duced at Drury Lane the spectacle of ‘St. George and the Dragon.’ This was followed by ‘King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table,’ the success of which was mainly due to the efforts of Ducrow, who received 100l. from Queen Adelaide. He was known as the ‘king of mimics’ and as the ‘colossus of equestrians.’ The majority of the attractive acts of horsemanship still witnessed in the ring are from examples set by him. He was five feet eight inches in height, of fair complexion, and handsome features, and as a contortionist could twist his shapely limbs in the strangest forms. The number of persons employed at Astley's exceeded a hundred and fifty, and the weekly expenses were seldom less than 500l. On 8 June 1841 Astley's Amphitheatre was totally destroyed by fire (Times, 9 June 1841, p. 5). Ducrow's mind gave way under his misfortunes, and he died at 19 York Road, Lambeth, on 27 Jan. 1842. His funeral, attended by vast crowds of people, took place on 5 Feb. in Kensal Green cemetery, where an Egyptian monument was erected to his memory. Notwithstanding his losses he left property valued at upwards of 60,000l. He married, first, in 1818, Miss Griffith of Liverpool, a lady rider, who died in 1836; secondly, in June 1838, Miss Woolford, a well-known equestrienne. His brother, John Ducrow, the clown, died on 23 May 1834, and was buried at Lambeth.
[Gent. Mag. July 1834, p. 108, April 1842, pp. 444–5; All the Year Round, 3 Feb. 1872, pp. 223–9; Observer, 30 Jan. 1842, p. 1, 6 Feb. p. 3; Alfred Bunn's The Stage (1840), i. 143–7; Frost's Circus Life (1876), pp. 43, 322.]
DUDGEON, WILLIAM (fl. 1765), philosophical writer, resided in Berwickshire. He published:
- ‘The State of the Moral World considered; or a Vindication of Providence in the Government of the Moral World,’ 1732, 8vo (an attempt to solve the problem of the existence of evil).
- ‘Philosophical Letters concerning the Being and Attributes of God,’ 1737, 8vo (addressed to the Rev. Mr. Jackson, a follower of Clarke. Dudgeon argues that Clarke's principles involve the conclusion that God is the only substance).
- ‘A Catechism founded upon Experience and Reason. Collected by a Father for the use of his Children,’ with an ‘Introductory Letter to a Friend concerning Natural Religion,’ 1744, 8vo (here natural religion is treated as the common element in all religious systems which alone is true).
A collective edition of the foregoing appeared, under the title of ‘The Philosophical Works of Mr. William Dudgeon,’ in 1765, 8vo.
[Brit. Mus. Cat.]
DUDGEON, WILLIAM (1753?–1813), poet, son of John Dudgeon, farmer, was born about 1753 at Tyninghame, East Lothian. His mother was an aunt of Robert Ainslie [q. v.], writer to the signet, a friend of Burns. Dudgeon was educated with Rennie the engineer at Dunbar. His father procured for him a thirty years' lease of an extensive tract of land near Dunse in Berwickshire. This farm, much of which was in the condition of a wilderness, he cultivated for many years with much success. He gave it the name of Primrose Hill, and there he wrote several songs, one of which, ‘The Maid that tends the Goats,’ was printed and became very popular. It may be read in Allan Cunningham's edition of Burns's ‘Works,’ p. 533. His other pieces remain in manuscript. He also occupied his leisure with painting and music. In May 1787 he was introduced to Burns, then on a visit to Mr. Ainslie of Berrywell, near Dunse, father of Robert Ainslie. Burns made the following entry in his journal: ‘Mr. Dudgeon, a poet at times, a worthy remarkable character, natural penetration, a great deal of information, some genius, and extraordinary modesty’ (Burns, Works, ed. Cunningham, p. 53). Dudgeon died on 28 Oct. 1813, and was buried in the churchyard of Prestonkirk.
[Anderson's Scottish Nation; Irving's Book of Scotsmen.]
DUDLEY, Earl of (1781–1833). [See Ward, John William.]
DUDLEY, ALICE, Duchess Dudley. [See under Dudley, Sir Robert, 1573–1639.]
DUDLEY, AMBROSE, Earl of Warwick (1528?–1590), born about 1528, was third son of John Dudley [q. v.], created Earl of Warwick early in 1547, and Duke of Northumberland in 1551. Like all his brothers, he was carefully educated, and Roger Ascham speaks of him as manifesting high intellectual attainments. He served with his father in repressing the Norfolk rebellion of 1549, and was knighted 17 Nov. During the reign of Edward VI he was prominent in court festivities and tournaments, and was intimate with the king and Princess Elizabeth (cf. ‘Edward VI's Journal,’ in Nicolas, Literary Remains, pp. 384, 388, 389). He joined his father and brothers in the attempt to place his sister-in-law, Lady Jane Grey (wife of his brother Guildford), on the throne in 1553; was committed to the Tower (25 July); was convicted of treason, with Lady Jane, and his brothers, Henry and Guildford, on 13 Nov., but was released and
