More's History of Edward V; Continuation of Croyland Chronicle ap. Gale's Scriptores, i. 582–593; Bentley's Excerpta Historica, pp. 16–17, two letters by Russell's servant, Stalworth; Ellis's Original Letters, 2nd ser. i. 156–66; Rymer's Fœdera, orig. edit.; Rolls of Parliament, vi. 122, 202, 237, 268, 386, 441; Wood's History and Antiquities of the University of Oxford, and Fasti, ed. Gutch; Kirby's Winchester Scholars, and Annals of Winchester College; Tanner's Bibl. Brit.-Hib. p. 647; Fuller's Worthies, i. 404; Godwin, De Præsulibus, pp. 299, 536; Blades's Life and Typography of Caxton, ii. 29–31; Ramsay's Lancaster and York; Gairdner's Life and Reign of Richard III; Campbell's Lives of the Chancellors; Foss's Judges of England; other authorities quoted.]
RUSSELL, JOHN, first Earl of Bedford (1486?–1555), was son of James Russell (d. 1509), by his first wife, Alice, daughter of John Wyse of Sydenham-Damerel, Devonshire [see Russell, Sir John, (fl. 1440–1470)]. The family was well established in the west of England, as can be seen from the marriages of its female members and from the lengthy pedigree with which the first earl is usually supplied (Lipscomb, Buckinghamshire, iii. 248). John Russell is said to have travelled much on the continent, and to have learned various foreign languages, notably Spanish. He occupied some position at the court in 1497, and Andrea Trevisan, the ambassador, says that when he made his entry into London in 1497, Russell and the Dean of Windsor, ‘men of great repute,’ met him some way from the city (Cal. State Papers, Venetian, i. 754; cf. Rawdon Brown, Despatches of Sebastian Giustinian, i. 84–5, and esp. p. 88). In 1506, when the Archduke Philip was cast on the English coast at Melcombe Regis, Weymouth (cf. Busch, England under the Tudors, Engl. tr. pp. 191 sqq. and 372 sqq.), he was received at Wolverton by Sir Thomas Trenchard, a connection of the Russell family, who introduced young Russell to him. Russell accompanied the archduke to Windsor, and Henry VII made him a gentleman of the privy chamber.
On the accession of Henry VIII Russell was continued in his employments, and became a great favourite with the king. He took part in the amusements of the court, but made himself useful as well as amusing, ‘standing,’ Lloyd says, ‘not so much upon his prince's pleasure as his interest.’ In 1513 he went on the expedition to France as a captain, and distinguished himself at the sieges of Therouenne and Tournay. About this time he was knighted (Letters and Papers, II. i. 2735). In November 1514 he was one of the sixteen who answered the challenge of the dauphin, and went to Paris for the tournament. He was constantly employed on diplomatic business from this time onwards. In 1519 he was again in the north of France as one of the commissioners for the surrender of Tournay. In 1520 he was at the Field of the Cloth of Gold. In 1522 he accompanied Thomas Howard, earl of Surrey (afterwards third Duke of Norfolk) [q. v.], on the naval expedition against the coasts of France. He was at the assault and sack of Morlaix, where he received an arrow wound which deprived him of the sight of his right eye. On 28 June 1523 he was made knight marshal of the household.
In the diplomatic negotiations of the next few years Russell took an important part. After the failure of Knight he was sent in June 1523 on a secret mission to the Duke of Bourbon, whom Henry wished to attach to himself in his war with the king of France. Russell travelled by way of Luxembourg, and reached Geneva in the disguise of a merchant. His instructions (see Letters and Papers, II. ii. 3217, and more fully State Papers, vi. 163–7) must have been sent after him, as they are dated 2 Aug. At Bourg-en-Bresse he was met by Lallière and taken into the heart of France to Gayete, where, on the night of 6–7 Sept., he came to an agreement with Bourbon, and the heads of a treaty were drawn up (see Letters and Papers, ii. 3307, and, fully, State Papers, vi. 174–5). He was back in England by 20 Sept. (Letters and Papers, ii. ii. 3346); and More, writing to Wolsey, speaks of him as one ‘of whose well-achieved errand his grace taketh great pleasure’ (Brewer, Henry VIII, i. 507). As under the agreement Henry was to find a large sum of ready money to pay the lansquenets, Russell set off in October 1523 with 12,000l. On 1 Nov. he was at Aynche, and on 11 Nov. he had reached Besançon (Letters and Papers, ii. ii. 3440, 3496, 3525; it looks as though State Papers, vi. No. xc. were misdated). There he remained for some months, sending valuable information home. There was a design that Bourbon should visit England, but in 1524 the duke left for Italy, and Russell, after some interval, was directed to take his money and join him. A letter from Chambery, dated 31 July 1524, gives a very curious account of his journey there. He now passed on to Turin (6 Aug.), remarking in a letter to Henry that ‘this country of Piedmont is very dangerous.’ At the end of the month Russell joined Bourbon at the siege of Marseilles, and he acted as one of the duke's council. On 20 Sept. he left the camp, and sailed from Toulon to Genoa (for the relations
