Henry Danvers, 1st Earl of Danby
Encyclopedia
Henry Danvers, 1st Earl of Danby, KG
(28 June 1573–20 January 1643) was an English soldier. Outlawed after a killing, he regained favour and became a Knight of the Garter.
, of Dauntsey
, Wiltshire
, by his wife Elizabeth Nevill
, the youngest daughter and coheiress of John Nevill, 4th Baron Latymer. He was born at Dauntsey on 28 June 1573, and at an early age became a page to Sir Philip Sidney, whom he accompanied to the Low Countries, and was probably present at the battle of Zutphen
in 1586. After his master's death he served as a volunteer under Maurice, Count of Nassau, who appointed him at the age of eighteen to the command of a company of infantry. Danvers took part in the siege of Rouen
in 1591, and was there knighted for his services in the field by Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex
, in command of the expedition.
His father died on 19 December 1593, and on 4 October 1594 the murder of Henry Long, son of Robert Long
, was committed. A feud had existed between these two county families for some time past. According to one account, Henry Long was dining in the middle of the day with a party of friends in Corsham
, when Danvers, followed by his brother Charles
and a number of retainers, burst into the room, and shot Long dead on the spot. The brothers then fled on horseback to Whitley Lodge, near Titchfield
, the seat of Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton
. With Southampton's assistance they succeeded after some days in making their way out of the country. A coroner's inquisition was held, and the brothers were outlawed. Another version of the story asserted that Henry Long was killed by Sir Henry Danvers in defending his brother Sir Charles against Long and his company.
The brothers joined the French army, and became known to Henry IV of France
for their conspicuous bravery. In 1597, Henry Danvers served under Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Nottingham
, apparently as a captain of a man-of-war in the expedition of that year to the coast of Spain.
After Henry IV had interceded with Elizabeth I
, and Gilbert Talbot, 7th Earl of Shrewsbury
with Sir Robert Cecil, the brothers were pardoned on 30 June 1598, and they returned to England in the following August; but it was not until 1604 that the coroner's indictment was found bad on a technical ground and the outlawry reversed. Henry was, soon after his return, employed in Ireland under the Earl of Essex, and Charles Blount, 8th Baron Mountjoy, successive lords-lieutenant of Ireland. In September 1599 he was appointed lieutenant-general of the horse, in July 1601 governor of Armagh, and in July 1602 sergeant-major-general of the army in Ireland. By James I
he was created Baron Danvers of Dauntsey, Wiltshire, in 1603 for service at Kinsale
in Ireland, and two years afterwards was restored in blood as heir to his father, notwithstanding the attainder
of his elder brother Charles, who had been beheaded in 1601 for his share in Essex's insurrection.
On 14 November 1607, Danvers was appointed lord president of Munster
, a post which he retained until 1615, when he sold it to Donogh O'Brien, 4th Earl of Thomond
. On 15 June 1613 he obtained the grant in reversion of the office of keeper of St. James's Palace
, and on 23 March 1621 he was made governor of the isle of Guernsey for life.
By Charles I
he was created Earl of Danby on 5 February 1626, and on 20 July 1628 was sworn a member of the privy council. In 1630, Danby succeeded to the estates of his mother, who after her first husband's death had married Sir Edmund Cary. He was made a councillor of Wales on 12 May 1633, and was installed a knight of the Garter on 7 November in the same year. He was included in a number of commissions by Charles I, formed one of the council of war appointed on 17 June 1637, and acted as commissioner of the regency from 9 August to 25 November 1641. He never married, and upon his death the barony of Danvers and the earldom of Danby became extinct.
Towards the close of his life he suffered from bad health and lived principally in the country. He died at his house in Cornbury Park
, Oxfordshire
, on 20 January 1644, and was buried in Dauntsey Church, where there is a monument of white marble to his memory. On the east side of the monument are lines written by his kinsman, George Herbert
, who paid a long visit at Dauntsey in 1629. As Herbert died in 1633, the epitaph must have been written many years before Danby's death.
On 12 March 1622 he conveyed to the university of Oxford five acres of land, opposite Magdalen College
, which had formerly served as a Jewish cemetery
, for the encouragement of the study of physic and botany. He had the ground raised and enclosed within a high wall. The gateway of the Oxford Botanic Garden, designed by Nicholas Stone
, a master mason who frequently worked with Inigo Jones
, still bears the following inscription, 'Gloriae Dei Opt. Max. Honori Caroli Regis, in usum Acad. et Reipub. Henricus comes Danby DD. MDCXXXII.' By his will he left the rectory of Kirkdale
in Yorkshire
towards the maintenance of the gardens.
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
(28 June 1573–20 January 1643) was an English soldier. Outlawed after a killing, he regained favour and became a Knight of the Garter.
Life
He was the second son of Sir John Danvers, Knt.Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
, of Dauntsey
Dauntsey
Dauntsey is a small village in the county of Wiltshire in England. It gives its name to the Dauntsey Vale in which it lies and takes its name from Saxon for Dantes- eig, or Dante's island...
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, by his wife Elizabeth Nevill
Elizabeth Danvers
Elizabeth Danvers née Neville, later Elizabeth Carey by remarriage was a learnéd English noblewoman...
, the youngest daughter and coheiress of John Nevill, 4th Baron Latymer. He was born at Dauntsey on 28 June 1573, and at an early age became a page to Sir Philip Sidney, whom he accompanied to the Low Countries, and was probably present at the battle of Zutphen
Battle of Zutphen
The Battle of Zutphen was a confrontation of the Eighty Years' War on 22 September 1586, near Zutphen , the Netherlands. It was fought between forces of the United Provinces of the Netherlands, aided by the English, against the Spanish, who sought to regain the northern Netherlands.Important...
in 1586. After his master's death he served as a volunteer under Maurice, Count of Nassau, who appointed him at the age of eighteen to the command of a company of infantry. Danvers took part in the siege of Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
in 1591, and was there knighted for his services in the field by Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, KG was an English nobleman and a favourite of Elizabeth I. Politically ambitious, and a committed general, he was placed under house arrest following a poor campaign in Ireland during the Nine Years' War in 1599...
, in command of the expedition.
His father died on 19 December 1593, and on 4 October 1594 the murder of Henry Long, son of Robert Long
Robert Long (soldier)
Sir Robert Long was born in Wiltshire, eldest surviving son and heir of Sir Henry Long of Draycot, and his wife Eleanor Wrottesley....
, was committed. A feud had existed between these two county families for some time past. According to one account, Henry Long was dining in the middle of the day with a party of friends in Corsham
Corsham
Corsham is a historic market town and civil parish in north west Wiltshire, England. It is at the south western extreme of the Cotswolds, just off the A4 which was formerly the main turnpike road from London to Bristol, between Bath and Chippenham ....
, when Danvers, followed by his brother Charles
Charles Danvers
Sir Charles Danvers , was an English soldier who plotted against Elizabeth I of England.He was born the eldest son of Sir John Danvers of Dauntsey, Wiltshire and Elizabeth, fourth daughter and coheiress of John Neville, Baron Latimer...
and a number of retainers, burst into the room, and shot Long dead on the spot. The brothers then fled on horseback to Whitley Lodge, near Titchfield
Titchfield
Titchfield is a village in southern Hampshire, by the River Meon. The village has a history stretching back to the 6th century. During the medieval period, the village operated a small port and market...
, the seat of Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton
Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton
Henry Wriothesley , 3rd Earl of Southampton , was the second son of Henry Wriothesley, 2nd Earl of Southampton, and his wife Mary Browne, Countess of Southampton, daughter of the 1st Viscount Montagu...
. With Southampton's assistance they succeeded after some days in making their way out of the country. A coroner's inquisition was held, and the brothers were outlawed. Another version of the story asserted that Henry Long was killed by Sir Henry Danvers in defending his brother Sir Charles against Long and his company.
The brothers joined the French army, and became known to Henry IV of France
Henry IV of France
Henry IV , Henri-Quatre, was King of France from 1589 to 1610 and King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. He was the first monarch of the Bourbon branch of the Capetian dynasty in France....
for their conspicuous bravery. In 1597, Henry Danvers served under Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Nottingham
Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Nottingham
Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Nottingham , known as Howard of Effingham, was an English statesman and Lord High Admiral under Elizabeth I and James I...
, apparently as a captain of a man-of-war in the expedition of that year to the coast of Spain.
After Henry IV had interceded with Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
, and Gilbert Talbot, 7th Earl of Shrewsbury
Gilbert Talbot, 7th Earl of Shrewsbury
Gilbert Talbot, 7th Earl of Shrewsbury, 7th Earl of Waterford, KG was was a peer in the peerage of England.He was the eldest surviving son of George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury, by the latter's first marriage to Gertrude Manners, daughter of the first Earl of Rutland.In 1568, Gilbert was...
with Sir Robert Cecil, the brothers were pardoned on 30 June 1598, and they returned to England in the following August; but it was not until 1604 that the coroner's indictment was found bad on a technical ground and the outlawry reversed. Henry was, soon after his return, employed in Ireland under the Earl of Essex, and Charles Blount, 8th Baron Mountjoy, successive lords-lieutenant of Ireland. In September 1599 he was appointed lieutenant-general of the horse, in July 1601 governor of Armagh, and in July 1602 sergeant-major-general of the army in Ireland. By James I
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
he was created Baron Danvers of Dauntsey, Wiltshire, in 1603 for service at Kinsale
Kinsale
Kinsale is a town in County Cork, Ireland. Located some 25 km south of Cork City on the coast near the Old Head of Kinsale, it sits at the mouth of the River Bandon and has a population of 2,257 which increases substantially during the summer months when the tourist season is at its peak and...
in Ireland, and two years afterwards was restored in blood as heir to his father, notwithstanding the attainder
Attainder
In English criminal law, attainder or attinctura is the metaphorical 'stain' or 'corruption of blood' which arises from being condemned for a serious capital crime . It entails losing not only one's property and hereditary titles, but typically also the right to pass them on to one's heirs...
of his elder brother Charles, who had been beheaded in 1601 for his share in Essex's insurrection.
On 14 November 1607, Danvers was appointed lord president of Munster
Lord President of Munster
The post of Lord President of Munster was the most important office in the English government of the Irish province of Munster from its introduction in the Elizabethan era for a century, to 1672, a period including the Desmond Rebellions in Munster, the Nine Years' War, and the Irish Rebellion of...
, a post which he retained until 1615, when he sold it to Donogh O'Brien, 4th Earl of Thomond
Donogh O'Brien, 4th Earl of Thomond
Donogh O'Brien, 4th Earl of Thomond and Baron of Ibrickan was an Irish nobleman and soldier noted for his loyalty to the English Crown...
. On 15 June 1613 he obtained the grant in reversion of the office of keeper of St. James's Palace
St. James's Palace
St. James's Palace is one of London's oldest palaces. It is situated in Pall Mall, just north of St. James's Park. Although no sovereign has resided there for almost two centuries, it has remained the official residence of the Sovereign and the most senior royal palace in the UK...
, and on 23 March 1621 he was made governor of the isle of Guernsey for life.
By Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
he was created Earl of Danby on 5 February 1626, and on 20 July 1628 was sworn a member of the privy council. In 1630, Danby succeeded to the estates of his mother, who after her first husband's death had married Sir Edmund Cary. He was made a councillor of Wales on 12 May 1633, and was installed a knight of the Garter on 7 November in the same year. He was included in a number of commissions by Charles I, formed one of the council of war appointed on 17 June 1637, and acted as commissioner of the regency from 9 August to 25 November 1641. He never married, and upon his death the barony of Danvers and the earldom of Danby became extinct.
Towards the close of his life he suffered from bad health and lived principally in the country. He died at his house in Cornbury Park
Cornbury Park
Cornbury Park was a former Royal estate used for hunting. It is located near the Wychwood forest in Oxfordshire. A two story, eleven bay 17th century house stands in the grounds.-History:...
, Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, on 20 January 1644, and was buried in Dauntsey Church, where there is a monument of white marble to his memory. On the east side of the monument are lines written by his kinsman, George Herbert
George Herbert
George Herbert was a Welsh born English poet, orator and Anglican priest.Being born into an artistic and wealthy family, he received a good education that led to his holding prominent positions at Cambridge University and Parliament. As a student at Trinity College, Cambridge, Herbert excelled in...
, who paid a long visit at Dauntsey in 1629. As Herbert died in 1633, the epitaph must have been written many years before Danby's death.
On 12 March 1622 he conveyed to the university of Oxford five acres of land, opposite Magdalen College
Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...
, which had formerly served as a Jewish cemetery
Jewish cemetery
A Jewish cemetery is a cemetery where members of the Jewish faith are buried in keeping with Jewish tradition....
, for the encouragement of the study of physic and botany. He had the ground raised and enclosed within a high wall. The gateway of the Oxford Botanic Garden, designed by Nicholas Stone
Nicholas Stone
Nicholas Stone was an English sculptor and architect. In 1619 he was appointed master-mason to James I, and in 1626 to Charles I....
, a master mason who frequently worked with Inigo Jones
Inigo Jones
Inigo Jones is the first significant British architect of the modern period, and the first to bring Italianate Renaissance architecture to England...
, still bears the following inscription, 'Gloriae Dei Opt. Max. Honori Caroli Regis, in usum Acad. et Reipub. Henricus comes Danby DD. MDCXXXII.' By his will he left the rectory of Kirkdale
Kirkdale
Kirkdale is the name of several places in the United Kingdom:*Kirkdale, Merseyside, an area of Liverpool, England**Kirkdale **Kirkdale *Kirkdale, North Yorkshire, England...
in Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
towards the maintenance of the gardens.