On this day in Tudor history, 7th July 1556, in the reign of Queen Mary I, Henry Peckham and John Danyell were hanged, drawn and quartered after being found guilty of treason for their involvement in the Dudley Conspiracy.
But what was the Dudley Conspiracy? And who was involved in it? What happened?
I explain all in today's talk.
Further reading: "Two Tudor Conspiracies" by David Loades.
Also on this day in history:
- 1537 – Death of Madeleine de Valois, also known as Madeleine of France, first wife of King James V of Scotland. Madeleine died in her husband's arms at Edinburgh just six months after their wedding and less than two months after her arrival in Scotland. She was buried in Holyrood Abbey.
- 1540 – Anthony St Leger was appointed Lord Deputy of Ireland.
- 1545 – Death of William Crane, merchant, musician and Master of the Choristers of the Chapel Royal. He was buried in St Helen's Church, Bishopsgate, before the high altar.
- 1548 – Treaty of Haddington between France and Scotland. By the terms of this treaty, the Scots and French agreed to the marriage of Mary, Queen of Scots, and Francis, the Dauphin.
- 1553 – Goldsmith Robert Reyns informed Mary (future Mary I) of Edward VI's death. Mary was staying with Lady Burgh at Euston Hall, near Thetford, and Reyns had rushed from London to give her the news.
- 1556 (or 8th July) – Executions of Henry Peckham and John Danyell, conspirators. They were hanged, drawn and quartered after being found guilty of treason for their involvement in the Dudley Conspiracy.
- 1568 – Death of William Turner, naturalist, herbalist, ornithologist, reformer, physician and the man referred to as “the father of English botany and of ornithology”. He died at his home in Crutched Friars, London, and was buried in St Olave's Church, Hart Street.
- 1585 – Birth of Thomas Howard, 14th Earl of Arundel, 4th Earl of Surrey, and 1st Earl of Norfolk, politician and art collector, at Finchingfield, Essex. He was the only son of Philip Howard, 13th Earl of Arundel, and his wife, Anne Dacre.
- 1607 – Death of Penelope Rich (née Devereux), Lady Rich, at Westminster. Penelope was the sister of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, and is thought to have inspired poet Philip Sidney's “Astrophel and Stella”. She married Robert Rich, Lord Rich, in 1581, but was having a love affair with Charles Blount, Baron Mountjoy, by 1595. Penelope married Blount, who was now Earl of Devonshire, in a private ceremony in 1605 after her divorce. The marriage led to the couple's banishment from court. Devonshire died in 1606.
Never trust a Dudley, that might be the moral of this tale. They did have a flare for getting into trouble. Edmund Dudley, a brilliant man who had economic genius but was a financial enforcement official for Henry Vii, unfortunately unpopular and beheaded for treason by Henry Viii; John Dudley, a long time service royal officer under Henry Viii and Edward vi but his plot to put Jane Dudley, his daughter by law on the throne lost him his head on the ascension of Mary I, Guildford Dudley, the pawn husband of Jane, executed as a traitor, Ambrose Dudley, accused but found not guilty, Earl of Warwick, a successful courtier and then Robert Dudley, lover and flamboyant courtier of Elizabeth I: trouble was his middle name as was survivor. And now another Dudley plot, Henry Dudley, a cousin, so yeap, trouble.