Charles Danvers facts for kids

Sir Charles Danvers (born around 1568 – died 1601) was an English politician and soldier. He was known for being a Member of Parliament (MP) and for his part in a plot against Elizabeth I of England.

Sir Charles Danvers' Early Life

Charles Danvers was born as the oldest son of Sir John Danvers from Dauntsey, Wiltshire. His mother was Elizabeth, who was the fourth daughter of John Neville, Baron Latimer.

As a young man, Charles traveled to other countries. He later studied at Oxford University and a law school called the Inner Temple. In 1586 and 1589, he was chosen to be an MP for Cirencester. He was also made a knight in 1588.

A Family Feud and Its Consequences

In 1594, a serious conflict happened between the Danvers family and the Long family. On October 4, 1594, Charles's younger brother, Henry Danvers, was involved in an incident where Henry Long died. Henry Long was the brother of Sir Walter Long.

According to their mother, the trouble started because Sir John Danvers (their father), who was a local judge, had found out about some crimes linked to Sir Walter Long's servants. This made the Long family angry with the Danvers family.

Letters were exchanged between the families. In one letter, Henry Long threatened Sir Charles Danvers and used insulting words. Sir Charles and others found Henry Long at an inn. They had a physical confrontation, and Sir Charles was injured. During this fight, Sir Henry Danvers shot Henry Long.

After this event, the Danvers brothers quickly left. They went to Titchfield, where their friend, Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton, helped them hide. They were declared outside the law and eventually escaped to another country. They found safety at the court of King Henri IV in France.

Their father, Sir John Danvers, died soon after this incident in December 1594. In 1598, their widowed mother married Sir Edmund Carey. Many believed she did this to help her sons get a pardon. Other people also worked to help them.

Finally, in June 1598, Queen Elizabeth agreed to pardon both Charles and Henry Danvers. The condition was that they had to pay Sir Walter Long £1500 as damages for his brother's death. By August 1598, both brothers had returned to London.

Joining a Rebellion and Its Sad End

In 1599, Charles Danvers went to Ireland as part of a very large army. There, he became good friends with the army's leader, the Earl of Essex.

In February 1601, Sir Charles Danvers joined the Earl of Essex's rebellion. This rebellion was a short attempt to go against Queen Elizabeth I. Sir Charles offered a large sum of money, £10,000, to save his life, but it was not enough.

He was found guilty of treason, which is a very serious crime against the ruler of a country. Sir Charles Danvers was executed on Tower Hill on March 18, 1601. Another person involved in the plot, Sir Christopher Blount, was executed with him.