Christopher Blount is now said to have been son of Thomas Blount of Kidderminster and his wife, Margery Poley. [1][2] By his father's will dated 28 November 1568 Christopher inherited £10 a year out of Dovehouse Fields at Halesowen in Shropshire and some right to leases at Wedgnock and Fernhill in Warwickshire. [3] Because of his father's early death his mother had charge of his upbringing and she was firmly Roman Catholic by faith.
As his father had served John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland so Christopher served his son: by 1584 he was Gentleman of the Horse to Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester.
Lettice |
Elizabeth |
With others including Charles Danvers he was knighted, in the Low Countries by Peregrine Bertie, Lord Willoughby in 1588. [4]Leicester died on the 4th of September [5]and within months Christopher had married his widow, Lettice Knollys, daughter of Francis Knollys and his wife, Catherine Carey and first cousin once removed of Queen Elizabeth whom she so much resembled. Very much out of favour since her marriage to Leicester Lettice hadn't made things any better by delighting in being taken for the Queen when she was away from court.
By her first husband, Walter Devereux, Lettice was mother of the rising favourite, Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex. It was Christopher's relationship to Essex that enabled his return as senior Member of Parliament for Staffordshire in 1593 with Sir Walter Harcourt, the other previous incumbent, Thomas Gerard, having decided it was better to seek return elsewhere.[6] The election of 1597 was a totally different affair. Christopher and another Essex follower, Sir Edward Littleton, were proposed by the earl but as it turned out Littleton's enemy, John Dudley, was returned as senior member for Staffordshire with Christopher having to settle for second place much to Lettice's disgust. [6]
In 1599 the Queen sent Essex to Ireland with orders to defeat the Irish chieftains led by Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone, a task that proved impossible. Essex made terms instead and Elizabeth, enraged, ordered him to remain in Ireland. Thinking to talk her round Essex sailed for England and was imprisoned for his pains. He was eventually released but, deprived of influence and income, he came eventually to decide on rebellion.[5]
On 8 February 1601 Essex led his following of malcontents onto the streets of London with the intention of securing an audience with the Queen; Christopher was among them. He was severely wounded attempting to force a barrier put up by Sir John Leveson at Ludgate Hill. He was still suffering from his wound at his trial at Westminster Hall on the 5th March and was executed at Tower Hill on the 18th [7]
Christopher Blount was previously believed to have been son of James Blount, 6th Baron Mountjoy. [8][9][10]
Have you taken a DNA test? If so, login to add it. If not, see our friends at Ancestry DNA.
Christopher is 23 degrees from Zendaya Coleman, 26 degrees from Sting Sumner, 17 degrees from Josh Brolin, 22 degrees from Timothée Chalamet, 19 degrees from José Ferrer, 17 degrees from Frank Herbert, 18 degrees from Richard Jordan, 19 degrees from David Lynch, 17 degrees from Virginia Madsen, 21 degrees from Charlotte Rampling, 24 degrees from Patrick Stewart and 17 degrees from Denis Villeneuve on our single family tree. Login to find your connection.
B > Blount > Christopher Blount MP
Categories: Members of Parliament, England 1593 | Members of Parliament, England 1597 | Members of Parliament, Staffordshire | People Executed by the Tudors | Notables