• General Notes

  Henry D'Oyly, Esq. of Lincoln's inn, Counsellor at Law, and of Wallingford Castle, in Berkshire (4th son of John D'Oyly, Esq. of Greenland House, by Frances Edmonds,[499] and next brother of Thomas D'Oyly, M.D.) founded this family.—Born subsequently to 1530, and destined for the legal profession, he was entered of Lincoln's Inn. At his father's death in 1569, he was portioned in the same manner as his brother Thomas; and about 1574[500] was married to his first wife Dorothy[501] daughter of Thomas Townshend, Esq. of Testerton, co. Norfolk (by Elizabeth his wife, daughter of John Callibutt, of Castleacre, in the same shire), which Thomas was 5th son of Sir Roger Townshend, of Rainham, co. Norfolk, Knt. ancestor of the Viscounts Townshend, and it is worthy of note, that the said Dorothy Townshend was first cousin of Thomas Townshend, Esq. of Brackenash, co. Norfolk, who married Anne, daughter of Henry D'Oyly, Esq. of Shottisham, in that county. The Townshends bore, "Azure, a chevron ermine between 3 escallops argent."[502] The said Dorothy, however, had only a portion of 200l., and Henry D'Oyly, her husband, therefore, anxious to provide for her, induced his brother, Sir Robert D'Oyly, to sign a "writing obligatory," binding himself to settle some small jointure upon her; but Sir Robert died in July 1577, without fully carrying out his intention, and upon Henry D'Oyly applying to his representatives, the Nevilles, to do so, they refused; filed a Bill in Chancery against Henry D'Oyly, to upset the document, alleging that it had been fraudulently obtained,[503] and carried their point successfully.—Thus beaten by the Nevilles, Henry turned his hopes to another quarter, viz. his brother John D'Oyly, Esq. of Chibenhurst, the representative of the family, whose estate of Chibenhurst, then his only provision, was far from adequate to maintaining the family dignity, being charged with three annuities of 101. per ann. to his younger brothers, one of whom was the said Henry. This John D'Oyly was a "good, worthy man," and thus easily to be worked upon. He soon agreed to settle a jointure of 121. per ann. on the said Dorothy, provided her husband, the said Henry, would relinquish his own claim of 10l. per ann. on the Chibenhurst estate, and give up the deed whereby their father had settled that rent-charge. The affair was soon arranged; and, by Indenture, dated 21st Eliz. (1579-80), finally completed. But though no payment was ever made, Dorothy never needed the settlement; she died very soon after, and thus Henry D'Oyly lost, not only his wife and her jointure, but the larger portion of the provision intended for him by his father.[504] It was not long after this that Henry D'Oyly induced his mother, Mrs. D'Anvers, to release Chislehampton), her jointure, to his said brother John; in consequence of which, John D'Oyly purchased an estate at Wallingford, co. Berks, and established the said Henry there.[505] Henry D'Oyly had ere this become a Counsellor at Law, and attained eminence in his profession; and thus was elected M.P. for Wallingford in 1601, and sat for it in Parliament during the latter part of Queen Elizabeth's reign.[506]—But this had no concern with the misfortunes attending his late wife's jointure, and therefore representing to his brother the great hardship of that case, John D'Oyly, touched therewith, promised Henry, that if he would "seeke out a convenient marriage" (which he urged him to do), he would make a similar settlement on his second wife, and increase it to 20l. per ann.;[507] little however supposing that Henry D'Oyly, at that time fifty years of age, would so soon be again united in the bonds of wedlock. Henry was at that time M.P. for Wallingford; and thus resident in London, during the Session of Parliament, became acquainted with Mrs. Alice Mascall, a widow, the relict of Richard Mascall, a grocer, of the city of London, sister to James, John, and William Barnett; he soon "got her good will, and having placed his affections upon her," says the record, "became an earnest suitor to her by way of marriage;"[508] and having bound himself to her brother in law Thomas Maynard, of Harrow on the Hill, co. Middlesex, that the said 20l. per ann. should be settled on her, was married to her May 1602 at St. Dunstan's in the West, London; himself described as "Esquier.''[509]— Despite his marriage, his brother took no notice of the promise he had made him; and consequently, a year after their wedding, Henry D'Oyly, accompanied by his bride, repaired to Chislehampton, to remind him of it. But, instead of producing the desired effect, John D'Oyly set Ursula his wife to abuse Mr. Henry to his bride in such a manner, "as might," says the record, "have made much mischief between them."[510] Thus a fierce family quarrel ensued; and Henry D'Oyly, as of Lincoln's Inn, Gent. tiled a bill in Chancery, Feb. 1604, to enforce the promise; to which John D'Oyly's answer bears date April following.— How long Henry D'Oyly survived this proceeding is unknown.[511] He was practising professionally in the Court of Wards in 1616[512] (14th Jac. I.), and saw Charles I.'s accession; in the early part of whose reign he resided at Bulmer End, co. Bucks, and had a Chancery suit with his wife's connexions, the Maynards.[513] He died very advanced in years (probably about 1627), leaving his second wife, the said Alice, surviving, who, as of "London, widow," made her will March 1629-30, leaving various bequests to her former husband's issue, and appointing her son John Mascall executor and residuary legatee, expressing herself in high terms of him for his kindness and attention to her during her illness. She died soon after, and her will was proved June 1630, in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury.[514]—By her Henry D'Oyly had no issue; by his former wife. Dorothy Townshend, he had a son and a daughter,

Details of Henry's family with Dorothy Townshend

Details of Henry's family with Alice Mascall