In June 1618 he left London with verbal orders from the King to arrest Sir Walter Ralegh, then arrived at Plymouth on his return from the Orinoco. He met Ralegh at Ashburton, and accompanied him back to Plymouth, where, while waiting for further orders from the King, Ralegh attempted to escape to France; but, relinquishing the idea, Ralegh returned to his arrest, and was taken up to London, where he was for a short time a prisoner at large. Afterwards, on attempting to escape, he was lodged in the Tower.

Stucley, in whose charge Ralegh was, has been greatly blamed for his conduct in this matter. He has been represented as a mean spy, professing friendship in order to worm himself into Ralegh¹s confidence, which he betrayed to the King. For this there does not appear to be any solid foundation. On the contrary it appears that Stucley, although Ralegh¹s cousin, was appointed his warder not only as Vice-Admiral of Devonshire, but as having an old grudge against Ralegh dating from 1584 when Ralegh did his father-in-law, John, then a volunteer in Sir Richard Grenville¹s Virginia voyage, Œextreme injury¹ by deceiving him of a venture he had in the Tiger [see Grenville, Sir Richard]. It has been said that Stucley wished to let Ralegh escape in order to gain credit for re-arresting him. But a gaoler does not gain credit for allowing his prisoner to escape, and Stucley¹s refusal of the bribe which Ralegh offerred him at Salisbury on the way to London may be taken as evidence that Ralegh knew that Stucley was not on his side. If, after that, he chose to give Stucley his confidence, he could only expect to be betrayed. Stucley certainly gave hostile, but not necessarily false, evidence against Ralegh. Noone will pretend Stucley¹s conduct was chivalrous but it seems to have been very much what might have been expected, from an honest but vulgar minded man, who believed that he had an injury done to his father to redress. Popular opinion, however, idealising Ralegh, vented on Stucley the indignation which could not be expressed against the King. To the public he was Sir Judas Stucley, and it was reported, probably falsly, that even the King had said to him ³his blood be on thy head². As Vice-Admiral of Devonshire he had occasion to call on the old Earl of Nottingham, who, addressing him as ³thou base fellow! Thou scorn and contempt of men!², threatened to cudgel him for being Œso saucy¹ as to come into his presence. Stucley complained to the King who answered, ³What wouldst thou have me do? Wouldst thou have me hang him? On my soul, if I should hang all that speak ill of thee, all the trees in this country would not suffice².

In January 1618-19, Stucley and his son were charged with clipping coin. His enemies exulted; for this at least the gallows would claim him as their own. The charge may have been true, though he seems to have been condemned by acclaimation, on the very doubtful evidence of a servant, who had formerly been employed as a spy on Ralegh. The King possibly took this into consideration; possibly he thought that he owed Stucley something for his service against Ralegh. He pardoned him, and Stucley, an outcast from society in London went down to Devonshire. The popular hatred pursued him even to Affeton, and he fled to hide his shame on the lonely island of Lundy, where he died in the course of 1620, raving mad as it was said.

• 1 John Stucley Of Affeton = Honor Hals
  
  • 1 Thomas Stucley Of Affeton Kt. = Elizabeth Sydenham
    
    • 1 Thomas Stucley
      
    • 2 John Stucley
      
    • 3 Frances Stucley = Rev Anthony Gregory
      
    • 4 Margery Stucley
      
    • 5 Mary Stucley = Rev Thomas Colley
      
    • 5 Mary Stucley = Michael Arundell
      
    • 6 Honor Stucley
      
  • 2 Lewis Stucley = Susanna Dennis
    
    • 1 Dennis Stucley
      
    • 2 Thomas Stucley = Sarah Middleton
      
    • 3 Lewis Stucley
      
    • 4 Rebecca Stucley
      
    • 5 Sarah Stucley = George Buck Of Bideford
      
  • 3 Honor Stucley = ? Luttrell
    
  • 4 Anna Stucley
    
  • 5 Frances Stucley = Philip Mayow
    
• 1 John Stucley Of Affeton = Elizabeth Coode
  
  • 1 John Stucley
    
  • 2 Dennis Stucley
    
  • 3 Edmond Stucley
    
  • 4 Mary Stucley = John Courtenay Of Molland
    
    • 1 James Courtenay = Elizabeth
      
    • 2 John Courtenay Of Molland = Amy Clifford
      
    • 3 John Courtenay
      
    • 4 Joan Courtenay
      
    • 5 Margaret Courtenay
      
    • 6 Sarah Courtenay
      
    • 7 Grace Courtenay
      
• 2 Hugh Stucley = Arminilla Weeks
  
• 3 Lewis Stucley = Margery Coode
  
  • 1 Lewis Stucley Of Plymouth = Elizabeth Alsopp
    
    • 1 Jonathan Stucley
      
    • 2 Judith Stucley
      
    • 3 Lewis Stucley
      
    • 4 John Stucley = Prudence Hamblyn
      
    • 5 Jane Stucley
      
    • 6 Charles Stucley = Anne Fownes
      
    • 7 Prudence Stucley
      
    • 8 Mary Stucley = Francis Pengelly
      
    • 8 Mary Stucley = Thomas Bolitho
      
    • 9 Elizabeth Stucley
      
• 4 Scipio Stucley
  
• 5 Anthony Stucley