Sir Christopher Blount (c.1555 - 18 March 1601)
- thedudleywomen
- Mar 18, 2024
- 7 min read
Updated: Oct 26
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Sir Christopher Blount, born c.1555, was the second son of Thomas Blount of Kidderminster (c.1525-1568) and his wife Margery Poley; he appears to have been one of five children, as demonstrated by the figures which adorn his parents's tomb at St Mary's Church, Kidderminster. His older brother Sir Edward Blount (c.1554-1630), who is also buried in the same church, also appears to have entered the service of the Dudley brothers Robert and Ambrose, continuing in the footsteps of their father.
Blount's father Thomas Blount had been in the service of the Dudley family since at least the early 1550s, until his death on 28 November 1568; initially he was in the service of John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland and following his execution in 1553, his son Robert Dudley, later 1st Earl of Leicester. 'Cousin Blount' proved himself to be "a faithful and trustworthy servant" to Robert Dudley over the years, cemented by his appointment as Steward of Kenilworth Castle in 1563 when it was granted to Dudley by Elizabeth I (Skidmore, 2009, p46).
During in the years of religious reform in England, Blount's mother's family, the Poleys, had remained defiantly Catholic, whilst the extended Blounts had adopted the evolving Protestant religion. Young Christopher and his brothers however were raised in the Catholic faith, despite the known risks and disadvantages that this brought. Blount was sent abroad, to study at Louvain in Flanders for his education, before returning to England to complete his education at Oxford, and later at the English College in Douai, northern France. Louvain had a reputation for being a centre of art, literature, mathematics and philosophy in the 16th century. However, with the persecution of Protestants in Flanders in the 1560s, there was a shift in the population which impacted upon teaching; Protestant tutors migrated to 'friendlier' countries, whilst young Catholic men (like Blount) were sent there for their studies. Due to his known and open Catholicism, Blount started to gain attention from the supporters of the exiled Catholic Mary, Queen of Scots, including when he was returning from Douai in 1576; this contact was reported to Robert Dudley and Elizabeth I's 'spymaster' Sir Francis Walsingham. He had further contact with her supporters/conspirators in 1585, who were requesting his assistance in ensuring secret correspondence with Mary, whom at this time had been held in captivity in England for 17 years. Blount had contact with them, including Thomas Morgan (who was later implicated in the 'Babington Plot'), with the support from Leicester and Walsingham, with the aim of these messages being intercepted.
Following in his father's tradition, Christopher appears to have entered the service of Leicester in c.1584, being appointed to the close and trusted position of 'Master of Horse'. It is known that he accompanied Leicester to the Netherlands, where he had been appointed as Governor General in late 1584, and for the next 3 years ran an unsuccessful military campaign. However, it was whilst Blount was serving in the Low Countries, that he was knighted in 1587, as 'Sir Christopher Blount, Knight Bachelor'. Whilst Leicester returned to England at the end of that year, later being appointed as Lieutenant General in the summer of 1588 where he was charged in organising English defences in preparation for a potential invasion and landing from the threatening 'Spanish Armada', including at Tilbury, Essex, where Elizabeth I delivered her infamous speech, Blount was said to have remained in the Netherlands until January 1589, where he was appointed as Lieutenant to Sir Thomas Perrott (the husband of his future stepdaughter, Dorothy Devereux).
Leicester died unexpectedly in September 1588 (although he had been ill/weak for a time), leaving his widow with debts to the crown. However, whilst there was evidence of heartbreak and mourning following his passing, a relationship developed between his widow and servant. The following summer (May-July 1589), Dudley's widow Lettice, Countess of Leicester, married for the third and final time; this match however was initially frowned upon, including by Lettice's son Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex. Concerns were raised due to the difference in social status and age (Lettice was thirteen years older than her new husband, and having close kinship with the queen), as well as her new husband's open Catholicism. Despite initially reservations from others, the marriage appeared successful, with Blount appearing to respect her position as the Dowager Countess of Leicester (a title she continued to use), and Lettice referring to him as her "best friend".
In the early years of Lettice and Blount's marriage, the couple initially resided in the properties bequeathed to Lettice by her husband, either full ownership or a right to reside there throughout her lifetime. However, in the following years, Lettice started relinquishing property to her son, Essex: initially Wanstead Hall, Essex (in 1590) and later Leicester House, The Strand, London (in 1593; following which it was renamed 'Essex House'). Lettice and Christopher then 'retired' to Drayton Bassett, Staffordshire, another property which had solely been bequeathed to Lettice by Robert in his will. As Lettice remained banished from court, due to Elizabeth's wrath and perceived betrayal over her secret marriage to Leicester in 1578, and her adult children were now using the newly named 'Essex House' as a central meeting point (including one to which conduct extramarital affairs from), a move to the country suited Lettice. However, there were reports that Blount felt unsettled, when despite being elected as a Member of Parliament for Staffordshire on two occasions, he began to crave more. He later served in military expeditions in Spain in 1596-97, appearing to seek adventure once more.
In January 1601, Blount was called down to London by his stepson, whilst Lettice remained at their home in Drayton Bassett, Staffordshire, "to settle his estate". Essex, having not long been released from house arrest following a disastrous spell in as Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, had expressed discontent towards Robert Cecil, the queen's Secretary of State, Sir Walter Raleigh, and other perceived rivals, as well as being convinced of a 'plot' against him. Essex's influence had wained following his time in Ireland, and the queen had not been as forgiving as she had to her previous favourite, Leicester.
Throughout January and early February 1601, Essex met with, and organised gatherings of, other disgruntled men of the court, who shared similar views; discussions took place regarding a planned coup to gain control of Elizabeth's government. Essex would later allege that his older sister, Penelope Devereux, Lady Rich was involved in these meetings and was a primary instigator; however, no action was ever taken against her.
The night before the planned coup, Essex and his followers dined together, the Earl having ignored a summons earlier that day to attend the Privy Council, feigning illness. The men then attended the Globe Theatre, located on Bankside, next to the River Thames, where 'Richard II' was performed by the Lord Chamberlain's Men (at their request); importantly, this play portrays the downfall and deposition of a monarch (Richard II for 'usurper' Henry Bolingbroke, later Henry IV), as well as their murder. Traditionally, the deposition scene had not been performed on order of Elizabeth I due to being seen as a 'symbol of insurrection'; however,, but were given financial incentive led to the scene being performed that evening.
In response to Essex's failure to attend the Council, on the morning of 08 February 1601, four men attended Essex House, to follow up on his absence and bring him in front of the Council. They found the property guarded and fortified, and instructions were given to lock the men in the house; one of these men was Essex's maternal uncle, William Knollys.
Blount was one of the approx twenty men who accompanied Essex that Sunday morning, as he then left Essex House on The Strand, and made his way initially towards the City of London. The so-called 'Essex's Rebellion' aimed to raise the residents of London to their cause, with the overall aim of overthrowing the government, and taking Elizabeth I into their 'protective' custody, all to try and restore Essex's influence within her court. However, whilst 300 men were drawn to their cause, the City of London officials were not, and they blocked the rebels path at Ludgate Hill; when they tried to force their way through, Blount was injured, reported to have obtained 'head and facial injuries'. Essex then ordered a retreat back to Essex House, where the house was initially under siege, until his surrender later that evening; Essex was taken to the Tower of London, and others, including Blount placed under arrest.
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