CHRISTOPHER BLOUNT

SIR CHRISTOPHER BLOUNT

BIRTH: 1555/56, Kidderminster, Worcestershire
MARRIAGE: c. Apr 1589
DEATH: 18 Mar 1601, Tower Hill, London

BURIAL: Chapel of St Peter ad Vincula, Tower of London

LINEAGE

PARENTS:

SIR THOMAS BLOUNT

of Kidderminster

bef.1524-d.1568

MARGERY POLEY

daughter of Edmund Poley of Badley, Suffolk

d.1595

SIBLINGS:

SIR EDWARD BLOUNT

of Kidderminster

c.1554-1630

?GILBERT BLOUNT

'G.B.' on parents' tomb
Had uncle called Gilbert

died in infancy

MARY BLOUNT

.

-Aft.1568

?KATHERINE BLOUNT

'K.B.' on parents' tomb

??-Bef.1568

SPOUSE:

LETTICE KNOLLYS

Countess of Essex
Countess of Leicester
[Devereux/Dudley/Blount]

1543-1634

KEY EVENTS

c.1555/1556 - CHRISTOPHER BLOUNT born in Kidderminster, Worcestershire, younger son of Sir Thomas Blount and his wife Margery Poley.

28 Nov 1568 - Death of father Thomas Blount; was recipient in his will.

1584 - Employed as 'Gentleman of the Horse' to ROBERT DUDLEY.

1585-87 - Served in the 'Netherlands Campaign', where ROBERT DUDLEY acted as Governor-General.

c.Jul 1589 - Marriage to LETTICE KNOLLYS, widow of ROBERT DUDLEY, less than 1 year after his death.

1593-1597 - Appointed as member of Parliament for Staffordshire.

1596 - Served as a colonel in the Cadiz Expedition ('Capture of Cadiz').

1597 - Served in the Azozres Expedition.

08 Feb 1601 - Accompanied stepson ROBERT DEVEREUX through London, in failed 'Essex Rebellion', having marched from Essex House; was wounded and captured by Queen's men.

18 Feb 1601 - Signed 2 confessions confirming guilt of himself and ROBERT DEVEREUX, confirming discussions regarding rebellion and overthrowing government from 3 years previously.

05 Mar 1601 - Taken to Westminster Hall, where he stood trial; was found guilty of treason and sentenced to death.

18 Mar 1601 - CHRISTOPHER BLOUNT taken from Tower of London, and executed (by beheading) on Tower Hill; was later buried in Chapel of St Peter ad Vincula within walls of Tower of London.

Detail from ''Portrait of Lettice Knollys, Countess of Essex and of Leicester'; Circle of George Gower; c1600 © Sotheby's

Lettice Knollys: Recommended Reading

Some recommended books which cover various periods of Lettice's life, often in the context of events involving other infamous Tudor figures, including her kinswoman and rival Queen Elizabeth I.

Oct 189 min read

The Marriage of Lettice Knollys, Countess of Leicester, and Sir Christopher Blount, c.July 1589

Exact details of their marriage are unconfirmed, but it is believed the couple were married around July 1589.

Jul 55 min read

Detail from: 'The execution of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex' Woodcut Print, 17thc. ©Universal History Archive

The Execution of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex - 25 February 1601

On This Day (25 February) in 1601, 35 year-old Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, was taken to a scaffold that had been erected within the Tower of London, and executed after being found guilty of high treason for his primary role in the failed 'Essex's Rebellion' earlier in the month.

Feb 256 min read