Roger Dudley facts for kids

Roger Dudley (born between 1535 and 1545 – died around 1586 or 1588) was an English soldier who lived a long time ago. He is known as the father of Thomas Dudley, who became an important leader in early America.

Roger Dudley's Early Life

Roger Dudley was born in London, England. Some records suggest he might have been baptized in a place called Yardley Hastings in Northamptonshire. We don't know for sure who his parents were, but some researchers believe he was the son of Henry Sutton Dudley. Roger might have also studied at Christ Church College, Cambridge, in 1566, but he didn't finish his degree there.

Roger's Family Life

Roger Dudley married Susannah Thorne on June 8, 1575, in Lidlington, Bedfordshire. Susannah was born in Northamptonshire and was baptized in Yardley Hastings. Her family, the Purefoys, were from a noble background.

Roger and Susannah had several children:

• Thomas Dudley (who later became the second governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in America)
• Mary Dudley
• Richard Dudley (born in 1583)
• Dorothy Dudley
• David Dudley

Susannah is thought to have died in 1585. However, a will from her father, Thomas Thorne, written in 1588, mentions "the children of Susan Dudley, my Daughter, widow." This means Susannah was likely a widow by then, and her children were still alive.

Roger's Military Career

Roger Dudley was a brave soldier. He was a Captain in the army of Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester. He fought for Queen Elizabeth I and under the command of Henry of Navarre.

People once thought Roger died at the Battle of Ivry in France in 1590. However, the will of his father-in-law, Thomas Thorne, proves Roger was already dead by October 1588. This means he couldn't have died in 1590. It's now believed that Roger most likely died at the Siege of Zutphen in 1586. He was fighting alongside his relative, the Earl of Leicester, who was a key figure in that battle. The Earl's nephew, Sir Philip Sidney, also died there.

Dudley's American Legacy

Roger and Susannah Dudley's children and grandchildren had a huge impact in America. Many of their descendants helped start and build early communities in New England.

For example, William Dudley, one of Roger's grandsons (through his son David), was the first of their family line to move to Connecticut. He helped found the settlement of Guilford on the shores of Long Island Sound. He moved to New England between 1636 and 1643, which was when his uncle Thomas Dudley was becoming very important in Massachusetts politics.

Later, three of William Dudley's great-grandsons moved from Guilford to a place called Owlsbury in the Cornwall hills. They renamed Owlsbury to Dudleytown. This town later became famous for a persistent legend of being one of America's most haunted places.