Henry DANVERS [12577]

  General Notes:

Extracts from Anthony Danvers book:
Henry was the son of William and Elizabeth Danvers of Swithland, He was born on the 8th of July 1622. His father was a cousin of Sir John Coke, of Melbourne Hall, Derbyshire. Sir John himself, a Secretary of State notable for his absolutist monarchical principles, was a pronounced Protestant and eventually turned to Puritanism and the cause of Parliament. Relations between the Coke and Danvers families were close when the Civil War broke out, there was an abortive plan for Sir John Coke to remove from Melbourne to Swithland for greater security. The links were strengthened when Henry Danvers became the second husband of Sir John's daughter Anne. We do know that Henry Danvers of Swithland married Anne Coke on the 18th of March 1644. She was the third daughter of John Coke who was the Secretary of State at the time. Anne was a highly intelligent lady who was said to be learned in the Hebrew and Greek scriptures. . . .
. . . . . As a young man of approximately twenty when the Civil War erupted, he supported the parliamentary cause and ultimately became a colonel in its forces. His position in the shire and commitment to the parliamentary cause were responsible for his service on the Staffordshire County Committee from 1647 to 1652, and he was also a justice of the peace, in which capacity he was "well beloved among the people, being noted for one who would not take bribes." On 15th and 16th June 1649 the Council of State directed Major Danvers to make plans for the demolition of Belvoir Castle to prevent its use by Royalists. It was perhaps in this connection that the Council of State commissioned him as a major in the Leicestershire militia on 5th March 1650, although two months later, on 14th May, he also received a commission as colonel in the Staffordshire militia. It was during his tenure as Governor of Stafford that Danvers embraced Baptist views, having formerly been an Independent, and joined the General Baptist congregation associated with Henry Haggar. He had already written in favour of religious toleration in Certain Quaeries Concerning Liberty of Conscience, 1649.
A Fifth Day Adventist Henry became involved in a plot to overthrow the King:- his new plot aimed at the overthrow of the Stuarts in late July. Although Danvers was finally apprehended in August 1665, he was rescued in Cheapside by a friendly crowd which presumably, included numerous Baptists and Fifth Monarchists. On the 30th of August he was charged with high treason and summoned by proclamation to stand trial. The Sheriff of Leicestershire was ordered to secure Danvers' estate in that county pending the outcome of the trial. The following note may be found in the Domestic State Papers of Charles II dated August 30th 1665 No: 74:
The King to the Sheriff of Leicestershire. Danvers, long since charged with high treason, and summoned by proclamation for trial, was lately apprehended, but has escaped. He is to enquire about a good estate which Danvers is said to have, in manors, lands, &c, in the county, inventory his goods, and put them into responsible hands till Danvers prosecution; meanwhile the farmers and tenants are to retain the rents.
The plot in which he was now alleged to be involved - usually known as the Rathbone Plot - was supposed to go into action on 3rd September 1665, when Charles would be assassinated, the Tower seized, London put to the torch, a republic established, and property redistributed. A number of schemers, including Colonel John Rathbone, were apprehended and eight executed, though Danvers again eluded his pursuers.
As may be imagined there is much more that can be said about Henry. He was captured eventually and put in the Tower but released, because of ill health, on payment of L1,000. After more adventures he eventually fled to Utrecht where he died.

Henry married Anne COKE [12578] [MRIN: 4223], daughter of Sir John COKE [12579] and Mary POWELL [12580], on 18 Mar 1643/44. (Anne COKE [12578] was born in 1619 and died in 1686.)