Geoffrey (Sutton) Sutton alias Dudley (abt. 1507 - 1571)

Born about 1507 in Worcester, Worcestershire, England

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 1571 at about age 64 in Dudley, Staffordshire, England

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Biography

Geoffrey (or Jeffrey) Sutton alias Dudley

He was a younger son of Edward, Lord Dudley by his wife Cicely Willougby. ^[1]

About 1540 he married Eleanor Talbot, a natural daughter of Sir Gilbert Talbot of Grafton, Worcestershire, England. ^[2]

In the lay subsidy roll 1544 (35 Henry VIII) he was described as "Galfridus Dudley, armiger" ^[3] assesed at £13 6s 8d and paid 8 shillings. ^[4]

He made his home Russells Hall in Dudley and is frequently described as "of Russells Hall" ^{[5] [6]}, although he had interest in other properties in Dudley, and was lessee of Netherton and Yoke Park, on the Stourbridge side of Dudley. Russells Hall, Geoffreys main home was well placed for carrying out Geoffrey's increasingly important duties as rider and collector. ^[7]

He died in 1571, being buried at St Edmunds, Dudley on 25 Jun 1571. ^[8] He left a will as "Jefferey Dudley 'Esquyer' of Russells Hall Dudley". ^{[9] [10] [11] [12]}

Sources

1. ↑ Junior branches of the family of Sutton alias Dudley by H Sydney Grazebrook. Staffordshire record society, 1889 Page 10. https://archive.org/details/collectionsforhi10stafuoft/page/10/mode/2up
2. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Sutton,_2nd_Baron_Dudley
3. ↑ Sydney Grazebrook in "Heraldry of Worcs, describes Geoffrey's heraldry as - Or, a lion rampant, double Queuee vert; quartering Somerie, etc. Crest: In a ducal coronet or lions head azure.
4. ↑ Lay subsidy roll 1544 (35 Henry VIII) Galfridus Dudley armiger - in terris: £13 6s 8d - (paid) 8s. See also Lay subsidy rolls for 1546, 1547, 1551.
5. ↑ From: Dudley - The town in the 16th Century by J.S.Roper. "Russells, or Russells Hall was the home of Geoffrey Dudley, Rider of Pensnett Chase. He was the brother of Prebendary, Arthur Dudley, whom we have had occasion to mention in connection with the alienation of the family estates. The house was probably rebuilt during teh second half of the 16th century. Blocksidge's well known line drawing shows a late Tudor tower, with rather ornate Renaissance detail, but later alterations and additions had by his time obscured much of the original work. The will of Geoffrey Dudley's wife Elinore, proved in July 1583 mentions "the Halle", the parlor" and the "upper chambers" as the principal rooms in the house.

   Geoffrey Dudley had an interest in other properties in Dudley, and was lessee of Netherton and Yoake Park in the foreign. Little or nothing however is known of the house at Netherton at this period. In the grant of the Dudley estates to Edward Sutton after Northumberland's attainder, it is described as "the house called Netherton, within the chace" i.e. Pensnett, and was then comparitively remote from the town itself."

6. ↑ For view of Russells Hall see: "Dudley: The Town in the sixteenth century". Dudley Archives Transcript 1963.
7. ↑ In "A History of Russells Hall, Dudley" by J.S.Roper, Roper states that in his will Geoffrey says that he held by patent "the rydershyppe of all my lord's chases and parkes". Apparently for this he should have been paid a salary of £6 13s 4d a year, but apart from a small amount in respect of Yokes Park, on the Stourbridge side of Dudley, he claimed to have received nothing for 12 years. Roper continues that one of these chases (Pensnett), which was undoubtedly the most important of the woodlands in the Dudley lordship and involved Geoffrey in considerable responsibility, as can be ssen from an estate account for the years 1544 - 45. This is in the name of Sir John Dudley, who was by that time in possession of vast territories in the West Midlands, including the whole of Dudley and many adjoining manors. Under the heading "smithies and coalpits", a total of £81 6s 6d is shown as paid by "Jeoffrey Dudley, rider of the chase at Pensnett and collector of rents there. This is the second highest figure in the account, and apart form the income for Halesowen manor, far exceeeds the amount given for any other part of the Dudley estates. Russells Hall, Geoffreys main home was well placed for carrying out Geoffrey's increasingly important duties as rider and collector.
8. ↑ St Edmund's Register 1571 (13 Eliz. 1) "Jeffry Dudley buried June 25th".
9. ↑ from Notes and Queries book, dated Dec 19 1874 - "Jefferey Dudley 'Esquyer' of Russells Hall Dudley, 1571. He left to Thomas Dudley, his son, his 'cheyne of gate'. It appears from his will that he was a ranger 'of all my lords chases and parkes within the county'." Since coming across this entry in Notes and Queries, I have now obtained a photcopy of the original will from the Record Office. It is fragmentory and difficult to read. I have managed to decipher the following:
   • …year of the reign of our sovereign lord ………… France and Ireland….. defender of the faith….unto almighty God, do make and ordain this my last will and testament in manner….. my soul to almighty ….. of our Lord Jesus Christ…and my body to be buried in the parish church of Dudley.
   • I give and bequeath to Elinor my wife my house wherein I now dwell called Russells Hall….during her natural life. And also I do give unto my said wide all the stuffs in my mancion house. And I give unto my said wife all that my lease of the …… for and during the term….
   • I do give and bequeath unto Thomas…that my lease of ….. for and during the…. said Thomas shall consent and pay unto my two daughters, Bridget ….. ten pounds yearly, next …. after my decease……………….. two hundred…..
   • I do ordain and make Thomas Dudley my son, my full executor…debts discharged.
   • I do give unto Thomas Allen of Sedgley………John…..Robert…of Wolverhampton…to my knowledge be all the debt that I do owe……………………………………….
   Jeffrey Dudley
10. ↑ In "A History of Russells Hall, Dudley" by J.S.Roper, Roper refers to this will. He seems to have managed to decipher slightly more of it than me. Roper states that the "Macion house" rferred to in the will is Netherton Hall, Dudley. He states that Geoffrey states elsewhere in the will that he has a lease of "Nethertowne", He also states that it says that he held by patent "the rydershyppe of all my lord's chases and parkes". Apparently for this he should have been paid a salary of £6 13s 4d a year, but apart from a small amount in respect of Yokes Park, on the Stourbridge side of Dudley, he claimed to have received nothing for 12 years.
11. ↑ From "Dudley Probate Inventories 1544 - 1603" Transcribed and edited by John S Roper (published Dudley 1965) Page 19 An Inventory of ye goods and cattalls of Jeffrey Dudley esquyer lately decessyd taken and praysed ye laste day of July anno domini 1571 by Richard Smythe, Thomas Fyssher and William Jacson. In primus in ye hall one table borde and one forme 5s 0d Item in ye parler one table 3 formes one cupperborde, one counter 3 chayres and 2 sayes £1 0s 0d Item in ye buttrye one garnysshe of pewter 2 salts of pewter 8 barrells and hoggs hedds fowre dosen of trenchers and certen other tryfells £1 6s 8d Item in ye ketychn6 brasse potts 6 cobberds one payre of ...... and 2 payre of ...... and certen hangyngs for potts £1 13s 4d Item in ye chambre on ye hall one bedsted one fetherbedde and all thyngs thereto belongythe one presse one cuppe borde and one coffer £1 6s 8d Item in ye chambre over ye parler one bedsted one fether bedde and all that thereto belongythe one cupbords and one coffer £2 0s 0d Item in ye chambre over ye buttrye one bdested one fetherbed and all that thereto belongythe £1 6s 8d Item in ye chambre over ye ketchyn one bedsted one truccle bed 2 fetherbedds and all that to them belongythe 3 coffers certen paynyed clothes with certen lynyns £2 5s 8d Item in 2 inner chambers 2 bedsteds 2 fether beds and all yt to them belongythe £1 4s 0d CATTELL In Primis 6 Oxen £14 0s 0d Item 12 kyne £18 0s 0d Item 2 bulls 2 heyefers and 7 yerelyngs £6 0s 0d Item syxe score sheepe £18 0s 0d Item 7 swyne £2 0s 0d Item 12 acres of lente corne £4 0s 0d Sum Total £74 7s 4d True total appears to be £74 17s 4d Notes The inventory relates to Jeffrey Sutton alias Dudley of Russells hall,younger son of Edward Lord Dudley. He was rider of Pensnett chase (See Dudley rental 1544 -5 (Dudley archives 23/f)) See also Grazebrook's "Junior branches of the family of Sutton alias Dudley" Staffs historical collections Vol X Part II p 10 et seq.
12. ↑ https://archive.org/details/miscellaneagenea02unse/page/328/mode/2up

Acknowledgements