Forward to 3C9 – Alexander Denton (1654-1698) – Forward to American Denton’s Index
Back to 2C10 – Sir Alexander Denton (1596-1645) – Back to Denton Family Bible
As the clash between the king and parliament developed the Dentons of Hillesden were confirmed Royalists.
Sir Thomas’s youngest son Dr William Denton FRCP (1601-1691) was was baptized at Stowe in November 1605, was educated at Magdalen, Oxford, becoming a doctor of medicine on 10th October 1634. He was admitted as an Honorary Fellow of the College of Physicians in December 1664.
He married Catherine Fuller, daughter of Bostock Filler of Tanbridge Court. Their only child was Anne Denton, who some report as marrying Sir Edward Nicholas, the Principal Secretary of State to Charles I and Charles II, though this is disputed by others.
He became physician to Charles I from 1636 and travelled with the king during the campaign against Scotland in 1639. He was also physician to Charles II.
He was evidently a charmer with a reputation among the women at court and was nicknamed ‘speaker of the parliament of women’. With his negotiating skills he was able to make peace with the Westminster Parliament in 1644, though he had to pay a sum of £55 to effect this.
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A monument to his memory bears the inscription:
Near this place lies interred Dr WILLIAM DENTON,
youngest son of Sir Thomas Denton, of Hillesdon, knight.
He was physician to King Charles I and II.
He married Catherine, daughter of Bostock Fuller, of Tandridge Court, in the county of Surr[e]y, esquire,
by whome he had Anne, his only daughter and heir, the wife of Sir Edward Nicholas, knight,
Principal Secretary of State to King Charles I and II.
He died in March, 1691, in the 86th year of his age,
blessed with that happy composition of body and mind,
that preserved him chearfull, easy, and agreeable to the last,
and endeared him to all that knew him.
The Royal College of Physicians says that ‘A half-length portrait of Dr Denton, in the full dress of his degree, with hair very long and loose, is at Middle Claydon House, Bucks.’ But I could not find any picture of this.
Middle Claydon was home to the Verney family, though today it is mostly n eighteenth century building. Parthenope Nightingale, sister of Florence, married a Verney and Florence was a regular visitor to the house. Sir Ralph Verney (1613-1696) was knight-marshal, of Middle Claydon and Covent Garden, Westminster he married Margaret Denton daughter of Sir Thomas Denton of Hillesden, and sister to Dr William.
| Note on shorthand acronyms being used in the DFB: – GGF1 / GGM1 – means first great-grandfather /mother; – GU11 / GA11 – means eleventh great-uncle / great-aunt; – 1C3 – means first cousin three times removed |
Forward to 3C9 – Alexander Denton (1654-1698) – Forward to American Denton’s Index
Back to 2C10 – Sir Alexander Denton (1596-1645) – Back to Denton Family Bible
