Dymoke
Encyclopedia
Dymoke is the name of an English
family holding the office of king's champion. The functions of the champion were to ride into Westminster Hall at the coronation banquet, and challenge all comers to impugn the King's title (see Champion
). The earliest record of the ceremony at the coronation of an English king dates from the accession of Richard II
. On this occasion the champion was Sir John Dymoke (died 1381), who held the manor of Scrivelsby, Lincolnshire
, in right of his wife Margaret, granddaughter of Joan Ludlow, who was the daughter and co-heiress of Philip Marmion, last Baron Marmion. The Marmions claimed descent from the lords of Fontenay
, hereditary champions of the dukes of Normandy
, and held the castle of Tamworth
, Leicestershire
, and the manor of Scrivelsby. The right to the championship was disputed with the Dymoke family by Sir Baldwin de Freville, lord of Tamworth, who was descended from an elder daughter of Philip Marmion. The court of claims eventually decided in favor of the owners of Scrivelsby on the ground that Scrivelsby was held in grand serjeanty, that is, that its tenure was dependent on, rendering a special service, in this case the championship.
Sir Thomas Dymoke (1428?-1471) joined a Lancastrian
rising in 1469, and, with his brother-in-law Richard, Lord Willoughby and Welles, was beheaded in 1471 by order of Edward IV
after he had been induced to leave sanctuary on a promise of personal safety. The estates were restored to his son Sir Robert Dymoke (died 1546), champion at the coronations of Richard III
, Henry VII
, and Henry VIII
, who distinguished himself at the Siege of Tournai
and became treasurer of the kingdom. His descendants acted as champions at successive coronations. Lewis Dymoke (died 1820) put in an unsuccessful claim before the House of Lords
for the barony of Marmion. His nephew Henry (1801-1865) was champion at the coronation of George IV
. He was accompanied on that occasion by the Duke of Wellington
and Lord Howard of Effingham
. Henry Dymoke was created a baronet
; he was succeeded by his brother John, rector
of Scrivelsby (1804-1873), whose son Henry Lionel died without issue in 1875, when the baronetcy became extinct, the estate passing to a collateral branch of the family. After the coronation of George IV the ceremony was allowed to lapse, and was the last to participate in full armour. But at the coronation of King Edward VII
H. S. Dymoke bore the standard of England in Westminster Abbey.
Mr. Charles Dymoke Green was awarded the Bronze Wolf
, the only distinction of the World Organization of the Scout Movement
, awarded by the World Scout Committee for exceptional services to world Scouting, in 1971.
The novelist Anthony Powell
was a descendant of the family on his mother's side.
The current head of the family is Lieutenant Colonel John Lindley Marmion Dymoke, MBE, 33rd of Scrivelsby and 7th of Tetford
(born 1926), who attended the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II as Queen's Champion and Standard Bearer.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
family holding the office of king's champion. The functions of the champion were to ride into Westminster Hall at the coronation banquet, and challenge all comers to impugn the King's title (see Champion
Queen's Champion
The feudal holder of the Manor of Scrivelsby since 1066 has held that manor from the Crown by grand serjeanty of being The Honourable The King's/Queen's Champion. Such person is also Standard Bearer of England.- Origins :...
). The earliest record of the ceremony at the coronation of an English king dates from the accession of Richard II
Richard II of England
Richard II was King of England, a member of the House of Plantagenet and the last of its main-line kings. He ruled from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. Richard was a son of Edward, the Black Prince, and was born during the reign of his grandfather, Edward III...
. On this occasion the champion was Sir John Dymoke (died 1381), who held the manor of Scrivelsby, Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
, in right of his wife Margaret, granddaughter of Joan Ludlow, who was the daughter and co-heiress of Philip Marmion, last Baron Marmion. The Marmions claimed descent from the lords of Fontenay
Fontenay
Fontenay can refer to:a person*Charles L. Fontenay, journalist and science-fiction writer*Jean-Baptiste Belin de Fontenay I, French paintera battle* Battle of Fontenay , during the Carolingian civil war...
, hereditary champions of the dukes of Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
, and held the castle of Tamworth
Tamworth
Tamworth is a town and local government district in Staffordshire, England, located north-east of Birmingham city centre and north-west of London. The town takes its name from the River Tame, which flows through the town, as does the River Anker...
, Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
, and the manor of Scrivelsby. The right to the championship was disputed with the Dymoke family by Sir Baldwin de Freville, lord of Tamworth, who was descended from an elder daughter of Philip Marmion. The court of claims eventually decided in favor of the owners of Scrivelsby on the ground that Scrivelsby was held in grand serjeanty, that is, that its tenure was dependent on, rendering a special service, in this case the championship.
Sir Thomas Dymoke (1428?-1471) joined a Lancastrian
House of Lancaster
The House of Lancaster was a branch of the royal House of Plantagenet. It was one of the opposing factions involved in the Wars of the Roses, an intermittent civil war which affected England and Wales during the 15th century...
rising in 1469, and, with his brother-in-law Richard, Lord Willoughby and Welles, was beheaded in 1471 by order of Edward IV
Edward IV of England
Edward IV was King of England from 4 March 1461 until 3 October 1470, and again from 11 April 1471 until his death. He was the first Yorkist King of England...
after he had been induced to leave sanctuary on a promise of personal safety. The estates were restored to his son Sir Robert Dymoke (died 1546), champion at the coronations of Richard III
Richard III of England
Richard III was King of England for two years, from 1483 until his death in 1485 during the Battle of Bosworth Field. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty...
, Henry VII
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
, and Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
, who distinguished himself at the Siege of Tournai
Siege of Tournai
The Siege of Tournai may refer to:* Siege of Tournai : The Count of Flanders and Hainault, Baldwin VI of Hainaut unsuccessfully besieged it....
and became treasurer of the kingdom. His descendants acted as champions at successive coronations. Lewis Dymoke (died 1820) put in an unsuccessful claim before the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
for the barony of Marmion. His nephew Henry (1801-1865) was champion at the coronation of George IV
George IV of the United Kingdom
George IV was the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and also of Hanover from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later...
. He was accompanied on that occasion by the Duke of Wellington
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
and Lord Howard of Effingham
Kenneth Howard, 1st Earl of Effingham
Kenneth Alexander Howard, 1st Earl of Effingham was a British peer.His father, Henry Howard , was a male-line descendant of William Howard, 1st Baron Howard of Effingham. His mother, Maria Mackenzie Kenneth Alexander Howard, 1st Earl of Effingham (29 November 1767 – 13 February 1845) was a...
. Henry Dymoke was created a baronet
Baronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
; he was succeeded by his brother John, rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of Scrivelsby (1804-1873), whose son Henry Lionel died without issue in 1875, when the baronetcy became extinct, the estate passing to a collateral branch of the family. After the coronation of George IV the ceremony was allowed to lapse, and was the last to participate in full armour. But at the coronation of King Edward VII
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
H. S. Dymoke bore the standard of England in Westminster Abbey.
Mr. Charles Dymoke Green was awarded the Bronze Wolf
Bronze Wolf
The Bronze Wolf Award is bestowed by the World Scout Committee to acknowledge "outstanding service by an individual to the World Scout Movement"...
, the only distinction of the World Organization of the Scout Movement
World Organization of the Scout Movement
The World Organization of the Scout Movement is the Non-governmental international organization which governs most national Scout Organizations, with 31 million members. WOSM was established in 1920, and has its headquarters at Geneva, Switzerland...
, awarded by the World Scout Committee for exceptional services to world Scouting, in 1971.
The novelist Anthony Powell
Anthony Powell
Anthony Dymoke Powell CH, CBE was an English novelist best known for his twelve-volume work A Dance to the Music of Time, published between 1951 and 1975....
was a descendant of the family on his mother's side.
The current head of the family is Lieutenant Colonel John Lindley Marmion Dymoke, MBE, 33rd of Scrivelsby and 7th of Tetford
Tetford
Tetford is both a village and a parish in the Lincolnshire Wolds, northeast of Horncastle, south of Louth and northwest of Spilsby. It is in a shallow valley, situated at the bottom of a 98 m high ridge on which runs the Bluestone Heath Road...
(born 1926), who attended the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II as Queen's Champion and Standard Bearer.
External links
- Dimock A family website that discusses the origins of the Dymoke family including exhaustive descriptive accounts of the King's Champions. The website also includes the connection between England and the Dymoke family origins in the United States and Canada.
- Scrivelsby : The Home of the Champions (1893) A complete downloadable copy of Samuel Lodge's book.