John Danvers

Sir John Danvers (c. 1585–buried 28 April 1655) was an English courtier and politician who was one of the signatories of the death warrant of Charles I.

Life

Danvers was the third and youngest son of Sir John Danvers of Dauntsey, Wiltshire, by Elizabeth Neville. In his youth, he travelled through France and Italy, developing sophisticated tastes in gardening and architecture, which in later life he indulged at his house in Chelsea. In 1597 he entered the University of Padua as a student, prior to returning to England where he carried on his education at Winchester College (entered 1598), Brasenose College, Oxford (entered 1601) and Lincoln's Inn where he was a law student in 1612. Danvers was knighted by James I of England on 3 March 1609; and under Charles I became a gentleman of the privy chamber.

He sat as a member of parliament for Arundel in 1610, Montgomery Boroughs in the Addled Parliament of 1614, Oxford University in 1621, Newport (Isle of Wight) in 1624 and again for Oxford University from 1625 to 1629. Danvers House was pulled down in 1696 to make room for Danvers Street, therefore named after him.

Through his second marriage he came into possession of the estate of Lavington, Wiltshire, where he elaborately laid out gardens.

Marriages and family

In about March 1609 he married Magdalen Herbert (née Newport), widow of Richard Herbert, and left an informative will.

Danvers' elder brothers were Charles Danvers and Henry Danvers. His brother Henry, who became Lord Danby, was a royalist, and died early in 1644; he left his property to his sister Lady Catherine Gargrave, wife of Sir Richard Gargrave, High Sheriff of Yorkshire. Still in pecuniary difficulties, Danvers resisted this disposition of his brother's property, and his influence with the parliamentary majority led the House of Commons to pass a resolution declaring that he had been deprived of his brother's estate 'for his affection and adhering to the parliament' (14 June 1644), and that Danvers's eldest son Henry was entitled to the property. The son Henry bequeathed the estate in his power to his sister Ann, who married Sir Henry Lee 3rd Baronet of the Lee Baronets of Ditchley in 1655, and had a daughter, Eleanor, who became the wife of James Bertie, 1st Earl of Abingdon. Lord Abingdon thus ultimately came into possession of the property at Chelsea.