Edward Denny

Sir Edward Denny (1547 – 12 February 1600), Knight Banneret, of Bishop's Stortford in Hertfordshire, was a soldier, privateer and adventurer during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Origins He was born in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire in 1547, the second surviving son of Sir Anthony Denny, a Privy Councillor to King Henry VIII and one of the Guardians of his young son and successor King Edward VI. His nephew was Edward Denny, 1st Earl of Norwich (1569-1637), who died without male issue and was buried at Waltham Abbey in Essex. Career Orphaned in childhood, he inherited lands in Hertfordshire. After some minor appointments at court, in 1573 he went to Ulster on a military expedition led by Walter Devereux, 1st Earl of Essex. Denny then took up privateering, capturing a Spanish ship in 1577 and a Flemish one in 1578. The same year saw him join a colonizing expedition led by Sir Humphrey Gilbert and Walter Raleigh; however, their ships were forced to turn home due to bad weather. Ireland Denny and his cousin Raleigh were then sent to Ireland to help put down the Second Desmond Rebellion. Denny led a company at the infamous Siege of Smerwick, when 400 Spanish and Italian troops were beheaded by the English after surrendering. In 1581 he commanded another expedition to Ireland and returned with the head of Garret O’Toole, leader of one of the Irish clans.