ON THIS DAY - 21 October 1554

On This Day (21 Oct) in 1554, John Dudley, 2nd Earl of Warwick, son of John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, died at Penshurst Place, Kent - the home of his brother-in-law Henry Sidney.

John became his father's heir on the death of his eldest brother Henry in 1544, and adopted the title of 'Viscount Lisle' in 1547, on his father's promotion to the Earldom of Warwick. As his father's profile rose within the regency of Edward VI, initially as part of the regency council and later assuming the role of Lord President in Oct 1549, John and his brothers also participated in court events.

'Tournament of the Earl of Warwick, 16th century [showing John, Ambrose and Robert Dudley]'; 1906 © The Print Collector/Heritage Images

In May 1550, he was married to Anne Seymour, the eldest daughter of Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset and the supplanted Lord Protector, in an attempted ally-ship between the two families. During his imprisonment, Anne was known to have been given permission to visit her husband at the Tower of London; the first of these visits appears to have taken place in Sep 1553, alongside the wives of Ambrose (Elizabeth Tailboys) and Robert (Amy Robsart).

John had been arrested on 20 Jul 1553, alongside his father and brothers Ambrose and Harry at Cambridge; they had been heading towards Mary's stronghold of Framlingham Castle, when news reached them of the Privy Council's abandonment of support for the claim of Lady Jane Grey. Subsequently, John's father proclaimed Mary as "Queen of England" before surrendering to her supporters.

Dudley Graffiti, Beauchamp Tower, Tower of London © Spitalfieldlife

On his return to London, John was held within the Tower of London, in the Beauchamp Tower, along with his brothers Ambrose, Robert, Guildford and Harry, whilst their father was held separately within St Thomas's Tower. It was during his period of imprisonment that John carved (or perhaps commissioned) the infamous graffiti, with his name and the 'Warwick' emblem of bear and staff being depicted in the centre, surrounded by flowers representing his brothers (Ambrose-rose; Robert-robur/oak; Guildford-gillyflowers; Harry-honeysuckle).

Alongside his father and Elizabeth Brooke, Marquess of Northampton (wife of William Parr, and alleged architect of the marriage of John's brother Guildford Dudley to Lady Jane Grey in Jun 1553), John appeared at Westminster Hall on 18 Aug 1553. John pleaded guilty to the charges of high treason put to him, in contrast to the others; they were all found guilty and condemned to death. Whilst his father was executed on Tower Hill 4 days later, John was continued to be imprisoned with no execution date set.

'A Trial for High Treason, in Westminster Hall, during the Tudor period' © Private Collection/Bridgeman Images

On 11 Oct 1554, John (along with brothers Robert and Harry) were released from the Tower; this appears to have been as a result of negotiations and alliances made by his mother Jane Guildford, Duchess of Northumberland, and Henry Sidney, brother of his eldest sister Mary, within the new Marion court, including with the new king consort Prince Philip II of Spain. Ill and weak, he travelled south of London to Penshurst Place, where his sister Mary was 8 months pregnant; he died on 21 Oct, only 3 days after arriving at Penshurst, leaving his young wife Anne a widow.

'A View of Penshurst Place in the County of Kent', Artist: George Virtue, 1747 © rareoldprints.com