose Dudley married for the third time. His bride was Anne Russell, nearly 20 years his junior, and a daughter of Francis Russell, 2nd Earl of Bedford, a political ally of Robert, Earl of Leicester who had arranged the match.^[17] The wedding was a great society event and Anne, Countess of Warwick became one of the Queen's closest female friends.^[18] The marriage turned out to be happy,^[17] though it remained childless.

During the Northern Rebellion in 1569, Ambrose, Earl of Warwick was one of the commanders defeating the rebels.^[19] 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.^[20] Warwick was not present when sentence was pronounced on her.^[21]

With his brother Robert, Earl of Leicester, Ambrose was on the closest personal terms; he said of him: "there is no man [that] knoweth his doings better than I myself".^[1] Robert Dudley's great mansion, Leicester House, was also the London home of the Earl of Warwick and his countess. The brothers spent as much leisure time together as they could.^[1] 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. ... Let me have your best advice what is best for me to do, for that I mean to take such part as you do."^[22]

Ambrose Dudley often resided in his Northaw home in Hertfordshire, travelling little, as he never had quite recovered from his war injury, and in later life he was often unable to move about because he had "no use of his legs".^[23] 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.

Notes

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Simon Adams: "Dudley, Ambrose, earl of Warwick (c.1530–1590)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2008 (subscription required) Retrieved 2010-04-06.
^ ^a ^b "Dudley, Ambrose, Earl of Warwick (DDLY564A)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge. Retrieved 2009-10-20
^ Chamberlin p. 55
^ Wilson p. 16; Woolley p. 315
^ Chamberlin p. 56
^ Wilson p. 46
^ Adams 2002 p. 157
^ Wilson pp. 71–75
^ Owen pp. 145, 146
^ Wilson p. 132
^ Jenkins pp. 191–192
^ Jenkins pp. 214–216
^ Bruce pp. 150–151
^ Wilson pp. 134–135; Jenkins pp. 88–89
^ Wilson p. 137; Jenkins p. 96
^ Stewart p. 10
^ ^a ^b Simon Adams, "Dudley, Anne, countess of Warwick (1548/9–1604)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn. Jan 2008 (subscription required) 2010-06-11
^ Jenkins pp. 127–128
^ Jenkins p. 168
^ Warwick pp. 265–266
^ Owen p. 75
^ Bruce p. 151
^ Adams 1995 p. 390; Adams 2002 p. 331

References

Adams, Simon (1995): Household Accounts and Disbursement Books of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester Cambridge UP ISBN 0521551560
Adams, Simon (2002): Leicester and the Court: Essays in Elizabethan Politics Manchester UP ISBN 0719053250
Bruce, John (1844): Correspondence of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leycester, during his Government of the Low Countries, in the Years 1585 and 1586 Camden Society [1]
Chamberlin, Frederick (1939): Elizabeth and Leycester Dodd, Mead & Co.
Owen, D.G. (ed.) (1980): Manuscripts of The Marquess of Bath vol.V: Talbot, Dudley and Devereux Papers 1533–1659 HMSO ISBN 011440092X
Jenkins, Elizabeth (2002): Elizabeth and Leicester The Phoenix Press ISBN 1842125605
Stewart, Alan (2000): Philip Sidney: A Double Life Chatto & Windus ISBN 9780701168599
Warwick, Frances Countess of (1903): Warwick Castle and its Earls vol.I Hutchinson & Co. [2]
Wilson, Derek (1981): Sweet Robin: A Biography of Robert Dudley Earl of Leicester 1533-1588 Hamish Hamilton ISBN 0241101492
Woolley, Benjamin (2002): The Queen's Conjuror: The Life and Magic of Dr Dee Harper Collins ISBN 0006552021

Military offices
Preceded by Sir Richard Southwell	Master-General of the Ordnance 1560–1590 with Sir Philip Sidney (1585–1586)	Vacant Title next held by The Earl of Essex
Peerage of England
Preceded by John Dudley	Earl of Warwick 2nd creation 1561–1590	Extinct
New creation	Baron Lisle 5th creation 1561–1590	Extinct

[ODNB-1] Simon Adams: "Dudley, Ambrose, earl of Warwick (c.1530–1590)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2008 (subscription required) Retrieved 2010-04-06.

[Venn-2] "Dudley, Ambrose, Earl of Warwick (DDLY564A)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge. Retrieved 2009-10-20

[3] Chamberlin p. 55

[4] Wilson p. 16; Woolley p. 315

[5] Chamberlin p. 56

[6] Wilson p. 46

[7] Adams 2002 p. 157

[8] Wilson pp. 71–75

[9] Owen pp. 145, 146

[10] Wilson p. 132

[11] Jenkins pp. 191–192

[12] Jenkins pp. 214–216

[13] Bruce pp. 150–151

[14] Wilson pp. 134–135; Jenkins pp. 88–89

[15] Wilson p. 137; Jenkins p. 96

[16] Stewart p. 10

[ODAnne-17] Simon Adams, "Dudley, Anne, countess of Warwick (1548/9–1604)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn. Jan 2008 (subscription required) 2010-06-11

[18] Jenkins pp. 127–128

[19] Jenkins p. 168

[20] Warwick pp. 265–266

[21] Owen p. 75

[22] Bruce p. 151

[23] Adams 1995 p. 390; Adams 2002 p. 331

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@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
 On 26&nbsp;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]].<ref>Wilson p. 132</ref> His magnificent seat was [[Warwick Castle]], where Queen Elizabeth made a memorable visit in the summer of 1572.<ref>Jenkins pp. 191&ndash;192</ref>
-Ambrose, Earl of Warwick was an earnest [[Puritan]],<ref>Jenkins pp. 214&ndash;216</ref> fervently believing in the [[Protestant]] cause.<ref>Bruce pp. 150&ndash;151</ref> In 1562, Elizabeth sent some six thousand English troops to assist the [[Huguenots]] in France. Ambrose Dudley was chosen to lead the expedition.<ref>Wilson pp. 134&ndash;135; Jenkins pp. 88&ndash;89</ref> 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.<ref>Wilson p. 137; Jenkins p. 96</ref>
+Ambrose, Earl of Warwick was an earnest [[Puritan]],<ref>Jenkins pp. 214&ndash;216</ref> fervently believing in the [[Protestant]] cause.<ref>Bruce pp. 150&ndash;151</ref> In 1562, Elizabeth sent some six thousand English troops to assist the [[Huguenots]] in France. Ambrose Dudley was chosen to lead the expedition.<ref>Wilson pp. 134&ndash;135; Jenkins pp. 88&ndash;89</ref> 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 thousands 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.<ref>Wilson p. 137; Jenkins p. 96</ref>
 [[File:Beauchamp Chapel.jpg|thumb|Beauchamp Chapel, St. Mary's Collegiate Church, Warwick: Ambrose, Earl of Warwick's grave is in the right foreground of the nave]]