De La Hay family

The Family of Twysden and Twisden. Their History and Archives. From an Original by Sir John Ramskill Twisden, 12th Baronet of Bradbourne. Completed by C. H. Dudley Ward,D.S.O., M.C.

This book has a number of references to the Delahay family given their connection by marriage to to Twysden family.

Henry Delahay of Wateringbury had married Anne Royden sometime before 1540. Henry died in 1544 and his will dated 3 Jan 1543/44 was proved on 23 July 1544. in 1544 Henry was lessee of the manors of Wateringbury, Chart, Fowkes and Westbury. Probably the lease of the first 3 of these was a monastic grant as manors had belonged to the Abbey of St. Mary Grace which was dissolved in 1538and remained in the King's hands until 1544. Westbury had been in private hands, held by Sir Mathew Browne and his ancestors from reign of King Henry VI to Queen Mary.

Their son, Neville Delahay, was born approx 1540 and died 12 Oct 1586. He had married a Katherine (previous surname unknown) and there were 4 sons and one daughter, George, Fane, Henry, Anthony and William. Neville inherited a small share of the Royden property. In 1575 he bought from John Baker of Sissinghurst the manors of Wateringbury, Chart and Fowkes, leases of which had been held by Neville and his father.

George Delahay (married Margaret) was the principal inhabitant of Wateringbury in 1586 and died in 1618, being buried in Lenham. Dudley cites the Larking Collection (Lot 113) for an "appointment by G. Delahay to Roger Twysden to pay Katheryne Delahay £170 30th July 1591 with memoranda by R. Twysden of having paid to K. Delahay £100 and to her son Antony Delahay £70". The property at Wateringbury was divided between George and his brothers under the custom of gavelkind, George lived at Wateringbury for a time borrowing money from Roger Twysden and selling pieces of land to him and others. He bought up his brothers' shares in 1591 and at abut the same time sold the manor of Chart to Roger Twysden, but reserved the right to cut the timber in Chart. On 5th May 1600 he sold the manor of Wateringbury to Richard Wilkinson who afterwards sold to Sir Thomas Style.