Sir Robert Denys, MP, of Holcombe

DENYS, Robert (by 1530-92), of Holcombe Burnel and Bicton, Devon.

Family and Education

b. by 1530, 1st s. of Sir Thomas Denys by 2nd w. m. (1) by 4 Apr. 1552, Mary, da. of William Blount, 4th Lord Mountjoy, 2da.; (2) by 12 Oct. 1555, Margaret, da. of (Sir) William Godolphin of Godolphin, Cornw. at least 3s. inc. Sir Thomas† 4da. Kntd. by 16 Nov. 1557, suc. fa. 18 Feb. 1561.1

Offices Held

• Feodary, duchy of Lancaster, Devon 1556-10 Dec. 1566, 7 Dec. 1568-27 July 1590; sheriff, Devon 1557-8, 1567-8; j.p. 1558/59-d.; recorder, Exeter 1572-d.2
• founder of the Livery Dole Almshouses in Exeter, Devon, England

Biography

History of Parliament Online

Family

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Dennis_(died_1592)_

Robert Dennis was the eldest son of Sir Thomas Denys (c. 1477 – 1561) of Holcombe Burnell and his 2nd wife, Elizabeth Donne, a daughter of Sir Angel Donne,[2] an Alderman of London, by his wife Anne Hawarden (alias Hawardine), of Cheshire, and widow of Sir Thomas Murfyn,[2] Lord Mayor of London
. Dennis married twice. His first marriage was some time before 4 April 1552 to Mary Blount, the second daughter of William Blount, 4th Baron Mountjoy,[3] and first cousin to Lady Jane Grey, the Nine Day Queen of England.[a] Their children were:

1. Anne Dennis, wife of Sir John Chichester (died 1586) of Raleigh in the parish of Pilton, North Devon, Sheriff of Devon in 1585 and elder brother of Edward Chichester, 1st Viscount Chichester, of Eggesford, Devon. Her grandson was Sir John Chichester, 1st Baronet (died 1667).[4]
2. Gertrude Dennis, who married firstly (as his second wife) John Arundell (died 1580) of Trerice, Cornwall, Member of Parliament for Mitchell, Cornwall, in 1555 and 1558, and High Sheriff of Cornwall in 1573–1574. She married secondly Edward Parker, 12th Baron Morley (c. 1550 – 1618)[5] of Norfolk.

His second marriage, at some time before 12 October 1555, was to Margaret Godolphin, a daughter and co-heiress[6] of Sir William Godolphin of Godolphin in Cornwall. By her he had three sons and five daughters including:[5]

1. Sir Thomas Denys, eldest son and heir, who married Anne Paulet, daughter of William Paulet, 3rd Marquess of Winchester,[5] but died without male children leaving two daughters and co-heiresses:
2. Anne Denys, heiress of Bicton, who married Sir Henry Rolle (died 1616) of Stevenstone in Devon, an ancestor of John Rolle, 1st Baron Rolle (died 1842) and Barons Clinton, the latter of whom restored Livery Dole after the World War II bomb damage. The manors of Bicton, Littleham, Exmouth and East Budleigh passed thereupon to the Rolle family, with whose descendant Baron Clinton, much remains today in 2015, held by Clinton Devon Estates.[7]
3. Margaret Denys (died 1632), heiress of Holcombe Burnell. In 1613 she married Sir Arthur Mainwaring of Ightfield, Shropshire, who was Carver to Prince Henry, the eldest son of King James I.[8] He sold Holcombe Burnell.[6] Their other children included
4. Arthur;
5. James;
6. Elizabeth, who was the wife successively of John Stewer, Sir Thomas Acton and Gilbert Blackaller;
7. Margaret;
8. Jane, who married Sir ... Fowks;
9. (died 1655), who married William Drake (died 1625) of Wiscomb; and
10. Mary, who died childless.[5]

Links

• wikipedia.org
• 5. Vivian, Lt.Col. J.L., (Ed.) The Visitations of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620. Exeter, 1895.