page_title: Denys family
section_title: Denys of Devon
hierarchical_section_title: Denys family / Denys of Devon
caption_attribution_description: English: Arms of Denys of Orleigh, Devon: Azure, three Danish battle axes erect or (Vivian, Heraldic Visitationms of Devon, 1895, p.281). Versions 16 October 2015 and before based on axe shape seen on ledger stone of Elizabeth Denys (1625-1664) on floor of Orleigh Chapel, Buckland Brewer Church, Devon.
context_page_description: The surname Denys was borne by at least three prominent mediaeval families seated in Gloucestershire, Somerset and Devon in south-west England between 1166 and 1641. It is not known if any relationship existed between these families. The surname Denys is just one of many variant spellings of the name: Denise, Le Deneis, Le Danies, le Deneys and most recently Dennis, are some of the others.
  The family of Denys was apparently of Danish origin, and was recorded in early Norman charters in French as le Deneys, meaning "The Dane", which was frequently Latinised by scribes as Dacus, being the adjectival form of Dacia, the mediaeval Latin for Denmark, thus "Danish".
context_section_description: Josceline le Deneys (whose first name was Latinised to Jollenus, Jellanus  or Joscelinus) was recorded in the 1166 Cartae Baronum return submitted by Henry de Pomeroy, feudal baron of Berry Pomeroy in South Devon, as holding  from him the manor of Pancrasweek, Black Torrington hundred, North Devon, and de Pomeroy himself held it from Tavistock Abbey. This Jollenus Dacus held Pancrasweek as one knight's fee on  military feudal tenure. Orleigh formed a sub-manor of Pancrasweek, but was held by him under the non-military tenure of free socage, that is to say it was a heritable estate the service for which was monetary not military.
  Dacus held two fees in total from de Pomeroy, as stated in his 1166 return, and the identity of these fees are revealed in the record of the holdings of his descendant Robert le Deneys in the feudal aid of 1285 which shows Pancrasweek forming one, Southwick in Germansweek and Manaton (14 miles north of Berry Pomeroy Castle) forming a half each. In 1285 however Robert le Deneys was holding these manors not from the de Pomeroy barons but from the heirs of Patrick de Chaworth, who was successor in title to Brewer, lord of the manor of Buckland Brewer amongst others, who had himself purchased them from de Pomeroy.
  The arms adopted by the Devon family of this name at the start of the age of heraldry in about 1200 reflected their supposed origins: Azure, three Danish battle axes or, that is three golden axes on a blue background. A history of this family is contained in the Duchess of Cleveland's "Battle Abbey Roll", under "Denise".
  A cadet branch of Dennis of Orleigh settled at Holcombe Burnell, 3 miles west of Exeter,  and Bicton, 10 miles SE of that city, and bore the arms of Orleigh differenced: Ermine, three Danish battle axes gules (three red battle-axes on a white background with black ermine spots).
  Robert le Deneys gave Orleigh to his younger son William, whose son John le Deneys was in possession in 1342 Richard Denys (died 1442), John's grandson, married Elizabeth Bowhay, daughter and heiress of Geoffrey Bowhay of Bowhay. In 1417 Orleigh was occupied by his wife's cousin, also called Elizabeth Bowhay, the daughter of John Bowhay and widow of Thomas Crydia. She was granted in 1417 by Edmund Stafford (died 1419), Bishop of Exeter, licence to have mass performed in her oratory at Orleigh.
  Three generations of Denys's each named John followed Richard Denys, the last of whom, John Denys (died 1498) married Eleanor Gifford, daughter and co-heiress of Stephen Gifford of Theoborough. His son was William Denys (born 1472), who was followed by his son Nicholas and the latter's son John Denys (died 1584) who married Dorothy Monk, daughter and co-heiress of Anthony Monk of Potheridge. John settled the reversion of his manor of Farley in Petrockstowe onto the issue of his son William Denys (died 1605) in 1573 on the occasion of his marriage to Mary Vyell, daughter of William Vyell of Trevorder. William contributed £25 to the defences against the Spanish Armada in 1588. He died intestate. His son was Anthony Dennis (1585–1641), the last of the male line, whose monument can be seen in Buckland Brewer Church.
  The heir of Denys of Holcombe Burnel and Bicton was the Rolle family of Stevenstone, which in the person of John Rolle, 1st Baron Rolle (died 1842), seated at Bicton House, was the largest landowner in Devon possessing some 55,000 acres, now represented by Baron Clinton.
caption: Arms of Denys of Orleigh: Azure, three Danish battle axes erect or,[5]
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