Sir Charles Danvers (c. 1568 – 1601), was an English MP and soldier who plotted against
Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was List of English monarchs, Queen of England and List of Irish monarchs, Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is ...
of England.
Early life
He was born the eldest son of Sir John Danvers of
Dauntsey
Dauntsey is a small village and civil parish in the county of Wiltshire, 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. It is set on slightly higher ground in ...
, Wiltshire and
Elizabeth
Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to:
People
* Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name)
* Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist
Ships
* HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships
* ''Elisabeth'' (sch ...
, fourth daughter and coheiress of John Neville, Baron Latimer. He travelled abroad and then studied at Oxford University and the Inner Temple. He was elected as the MP for
Cirencester
Cirencester (, ; see below for more variations) is a market town in Gloucestershire, England, west of London. Cirencester lies on the River Churn, a tributary of the River Thames, and is the largest town in the Cotswolds. It is the home of ...
in 1586 and 1589 and knighted in 1588.
Conflict with Henry Long
On 4 October 1594 his younger brother,
Henry Danvers, shot Henry Long, brother of
Sir Walter Long, in the course of a local feud. According to their mother's version of events, her husband, Sir John Danvers, in his capacity as a justice of the peace, had learned of two robberies and a murder committed by the servants of Sir Walter Long. Sir Walter, his brothers and his followers had then turned against Danvers, and members of the Long faction had murdered one of Sir John Danvers' men and committed a number of other outrages. Letters were exchanged between members of the Danvers and Long families, and in a letter to Sir Charles Danvers, Henry Long threatened to whip him, and called him 'Asse, Puppie, ffoole & Boy'. Sir Charles and others sought out Henry Long at an inn, and cudgelled him, but found the door locked when they were ready to leave. Long drew his sword against Sir Charles, dangerously wounding him, and Sir Henry Danvers shot Long. The Danvers brothers fled to
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. Near to the village are the ruins of Titc ...
, where their friend,
Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton
Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton, (pronunciation uncertain: "Rezley", "Rizely" (archaic), (present-day) and have been suggested; 6 October 1573 – 10 November 1624) was the only son of Henry Wriothesley, 2nd Earl of S ...
, sheltered them. They were outlawed, and eventually escaped to the continent where they took refuge at the court of
King Henri IV
Henry IV (french: Henri IV; 13 December 1553 – 14 May 1610), also known by the epithets Good King Henry or Henry the Great, was King of Navarre (as Henry III) from 1572 and King of France from 1589 to 1610. He was the first monarc ...
.
The disaster which had befallen his sons may have hastened the death of Sir John Danvers, who died only two months later, on 19 December 1594. In 1598 the widowed Lady Danvers married Sir Edmund Carey (c.1557-12 September 1637), son of
Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon
Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon KG PC (4 March 1526 – 23 July 1596), was an English nobleman and courtier. He was the patron of the Lord Chamberlain's Men, William Shakespeare's playing company. The son of Mary Boleyn, he was a cousin of E ...
, a cousin of Queen Elizabeth. It was generally considered she did so in order to obtain a pardon for her sons. Other efforts were made on their behalf as well, and at the end of June 1598
Queen Elizabeth relented, and pardoned both the Danvers brothers on condition that they pay Sir Walter Long £1500 damages for the murder of his brother. On 30 August 1598
John Chamberlain noted that Sir Charles and Sir Henry Danvers had arrived in London.
Later life and execution
In 1599, Charles went to Ireland as a member of one of the largest expeditionary forces ever sent to the country. He became a friend of its leader, the
Earl of Essex
Earl of Essex is a title in the Peerage of England which was first created in the 12th century by King Stephen of England. The title has been recreated eight times from its original inception, beginning with a new first Earl upon each new cre ...
. In February 1601 he took part in
Essex' short-lived rebellion. He offered to pay £10,000 for his life, but to no avail. He was convicted of treason, and beheaded on
Tower Hill
Tower Hill is the area surrounding the Tower of London in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is infamous for the public execution of high status prisoners from the late 14th to the mid 18th century. The execution site on the higher gro ...
for treason on 18 March 1601. Executed with him was his fellow conspirator, Sir
Christopher Blount
Sir Christopher Blount (1555/1556Hammer 2008 – 18 March 1601) was an English soldier, secret agent, and rebel. He served as a leading household officer of Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester. A Catholic, Blount corresponded with Mary, Queen of ...
.
[ Dictionary of National Biography, ''Charles Danvers'']
Notes
References
*
*
History of Parliament-DANVERS, Charles (?1568-1601), of Dauntsey, Wilts.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Danvers, Charles
1560s births
1601 deaths
17th-century English soldiers
People executed under the Tudors for treason against England
Charles
16th-century English soldiers
17th-century soldiers
Executed people from Wiltshire
17th-century executions by England
English MPs 1586–1587
English MPs 1589
People executed by Tudor England by decapitation
People executed under Elizabeth I
English politicians convicted of crimes