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Published March 2025. The Deeds of King Henry V, or in Latin Henrici Quinti, Angliæ Regis, Gesta, is a first-hand account of the Agincourt Campaign, and subsequent events to his death in 1422. The author of the first part was a Chaplain in King Henry's retinue who was present from King Henry's departure at Southampton in 1415, at the siege of Harfleur, the battle of Agincourt, and the celebrations on King Henry's return to London. The second part, by another writer, relates the events that took place including the negotiations at Troye, Henry's marriage and his death in 1422.
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Life of Robert Dudley is in Stewart Books.
Life of Sir Robert Dudley, Earl of Warwick and Duke of Northumberland by John Temple Leader. M.P. forBridgwater from 1835 to 1837, and for Westmimster from 1837 to 1847, Knight Comander of the Order of the Crown of Italy. Illustrated with Letters and Documents from original sources, collected by the Author, and hitherto inedited. Florence. Printed By G. Barbera. 1895.
Stewart Books, Life of Robert Dudley Part II
Litigations and Self-Exile.
In 1601 Dudley fell under the displeasure of Queen Elizabeth, for taking part in the rebellion of the young Earl of Essex. The Earl had been under arrest in his own house for some time, having offended the Queen though it is not precisely known for what reason. Lotti, the Italian resident at London, opines that he had made some negotiations with the King of Scotland which were displeasing to Her Majesty of England1. Tired of being a prisoner he protested, and the matter was placed by the Queen in the hands of Parliament. But this was too slow for the young rebel, who got his friends together, Dudley and Blount among them, and with 1100 followers and partizans, marched into London. The Earl of Essex, Dudley, Blount, and others were taken prisoners. The Earl was subsequently beheaded, as we know to the Queen's eternal remorse. Dudley got off easily, being shortly after released.
See Lotti's account of this in Appendix, n. IV.
1596. His much journeying threw Robert Dudley into communication with, other great navigators of the day, among whom was Thomas Cavendish, who had three young and charming sisters. With one of these the young sailor, fresh from his voyages, fell in love, and being a 'heretik' (i. e. protestant), and deeming himself free from Frances Vavasour, he married her [Margaret Cavendish (age 26)]. The bride died soon after, in 1596 without issue, and in the same year he married Alice (age 18) second daughter of Sir Thomas Leigh (age 54), Knight and Baronet of Stoneleigh, Warwickshire.
From 1596 to 1605 Dudley was living partly in the country at Kenilworth, and partly in London. Alicia Leigh during that time bore him four daughters:
First Alicia Douglassia, baptized at Kenilworth 25th September 1597, who died May 1621, aetatis 24. By will nuncupatory she bequeathed to her mother £3000 to lay out for pious and charitable uses.
Frances, the second daughter, lived with her mother in Dudley House, Saint Giles, London, till she married Sir Gilbert Knyveton of Bradley, Derbyshire.
Anne, the third daughter, married the great lawyer, Sir Robert Holbourne, Solicitor general to Charles 1st. She died about 1663.
Catherine, the fourth and youngest daughter, married that distinguished Eoyalist in the time of Charles 1st, Sir Richard Leveson, K. B., of Trentham Hall, Staffordshire, ancestor of the present Duke of Sutherland.
These years of Dudley's married life with Alice Leigh were years full of worries to him. He was under the Queen's displeasure for his share in the Essex affair. It was also the time in which he was fighting at long odds for his honour, his name and nobility.
Since he had become heir to Kenilworth he wished to prove that lie Lad inherited it as his right, and not as a father's tardy reparation to a base-born son. For this cause he attempted by proceedings at law to prove himself the legitimate son of Robert, Earl of Leicester, and of Douglassia late Lady Sheffield, born Howard, widow of Lord Sheffield. There seemed some hope of success, and the Ecclesiastical Court — which, as the plague was raging in London, was that year held at Lichfield — was still sifting his evidence, when on February 10th 1603, Lady Lettice, late Countess of Essex, Leicester's widow, filed a bill in the Star Chamber, through Sir Edward Coke, against Sir Eobert Dudley and others for defamation. On October 18th of the same year Lord Henry Sydney of Penshurst, who had married Mary Dudley, Leicester's sister, stopped the proceedings at Lichfield, and brought all the depositions to the Star Chamber.
Here Robert Dudley's efforts could avail nought, although, as we have before said, Lady Shefiield and many witnesses swore to her marriage at Esher. All the documents proving this were sealed up by order of the Council of the Star Chamber; while the evidence on the side of Lettice Lady Essex's marriage with Leicester was taken alone and unquestioned. On this partial evidence Lady Sheffield, Doctor Babington, and Sir Thomas Leigh — Dudley's father-in-law — were all found guilty of conspiracy
13 May 1605. This one-sided law-suit ended on May 13th 1605, in a verdict against Dudley, his whole evidence being sealed up and put away, and in vain did he try to get the judgment reversed.1 The Essex family together with the Sydneys, and their most powerful party were too strong for him. The trial evidently created opposite impressions in royal circles, for in 1604 James 1st, who ratified the decree of the Star Chamber, promulgated an act " to restrain all persons from marriage, until their former wives and former husbands be dead." That Charles 1st took a different view of Dudley's case from that of his father we see by the plain wording of his patent creating Alice Leigh Duchess Dudley, one phrase of which runs: " And whereas our dear father not knowing the truth of the lawful birth of the aforesaid Sir Robert (as we piously believe) granted away the titles of the said Earldoms to others, which we now hold not fit to call in question, nor ravel into our deceased Father's actions And yet we, having a very deep sense of the great injuries done to the said Robert Dudley and the Lady Alice Dudley and their children, are of opinion that in justice and equity these possessions so taken from them do rightly belong to them, etc., etc.2"
Note 1. See Lotti's letter about it. Appendix, n. V.
Note 2. See Appendix, n. VI. The patent of Charles 1st.