Robert Dudley

Sir Robert Dudley (7 August 1574 – 6 September 1649) was an English explorer and cartographer. In 1594, he led an expedition to the West Indies, of which he wrote an account. The illegitimate son of Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, he inherited the bulk of the Earl's estate in accordance with his father's will, including Kenilworth Castle. In 1603–1605, he tried unsuccessfully to establish his legitimacy in court. After that he left England forever, finding a new existence in the service of the grand dukes of Tuscany. There, he worked as an engineer and shipbuilder, and designed and published Dell'Arcano del Mare (1645-1646), the first maritime atlas to cover the whole world. He was also a skilled navigator and mathematician. In Italy, he styled himself "Earl of Warwick and Leicester", as well as "Duke of Northumberland", a title recognized by Emperor Ferdinand II. Early life Robert Dudley was the son of Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester and his lover Douglas Sheffield, daughter of William Howard, 1st Baron Howard of Effingham. He grew up in the houses of his father and his father's friends, but had leave to see his mother whenever she wished. His mother married Sir Edward Stafford in November 1579, and then left for Paris. Leicester was fond of his son and often made trips to see him. Dudley was given an excellent education and was enrolled at Christ Church, Oxford, in 1587, with the status of filius comitis ("Earl's son"). There, his mentor was Thomas Chaloner, who also became his close friend. In 1588, when the Spanish Armada threatened England, the 14-year-old Robert joined his father, who was commanding the army at Tilbury Camp, preparing to resist a Spanish invasion, but on 4 September, the Earl of Leicester died. His will gave Dudley a large inheritance, including the castle and estate at Kenilworth, and on the death of his uncle, Ambrose Dudley, 3rd Earl of Warwick, the lordships of Denbigh and Chirk. In early 1591, Dudley was contracted to marry Frances Vavasour with the consent of Queen Elizabeth I, who liked Dudley very much but wished him to wait until he was older. Later that year, Vavasour secretly married another man and was banished from court. In turn, the 17-year-old Dudley married Margaret, a sister of Sir Thomas Cavendish, in whose last voyage he had probably invested. Dudley was excluded from court for this secret marriage, but only for a few days.