Abandoned families - Denny - Contents

Sir Edward Denny, Governor of Kerry and Desmond

Sir Edward Denny (died 1600).
Donated by the 4th Baronet to the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Image used with permission of V&A Images/Victoria and Albert Museum.
This is an 18th century copy of the original.
The 16th century original remains in the Denny family.

Sir Edward Denny, born 1548.
See wikipedia and genealogics and tudorplace.
His father died 1549.
His mother died, and he was orphaned, in 1553.
He was a favourite of Elizabeth I and of Lord Burghley.
He was a friend of Sir Henry Sidney and Sir Philip Sidney and Edmund Spenser.
He went on an expedition to the north of Ireland 1574 under 1st Earl of Essex to suppress rebels and install settlers.
He served against the Spanish. Sailed the Spanish Main (the Spanish possessions in the Caribbean) with his 1st cousins Sir Walter Raleigh and Sir Humphrey Gilbert.
He was sent to Ireland 1580 with Sir Walter Raleigh to suppress the Desmond rebellion (1579-1583).
He served under 14th Baron Grey of Wilton at Smerwick, Co.Kerry, in Nov 1580, when Grey massacred surrendering Papal troops and Irish rebels and their families.
He led a campaign 1581 against the rebellious O'Tooles of Co.Wicklow. He returned to England with the head of their chieftain, Garret O'Toole.

Helped found the British Empire:
He sailed with Sir Humphrey Gilbert in 1583 to claim Newfoundland for England, thus founding the overseas British Empire.

He mar 1583 or early 1584 to Margaret Edgecumbe [born 1560, descendant of Edward I].
See descent in Denny papers.
As a wedding present, Elizabeth I gave them Rectory Manor House, Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire.

Architect of Munster Plantation in Kerry: He was granted 1586 a large part of the Earl of Desmond's forfeited estates after his defeat. He was granted Desmond's chief castle, Tralee Castle, at Tralee, Co.Kerry. Tralee Castle and Tralee town had just been destroyed in the rebellion. Pages 51-52 of [Smith, 1756] show the grant dated at Dublin, 7 Sept, 29 Elizabeth (7 Sept 1587). He served in the Channel fleet against the Spanish Armada in July 1588. He was knighted 26 Oct 1588 by Sir William Fitzwilliam. High Sheriff of County Kerry. Governor of Kerry and Desmond. Helped implement the Munster Plantation. Tralee Castle was in ruins. He apparently lived at Carrignafeela Castle near Tralee. He spent some time in Ireland but returned to England (perhaps in 1598). Tralee was burnt again in an insurrection in 1598. See petition of 1598 from early settlers who had to flee Kerry in the insurrection of 1598.

Sir Edward dies, 1600:
He died 12 Feb 1600 [at the time regarded as end of 1599], age 52 yrs.
He must have died in England.
He was buried 14 Feb 1600 in the chancel at Waltham Abbey, Essex.
Beautiful tomb built 1600 by his wife, with sculptures of him, wife and children.

Margaret stayed in England. She lived for decades after him.
She lived Rectory Manor House, Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire.
She outlived her son (died 1619).
She lived to see her great-grandchildren, who were sent to stay with her for safety during the 1641 Rebellion in Ireland.
She outlived her grandson (died 1646).

Margaret dies, 1648:
She died 24 Apr 1648, age 88 yrs.
She was bur in chancel of St. Michael's church, Bishop's Stortford. See street view.
Though there is an effigy of her on husband's tomb at Waltham Abbey, Essex.
Sir Edward and Margaret had issue:

1. Sir Arthur Denny,
   of Co.Kerry, born 1584, eldest son,
   sometimes written as Edward, but that may be an error.

Margaret Edgecumbe.
Would be later in life (early to mid 1600s).
Donated by the 4th Baronet to the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Image used with permission of V&A Images/Victoria and Albert Museum.
The Victoria and Albert Museum catalogue thinks this is a later ("possibly 18th century") copy of the 17th century original.
The Denny family has a copy of the portrait, which is definitely an 18th century copy.
It is not known where the original is.

Margaret Edgecumbe.
Portrait c.1640.
This was found about 1840 in Bishop's Stortford church tower. Eventually bought by 7th Baronet in 1918.
Now in possession of Denny family.
See larger and full size.

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Rectory Manor House, Bishop's Stortford

Rectory Manor House, at Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire.
Also called "Bishop's Stortford Manor" or "Stortford Manor House".
Granted to Sir Edward Denny and Margaret Edgecumbe 1583-84.
Sir Edward Denny died 1600.
His widow Margaret lived at Rectory Manor House for decades.
During the 1641 Rebellion in Ireland, Margaret's grandson Sir Edward Denny sent his wife and children to live with his grandmother (the children's great-grandmother) in England at Bishop's Stortford for safety.
Margaret's great-grandchildren who were sent to Bishop's Stortford included Elizabeth Denny (born 1635).
Margaret Edgecumbe died 1648.
The house survives.
Now called "Church Manor House".

Rectory Manor House is the "Parsonage" here to the NE side of Bishop's Stortford.
From old map. Surveyed: 1874 to 1879. Published: 1880 to 1883.
See close-up.

Rectory Manor House ("Church Manor House").
Drag to rotate. From Google street view.
See 2015 screenshot.

The stables of Church Manor House (opposite the house) are now converted to living accomodation called Glebe Court.
From street view.

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Sources yet to be consulted

• Edward Denny in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1558-1603, ed. P.W. Hasler, 1981.
• "Biography of Sir Edward Denny" by Sir Henry Denny, 7th Baronet. Transactions of the East Hertfordshire Archaeological Society, vol.2 (1904), pp.247-260.

• "Manor of the Rectory, Bishop's Stortford, Herts, and its owners", by Sir Henry Denny, 7th Baronet, [MGH] 4th Series, vol.5, pp.367-77 (1913). [RIA] MR/26/Q/19a.
  • See p.367 and p.368 and p.369 and p.370 and p.371 and p.372 and p.373 and p.374 and p.375 and p.376 and p.377.

• Letter of 1580 from Sir Philip Sidney to his friend Edward Denny.
  • Letter dated Whitsunday 1580 (Sun 22 May 1580). Sidney writes from his sister's house, Wilton House. He sends regards to Denny from his sister and her husband the 2nd Earl of Pembroke.
  • The letter does not survive.
  • There is a copy dated c.1599-1601, made by John Mansell. Now in Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Don.d.152, fols. 3-4.
  • See article: "An Elizabethan reading-list: An unpublished letter from Sir Philip Sidney", John Buxton, The Times Literary Supplement, 24 Mar 1972. See p.343 top and p.343 bottom and p.344.

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• Bishop's Stortford and Thorley - A history and guide
  • contents
  • Rectory Manor House
  • The Dennys

• Denny sausages:
  • Denny's sausage company was founded by Henry Denny (unidentified) in Waterford in 1820.
  • Henry Denny and Sons Ltd, Tralee, Co.Kerry, founded 1824.
  • Henry Denny was Mayor Of Waterford 1854-55.
  • Henry Denny is buried in the vault in the Abbey Church, Waterford. His youngest son Edward Denny died in 1905.
  • Denny's sausages are purchased by a girl in Joyce's Ulysses (1922). See p.59 of Modern Library edn.
  • Henry Denny and Sons Ltd of Tralee was acquired by Kerry Group 1982.