10^th Great Grandfather – FFFMFFMFMFFF¹

William Dawtrey’s father was Henry Dawtrey of Petworth.

Henry Dawtrey was born in 1579 to William Dawtrey and Dorothy (nee Stonely) Dawtrey. He was baptised in Doddinghurst, Essex on Trinity Sunday (14^th June) 1579². Doddinghurst was his mother’s home and it was through his mother, Dorothy Stonely, the daughter of Richard Stonely, MP³ that the Dawtrey’s acquired their Essex estates.

Henry was educated at Oriel College, Oxford, where he matriculated on 23^rd July 1596⁴ and in 1607 he was admitted to Lincoln’s Inn (see “Lincoln’s Inn” (2024)) as a barrister at law.

Sometime before 1620 he married Anne Dunne⁵, daughter of Sir Daniel Dunne of Theydon Garnon in Essex. Daniel Dunne was a Member of Parliament and Judge of the Admiralty Court⁶.

Henry and Anne had 3 children, the first was a son Henry, who was baptised at Petworth in Sussex on 30^th April 1621⁷. Henry followed his father to Oxford and Lincoln’s Inn⁸.

Next was Dorothy, named after Henry’s mother, who was baptised at Petworth 5^th January 1623/24⁹. Dorothy went on to marry Anthony Luther of Doddingurst. Anthony Luther was a first cousin of Richard Luther of Kelvedon Hatch.

Henry and Anne’s last child was my 9^th great grandfather William Dawtrey who was baptised at Petworth on 1^st January 1624/25¹⁰

Henry’s wife Anne died within 2 months of William’s birth and was buried at Petworth on 25^th February 1624¹¹

On 27^th September 1630, Henry was knighted by King Charles I at Hampton Court¹², and later that same year Henry remarried, to Elizabeth Kelloway on 10^th January 1630/31 at Pulborough in Sussex¹³. Pulborough is a neighbouring parish to Petworth. West Sussex Record Office has a copy of the Marriage Settlelment dated 1^st December 1630¹⁴, where Henry covenants six pieces of property for the use of his new wife for her life and after her decease for his heirs.

Henry and Elizabeth had a son, John, who was baptised at Petworth on 21^st March 1633/34¹⁵.

In 1640 Henry was one of the Commissioners for Sussex appointed to collect the Subsidies imposed by an Act of Parliament for the further relief of His Majesties Army and the Northern parts of the Kingdom¹⁶.

Henry died in 1646 and was buried in the family tomb in the chancel of Petworth Parish Church on 30^th May 1646¹⁷. In his will¹⁸ he leaves most of his estate to his oldest son Henry, with significant legacies to each of the children of his first wife, William and Dorothy, as well as making provision for his widow and his youngest son, John.

He makes it clear in his will that his son Henry must provide legacies to both William and Dorothy on pain of losing his own inheritance. Whether this was just a standard legal clause or was warranted is not clear

While I have not been able to confirm when he died, Henry, the son, must have died fairly soon after as it is clear from William’s own will¹⁹ as well as from leases²⁰ from that time that William had inherited his father’s estate.

His widow died in 1679 and she was buried with her husband on 19^th” January 1679/80 in the chancel of Petworth church²¹. In her will²² Elizabeth gives her interest in the Real Estate to her step-son William (who actually died before her by a few weeks) and his heirs, as required by Henry’s will. Most of her Personal Estate she gave to various friends and servants.

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