# Thomas Denys

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English administrator and politician

The Honourable Thomas Denys Kt. Arms of Denys of Holcombe Burnel & Bicton, Devon: Ermine, three battle-axes gules Member of Parliament for Devon In office 1529 – 1536, 1539–1540, 1553 Personal details Born c. 1477 Holcombe Burnell, Devon Died 18 February 1561 (aged 83–84) Spouse(s) Anne, widow of Thomas Warley Elizabeth Donne Children with Elizabeth: Sir Robert Denys George Dennis Edward Dennis Walter Dennis Gabriel Dennis Margaret Dennis and others ... Parent(s) Thomas Denys Janera Loveday

Sir **Thomas Denys** (c. 1477 – 18 February 1561) of [Holcombe Burnell](/source/Holcombe_Burnell), near Exeter, Devon, was a prominent lawyer who served as [Sheriff of Devon](/source/High_Sheriff_of_Devon) nine times between 1507/8 to 1553/4 and as [MP](/source/Member_of_Parliament) for [Devon](/source/Devon_(UK_Parliament_constituency)). He acquired large estates in Devon at the [Dissolution of the Monasteries](/source/Dissolution_of_the_Monasteries).

## Origins

He was the son and heir of Sir Thomas Denys (died 1498) of Holcombe Burnell by his wife Janera Loveday, daughter of Philip Loveday of Sneston in Suffolk.[1]

## Career

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He served twice as [Recorder of Exeter](/source/Recorder_of_Exeter), 1514–1544 and September 1551 to his death.[1] Sir Thomas is notorious as having supervised in Exeter, in his capacity as Sheriff of Devon or as Recorder of Exeter, the burning at the stake of the Protestant martyr [Thomas Benet](/source/Thomas_Benet_(martyr)) in January 1531/32.[1] The burning took place outside the eastern side of the city walls, near the [Livery Dole](/source/Livery_Dole) where, in 1592, his son, [Sir Robert Dennis](/source/Robert_Dennis_(died_1592)), commenced the building of an [almshouse](/source/Almshouse), possibly an act of atonement for his father's action.

In April 1558 he was commissioned to command the [Militia](/source/Devon_Trained_Bands) of the [City of Exeter](/source/Exeter) and neighbouring [Hundreds](/source/Hundred_(county_division)) of Devonshire.[2]

## Lands acquired

- Royal grant 11 February 1539. The following grant from King Henry VIII dated 11 February 1539 was made to Thomas Denys of Holcombe Burnell, Knt. for £1,127 3s 4d:

- - *"the Manors of [Litlam](/source/Littleham) alias Littelham and [Exmouthe](/source/Exmouth) belonging to the late [Monastery of Shirbourne](/source/Sherborne_Abbey), Dorset, in as full manner as the last Abbot held the same; also the messuage formerly in the tenure of Katherine Lytton in the parish of St. Peter-the-Less, in the ward of [Beynardes Castell](/source/Baynard's_Castle) in London; which messuage lately belonged to the late [Monastery of Croxden](/source/Croxden_Abbey), Staffs. and is worth 26s 8d per year. Also the [hundred](/source/Hundred_(county_division)) of Budlegh alias [East Budleigh](/source/East_Budleigh) which came to the King's hands by the attainder of [Henry Courteney, late Marquis of Exeter](/source/Henry_Courtenay%2C_1st_Marquess_of_Exeter). To hold by the following yearly rent, viz: for the Manors of Litlam and Exmouth, £6 3s 10d; for the messuage in London 2s 8d, the hundred of East Budleigh to be held by the 20th part of a [knight's fee](/source/Knight's_fee) without any rent"*.

- His later heir [Henry Rolle](/source/Henry_Rolle%2C_1st_Baron_Rolle) (1708–1750), later 1st [Baron Rolle](/source/Baron_Rolle), of [Stevenstone](/source/Stevenstone) obtained an [inspeximus](/source/Inspeximus) of this grant from King George II in 1731, immediately on coming into his inheritance following his father's death in 1730.[3]

- [St Nicholas' Priory, Exeter](/source/St_Nicholas'_Priory%2C_Exeter), granted 25 June 1541, following Dissolution.[4]

- [Buckfast Abbey](/source/Buckfast_Abbey), Devon[5][6]

## Marriages and children

He married twice; firstly, before 1506, to Anne, widow of Thomas Warley (*alias* Waley) and of Thomas Wood of London.[1]

He married, secondly, in 1524, Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Angel Donne of London, and Anne Hawarden (*alias* Hawardine), of [Cheshire](/source/Cheshire), and widow of [Thomas Murfyn](/source/Thomas_Murfyn),[1] an alderman and former [Lord Mayor of London](/source/Lord_Mayor_of_London).[1][7] By March 1534 his stepdaughter, Frances Murfyn, had married, [Thomas Cromwell](/source/Thomas_Cromwell)'s nephew, [Richard](/source/Richard_Williams_(alias_Cromwell)).[8][9] His wife's brother, [Gabriel Donne](/source/Gabriel_Donne) (died 1558), was the last Abbot of [Buckfast Abbey](/source/Buckfast_Abbey) in Devon, who in 1539 on the [Dissolution of the Monasteries](/source/Dissolution_of_the_Monasteries) surrendered his abbey to Sir [William Petre](/source/William_Petre), as agent for King Henry VIII and was rewarded with a large annual pension of £120. The site of the abbey was granted by the king to Dennis, the Abbot's brother-in-law.[5][6][10]

By his second wife he had five sons and three daughters, including:[1][11]

- Sir [Robert Denys](/source/Robert_Denys) (died 1592), his eldest son, was MP for Devon in 1555 and Sheriff of Devon, who acquired the manor of [Bicton](/source/Bicton%2C_Devon), on the other side of Exeter (i.e. the eastern side) to Holcombe Burnell. It is likely that the Easter Sepulchre in the church is his tomb and monument.[12]

- George Dennis

- Edward Dennis

- Walter Dennis

- Gabriel Dennis

- Margaret Dennis, married George Kirkham of Blackden in Devon.

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKirk_&_Hawkyard1982_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKirk_&_Hawkyard1982_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKirk_&_Hawkyard1982_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKirk_&_Hawkyard1982_1-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKirk_&_Hawkyard1982_1-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKirk_&_Hawkyard1982_1-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKirk_&_Hawkyard1982_1-6) [Kirk & Hawkyard 1982](#CITEREFKirk_&_Hawkyard1982).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Walrond, pp. 6–9.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** [Devon Record Office 48/22/2/1](http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/A2A/records.aspx?cat=027-4822&cid=-1#-1) National Archives. 25 February 1731, Letters Patent, 4 George II, Inspeximus (at the request of Henry Rolle of Stevenstone)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEOliver1821[httpsbooksgooglecombooksid86hfAAAAcAAJpgPA164_164]_4-0)** [Oliver 1821](#CITEREFOliver1821), p. [164](https://books.google.com/books?id=86hfAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA164).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEGoodwin1888[[:s:Dictionary_of_National_Biography,_1885-1900/Donne,_Gabriel|223]]_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEGoodwin1888[[:s:Dictionary_of_National_Biography,_1885-1900/Donne,_Gabriel|223]]_5-1) [Goodwin 1888](#CITEREFGoodwin1888), p. [223](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Dictionary_of_National_Biography,_1885-1900/Donne,_Gabriel).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEOliver1846[httpsbooksgooglecombooksidm8pMAAAAcAAJpg372_372]_6-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEOliver1846[httpsbooksgooglecombooksidm8pMAAAAcAAJpg372_372]_6-1) [Oliver 1846](#CITEREFOliver1846), p. [372](https://books.google.com/books?id=m8pMAAAAcAAJ&pg=372).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTERobertson1975474_7-0)** [Robertson 1975](#CITEREFRobertson1975), p. 474.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHofmann1982_8-0)** [Hofmann 1982](#CITEREFHofmann1982).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEMacCulloch2018114_9-0)** [MacCulloch 2018](#CITEREFMacCulloch2018), p. 114.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** *Devon & Cornwall Notes & Queries*: Volume 23, 1949[*[full citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citing_sources#What_information_to_include)*]

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEVivian1895[httpsbabelhathitrustorgcgiptidyale39002002213917view1upseq294_280]_11-0)** [Vivian 1895](#CITEREFVivian1895), p. [280](https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=yale.39002002213917&view=1up&seq=294).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** [Hoskins 1954](#CITEREFHoskins1954), p. ?[*[full citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citing_sources#What_information_to_include)*]

## Sources

- Goodwin, Gordon (1888). ["Donne, Gabriel"](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Dictionary_of_National_Biography,_1885-1900/Donne,_Gabriel). *[Dictionary of National Biography](/source/Dictionary_of_National_Biography)*. Vol. 15. p. 223.

- [Hoskins, William George](/source/W._G._Hoskins) (1954). *Devon*. A New Survey of England. Vol. 2. London: [Collins](/source/Harpercollins).

- Hofmann, T.M. (1982). ["Cromwell, alias Williams, Richard (by 1512-44), of London; Stepney, Mdx. and Hinchingbroke, Hunts."](https://web.archive.org/web/20150302142920/http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1509-1558/member/cromwell-richard-1512-44). In Bindoff, S.T. (ed.). *The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1509-1558*. Boydell and Brewer. Archived from [the original](http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1509-1558/member/cromwell-richard-1512-44) on 2 March 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2021.

- Kirk, L.M.; Hawkyard, A.D.K. (1982). ["Denys, Sir Thomas (by 1477-1561), of Holcombe Burnell and Bicton, Devon and London"](https://web.archive.org/web/20210513002752/https://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1509-1558/member/denys-sir-thomas-1477-1561). In Bindoff, S.T. (ed.). *The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1509-1558*. Boydell and Brewer. Archived from [the original](http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1509-1558/member/denys-sir-thomas-1477-1561) on 13 May 2021. Retrieved 13 March 2013.

- [MacCulloch, Diarmaid](/source/Diarmaid_MacCulloch) (2018). [*Thomas Cromwell: A Life*](https://books.google.com/books?id=qLBwDQAAQBAJ). London: Allen Lane. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780141967660](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780141967660).

- [Oliver, George](/source/George_Oliver_(historian)) (1821). [*The History of Exeter*](https://books.google.com/books?id=86hfAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA164). Exeter: R. Cullum. p. 164.

- Oliver, George (1846). [*Monasticon Dioecesis Exoniensis, Being a Collection of Records and Instruments Illustrating the Ancient Conventual, Collegiate, and, Eleemosynary Foundations in the Counties of Cornwall and Devon, with Historical Notices, and a Supplement, Comprising a List of Churches in the Diocese, an Amended Edition of the Taxation of Pope Nicholas, and an Abstract of the Chantry Rolls*](https://books.google.com/books?id=m8pMAAAAcAAJ&pg=372). Exeter: P.A. Hannaford.

- Robertson, Mary Louise (1975). *Thomas Cromwell's Servants: the Ministerial Household in Early Tudor Government and Society* (PhD thesis). University of California, Los Angeles.

- Vivian, J. L. (1895). [*The Visitations of the County of Devon, Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564, to 1620, with additions by J. L. Vivian*](https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=yale.39002002213917&view=1up&seq=294). Exeter: H.S. Eland.

- Col Henry Walrond, *Historical Records of the 1st Devon Militia (4th Battalion The Devonshire Regiment), With a Notice of the 2nd and North Devon Militia Regiments*, London: Longmans, 1897/Andesite Press, 2015, ISBN 978-1-37617881-4.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Thomas Denys](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Denys) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Denys?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.