John Dawnay MP (bef. 1625 - 1695)

Born before 25 Jan 1625 in Yorkshire, England

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth (Melton) Dawnay — married 21 Aug 1645 in St Antholin, Budge Row, City of London, England

Descendants

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Sir John Dawnay was a member of the aristocracy in British Isles.

Biography

John Dawnay, the third son of John Dawnay of Cowick in Yorkshire and his wife, Elizabeth Hutton, was baptised on the 25th of January 1625. ^[1][2] He was educated at Jesus College, Cambridge and Gray's Inn from 1641. ^[1]

His father died in 1630 in the lifetime of his own father. When his grandfather, Thomas Dawnay died in 1642 the estates passed to John's elder Christopher, who, in 1642 was created Baronet Dawnay of East Cowick. ^[2] Foster adds that the baronetage came with a special remainder to John ^[2] but there is no further evidence that this was so. By all events by the time of his death in 1644 Christopher was father of a son, Thomas, who became the second Baronet, dying later that year with no surviving siblings, which left John as heir to his estates but not to the baronetage. ^[2]

On the 4th of August 1645 he married Elizabeth Melton, daughter of Sir John Melton of York. ^[1] She was mother of his five sons and three daughters. ^[1] Among their children were George, Ann, Margaret and Catherine. ^[2]

John was returned to Parliament in 1660 as member for Yorkshire ^[3] and was knighted at Whitehall on the 2nd of June 1660. ^[4] In 1661 he took a seat at Pontefract and continued to take it until in 1690 he stood down in favour of his son, Henry. ^[5][6]

Elizabeth Dawnay died in 1663 and was buried at Snaith on the 21st of February. ^[1][2] Quickly John married, by license granted at London on the 14th of May 1663, Dorothy Johnson, daughter of William Johnson of Wickham in Lincolnshire. ^[1][2] They were parents of two sons, Henry and William, and a daughter, Dorothy. ^[2]

John was created Viscount Downe on the 19th of February 1681. ^[1][2]

John died on the 1st of October 1695 aged 70 and was buried at Snaith. ^[2]

Research Notes

In 1689 he was attainted by King James II's Irish Parliament. Why?

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6} History of Parliament online: John Dawnay Viscount Downe
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9} Foster, J. (1874). "Pedigree of Dawnay of Baldersby Park," in Pedigrees of the County Families of Yorkshire. [eBook]
3. ↑ History of Parliament online 1660-1690: Yorkshire
4. ↑ The Knights of England. A complete record from the earliest time to the present day of the knights of all the orders of chivalry in England, Scotland, and Ireland, and of knights bachelors, incorporating a complete list of knights bachelors dubbed in Ireland by Shaw, William Arthur, 1865-1943; Burtchaell, George Dames, 1853-1921 Page 227
5. ↑ History of Parliament online 1660-1690: Pontefract
6. ↑ History of Parliament online 1690-1715: Pontefract

• Wikipedia: John Dawnay Viscount Downe

• Thepeerage.com: John Dawnay

• Downe, Viscount (I, 1681) Cracroft's Peerage