Vol 13 No 3 The Daubeneys

Non-Hampton & Richmond Borough related posts.
Post Reply
Les1949
Posts: 418
Joined: Thu Jun 24, 2021 3:59 pm

HAMPTON, AROUND AND ABOUT

Things you may not know, or didn’t know you knew!

No 3 THE DAUBENEYS
Keeping your Head, whilst all about you……..

Daubeney Place is a small mews behind the ground, in the High Street, close to Twickenham Preparatory School and is named for an early owner of property in Hampton. The Daubeney family originally came from Aubigne in Brittany, in France. They may have come over with the Norman invasion of 1066 but being from Brittany they were probably later arrivals to England. The main thrust of this article is Sir Giles Daubeney (1452–1508), who is marked (2), just for clarity! However, the family stretched back many years……

Sir Giles Daubeney (1) 1395 – 1446
Sir William Daubeney 1424 – 1461
Sir Giles Daubeney (2) 1452- 1508 (1st Baron Daubeney)

The family’s base was in Somerset, at Barrington Court, Sir Giles (1) died at Barrington Court and left it to Sir Giles (2) – he was knighted by Edward IV around 1480. Sir Giles (2) was a loyal servant of the Yorkist king, Edward IV (1442–1483). He became an Esquire in charge of four men-at-arms and fifty archers, and was a member of the King’s personal household, as a reward he was granted custody for life some land in Petherton, near Bridgwater. When Edward unexpectedly died at the age of 42, Sir Giles (2) was one of the coffin bearers at the funeral.

The crown should have passed to Edward’s son – also Edward – who would have reigned as Edward V but, as most people know, Edward IV’s brother Richard (1452–1485) claimed the throne and became Richard III whilst Edward V and his younger brother disappeared from history. Soon after the ‘usurpation’ of the crown, Yorkist sympathisers met to plot the demise of Richard and put Henry Tudor, a close relative, on the throne, a leading conspirator was Sir Giles (2).

During Richard’s short reign there were a number of minor revolts stirred up by the plotters including by Sir Giles (2) in the West of England. On being discovered as a rebel he fled to France to join Henry Tudor.

In 1485 Henry Tudor invaded England with a mixed army of disaffected Yorkists and French Mercenaries and met Richard ’s army at Bosworth. Towards the end of the battle Richard made a valiant attempt to reach Henry and kill him – no one ever doubted Richard’s bravery and courage. Henry was in the midst of the fight and helping to protect him was Sir Giles (2), fighting alongside him. Richard was cut down and Henry became Henry VII.

Sir Giles (2) was rewarded by being made a Knight of the Garter, created Baron Daubeney, and made Lord Chamberlain.
In 1494, he signed an 80 year lease on a minor Manor close to the River Thames. Five years later he enclosed an area of 300 acres, which later became Bushy Park. Henry VII and the Royal Family were regular visitors to the Manor – which is now better known as……Hampton Court.

In May 1508 after having ridden with the king from Eltham Palace to Greenwich, Sir Giles (2) was suddenly taken ill and died a few days later. After the funeral he was laid to rest in Westminster Abbey.

In troubled times such as the period of the Wars of the Roses – which might better be described as England’s First Civil War – the trick was to keep your head, whilst others were losing theirs and try and stay on the winning side!

The Old Historian
Post Reply