The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-09-08
TODAY IN HISTORY
Death OF Amy Robsart.
WHAI HAppENEp SEPT. 8.

Death OF Amy faOpSart'
Amy Robsart is one OF the most inter-
estipg OF the court characters OF the lat
ter part of the sixteenth century. and her
sudden death has always remained one
of the historical mysteries, Amy was
married TO the youngest son OF the crafty
Earl OF Warwick. Robert Dudley. on JuIio
II. 1850 when she was only nineteen
years old, and young Dudley one yeSI Sir
John Robsart. lord OF the manor OF Sioer
stern. Norfolk, and on her part ~ VIZ
purely a love match, but on inc na part .. %
her husband, IL was in q measure,
scheme OF his fathers to secure MS son
u wealthy wife. ,.
The early part Of their married ,,,' i,ie
Later. however, the young earl became
favorite OF Elizabeth. and when she pc
camo queen, his ambitions arose by leaps
and bounds, Elzahe showered WcaitI
and honor on him, and IL was even tns
gossip at court that she would marry MN
and make him prince consort.
II Elizabeth so designed, she had one
thing TO reckon with, and that was thal
Amy was still living Dudley, AMBITIOUS
that the queens designs should be car
rlcd out, began more and more TO neSlecl
his wife. He sent her TO live In ram ram
shactle old building, about four nllies
from oxford while he spent most OF ms
time in the sumptuous quarters OF the
queen In this secluded country house
Amy dragged out a lonely. miserable He,
Her letters show how happy she was
when Dudley PAID one His Idlc NiSitS
to her and how their brevity and infre-
quency distressed her.
On Sunday. September 8, 1860, Amy is
said to have directed the whole r,,a', house s,i
went. with the exception OF Mrs owen,
and the servants, returning late IN the
day from Abingdon. found Lady Dudley
lying dead at the foot OF the stairway
in the hall. 1t was reported that she had
fallen downstairs and broken her neck
Dudley heard the news while with the
relative, Sir Thomas Blount. TO encourage
the most stringent public inquiry All
manner of rumors We're soon atloat. Mrs.
Pinto. Lady Amy's maid. said that she
had heard her mistress pray TO God 10
deliver her from desperation" and al
though she tried to remove the impression
of suicide which her: words excited, Dud-
ley's reported relations with Elizabeth
20 far 10 account for Lady Amy's 'des-
peratlon."
One version Of her death was that An,
friend or Dudleys, hao ,nrown her down
stairs. And still another tale says that
Amy was poisoned and her body laid at
the foot OF the stairs to give the Idea
of a fail. owing to the twisted arrange
ment OF the stairs 1t would have been
impossible for Lady Dudley to have fallen
down; and as to some one throwing her
down, IT hardly seems possible that she
would have sent her servants away In
order 10 give some enemy chance to
kill her, And TO this day the nature OF
ANY iNOpSdIl ucdlu 10 slIlOuuSu III III
certainty.
on Friday. September 20. Lady Dudley's
body was removed TO Gloucester hail. OK
ford, and on Sunday, September %. was
buried with the most elaborate heraldic
ceremony in st, Marys church. Dudley
was absent. and Dr. Francis Darlington.
who preached the sermon Is said to have
tripped once and described the lady as
'pitifully slain"
Several modern historians believe that
Dudley was not at all responsible for the
tragedy. If he were. he profited little by
IT, for tickle Elizabeth did not marry him.
He married twice after Amy's death. He
also rose TO great heights at court be-
coming Earl of Leicester and receiving
as a gift from Elizabeth the castle OF
kenilworth.
Sir Walter Scott's famous novel Ken
ilworth'' tells the love story of Amy Rob
sart and of her alleged meeting with
Elizabeth at kenlworth castle after Dud-
ley had. been made Earl of Leicester. AS
a matter Of fact, Amy died fifteen years
before Elizabeth visited kenilworth, three
years before Dudley acquired the castle
and four years before he became an
earl.