John Dudley (1569–1645)

Hon. John Sutton (November 1569 – 1645), was the brother of

.

Background and early life

John Sutton 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. John Sutton was their second son, born about two years after his brother Edward, who became the 5th Baron. 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

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. In order to ensure creditors were paid by his heir, his will earmarked the proceeds of his coalmines for 21 years to his creditors, who were also given prior claim over his wife and over John. When the 4th Baron died in 1586, John received only his father's best clothes and £300, with an annuity to be paid by his brother, but no house or land. As late as 1592 John had never received his annuity.

In about 1590 John married Elizabeth Whorwood, daughter of a

. John is therefore referred to as "Hon. 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.

Parliamentary career

John Sutton's election to parliament came about as a result of the notorious

, was excluded altogether.

John Sutton thus became

Lord Dudley's main motivation in standing his brother for election had been to spite Littleton's relatives in

Marriage and family

John Sutton married Elizabeth Whorwood, daughter of Thomas Whorwood by 1590. They had one son, who predeceased them both, and four daughters, including;^[3]

• Anne Sutton, married Edward Gibson, a son of Sir John Gibson of
  Welburn.^[4]
• Elizabeth Sutton, said to have died before 1660.[5] She may have been Elizabeth Dudley, Countess of Löwenstein, a lady in waiting to Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia.
• Edward Sutton.
• Jane Sutton.
• Anne Sutton, who married Sir Francis Pophham, according to the History of Parliament (1981).^[6] However, Francis Popham's wife is also described as a daughter of John Sutton of Yanwath and an heiress of Thomas Sutton, founder of the Charterhouse.^[7]

In 1660 Anne Gibson's son Edward Gibson, a soldier who had served in Holland, claimed to be the heir of Baron Dudley. His petition stated that he was John Sutton's heir, as Edward, Elizabeth and Jane had no children.^[8]

References