The Complete Poems of Sir John Davies. Volume 1 of 2.Davies, John, Sir
General
The Complete Poems of Sir John Davies. Volume 1 of 2.
Davies, John, Sir
Davies, John, Sir, 1569-1626; English poetry -- Early modern, 1500-1700
Confirming the Carte statement of a Welsh descent, one John Davys,
of ... wyn, in Shropshire, temp. Henry VIII., recorded by Carney
(1606) in the Visitation of Dublin in Ulster Office, and according to
Chalmers settled at Tisbury, temp. Edward VI., came from Wales with
the Earl of Pembroke, and was living in 1517 and 1541.[3] This John
Davys married Matilda, daughter of ... Bridemore, who was buried as
"Maud, Master Davys widow, 18 May, 1570." There was a numerous family
of sons and daughters from this union.[4] We have only now to do
with their eighth, and youngest son, John, who was living in 1517
and 1541.[5] He was of 'New Inn,' London; and thus, like his more
famous son, was brought up to the study of the Law. This will appear
authoritatively onward; but at this point it is needful to correct and
explain a long-continued error, originated by ANTHONY à-WOOD "Athenæ,"
by Dr. Bliss, Vol. ii., p. 400) apparently, viz. that the father was
"a wealthy tanner," and so Sir John, of "low extraction," etc., etc.
I do not know that there should have been reason for shame had the
paternal Davies been a 'tanner,' wealthy or otherwise, if otherwise
he was that Christian gentleman which all reports represent. But the
matter-of-fact is that through the premature deaths of his elder
brothers, John Davyes, of Chisgrove, seems to have inherited the family
possessions and wealth, and to have been in the front rank of the
country gentry. The explanation of the mistake as to his having been a
'tanner,' is unexpectedly found in the Will of Thomas Bennett, brother
(as we shall see) of Sir John Davies' mother. Among other things he
leaves "a certain mess, or tent, in West Hatch now (1591) in the use of
Edward Scannell, and all lands thereto belonging, [to] be held by John
Bennett my son, Thomas Rose and Nicholas Graye as trustees to my own
use for life, and after my decease to the use and behoof" of various
relatives, of whom one is described as "Edward Davys of Tyssebury,
_tanner_." This Edward Davys, tanner, was no doubt of the Chisgrove
family; and hence the confusion. In all probability he was one of the
younger sons, and so brother of our Sir John. When he came to make his
Will (now before me), though engaged in trade, he asserts his gentility
by styling himself 'gentleman.' So much in correction of a second
important biographical mistake.
[Footnote 3: In MS. F 4, 18, Trinity College, Dublin, the same origin
is given, but the place beyond ... 'wyn' is illegible in both.]
[Footnote 4: Hoare's Wilts. gives many names; but his pedigrees are
rarely trustworthy; as a rule, are exceedingly untrustworthy.]
[Footnote 5: The MSS. of note _supra_.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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