The Death of Charles Blount, 1st Earl of Devonshire - 03 April 1606
- thedudleywomen
- May 7
- 11 min read
Charles Blount, 8th Baron Mountjoy was a favoured courtier of Elizabeth I and her successor James I, being swiftly promoted to the Earldom of Devonshire in the days before his coronation in July 1603. However, the scandal surrounding his unlawful marriage to his long-time paramour, Penelope Devereux, Lady Rich saw his reputation plummet, only months before his untimely death on 03 April 1606.
A second son belonging to a minor branch of the infamous Blount family, Charles Blount was born in c.1563. History of Parliament (2025) notes that "as a young man he was ‘addicted to popery’, but eventually conformed to the established religion"; it is known that other members of the extended Blount family, including his cousin Sir Christopher Blount, who would become Penelope's mother Lettice Knollys, Countess of Leicester's third husband, was also raised Catholic, and held his faith until his end which came on the scaffold in 1601 (Tallis, 2017). [See The Dudley Women Blog: 'Sir Christopher Blount - c.1555 - 18 March 1601)'].
As did many of his contemporaries, Blount studied at Oxford, before moving to London to study at the Inns of Court, including at Middle Temple, next door to Leicester House, the London home of Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, Penelope's stepfather. Having initially joined parliament in 1583, Blount was made captain of an armed command, and dispatched to the Netherlands in the summer of 1585; a few months later, he was sent back to England, after sustaining a bullet wound to the thigh during a confrontation, although returned to the Netherlands, remaining until 1587, where he was rewarded with a knighthood. Ironically, he was also present at the Battle of Zutphen in September 1586, where Penelope's one-time paramour, Sir Philip Sidney was fatally wounded (Varlow, 2009; History of Parliament, 2025).
On his return to England, Blount's career in court continued to rise, as did his popularity with Elizabeth I; he inherited the Barony of Mountjoy in 1594, on the death of his elder brother William. In addition to parliamentary offices, he continued to receive a series of military appointments, participating in the Armada campaign of 1588, and later accompanying her new favourite, Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex to Azores in 1597, Initially passed over due to lack of experience and support, Blount succeeded Essex as Lord Deputy of Ireland in 1600, following the former's disastrous tenure (Varlow, 2009; History of Parliament, 2025). Doran (2024) identifies that Blount's appointment was a turning point; whilst moral was significantly improved amongst the stationed English troops, implementing reforms and establishing fortresses. However, as positive as this change was for the English, it was equally as catastrophic for the Irish, as these expensive reforms lead to famine and economic crisis the following year, leading to Blount needing to defend Ireland from invading Spanish forces who had come to support their Irish allies.
Varlow (2009, p.127) described his personality as being similar to that of the queen's long-term favourite Leicester: "a complex man, quiet and serious, a listener, rather than a talker", who favoured the intimacy of his comforts at home, and time with family and a small circle of friends over his time at court. He continued to expand his knowledge in history, cosmography, philosophy and mathematics, and enjoyed many other past-times, including hunting and fishing. In contrast to the hot-headed Essex, Blount was "cheerful and amiable... modest...mild in manner and slow to anger", as well as being reportedly frugal and generous to his servants, liking stemming from his humble upbringings. Blount was also known to have smoked tobacco, a recent introduction to the English court in the 1580s, which potentially had long-term implications on his physical health (Rawson, 1911; Varlow, 2009; History of Parliament, 2025).
Following James I's accession to the throne in March 1603, there was a rush of English noblemen trying to align themselves with the Scottish king, knowing that there would be an overhaul of the Privy Council; James, however, invited into his new household and government those who had demonstrated him loyalty prior to his succession. This included Blount, who had recently returned from Ireland, and on 21 July 1603, only four days before the king's coronation, was made 1st Earl of Devonshire. Blount was appointed to the privy council, becoming one of the councillors on whom James came to rely, including his role in peace negotiations with the Spanish, as depicted in the famous 1604 portrait The Somerset House Conference (Varlow, 2009; Doran, 2024).
Blount had been in a relationship with the unhappily married Penelope Devereux, Lady Rich since at least 1590; whilst she had known him for at least five years previously since coming to court, through his associations with her stepfather and brother, it is likely that an affair between the two did not begin until after Penelope completed her marital duties, in providing her husband Robert, Lord Rich, with two sons, Robert and Henry - an heir and a a spare. For ten years, the couple's relationship continued discretely, with Penelope continuing to present herself as happily married to the majority of outsiders. Blount's predispension for keeping secrets proved useful in this time, as the couple continued to live apart and did not mention each in correspondence. From this relationship, Penelope would have another five children, the paternity of which Blount acknowledged; the couple's first four children, Penelope, born in March 1592, Isabella, born January 1595, Mountjoy, born Autumn 1595 and 'Scipio'/St John, born November 1597 were all baptised as the children of "the honourable Lord Rich", and initially raised with her older children at Leighs Priory, Essex, with the youngest Charles possibly born after Blount was dispatched to Ireland in February 1600 (Varlow, 2009).
On Blount's return to England in 1603, he was reunited with Penelope at court, where she had been appointed as a Lady of the Bedchamber to the new queen Anna of Denmark. It was some months until they were able to retire to the comfort and solitude of Wanstead, the manor he had purchased from her brother Essex in 1599. Initially purchased by their stepfather Robert Dudley in 1578, just before his secret marriage to their mother Lettice Knollys, Dowager Countess of Essex, Wanstead held happy memories for the couple, from the early years of their affair, when being entertained by her brother, before his downfall (Varlow, 2009; Tallis, 2017).
In November 1605, fear and terror swept the country, when news of the planned 'Powder Treason' were revealed. Blount, as a member of the Privy Council, was involved in the interrogation of suspects, including the brother-in-law of Penelope, Henry Percy, 9th Earl of Northumberland, who was arrested on suspicion of 'misprision', having prior knowledge of the plot, given he had dined with his kinsman and one of the plotters Thomas Percy the day before the planned attack. Familial connections to another treasonous plot (Penelope had previously been accused but exonerated in her brother's failed coup Essex's Rebellion in 1601) appeared to have been the final straw for her husband, Robert, Lord Rich, who until this time had tolerated the decade-long affair and multiple illegitimate children; he now sued Penelope for a legal separation, on the grounds of adultery (Varlow, 2009).
After a week-long hearing in London's Ecclesiastical Courts, on 14 November 1605, after twenty-two years of marriage, Penelope and her husband were issued a 'divorce a mensa et thoro' - separation from board and hearth. This confirmed the couple's legal separation and ensured the legitimacy of their children; however, the pair were not allowed to remarry, and were expected to live in celibacy. In defiance to the terms set out by the court, on 26 December 1605, at their beloved Wanstead, Penelope and Blount held an intimate marriage ceremony. Blount's private chaplain, William Laud, who would later be appointed the Archbishop of Canterbury before being executed for treason during the English Civil War, oversaw the marriage vows, despite knowing that the union went against Canon Law (Rawson, 1911; Varlow, 2009).
When news of the couple's union became known, it was met with shock and outrage, including from a king who was himself known to have had extramarital relations. The couple had hoped that the preoccupation with the trials of the surviving Gunpowder Plot conspirators would detract from their actions; however, by acting in defiance of Canon Law, the couple incurred the wrath of James, who commented to Blount "you have won a fair woman with a black soul" (Tallis, 2017, p.322). Whilst Blount remained in the service of the king, Penelope's reputation was sullied, being quickly dismissed from Anna's household. Despite the king and court's rejection of the couple, Blount continued to petition to James, arguing for the legality of their marriage, and subsequently for the legitimacy of their children, with Varlow (2009) identifying a sense of urgency, likely due to his failing health. His efforts were in vain, as both his appeals were unsuccessful, with his marriage remaining legally unrecognised during his lifetime. As such, Penelope was legally unable to use the title of 'Countess of Devonshire'; this did not stop her, as after his death, she defiantly signed her name 'P. Devonshire'.
Blount had complained of ill health since his return from Ireland in 1603; he had previously spoken about a "desperate sickness" and his "old fury...the headache", migraine-like attacks which lasted for days, which had previously prevented him from attending court, instead choosing to rest at his home in Wanstead. His old bullet wound in his thigh, sustained in October 1585, also caused him difficulties at times, as well as potential damage to his lungs from years of smoking tobacco (Varlow, 2009; History of Parliament Online, 2025). Blount's former personal secretary Fynes Moryson described an obvious change to his physical appearance "some two years before death, his face grew thin, his ruddy colour failed, growing somewhat swarthy, and his countenance was sad and dejected", in contrast to his premorbid appearance, depicted in contemporary portraits and descriptions, later commenting how the "grief of unsuccessful love brought him to his last end" (Rawson, 1911, p.288-9).
Despite the scandal that continued to surround the couple, Blount was called back to London in March 1606 to participate in the trial of Father Henry Garnet, a Jesuit priest, accused of conspiring with Gunpowder Plot conspirator Robert Catesby; he left Wanstead for the final time on 25 March, intending to complete other business before his attendance at the trial three days later. However, Blount became unwell hours after leaving Essex, presenting as feverish and weak, later reporting to be suffering from a "putrefaction of the lungs", likely pneumonia. He made the decision to remain in London, rather than returning to Wanstead, although was unable to attend the trial held at the City of London Guildhall on 28 March 1606, at which Father Garnet was sentenced to a traitor's death. Instead of residing at his regular lodgings at Cheapside, Blount chose to stay at the Savoy Palace, a former Bishop's residence, which at the time served as private lodgings and apartments, with an adjourning hospital and chapel, located on The Strand, within the city of Westminster (Rawson, 1911; Varlow, 2009).
News of Blount's illness reached Penelope, who despite her advanced pregnancy, rushed to London, with their eldest son Mountjoy, aged 9, arriving the following day, 26 March. Blount had also assembled 'doctors, lawyers and scribes', being aware of the severity of his illness, and the need to put his affairs in order. A few days after becoming unwell, there appeared to be signs of a recovery; however, Blount's health further deteriorated, with him becoming critically ill, leading to him making his final will, on 02 April 1606. Blount's frugality had made him a wealthy man; however, despite his well-documented attempts, he had no legal heirs at the time of his death. Therefore, his titles, including the Barony of Mountjoy and Earldom of Devonshire, were to become extinct on his passing. Blount did make sigificant provisions for Penelope and their children in his will, referring to "the Lady Penelope...my very dear and loving wife" and the children "of the said lady". After his death, Blount's distant relatives challenged the will, including Penelope and the children's right to inherit, making direct reference to the legality of their marriage (Varlow, 2009; The National Archives, 2025).
On the evening of Thursday 03 April 1606, Blount took his final breath, with his loving Penelope by his side, the one woman to whom he had been "faithful and constant" all those years (Rawson, 1911, p.290). Contemporary reports revealed the couple's love and devotion to each other right to the end; Jesuit priest Father John Gerard, who had met Penelope back in 1594, wrote "With his last breath he invoked, not God, but his goddess, his ‘angel’ as he called her", whilst historian Robert Johnson wrote how Penelope was "consumed with pain and grief...lay on the floor in the corner of the chamber, weeping", which reportedly led to her miscarrying the child she pregnant with (Varlow, 2009; p.254).
Despite the scandal surrounding his union with Penelope, Blount's military success in Ireland earned him a state funeral at Westminster Abbey; however, in the lead up to the funeral, there were ongoing discussions and disputes amongst the College of Arms as to whether Blount's banners at his funeral should be impaled with Penelope's, to relfect the marriage that he was fighting to have legally acknowledged until his death. However, by 02 May, it had been "determined that his arms shall be set up single, without his wife's" (Rawson, 1911, p.293).
Blount was buried at Westminster Abbey on 07 May 1606, with great pomp and circumstance of a state funeral. Blount's old friend Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton, who had visited him on his death bed, in the position of Chief Mourner, with friends Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk and his uncle Henry Howard, 1st Earl of Northampton acting as his assistants. It was unknown whether Penelope was able to face the scrutiny and shame being placed on her by others, and attend her beloved's farewell (Rawson, 1911; Varlow, 2009).
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