Anne Denman

Anne Denman (1587–1661) was born in Olde Hall, Retford, Nottinghamshire. Through a second marriage with Thomas Aylesbury, she became the grandmother of Lady Anne Hyde, Duchess of York and great-grandmother of Queen Mary II and Queen Anne. Early life Anne was born in Olde Hall, West Retford in around 1587. She was the younger daughter of Francis Denman of Retford and Anne (Blount) Denman. Francis (born c. 1531, died 1599) was the rector of West Retford, Notts from 1578. He was the second son of Anne Hercy by her first husband, Nicholas Denman esq of East Retford, Notts. Francis had several sons who pre-deceased him and left two daughters as his heirs: Barbara (born c. 1583) who married Edward Darell (born c. 1582); and Anne. Anne's nephew, Dr John Darrell, was the youngest child of Barbara Denman and Edward Darell, and inherited substantial properties from both the Denman and Darell families. In 1665 just before his death he made a will dividing his estate between three charities. He donated the childhood home of Anne and Barbara, Olde Hall, to create a hospital for elderly men (an alms house), which became the site for Trinity Hospital, Retford (a Grade II listed building). Marriages Anne was married at 20 and left a widow at 23 after the death of her first husband William, the younger son of Sir Thomas Darell. William was the half-brother of her sister Barbara's husband Edward.