D
DAWNEY
In about 1553 a new farmhouse was built on the site of the ruined Manor, possibly by Robert Perrott. Perrott married Ann Gardiner of Bermondsey who on his death remarried Marmaduke Dawney of York.The Dawneys occupied the Manor for
three generations but are principally remembered for the bizarre events at the funeral of Thomas Dawney in 1671.
He bequeathed for the populace a ‘dole of bread’ and the attendance at his funeral was so great that the first floor of the Moot Hall collapsed under the strain into the market place below; as a consequence of which the Moot Hall was demolished and rebuilt.
The Dawneys returned to Yorkshire. Edward son of Thomas died at York in 1683.
See MANOR
See MOOT HALL
DEVEREAUX
The Devereux family held various titles including Lords Ferrers of Chartley (through which connection they came to their Drayton Basset estate), Viscounts and Marquisses of Hereford and Earls of Essex.
Walter Devereux, 1st Earl was High Steward of Sutton Coldfield under the Crown at the time of the 1528 Charter. He married at Drayton Basset, Lettice Knollys later after his death reknown for her affair with and marrige to Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester.
Their son Robert, 2nd Earl of Essex,was beheaded for treason in 1601 but their grandson Robert regained his fathers estate and was restored to the title in 1604.
Robert the 3rd Earl was High Steward of Sutton Coldfield from 1616. He was Lord Lieutenant of Staffordshire and led the Parliamentary army in the Civil War from 1642 until his death in 1646 without a male heir.
His sisters inherited the estates. Frances who in had 1616 married William Seymour 2nd Duke of Somerset at Drayton Basset returned to live at Drayton Manor until her death on 1674.
Later High Stewards of Sutton connected by marriage to the Devereux were Thynne, Viscounts Weymouth and Finch, Earls of Aylesford of Packington
SEE HIGH STEWARD
SEE THYNNE/WEYMOUTH
SEE FINCH/AYLESFORD