I seem to be drawn to the bear and ragged staff. Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester gained his earldom when Elizabeth I proposed that he marry her cousin Mary, Queen of Scots in 1564 – it might have been a method of ensuring that Dudley had a title that made him a worthy candidate for a royal match, or it might simply have been a way for Bess to make Robert an earl, knowing that Mary wouldn’t be keen on the idea of marrying a second-hand favourite. Little did I realise that two books on I would find myself writing about Anne Beauchamp and her daughters. And the link between the two groups?
Robert Dudley was descended from Margaret Beauchamp, the eldest of the three half-sisters of Anne Beauchamp, Countess of Warwick (The Kingmaker’s wife and mother to Anne Neville).
Robert’s grandfather, Edmund Dudley, the hated tax collector of Henry VII was married to Elizabeth Grey who was Margaret Beauchamp’s great granddaughter. Margaret married to John Talbot who became the 1st Earl of Shrewsbury . Robert Dudley and his brother Ambrose were both exceptionally proud of their descent from the Beauchamp Earls of Warwick and the Talbot Earls of Shrewsbury. Robert Dudley adopted the bear and ragged staff device of Warwick’s earls and acquired Kenilworth Castle while brother Ambrose was given the earldom of Warwick.
For more on the Kingmaker’s women – check out the Pen and Sword blog for Women’s history month.
H,
can I double check the descent of Elizabeth Grey. I always thought she was Margaret Beauchamp’s great granddaughter:
Margaret Beauchamp married John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury – their son
John Talbot married Joan Cheddar – their daughter
Elizabeth Talbot married Henry Grey, 1st Viscount Lisle – their daughter
Elizabeth Grey married Edmund Dudley
Thanks.
Sandra
Hi Sandra, Thank you – I have indeed managed to forget an entire generation. I shall update immediately – and the moral of this is do not work from memory alone!
Mother was Raby connected to Neville family Father from Barons of Kentdale and King Edward 111. I can go back one by one to 1203 Preston Lancashire Parr Hall and Lord John Parr aged 61 a Crusader friend to Richard Lionheart as child. His son James left a will leaving farms in Lancashire to his wife Elizabeth and his best horse and saddle to his only son. To his brother Samuel he left his best suit and no more . Seems some problem had come between him and his brother .I though it rather a cold remark but loved it anyway.History is a story of mankind and all that went on. Like you I am absorbed with the subject. Good blog dear lady