Ted Dammery’s History (1978)

Edward John Barr “Ted” Dammery (8 May 1904, Melbourne – 6 July 2006, Malvern East, a centenarian at 102; married Catherine Ellen Searle, Brisbane, 1935) was the grandson of Edward Damery of Tullyglass who took the family to Victoria in 1863. About 1978 he typed this ten-page history of the name, drawing on the College of Arms, on the heraldry books, and on correspondence with the French Damerys, and posted copies across the world; his own copy carries his later corrections in hand. It reached Judy Wight in Utah and, in time, my father Norman in Cork, and it is one of the founding documents of this research. Much of what this site has since proven, Ted saw first; where he erred, he erred as every pioneer does, ahead of the records. His typescript is given below in full, exactly as he left it. Thank you, Ted.

The origins of the Damery family are very ancient, dating back in English history to early Norman; to Henry I third some ✎ son of William the Conqueror who succeeded to the throne on the death of his brother William II, known ✎ as Rufus.

The family was already established in the then County of Maine where they had taken possession of the town of Doumeray now in the Department of Maine et Loire and close to the border of Normandy.

It is from this town that the name of Damery is derived according to the College of Arms in London and according to the books on heraldry ✎ and name origins.

Roger Damory was the first to arrive in England; he was chaplain to Henry I and by Henry was made Bishop of Salisbury. ✎ He lived openly with his mistress but Nigel of Ely was married in spite of the disapproval of the Pope.

Paul Damery who is a native of Normandy and of Caen, the town of William the Conqueror, has given great help with this history as his father did considerable research in the French archives and he is quite definite in corroborating the existence of Roger Damory who was a "clerc" or priest whose learning and command of Latin caught the attention of Henry when quite young, for Henry was well educated himself and was known as "Beauclerc" or well educated.

Charles Damery of Paris claims that the family is much older and of earlier origin.

He claims that it was Frankish in origin and goes back to Clovis, the first real king of a united French Kingdom.

It was Clovis who stopped further Norman inroads into northern and eastern France by agreeing to their hold on Normandy and creating the Duchy, making Rollo the first duke.

However he claims that the name is derived from Damery on the Marne River 100 miles east of Paris in the Department of Marne, but in those days in the County of Champagne.

Whether this is so or not, or whether Damery (Marne) has derived its name from the family we do not know at present. The link may well be there as will be seen later in this history, also Damerys could have been in the Duchy of Bar, and the old capital of that Duchy; Bar-le-Duc; is only some twenty miles further east from Damery (Marne).

This duchy also had later connections with the family as will be seen.

Charles Damery informed me also that there is a town or village of DAMRY in Belgium just north of the French frontier where he has seen the grave in the cemetery of Baron Damery dated 1350.

There is also the remains of a castle there. At that time, 1350, the Netherands [sic] were a part of the territory of the Dukes of Burgundy who were independent of the Kingdom of France and both threatened it and was in turn threatened by it; consequently the dukes always maintained alliance with the kings of England.

This alliance remained until the time of Charles the Bold (or Foolish) late in the 14th century, which also is significant regarding this history as will be seen.

Charles Damery also claims descent from the Dukes of Burgundy, from Charles de Temeraire, Duke of Burgundy known as "Bold" or by some who were perhaps wiser "Foolish" and from the Baron Damery of the then Burgundian Netherlands.

We now begin the real story of the family beginning with the Norman Damerys.

Roger of Salisbury was a close friend and helper to the young Henry and Roger began the household establishment of the king by concentrating the financial and administrative powers in a tight group round the king.

One nephew was Nigel, Bishop of Ely. He brought his brother and two nephews to England and enriched them, it is probable also that they were the group around the king in administration since we know that he also served King Stephen who found himself unable to do without Roger and Roger's family.

We know that the family also served the next king Henry II, Henry Plantagenet, and that Stephen suspected them of being in alliance with Matilda and Henry, but was unable to part with them although Roger was in the Tower for a short time; ✎ he died as a result of it.

It was through this imprisonment that Stephen angered the clergy and lost the support of the Church, hence Roger's quick release.

So for two or three reigns the family were the financial heads of the Kingdom of England.

Around 1200 we find the family solidly established in England with Robert Damery with estates in Oxfordshire ✎ + Buckinghamshire and perhaps elsewhere.

This Robert Damery had a son who married Joan said to be "of Somerset" and there were sons of the marriage, daughters were not recorded in those days unless of great families or when married into greater ones or who left an indelible mark on history. This is a great pity as many alliances are untraceable because of this and there is much lost as a result.

Did they marry into great noble families? But certainly Joan Damory could have come from one of the great families of the time to be mentioned by name.

The elder som [sic] of this marriage was Roger Damory recorded as "still living" in 1281 and he held land in Oxfordshire and Somerset and he in turn had a son, Robert Damory, who was a knight of some considerable prowess who died in 1285 and held estates in Oxfordshire, Somerset, and Buckinghamshire; Bucknell and Woodperry in Oxford; Thornborough in Buckingham; Ubley in Somerset.

His arms were:— a barry of six, argent and gules; the crest; a talbot's head.

This Robert had two sons, Richard the elder, and Roger the younger, both of whom were knights of importance and great fighting ability. They inherited the vast estates of their father, the bulk going to Richard, but Roger held the manor of Bletchingdon in Oxfordshire and perhaps also the manor of Ubley in Somerset.

Their father Robert Damory is believed to have held land in France, perhaps in Maine, but of this there is no certainty. The elder som [sic] Richard died in 1330; he was Lord Damory, member of the king's parliament, sheriff of the counties of Oxford and Buckingham, Constable of Oxford Castle and Steward of the King, Edward II. He was also Forester of Whittlewood Forest ✎ ? Wychwood ? — faint pencil query above the word. He had a son also named Richard.

The younger brother Roger Damory also became Lord Damory, member of the king's parliament and was Baron Blechingdon, Baron Holton, Baron Sandal, Baron Vauxhall, Lord of Knaresborough and Constable of Knaresborough Castle, Corfe Castle, and Briavels Castle, Lord of Usk and Keeper of the Forests of Dean and Purbeck.

The reason for this vast enrichment was due primarily to the bravery and fighting ability of Roger at Bannockburn when he and his men enabled the king and bulk of the English forces to escape from that shambles.

The young Earl of Gloucester was killed at Bannockburn leaving no direct heir to the vast estates of the de Clares and Roger married the youngest of the three daughters, Elizabeth, with a third share of the de Clare and Gloucester estates as dowry.

He became a nephew to the king, Edward II, nephew of the Duchess of Bar in eastern France and closely related through his wife to King Charles of France and to the royal house of Castile.

It is said that at this time an English Damery married into the house of Phillip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, the French Damerys claiming that they are descended from this union. And this could well be the case, as the family stood high in England and had both French and Spanish connections, also Burgundy kept close alliance with England in order to weaken the power of the French king.

By marriage Roger became brother-in-law to the notorious Hugh Dispenser (the Younger) and to Lord Audley as these two married the other de Clare sisters.

He also became, nephew to Edward II, nephew to Eleanor of England ✎ who was Duchess of Bar (France, q.v.) cousin to the king of Castile and cousin to Charles of France, quite acceptable to Burgundy.

Oddly enough his wife's grandfather was the famous (orinfamous) [sic — or infamous] Strongbow, Earl of Leinster in Ireland which I think embraced the land where my grandfather was born — Tulleyglass!

Roger died 1323 defending Tutbury Castle against the king, Edward II, in the unsuccessful revolt of the barons against Hugh Dispenser and his father, also Hugh Dispenser (the Elder) who had absolute control of Edward.

Roger may be buried in Tewkesbury Abbey, his arms are over the High Altar.

His widow spent part of her vast fortune to found Clare Collge [sic] at Oxford ✎ CAMBRIDGE University and his estates passed to their daughter, also Elizabeth.

Referring to the daughter, I have not been able to obtain any information about her, she would certainly be a royal ward due to her estates and blood line, but what happended [sic] to her I cannot discover, ✎ married Lord de Burgh (see descendants of Roger Damery). [Extent of the hand-strikes through this sentence is unclear in the photograph; deletion marks shown as best read.]

Returning to the elder brother Richard, he had a son Richard who died 1375 and he also had fame as a warrior and is on record as being at the Battle of Crécy and afterwards at the year long siege of Calais.

There is no record of his marriage in England and with his death the great days of the family cease, but while there are no records of the family in England, around 1400 we find them at the French Court holding positions of power and importance.

It was the year 1415 when the Battle of Argincourt [sic — Agincourt] was fought and Henry V of England was named heir to the throne of France in succession to Charles VI of France who suffered from a form of insanity. Henry married Charles' sister and brought the complaint into the Plantagenet Royal line.

The English possessions in France extended to the border of Burgundy and included the town of Damery (Marne).

There is also a village of Damery in Gloucestershire, as well as Damery Woods, Damery bridge, and Damery quarry. It could be that a Damery was lord of Damery in France as the title belonged to the Counts of Champagne, although the property and town belonged to the Abbey of St. Médard at Soissons.

It is possible also that during the wars promoted by Joan of Arc any English/French noble would have to choose where he stood, with England or with France, for it is certain that from that time onwards both were no longer possible.

Probable also, any Dammery ✎ DAMERY could have been obliged to take refuge in France during the troubled period of Richard II and Henry V early years.

We now come to the Damerys of Yatte and Cotherington.

This was a family in Gloucestershire and they appear about 1400 or very soon afterwards and they persisted in Gloucester until the 17th century in official records.

There is also mention of Henry Damerie of Tortworth, Gloucestershire, a landowner in 1365 and his son Walter Damerie of Tortworth 1399 who could have been the parents of the Damerys of Yatte who were in turn the parents of the Damerys of Cotherington.

Such a name implies descent from the Oxford Damerys and since Roger Damery was lord of much of southern Gloucestershire and South Wales, could have been his offspring, legitimate or otherwise.

We do know that Robert Damery (13th century) held the manor of Ubley in Somerset which was the county next to Gloucester in those days, and these Damerys of Tortworth and/or Cotherington and Yatte could have originated there.

Unfortunately all the records of Somerset and Devonshire were destroyed by fire during World War II, incendiary bombs utterly destroyed the buildings and contents; so nothing can be checked in those two vital counties for Damery history. ✎ Much found recently.

However, the Damerys of Yatte originate in Robert (or Roger) Damery who married someone whose name is not known about 1400; his son was Thomas Damery and his son in turn was William Damery who married Elizabeth, daughter of Martin of Chawkley; their son Morris married Catherine, daughter of Edmund Blunt of Mangersfield and they in turn had two sons, the elder Morrice Damery of Yatte had a son William and daughter Elizabeth, while the younger son Thomas married Allice, daughter of William Webb of Taterig whose son Gyles was the first Damery of Cotherington.

He married Sibell, daughter of Nicolas Walwin of Lanware and in turn had a son Nicholas and two daughters, Elizabeth and Allice.

It is of interest that Gyles Damery was granted the arms of the ancient family of Damory and for at least four generations the Damerys of Yatte had married into titled families, with the intertwining of armorial bearings.

Gyles Damery received the Damory Arms in year 1590.

About 1500 we find in Devonshire which, of course, is next county to Somerset, another family of Damerys, the Damerys of Chappell, which starts with John Damerie of South Moulton who had four sons; George, Robert, Anthony, and Thomas.

Thomas, the youngest, was the ancestor of the Amery or Emery family of Somerset who during the years variously spelt the name D'Amery, Amery or Emery, the last recorded was in 1880 named Bascombe-Emery.

The eldest son was George Damerie who married Marjery Eyre and he had three sons, John, Anthony, William; he died 1598.

John Damerie married Emmot Thomas and he had two sons and five daughters, the elder son John Amerie of Chappell, the younger George Amerie.

John married Prudence Roberts and was granted the family arms in 1620, he died 1652 leaving two sons, John and William.

George the younger son of John Damerie and Emmot Thomas had two sons John and George; these now take us into the 18th century.

The Damerys of Chappell were certainly both rich and well connected or high born, because about 1545 or 1550 Joseph Damery of Chappell married Joan St. Loe, daughter of Sir William St. Loe whose second wife was Bess of Hardwick afterwards Countess of Shrewsbury and whose offspring married into most great and royal families of England and Europe ✎ including the House of Windsor. [Paragraph also marked with a vertical line in the margin.]

Joseph Damery left a son Joseph whose great grandson was also Joseph, a Whig Member of Parliament, friend of William Pitt the Younger and a Cabinet Minister.

He was created Earl of Dorchester 1792 and had a son George who died unmarried in 1808.

Chappell is in the parish of Bishops Nympton, Devonshire.

Anthony Amery, second son of George Damerie and Marjery Eyre was a parson at Asholt, Somerset. His elder brother John, who was granted the Damory Arms was buried in the parish church of Bishops Nympton and it is recorded there that he gave ten thousand pounds, a vast sum of money in those days, to the poor of the parish.

It is odd that a family as widespread and wealthy should disappear in that area and that they should not be remembered, surely there is some intermarriage remaining even from daughters, also what of the other sons?

Strange also that the name should be varied as it was, even in one generation.

Unfortunately I have not been able to trace the family line directly, during the close of the 17th century or the early part of the 18th century, but the destruction of county records in Devon and Somerset would now make that virtually impossible:

Only chance discovery in a parish record could give any further clue or lead. ✎ Still trying in Devon at present.

However it has persisted in our branch that the family came from Devonshire or had close affinity with Devonshire and that the property of Tullyglass, County Cork, Ireland, came to the family as a gift from the Crown with the assistance of the Duke of Devonshire.

[One typed line at the head of the page struck through by hand, largely illegible: "…nobility."]

The Irish Rebellion of 1798 left plenty for him to dispose of after it was quelled, for many Protestants had been murdered, especially in the South and near Cork, as well as many Catholics killed or dispossessed afterwards.

It is around this time too that the French Damerys appear again in the persons of two boys, sole survivors of their family after the French Revolution.

Robert Damery of Laneuveville-devant-Nancy, in Lorraine, France, who did much research stated quite definitely that there were two boys; Jean-Claude, and Jacques-Nicholas; but Paul Damery whose father also did a great deal of research states just as definitely that there was only one but gave no name.

However, both agree that he (or they) went to England to the protection of the English family of Damery and that he (or they) only escaped because the family servants smuggled them safely out of France and across to England. This presupposes a link, or at least some knowledge of, the two branches of the family, perhaps they were well acquainted and certain family stories seem to indicate this.

At any rate, the parents of the boy or boys were the Marquis Damery and his wife, the Marquise, who was a lady-in-waiting to the Queen of France, Marie Antoinette, and followed her to the guillotine a week later.

Paul Damery has a bracelet of sixteen fleur-de-lys in silver given to the Marquise by Marie-Antoinette when she went to her execution.

If there were two boys then perhaps one stayed in England, but certainly one returned to France when Napoleon asked all emigrés to return, promising them their titles and positions; this Damery became a colonel of a guards regiment and was killed in Austria at the Battle of Eylau.

We know too that the Marquis Damery, his father, was also executed during the Revolution.

The French Damerys rose to high positions during the reigns of Louis XII, Henry IV and Louis XIII and during the reign of Louis XIII there was an Admiral Damery in charge of the French Fleet at Lorient (Brittany) a very important naval base even today.

Again the last war, World War II, took its toll of our history, as the home of Paul Damery and his brother Albert, in Caen, Normandy, was completely destroyed by bombs during the allied invasion of Normandy. And the records gathered by their father were destroyed also and the father and mother were killed.

I would like to probe further into the French family, but have been unable to get response from those I have written to, also it is very intriguing that Damery (Marne) should carry our name yet have no known tie with the family.

The French Damerys all claim connection with the town, but, of course, only because the name is identical with their family name.

One after another has enquired at the Town Hall at Damery, and asked the Mayor for information but, as far as I can tell, have found nothing, only great interest as I found when there.

The last one to enquire there was Réné Damery of St. Dié (Department of Vosges) [continues on page 7]

in eastern France whose father was Robert Damery of Salny near Mons and who was a cousin of Robert Damery of Laneuveville-devant-Nancy, both having the same christian name of Robert.

Mr. Gwynne-Jones of the College of Arms, London, told me that he was sure that there was no connection between the French and English Damerys, but I forgot to ask him why he was so sure, however that can still be remedied by writing to him.

It is interesting to note that three times already the College of Arms has granted the ancient Damory Arms to the English family; to Gyles Damery 1590, John Damerie 1620, and to Buscombe-Emery 1880; so that all these were aware of the Norman/Plantagenet family and were able to claim descent and were proud to have the grant of Damory Arms.

Mr. Gwynne-Jones, who is Bluemantle Pursuivant at the College, is quite intrigued by our name and its sudden appearance once again in College registration; he had no hesitation in recommending the grant of Arms to me by the Heralds, and searched for origins, but we are unable to go back further than my great-grandfather, John Damery who married Elizabeth Cunningham in Dublin 1837, their first son Edward was born 1839.

✎ Have now been able to trace Irish family back to Richard Damery 1752.

He had no records in County Cork or elsewhere in the southern counties, and felt sure that the family was of English origin earlier in the 19th century.

Due to the Sinn Fein riots in the 1920s, the whole of the Irish Records Office was destroyed by fire and only a few records already duplicated and lodged in London have survived.

These do not have any reference to the family, but I know that the family were in possession of Tullyglass when my grandfather left Ireland about 1860 or a year or two later and had already belonged to his grandfather.

✎ My grandfather was oldest son of the youngest son so did not inherit.

[Three typed lines below this heavily blacked out by hand — illegible. From Norman's 1994 retype these evidently told the "terrible quarrel" inheritance story, which the annotation above replaces.]

He had three brothers, George, John (?), Thomas, and one sister Elizabeth who married John ✎ William Kent in Kinsale, Co-Cork, Ireland and lived in London where her children grew up. ✎ Her youngest son Thos Woods Kent moved to London abt 1902 (at 14).

Elizabeth Porter is her granddaughter, John Kent her grandson.

Of the brothers; George and John joined the Royal Navy, George leaving sons in England and two great-grandsons in Cheshire, while his grandson George lives in Melbourne, Australia.

The third son Thomas went to U.S.A. and lived in New York; I have found a Mrs. Mabel Hamilton Damery in Los Angeles, California, ✎ also others from Kansas to California and Utah.

The Tullyglass property has dwindled to about 150 acres, still a large property for Ireland and now belongs to Edward Damery but his unmarried brother Samuel also lives there.

Edward and his wife Kathleen have no children so the property will pass out of the family on their death.

✎ Edward sold Tullyglass 1988.

Edward and Samuel could be grandchildren of my great-grandfather's brother, but more likely they are great-grandchildren as I guess Edward, the elder, would be now in his 60's (1978) so would be borne [sic] before 1920.

✎ See genealogy of Tullyglass Damerys.

Coming to the Australian branch of the family, we find Edward Damery using the name Dammery, he went first to New South Wales and met his future wife at Tamworth, later he moved to Melbourne, Victoria and married Sarah Jane Barr in Melbourne in July 1867.

Edward Damery (or Dammery) was borne [sic] 1839 and died in Melbourne October 15th 1891, leaving two surviving sons and two daughters.

The eldest son was John Dammery, the second was Edward who died aged one year, and the third son was Thomas Dammery.

The two daughters were Eliza Jane the elder and Martha the younger and the youngest of the family.

Neither daughter had children but both sons had a family, Thomas, one daughter and John the eldest son had two sons and two daughters.

The children of John Dammery are: Gladys, Edward, John, Sarah Dorothy.

The daughter of Thomas Dammery is Grace, who married William Dunstan, but has no child.

Gladys Dammery married Harry Clifton Mould and after his death married Norman Adam MacLellan, but has no child. John William married Flora Wenman Lloyd and had one daughter, Susan Wenman Dammery, who is unmarried.

Sarah Dorothy married William Henry Paul and has two children, Barbara Marion, who married Donald William Middleborough and William John Paul who married Margaret Phyllis McLachlan.

Barbara has two sons and one daughter, William has one son and two daughters.

Edward John Barr Dammery ✎ , Cousin Ted — apparently another hand married Catherine Ellen Searle and has two sons, Edward Robert David Dammery and John Searle Dammery. Both these sons have one son and one daughter.

The children of Edward Robert David Dammery are Richard John Edward and Julie Catherine.

The children of John Searle Dammery are Stuart John and Elisabeth Diana.

Edward Robert David married Susan Mary Horner.

John Searle Dammery married Elisabeth Francesca Morton.

Important notes

Sir Robert Damory

Served Henry III in his wars in France with considerable distinction; ✎ ancestor of Devon Damerys (Damery of Chappel & Dorchester)

Sir Roger (Lord) Damory

Younger son of Sir Robert Damory served with great distinction at Bannockburn and was rewarded afterwards by Edward II.

Roger was Baron Bleckington, Lord of Sandal and Vauxhall etc. and married Elizabeth youngest daughter of Gilbert de Clare, Earl of Gloucester which made him brother-in-law to Hugh Dispenser the Younger, and to Lord Hugh Audley. Received Lordship and Castle of Usk, Sth. Wales, as part of his wife's dowry and by marriage became nephew to Edward II.

He was accepted as a magnate, one of the great lords of England, without any resentment by the great nobles, because of his noble and ancient line, unlike the marriage of Piers Gaveston to Margaret de Clare who afterwards married Hugh Audley.

Hugh Dispenser was greedy for wealth and power and desired the royal earldom of Gloucester for himself. He tried to get all Gloucester lands, persuaded Hugh Audley to exchange his share for English estates, but could not force Roger Damory to exchange Usk etc., but obtained them after Roger's death.

Pembroke (Earl of), Hereford (Earl of), Roger Damory, Hugh Audley, Mowbray, both Lords Mortimer (Earls of March) and Lancaster (Earl of) combined forces and ravaged Glamorgan, marched on London and seized it and forced Edward II to exile the Dispensers, however they then separated which allowed Edward to regain power and recall Dispensers. In ensuing struggle Roger was mortally wounded defending Tutbury Castle for Earl of Lancaster and died three days later.

Glamorgan went to Hugh le Dispenser in dowry, much to disgust of Damory and Audley.

Also killed (executed) were Lancaster, Warwick, Hereford, and both Mortimers and Audley were imprisoned.

Roger's wife Elizabeth founded Clare College at Oxford University after his death. [Sic — the hand-correction on p. 3 (Cambridge) is right.]

Thomas of Lancaster was son of Edmund of Lancaster who was second son of Henry III and brother of Edward I and therefore uncle of Edward II. He was also Earl of Leicester, Earl of Derby, Earl of Lincoln, Earl of Salisbury, five earldoms!

Gilbert de Clare, father of Elizabeth who married Roger Damory, married Joan Plantagenet, sister of Edward II and daughter of Edward I; Joan had an elder sister Eleanor who married Henry, Count of Bar, afterwards Duke of Bar which duchy includes Damery (Marne)

Joan or Joanna of Acre born there when Edward I was at Crusade.

Tewksbury Abbey was rebuilt by Eleanor de Clare, wife of Hugh Dispenser the Younger; after his death and they are buried there. The Arms of the family and their husbands are over the high alter [sic].

They include the Arms of Roger Damory and probably he is buried there too, but records were destroyed during the time of Cromwell.

Bess of Hardwick, Countess of Shrewsbury, was a shrewd woman who had little, if any, conscience; she attained great wealth and influence and married her children, with great care, into only wealthy and powerful families.

Her descendants are in every royal family of Europe, including Britain.

[End of typescript.]