William Damsell

Who is William Damsell?

Sir William Damsell, sometimes spelt Damosel, was Receiver-General of the Court of Wards and Liveries and a Member of Parliament.

Of a gentle but obscure family in Devon, Damsell gained some education at the University of Oxford, but there is no record of his taking a degree. He was proficient in languages, serving as King's factor in the Netherlands from 1546 to 1552, and was a member of the Mercers' Company of the City of London.

Damsell joined the House of Commons of England as a member for Wilton in 1553, and in 1555 returned to represent Arundel. In 1563 he was elected from Hastings, to a parliament which was not dissolved until 1567.

In June 1553, Damsell signed Edward VI's "devise for the succession". Despite this, he was knighted by Queen Mary on 2 October 1553, following her coronation, and was later appointed Receiver-General of the Court of Wards and Liveries.

Also in 1553, Damsell bought Wye College, in Kent, from Sir Maurice Denys

Stephen Batman's The Travayled Pylgrime, a verse translation of Olivier de la Marche's poem le Chevalier délibéré, was dedicated to "Sir Wm. Damsell, Knight, Receiver General of the Queen's Court of Wards and Liveries".