Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Digges, Dudley (1613-1643)

by Francis Watt

DIGGES, DUDLEY (1613–1643), political writer, third son of Sir Dudley Digges [q. v.], was born at Chilham, Kent, in 1613. He entered University College, Oxford, in 1629, proceeded B.A. on 17 Jan. 1632, M.A. on 15 Oct. 1635. In 1633 he was elected fellow of All Souls. In September 1642 he is mentioned as one of a ‘delegacy’ appointed to provide means for defending Oxford against the parliament during the civil war (Wood, History and Antiquities of the University of Oxford, ed. Gutch, ii. 447). He died at Oxford on 1 Oct. 1643 of the malignant camp fever then raging there, and was buried in the outer chapel of All Souls. Digges was a devoted royalist, and all his important writings were in defence of Charles I. His works were:

1. ‘Nova Corpora Regularia,’ 1634. This is a demonstration of certain mathematical discoveries made about 1574 by his grandfather, Thomas Digges.
2. ‘An Answer to a Printed Book intituled Observations upon some of His Majestie's late Answers and Expresses,’ Oxford, 1642.
3. ‘A Review of the Observations upon some of His Majestie's late Answers and Expresses,’ York, 1643.
4. ‘The Unlawfulnesse of Subjects taking up arms against their Soveraigne in what case soever,’ 1643. This defence of the doctrine of passive obedience was widely popular among the royalists and went through several editions.

[Wood's Athenæ Oxon. ed. Bliss, iii. cols. 65, 66; Biographia Britannica, iii. 1717–18.]

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