DUODALE, Sill WILLIAM, was the only son of John Dugdale, Esq., of Shustoke, in the county of Warwick, where he was born September 12, 1605. His mother was Elizabeth, daughter of Arthur Swyufen, Esq., of Staffordshire. He was in part educated in the free school at Covautry, and subsequently with his father, with whom he also road Littletun's Tenures,' some other Law-books, and history. In 1622 ho married Margery, the second daughter of John lluntbach, Esq., of Seawall, in Staffordshire. Upon his father's death in 1624, he succeeded to a small estate in Shustoke, to which he added by purchase the manor of Blythe, in that parish, in 1625.
Dugdala's natural inclination, which was chiefly the study of antiquities, brought him acquainted with the most eminent antiquaries of his day. Sir Symou Archer, of Tainwerth, introduced him to Sir Christopher Hatton and Sir Henry Spelman, by whose joint interest with the Earl of Arundel, then Earl Marshal, he was created a pursuivant•at•erme extraordinary, by the name of Blanche Lyon, in September 163S. Afterwards he was mado Rouge Croix pursulvant in ordinary, by lettere patent dated March 18, 1639-10; by which moans, having lodging in tho Heralds College, and convenient oppor tunities, he male large collections from the Records in the Tower of London, as well as from other places.
In 1641, by Sir Christopher Hatton's encouragement, ho superiu tended the making of exact drafts of all the monuments in West taunter Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral, and in many other cathedral and parochial churches of England; particularly those at Peterborough, Ely, Norwich, Lincoln, Newark-upon-Trent, Beverley, Southwark, Kingatou-upon-Hull, York, Selby, Chester, Lichfield, Tamworth, Warwick, &e. The drawings were made by one William Sedge:wick, an arms-palutar, then a servant of Sir Christopher liattou ; the inscriptious were copied by Dugdalo. Both were deposited in Sir Christopher Hatton'e library, that the memory of these monuments might at least be preserved; the state of the times threatening immiuent destruction to the originals.
In Juno 1642 the king, who had retired to York, summoned Mr. Dugdale to attend upon him, according to the duty of his office.
Dugdale accordingly repaired to York, and was aiterwarde cam mauded to attend the Earl of Northampton, who was marching into Worcestershire to oppose the forces raised by Lord Brooke for the service of the parliament. He attended upon the king at the battle of Edgehill, and afterwards at Oxford, where he continued with his majesty till the surrender of the garrison there to the parliament, June 22,1646. He was created M.A. November 1,1012; and April 10, 1614, was promoted to the office of Chester-herald. During his long residence at Oxford, he applied himself to such researches in the Bodleian, and the different college) libraries, as he thought might conduce toward the furtherance of the 'Monasticon,' then designed by Roger Dodaworth and himself; as well as to the history of the ancient nobility of the realm, and of which he afterwards made much use in his 'Baronage: After the surrender of Oxford upon articles, Dugdale, having the benefit of them, and having compounded for his estate, went to London; where he and Dodaworth proceeded vigorously in completing their collections from the Tower Records and Cottonian library. A short absence from England in 1648, when he attended Lord and Lady Hatton to Paris, enabled him to improve his and Dodsworth's collections with notices and charters relating to the Alien Priories of England, from the papers of Andrew Duchesne. When their col lections were ready, the booksellers declining to venture upon so large and hazardous a work, Dodaworth and Dugdale printed the first volume at their own charge, and it was published in 1655, in folio, under the title of Monaaticon Anglicanism,' adorned with the views of abbeys, churches, &c. The second volume was published in folio, in 1661. These two volumes were collected, and chiefly written by Dodsworth ; but Dugdale took great pains in methodising and dis posing the materials, in making several indexes to them, and in correcting the press. Dodaworth died in August 1654, before the tenth part of the first volume was printed off. A third volume was published in 1673.