Family and Education

bap. 14 Jan. 1572, o.s. of Sir Anthony Mayney of Linton and Bridget (d. by 1 June 1629), da. of William Tanfield of Harpole, Northants.1 educ. Magdalene, Camb. 1587; I. Temple 1587-8;2 travelled abroad (France) 1602.3 m. (lic. 5 Aug. 1607), Mary (d. 12 Dec. 1632), da. of Sir Edward Watson† of Rockingham Castle, Northants., 1s. 2da.4 kntd. 13 Aug. 1609;5 suc. fa. 1611.6 d. 20 Feb. 1627.7 sig. Antho[ny] Mayne.

Offices Held

Commr. sewers, Kent and Suss. 1602;8 j.p. Mdx. 1620-c. 1624, Surr. 1625;9 commr. subsidy, Mdx. 1621-2, 1624.10

Member, embassy to Spanish Netherlands. 1605, 1622.11

Commr. recovery of mortgaged Crown lands 1618.12

Freeman, Mercers’ Co. 1621.13

Biography

Mayney’s family lived at Biddenden in the Kentish Weald from the fourteenth century, although Mayney himself was born at nearby Staplehurst. His father purchased Linton Place, four miles south of Maidstone, and resided there in the latter part of his life.14 Though heavily indebted in the 1590s, Mayney’s father left at his death in 1611 nearly 2,000 acres in Kent, a substantial proportion of which was assigned to Mayney’s mother for her jointure. However there is no evidence that Mayney, who succeeded to these estates, was ever significantly short of money.15

In 1607 Mayney married the lady-in-waiting to Lucy Paulet, the wife of John Paulet, 4th marquess of Winchester. Until the death of the marchioness in 1614, the couple mostly lived with the Paulets in Hampshire, either at Basing, the marquess’ principal seat, or more often at Hackwood House, a nearby park lodge. Indeed, it was at Basing that in 1609 Mayney was knighted. However, the Mayneys also maintained a house in Egham in Surrey. During this period, Mayney had the ‘ordering and disposing’ of the Paulet estates and became the godfather to the Paulets’ youngest son. Nevertheless Mayney was not an employee, for in 1614 the marchioness declared in her will that Mayney had received no recompense for his services, despite the fact that these had been ‘not without charge to himself’.16 As well as serving the Paulet family, Mayney acted as trustee for John, 1st Lord Petre, Theophilus Howard, Lord Walden*, his wife’s kinsman Sir Lewis Watson*, Sir William Sandys* and ‘divers others who I cannot call to mind’.17

In 1622 a correspondent of the Reverend Joseph Mead described Mayney as ‘a great Papist’.18 There was certainly recusancy in Mayney’s family, and his father-in-law and numerous friends, including the marquess of Winchester, were at least suspected of Catholicism. Moreover, Mayney himself bequeathed rings to his ‘cousin’ Francis Plowden, the son of the prominent recusant Edmund Plowden†, and Thomas White, who may have been Plowden’s nephew of the same name, a Catholic priest later famous under his alias Blacklo. Nevertheless, four unquestioned elections to Parliament suggest that, outwardly at least, Mayney conformed to the Church of England.19

Mayney first entered Parliament in 1610, when he was returned at a by-election for the Gloucestershire borough of Cirencester. Although he owned property in Gloucestershire and was related to Arnold Oldisworth*,20 he owed his seat to Henry, 1st Lord Danvers, who owned Cirencester manor and was the cousin of the marchioness of Winchester.21 Sir Richard Paulet*, the marquess of Winchester’s kinsman, noted that he was sworn on 9 Feb., the first day of the fourth session.22 His only committee appointment was to consider a bill to naturalize a Scottish gentlewoman of the queen’s bedchamber (26 February).23 He is not known to have played any part in the poorly recorded fifth session.

After the dissolution, Mayney continued to be closely connected to the Paulets, acting as a trustee for the settlement of property upon the marriage of Winchester’s heir, Lord St. John to a daughter of Viscount Montagu in early 1614.24 At about the same time Sir John Holles* reported that a quarrel between the groom and one of the Arundells of Wardour, which apparently ‘sprang from jealousy’ concerning the bride, ‘was revived by an ill office from Sir Anthony Mayney’.25 The Paulets secured his return for St. Ives to the Addled Parliament, but he chose to represent Cirencester, where he was re-elected. Once again he secured only a single committee nomination, this time to consider the Lake decree bill (18 May).26

In September 1614 Mayney, along with Danvers and three other peers, was chosen as an executor by the marchioness of Winchester, who also entrusted his wife with the care of her jewels and papers. For their pains, Mayney and his wife were accused five years later by the marquess of carrying off vast stores of Paulet goods and documents to their house in Egham.27 Despite this allegation, Mayney remained close to the younger members of the Paulet family, including Lord John Paulet*, and was probably responsible for the nomination of his friend and kinsman Sir William Parkhurst* for the Paulet seat at St. Ives in 1625.28

Henceforward, Mayney principally attached himself to his ‘ever dearest’ friend Sir Richard Weston*, whose long attendance at Court was about to bear fruit. Weston, who like Mayney had been a trustee for Lord St. John’s marriage settlement,29 appointed Mayney trustee for his lands, while Mayney also stood surety for his debts. Together they leased a house in St. Mary Spital.30 During Weston’s embassy to the archdukes in 1620, Mayney acted as Weston’s agent in England.31 In the following year he accompanied Weston on a second mission to Brussels, and on 25 June he reported on its lack of success to Lord Cranfield (Sir Lionel Cranfield*). He was rewarded with a grant of Crown land in December 1622.32 Returned for Weston’s former constituency of Midhurst in 1624 on the interest of Lord Montagu, Mayney played no recorded part in the last Jacobean Parliament, although in May he petitioned the Lords against his kinsman (Sir) Lawrence Tanfield*, whom he accused of swindling him under colour of legal advice.33 Early in 1625 he joined with Weston, now chancellor of the Exchequer, in an effort to secure Cranfield’s restoration to favour.34 He had probably already moved back to Surrey where, as a Richmond resident, he contributed £20 to the 1625-6 Privy Seal loan.35

Mayney drew up his will on 26 Aug. 1625. Declaring himself to be ‘in perfect health’, he asked to be buried ‘in the chapel belonging to my house in the parish church of Linton’, and made provision for an almshouse. He bequeathed 13s. 4d. per parish to the poor of 27 Kent and five Gloucestershire parishes, and to the poor of any other parishes ‘wherein I shall have house or land’. He also ordered that rings be provided for 30 ‘of my nearest acquaintance’ including Danvers, his cousin Nicholas Arnold*, Sir Francis Barnham*, Sir Thomas Culpeper*, John Donne*, the 1st earl of Westmorland (Sir Francis Fane*), Sir George Fane*, (Sir) Tobie Matthew*, Sir Charles Montagu*, Lord St. John of Basing (Lord John Paulet*), the 1st earl of Bolingbrook (Oliver St. John I*), Lord St. John of Bletsoe (Oliver St. John II*), Sir Henry Wotton*, and the Tuscan resident, Amerigo Salvetti. Among Mayney’s executors were his brother-in-law Sir Lewis Watson*, Sir William Parkhurst and his cousin Nicholas Younge, who was to receive 20 marks a year during the winding up of the estate ‘by reason of my debts, and of debts owing unto me’. The executors were authorized to sell lands in Gloucestershire to pay off his debts and provide his daughters with portions of 2,000 marks each. Weston was appointed overseer and bequeathed a black enamel ring inset with a diamond and a death’s head, which he was requested to wear ‘for his sake that ever entirely loved him’. Codicils were added on 6 Feb. 1626 and 26 Jan. 1627, the last of which was witnessed by Plowden.36 Mayney’s son was created a baronet in 1641, but is said to have spent his fortune in the king’s cause. No other member of the family entered Parliament.37

Ref Volumes: 1604-1629

Authors: Alan Davidson / Ben Coates

Notes

• 1. ‘Peds. and Heraldic Notes from the Collections of Gregory King’, Misc. Gen. et Her. (ser. 5), ix. 118-21; PROB 11/155, f. 430.
• 2. Al. Cant.; I. Temple Admiss.
• 3. HMC Hatfield, xiv. 342; Winwood’s Memorials ed. E. Sawyer, i. 453.
• 4. Misc. Gen. et Her. (ser. 5), ix. 118-21; Hants Mar. Lic. 1607-40 ed. Willis, 1.
• 5. Shaw, Knights of Eng. ii. 148.
• 6. C142/693/26.
• 7. C142/479/100.
• 8. C181/1, f. 28v.
• 9. C231/4, ff. 99, 193; C66/2310.
• 10. C212/22/20-1, 23.
• 11. HMC Bath, iv. 200; T. Birch, Ct. and Times of Jas. I, ii. 306.
• 12. CD 1621, vii. 412.
• 13. ‘List of Member so the Mercers’ Co. from 1347’, (typescript in Mercers’ Hall, London), 339.
• 14. E. Hasted, Kent, iv. 367, vii. 132; PROB 11/151, f. 131v.
• 15. P. Clark, Eng. Prov. Soc. 248; C142/693/26; PROB 11/117, ff. 196-8; PROB 11/151, ff. 131-2.
• 16. C2/Jas.I/W20/48; PROB 11/124, ff. 360-1.
• 17. Hasted, vii. 132; PROB 11/151, f. 132v.
• 18. Birch, ii. 306.
• 19. ‘Recusant Roll No. 1., 1592-3’ ed. M.M.C. Calthrop, Cath. Rec. Soc. xviii. 139; HP Commons, 1558-1603, iii. 589; PROB 11/151, f. 131v; APC, 1625-6, p. 228; CSP Dom. 1603-10, pp. 26-8; Oxford DNB, sub White [Blacklo], Thomas.
• 20. Vis. Glos. (Harl. Soc. xxi), 4; PROB 11/151, f. 132v.
• 21. CP, iv. 48; xii, pt. 2, 766.
• 22. ‘Paulet 1610’, f. 1.
• 23. CJ, i. 400a.
• 24. PROB 11/124, f. 360.
• 25. HMC Portland, ix. 31.
• 26. Procs. 1614 (Commons), 42, 280.
• 27. PROB 11/124, f. 361; C2/Jas.I/W20/48.
• 28. PROB 11/151, ff. 131v, 132v-3; PROB 11/155, f. 431.
• 29. PROB 11/124, f. 360.
• 30. PROB 11/151, f. 132v.
• 31. CSP Dom. 1619-23, p. 228.
• 32. HMC 7th Rep. 260; C66/2281/7.
• 33. HMC 3rd Rep. 32.
• 34. HMC 4th Rep. 288, 306.
• 35. A.R. Bax, ‘Names of those persons in the county of Surrey who contributed to the loan to King Charles I’, Surr. Arch. Colls. xvii. 81.
• 36. PROB 11/151, ff. 131-3.
• 37. A. Everitt, Community of Kent, 101.