John Denzel facts for kids
John Denzel (who passed away in 1535) was an important person in Cornwall, England. He owned many large pieces of land. He also became a special kind of lawyer called a serjeant-at-law. This meant he was a very skilled lawyer who could argue cases in the highest courts.
John Denzel also served as the Attorney-General for the Queen, Elizabeth of York. This was a top legal job, advising the Queen on legal matters. He had at least two daughters. One daughter, Ann, married Sir William Holles, who later became the Lord Mayor of London. The Lord Mayor is the leader of the City of London. Another daughter married into the Roskymer family.
John Denzel's Home
John Denzel's main home was a large estate called Denzell. It was located in the parish of St Mawgan in Cornwall. This estate had been owned by the Denzell family for a very long time.
The Fortescue Family Connection
A different part of the Denzell family, known as a "cadet branch," gained land in North Devon. They got these lands through marriage. Since 1454, these lands have been owned by the Fortescue family.
In 1454, Sir Martin Fortescue married Elizabeth Densyll. Elizabeth was the daughter and heir of Richard Densyll of Filleigh. This marriage meant that the Fortescue family gained control of the Denzell estate in Filleigh. They also received other important Denzell lands, like those in Weare Giffard and Buckland Filleigh.
The Fortescue family proudly showed the Denzell family's coat of arms on their own. You can still see the Denzell coat of arms carved on a wooden bench in Weare Giffard Church. This carving was made around 1510.
The Denzell Coat of Arms
A family's coat of arms is like their special symbol. The Denzell family's coat of arms is described in heraldry as: Sable, a mullet in chief and a crescent in base argent.
This means the shield is black (sable). It has a five-pointed star (mullet) at the top (in chief). And it has a crescent moon shape at the bottom (in base). Both the star and the crescent are silver or white (argent).
