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On 7th June 1532 Amy Robsart was born to John Robsart of Syderstone Hall.
Around 1550. Levina Bening aka Teerlinc (age 35). Miniature portrait probably of Amy Robsart (age 17) around the time of her wedding.
Diary of Edward VI. 4th June 1550. Sir [her husband] Robert Dudeley (age 17), third sonne to th'[her father-in-law] erle of Warwic (age 46), maried sir [her father] Jon Robsartes daughter (age 17)1, after wich mariage ther were certain gentlemen that did strive who shuld first take away a gose's heade, wich was hanged alive on tow crose postes.
Note 1. Whlst popular tradition, the ballad by Mickle, and Sir Walter Scott's romance of Kemlworth, had made the name of Amy Robsart exceedingly familiar, very little was formerly known of her actual history. That deficiency was in some measure supplied by a memoir of her, published in the Gentleman's Magazine for Dec. 1845, New Series, vol. xxiv. p. 595, to which was subsequently appended, in vol. xxxiv. p. 123, the account of her funeral at Oxford. Five letters relative to her mysterious death were also published in 1850, — nearly simultaneously in a new edition of Pepys's Diary, by Lord Braybrooke; and also in The Romance of the Peerage, by Mr. G. L. Craik (see the Gentleman's Magazine, New Series, vol. xxxiii. p. 255).
The Gentleman's Magazine Volume 179 Pages 595-600. [4th June 1550]. Lord [her husband] Robert Dudley (age 17), at the period of his marriage, was eighteen years of age, and it is probable that the lady [Amy Robsart (age 17)] was not older. The wedding took place on the 4th of June, 1550, the day after the memorable alliance had been accomplished between the [her brother-in-law] Lord Lisle (age 23), Lord Robert's elder brother, and the Lady Anne Seymour (age 12), which it was vainly hoped would have cemented the reconciliation of the rival statesmen their fathers,—Edward Seymour (age 50) Duke of Somerset, and [her father-in-law] John Dudley (age 46) Earl of Warwick, afterwards Duke of Northumberland. The second marriage, which was celebrated, like the former, at the royal palace of Sheen [Map], is thus noticed by King Edward VI. in his diary:
"June 4. Sir Robert Dudely, third sonne to th'erle of Warwic, maried sir John Robsartes daughter; after wich mariage ther were certain gentlemen that did strive who shuld first take away a gose's heade wich was hanged alive on tow crose postes."
On 4th June 1550 Robert Dudley 1st Earl of Leicester (age 17) and Amy Robsart (age 17) were married at Sheen Palace [Map]. King Edward VI of England and Ireland (age 12) and William Cecil 1st Baron Burghley (age 29) attended. He the son of John Dudley 1st Duke Northumberland (age 46) and Jane Guildford Duchess Northumberland (age 41).
In 1553 [her brother-in-law] Ambrose Dudley 3rd Earl Warwick (age 23) and Elizabeth Tailboys Countess Warwick (age 30) were married. She the daughter of Gilbert Tailboys 1st Baron Tailboys and Elizabeth "Bessie" Blount Baroness Clinton and Tailboys. He the son of [her father-in-law] John Dudley 1st Duke Northumberland (age 49) and [her mother-in-law] Jane Guildford Duchess Northumberland (age 44). They were half fourth cousin once removed.
In January 1553 [her brother-in-law] John Dudley 2nd Earl Warwick (age 26) by writ of acceleration 2nd Earl Warwick through a summons to Parliament. Anne Seymour Countess of Warwick (age 15) by marriage Countess Warwick.
On 25th May 1553 a triple wedding was celebrated at Durham Place, the London townhouse of [her father-in-law] John Dudley 1st Duke Northumberland (age 49), father of [her brother-in-law] Guildford Dudley (age 18) and [her sister-in-law] Katherine Dudley Countess Huntingdon (age 15) ...
Guildford Dudley and Lady Jane Grey (age 17) were married. She the daughter of Henry Grey 1st Duke of Suffolk (age 36) and Frances Brandon Duchess of Suffolk (age 35). He the son of John Dudley 1st Duke Northumberland and [her mother-in-law] Jane Guildford Duchess Northumberland (age 44). They were third cousin once removed. She a great granddaughter of King Henry VII of England and Ireland.
Henry Hastings 3rd Earl Huntingdon (age 18) and Katherine Dudley Countess Huntingdon were married. She the daughter of John Dudley 1st Duke Northumberland and Jane Guildford Duchess Northumberland. He the son of Francis Hastings 2nd Earl Huntingdon (age 39) and Catherine Pole Countess Huntingdon (age 42). They were fourth cousin once removed.
Henry Herbert 2nd Earl Pembroke (age 15) and Catherine Grey Countess Hertford (age 12) were married. She the daughter of Henry Grey 1st Duke of Suffolk and Frances Brandon Duchess of Suffolk. He the son of William Herbert 1st Earl Pembroke (age 52) and Anne Parr Countess Pembroke. They were fourth cousins. She a great granddaughter of King Henry VII of England and Ireland.
On 22nd August 1553 [her father-in-law] John Dudley 1st Duke Northumberland (age 49) was beheaded at Tower Hill [Map]. Duke Northumberland, Earl Warwick and Viscount Lisle forfeit. [her brother-in-law] John Dudley 2nd Earl Warwick (age 26), his son, was also attainted, with the Earldom of Warwick forfeit.
Thomas Palmer and John Gates (age 49) were hanged, drawn and quartered.
In 1554 [her father] John Robsart of Syderstone Hall died.
On 21st October 1554 [her brother-in-law] John Dudley 2nd Earl Warwick (age 27) died at Penshurst Place, Kent [Map].
On 26th December 1554 [her brother-in-law] Ambrose Dudley 3rd Earl Warwick (age 24) was created 1st Baron Lisle. Elizabeth Tailboys Countess Warwick (age 32) by marriage Countess Warwick.
All About History Books
The Chronicle of Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke. Baker was a secular clerk from Swinbroke, now Swinbrook, an Oxfordshire village two miles east of Burford. His Chronicle describes the events of the period 1303-1356: Gaveston, Bannockburn, Boroughbridge, the murder of King Edward II, the Scottish Wars, Sluys, Crécy, the Black Death, Winchelsea and Poitiers. To quote Herbert Bruce 'it possesses a vigorous and characteristic style, and its value for particular events between 1303 and 1356 has been recognised by its editor and by subsequent writers'. The book provides remarkable detail about the events it describes. Baker's text has been augmented with hundreds of notes, including extracts from other contemporary chronicles, such as the Annales Londonienses, Annales Paulini, Murimuth, Lanercost, Avesbury, Guisborough and Froissart to enrich the reader's understanding. The translation takes as its source the 'Chronicon Galfridi le Baker de Swynebroke' published in 1889, edited by Edward Maunde Thompson. Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback.
On 20th June 1560 Francis Hastings 2nd Earl Huntingdon (age 46) died. He was buried at the Hasting's Chapel, St Helen's Church, Ashby-de-la-Zouch [Map]. His son Henry (age 25) succeeded 3rd Earl Huntingdon, 8th Baron Botreaux, 7th Baron Hungerford, 5th Baron Moleyns and 5th Baron Hastings. [her sister-in-law] Katherine Dudley Countess Huntingdon (age 22) by marriage Countess Huntingdon. See Monument [Map].
Henry Machyn's Diary. On or after 29th August 1560. The (blank) day of August was bered my lade Dudley (age 28) the wyff of my [her husband] lord Robart Dudley (age 28) the master of the quen('s) horse, with a grett baner of armes and a vj baners-rolles of armes, and a viij dosen penselles and viij dosen skochyons, and iiij grett skochyons of armes, and iiij haroldes, master Garter (age 50), master Clarenshux (age 50), master Lanckostur, and (blank).... with ij harolds, master Clarenshux and Ruge-crosse, and a standard and a pennon of armes, a cot armur, helmett, and crest, and mantylles, and sword, and a viij dosen of skochyons of armes and vj of bokeram, and [many] mornars in blake, and ther was grett [dinner and] a dolle of mones [money] as many as cam.
Note. P. 242. Funeral of lady Amy Dudley. The name of "Amy Robsart" is invested with a prevailing interest as the heroine of poetry and romance. I have collected what is known of her, and endeavoured to sift the mysterious rumours of her assassination, in a memoir which appeared in the Gentleman's Magazine for December, 1845. I have now to append the following additional memorial: "Lady Amie Robsert, late wyff to the right noble the lord Robert Dudley, knight and companyon of the most noble order of the garter, and master of the horsse to the quenes moste excellent majestie, dyed on sonday the 8. of Septembre at a howsse of Mr. Foster, iij. myles from Oxford, in the 2. yere of quene Elizabeth, 1560, and was beryed on sonday the 22. of September next enshewenge in our Lady churche of Oxford." (MS. Harl. 897, f. 80b.)
On 8th September 1560, the day of the Abingdon Fair, Amy Robsart (age 28) died from falling down stairs at Cumnor Place, Abingdon [Map]. She was married to [her husband] Robert Dudley 1st Earl of Leicester (age 28), favourite of Queen Elizabeth I of England and Ireland (age 27), who was with Queen Elizabeth I of England and Ireland at Windsor Castle [Map] at the time. Foul play was suspected but not proven. The event was regarded as suspicious by many. The Queen's reputation being tarnished she could not risk a marriage with Dudley.
The inquest into her death concluded ...
Inquisition as indenture held at Cumnor [Map] in the aforesaid county [Oxfordshire] on 9 September in the second year of the reign of the most dread Lady Elizabeth, by the grace of God queen of England, France, and Ireland, defend of the faith, etc., before John Pudsey, gent, a coroner of the said lady queen in the aforesaid county, on inspection of the body of Lady Amy Dudley, late wife of Robert Dudley, knight of the most noble order of the garter, there lying dead: by oath of Richard Smith, gent., Humphrey Lewis, gent., Thomas Moulder, gent., Richard Knight, Thomas Spyre, Edward Stevenson, John Stevenson, Richard Hughes, William Cantrell, William Noble, John Buck, John Keene, Henry Lanlgey, Stephen Ruffyn, and John Sire: which certain jurors, sworn to tell the truth at our request, were adjourned from the aforesaid ninth day onwards day by day very often; and finally various several days were given to them by the selfsame coroner to appear both before the justices of the aforesaid lady queen at the assizes assigned to be held in the aforesaid county and before the same coroner in order there to return their verdict truthfully and speedily, until 1 August in the third year of the reign of the said lady queen; on which day the same jurors say under oath that the aforesaid Lady Amy on 8 September in the aforesaid second year of the reign of the said lady queen, being alone in a certain chamber within the home of a certain Anthony Forster, esq., in the aforesaid Cumnor, and intending to descend the aforesaid chamber by way of certain steps (in English called 'steyres') of the aforesaid chamber there and then accidentally fell precipitously down the aforesaid steps to the very bottom of the same steps, through which the same Lady Amy there and then sustained not only two injuries to her head (in English called 'dyntes') - one of which was a quarter of an inch deep and the other two inches deep - but truly also, by reason of the accidental injury or of that fall and of Lady Amy's own body weight falling down the aforesaid stairs, the same Lady Amy there and then broke her own neck, on account of which certain fracture of the neck the same Lady Amy there and then died instantly; and the aforesaid Lady Amy was found there and then without any other mark or wound on her body; and thus the jurors say on their oath that the aforesaid Lady Amy in the manner and form aforesaid by misfortune came to her death and not otherwise, as they are able to agree at present; in testimony of which fact for this inquest both the aforesaid coroner and also the aforesaid jurors have in turn affixed their seals on the day.
The Gentleman's Magazine 1850 March. Blount's answer is dated from Cumnor on the 11th September [1560], and contains the following interesting narrative:
The same night I came from Windsor I lay at Abingdon all that night, and because I was desirous to hear what new: went abroad in the country, at my sappe I called for mine host, and asked hin what news was thereabout, taking upor me I was going into Gloucestershire. He said, there was fallen a great misfortune within three or four miles of the town; he said, my Lord Robert Dudley's wife [Amy Robsart (deceased)] was dead, and I axed how; and he said, by misfortune, as he heard, by a fall from a pair of stairs. I asked him by what chance; he said; he knew not. I axed him what was his judgment, and the judgment of the people; he said, some were disposed to say well and some evil. What is your judgmient? said I. By my troth, said he, I judge it a misfortune because it chanced in that honest gentleman's house; his great honesty, said he doth much cut (?) the evil thoughts of the people. My think, said I, that some of her people that waited upon her should somewhat say to this. No, sir, said he but little; for it was said that they wer all here at the fair, and none left with her. How might that chance? said I. Ther, said he, it is said how that she rose that day very early, and commanded all her sort to go [to] the fair, and would suffer none to tarry at home; and thereof is much judged. And truly, my lord, I did first learn of Bowes, as I met him coming towards your lordship, of his own being that day, and of all the rest of ther being, who affirmed that she would not that day suffer one of her own sort to tarry at home, and was so earnest to have them gone to the fair, that with any of her own sort that made reason of tarrying at home she was very angry, and came to Mrs. Odingstells (?), the widow that liveth with Anthony Forster, who refused that day to go to the fair, and was very angry with her also, because she said if was no day for gentlewomen to go in, bul said the morrow was much better, and then she would go. Whereunto my lady answered and said, that she might choose and go at her pleasure, but all hers should go; and was very angry. They asked whe should keep her company if all they went. She said Mrs. Owen should keep he company at dinner. The same tale doth Pirto (?), who doth dearly love her, confirm. Certainly, my lord, as little while as I have been here, I have heard diver tales of her that maketh me judge her to be a strange woman of mind. In askin of Pirto what she might think of the matter, either chance or villany, she said by her faith she doth judge very chance and neither done by man nor by herself. For herself, she said, she was a good virtuous gentlewoman, and daily would pray upon her knees; and divers time she saith that she had heard her pray to God to deliver her from desperation. Then, said I, she might have an evil toy (?) in her mind. No, good, Mr. Blount said Pirto, do not judge so of my words if you should so gather, I am sorry I said so much. My lord, it is most strange that this chance should fall upon you. It passeth the judgment of any man to say how it is; but truly the tales I do hear of her maketh me to think she had a strange mind in her; as I will tell you at my coming. (i. 402.)
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The Gentleman's Magazine 1850 August. The funerall of the lady Amye Robsert (deceased), wife of the lord Robert Dudley, knight of the Garter, anno 1560.
(Ex. MS. Dugdale, T. 2, fol. 77.)
Thenterment of the right noble lady Amey Robsert, late wyffe to the right noble the lord Robert Dudelley, knight and compaignion of the moste noble ordre of the Garter and master of the horsse to the queenes moste excellent majestie, whoo departed out of this world on Sounday, beinge Our Lady day the VIIJ day of September, at a keepe of one Mr. Forster, IJ myle of Oxford, in the seconde yere of the reigne of our soveraigne lady queene Elizabeth, by thet queene of England, Fraunce, and Irelaund, defendour of the Faith, &c. Anno domini 1560.
Fyrste, after that the said lady was thus departed out of this transsetory world, she was saffely cered and coffened, and so remayned there tyll Fryday the [blank] day of the said moneth of September, on the which day she was secreately brought to Glouster college a lytell without the towne of Oxford, the which plasse of Gloster couledge was hanged with blake cloth and garnesshed with skocheons of his armes and heres in palle1, that is to say, a great chamber where the morners did dyne, and at there chamber where the gentillwomen did dyne, and beneth the steres a great hall, all which places as afforesaid were hanged with blake cloth and garnesshed with skochions; the howsse beinge thus furnesshed ther the corsse remayned till the buryall, and till suche tyme as all things were redy for the same.
Note 1. So for hers in pale
On 21st September 1578 [her former husband] Robert Dudley 1st Earl of Leicester (age 46) and Lettice Knollys Countess Essex (age 34) were married secretly much to the anguish of Queen Elizabeth I of England and Ireland (age 45) who developed a deep hatred of Lettice Knollys Countess Essex. She by marriage Countess of Leicester. Roger North 2nd Baron North (age 48) was present. He the son of [her former father-in-law] John Dudley 1st Duke Northumberland and [her former mother-in-law] Jane Guildford Duchess Northumberland. They were fifth cousins.
On 4th September 1588 [her former husband] Robert Dudley 1st Earl of Leicester (age 56) died at Cornbury Park, Oxfordshire. He was buried at Beauchamp Chapel, St Mary's Church, Warwick [Map]. Earl of Leicester extinct.
The Gentleman's Magazine Volume 179 Pages 595-600. No. V. Lady Amye Dudley.
1888. Thomas Francis Dicksee (age 68). "Amy Robsart".