Martha Denny (1505 – 9 January 1572) was an English Catholic recusant, sent to prison in 1562 for having attended mass. Her husband was Sir

Wymond Carew Sir Wymond Carew (by 1493–1549) was a sixteenth-century courtier and politician. Carew was born by 1493, the son of John Carew of Antony in Cornwall. He was the treasurer of the household for Henry VIII's sixth wife, Catherine Parr. In Decemb ...

, by whom she had either 16 or 19 children, including lawyer Sir

Matthew Carew Sir Matthew Carew (died 1618) was an English lawyer. Life He was a younger son, the tenth of either 16 or 19 children, of Sir Wymond Carew of Antony, Cornwall, treasurer of the first-fruits and tenths, by Martha Denny, sister of Sir Anthony Denny ...

Family and marriage

Martha was born in 1505, the daughter of Sir Edmund Denny, Chief

Baron of the Exchequer The Barons of the Exchequer, or ''barones scaccarii'', were the judges of the English court known as the Exchequer of Pleas. The Barons consisted of a Chief Baron of the Exchequer and several puisne (''inferior'') barons. When Robert Shute was a ...

, and Mary Troutbeck. Her brother was

Sir Anthony Denny Sir Anthony Denny (16 January 1501 – 10 September 1549) was Groom of the Stool to King Henry VIII of England, thus his closest courtier and confidant. He was the most prominent member of the Privy chamber in King Henry's last years, havin ...

, a leading member of the Privy Chamber, and a confidant of King Henry VIII of England. On an unknown date she married Sir Wymond Carew of Antony, Cornwall, by whom she had 16 or 19 children (varying sources), an unknown number of whom survived to adulthood, including: * Thomas Carew (1527 – 12 February 1565) * Roger Carew * George Carew * John Carew *

Sir Matthew Carew Sir Matthew Carew (died 1618) was an English lawyer. Life He was a younger son, the tenth of either 16 or 19 children, of Sir Wymond Carew of Antony, Cornwall, treasurer of the first-fruits and tenths, by Martha Denny, sister of Sir Anthony Denny ...

(1531–1618), lawyer; married Alice Rivers, by whom he had issue. * Anthony Carew * Harvey Carew * Prudence Carew married Anthony Brugge or Bridges of West Ham. Anthony was the son of Giles Brugge of West Ham (d. 1557) and Helianor Robbins and grandson of Sir John Brugge (or Bruges), Alderman, Draper and Lord Mayor of London, 1520–1521. * Temperance Carew (1537 – 9 October 1577) * Elizabeth Carew (died March 1578/1579) married George Dacres of Cheshunt (1534 -30 September 1580) Sir Wymond was the treasurer of King Henry's fourth wife, Anne of Cleves. The Carews lived in extravagant style at their residences in Bletchingley,

Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...

Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is one of the home counties in southern England. It borders Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the north, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south, and Buckinghamshire to the west. For govern ...

, and Hackney. When her husband died on 22 August 1549, Martha was left with debts totalling £8,000. As she was unable to pay what was in the 16th century a large sum of money, the manor at Hackney as well as other lands passed to the Crown in 1554.

Recusancy

Following the loss of her home at Hackney, Denny moved to London, where on 8 September 1562, she was arrested for having attended a Roman Catholic mass. After being tried and convicted, she refused to pay the required fine of marks and was sent to prison for six months. On 4 April 1568, she was arrested a second time for the same offence; this time, however, she received a pardon from Queen Elizabeth.Emerson Martha Denny died on 9 January 1572.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Denny, Martha 1505 births 1572 deaths English Roman Catholics 16th-century English women 16th-century Roman Catholics Martha Martha Wives of knights