Background
John Dudley was the son of Edward Sutton, 4th Baron Dudley. His mother was Jane Stanley, who was a daughter of Edward Stanley, 3rd Earl of Derby and the 4th Baron"s second wife.
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John Dudley
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Education
Lincoln College.
Career
Honorary during the reign of Elizabeth I. He was baptised on 30 November 1569, so born shortly before that date. At the very early age of 11, he was sent to Lincoln College, Oxford. The 4th Baron was able to recover the family estates after they were obtained, as a result of debt, by John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland a distant relative, and forfeited to the Crown on Northumberland"s execution in 1553.
However, he was unable to make progress with the huge outstanding debts.
As late as 1592 John had never received his annuity. In about 1590 John married Elizabeth Whorwood, daughter of a Thomas Whorwood, a wealthy Staffordshire landowner and politician, apparently against the wishes of Edward, the head of the family.
Thomas Whorwood received a large inheritance at that point and began to build a new family home at Stourton Castle. John is therefore referred to as "Honorary
John Dudley of Compton Hallows", as it seems he and Elizabeth retained the old family home.
Having no freehold property of his own, he was not entitled either to stand or to vote in parliamentary elections for the county. John Dudley"s election to parliament came about as a result of the notorious Staffordshire election scandal of 1597. Baron Dudley prevailed on Whorwood, John"s father-in-law, and at that time High Sheriff of Staffordshire, to conspire in the return of a false electoral indenture.
He was placed, as John Sutton, first in order of precedence over Sir Christopher Blount, step-father of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex.
John was protected by parliamentary privilege during the parliament and it assembled on 24 October 1597. However, he played no recorded part in its proceedings, making no speech and attending none of the committees consistent with being a Staffordshire county member.
The parliament was dissolved, after little more than three months, on 9 February 1598, leaving Dudley exposed to investigation and punishment. By May Essex had him answering questions before the Privy Council.
Two of Lyttelton"s sons, Stephen and John, attacked John Dudley in revenge for the electoral fraud, probably in June or July, and were referred by the Privy Council to the Worcestershire assizes.
lieutenant is not known whether John Dudley himself was punished for his part in events, but he played no further part in public life, retiring to Compton.
