Family and Education

b. 17 Aug. 1631, 1st s. of Sir Thomas Danby of Thorpe Perrow by Catherine, da. of Sir Christopher Wandesford^† of Kirklington. m. Nov. 1659, Margaret, da. and coh. of Hon. William Eure of Malton, 2s. 1da. suc. fa. 1660.1

Offices Held

Commr. for militia, Yorks. Mar. 1660; assessment (W. Riding) 1661-d., mayor, Leeds 1661-2; commr. for corporations, Yorks. 1662-3.2

Biography

Danby was descended from a mercer who sat for York in 1453. By the end of the century the family had become landed and they continued to increase their estates in the county. His father, who represented Richmond in the Long Parliament, raised forces for the King during the Civil War and compounded on a fine of £4,780. Danby’s expectations at the time were computed at £2,000 p.a., including collieries in Marhamshire. He was appointed the first mayor of Leeds by the new charter of 1661. In the same year he was returned for Malton on his wife’s interest, and listed as a friend by Lord Wharton. But he was unseated on 18 Dec. without having been appointed to any committees in the Cavalier Parliament. He did not stand again and was killed on 31 July 1667 during a brawl in a London tavern. No later member of the family entered Parliament.3

Ref Volumes: 1660-1690

Authors: P. A. Bolton / Paula Watson

Notes

• 1. Christopher Danby (Thoresby Soc. xxxvii), 2; T. D. Whitaker, Richmondshire , ii. 98-99.
• 2. Leeds Corp. Court Bks. (Thoresby Soc. xxxiv), 203-4; HMC 8th Rep. pt. 1 (1881), 275.
• 3. Keeler, Long Parl. 152-3; Royalist Comp. Pprs. (Yorks. Arch. Soc. rec. ser. xx), 86-87; Verney Mems. ii. 71, 319; Thornton Autobiog. (Surtees Soc. lxii), 163.