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The following account has been condensed and highlighted from John Burke: A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Commoners of Great Britain and Ireland, London (1838) Vol III, pp. 19-21
The Dennes were established in Kent, antecedently to the Conquest, by a Norman,
ROBERT DE DENE, who held large estates in Sussex and Kent, as well as in the duchy, and was Pincerna or butler to Edward the Confessor. His son and heir,
ROBERT DE DENE, was father of
RALPH DE DENE, living in the time of William, the Conqueror, lord of Buckhurst, in Sussex, who wedded Sybella, sister of Robert de Gatton, and had a son, Robert, his heir, and a daughter, Ella,* m. to Sir Jordan Sackville, ancestor of the dukes of Dorset.
* This Ella, who inherited by will from her father Buckhurst and other estates in Sussex, in her widowhood endowed Bayham Abbey. See charter in the British Museum, by which she gives permission to the abbot and community to remove their establishment from their convent at Otteham, founded by her father Ralph Dene, to Bayham.
This Ralph de Dene, who possessed large estates in Kent and Sussex, founded Otteham Abbey, for monks of the Premonstratensian order. His son and successor,
ROBERT DE DENE, inherited the Kentish estates. He married, and had, with two daughters, Alice, who endowed Bayham Abbey, and Agnes, wife of -- De Icklisham, was s. by his son,
WILLIAM DE DENN, of Denn Hill, in the Parish of Kingston on Barham Downs, Kent, who was s. by his son,
SIR ALURED DE DENN, of Denn Hill, a person of great learning, seneschal of the Priory of Canterbury, and escheator of Kent Anno 1234, who was appointed by Henry VII. to enforce, in conjunction with Sir Henry de Bath, the laws of Romney Marsh. He was s. by his son,
WALTER DENNE, of Denne Hill, living in 1256, whose son, another
WALTER DENNE, of Denne Hill, alive in the 9th EDWARD I. [1281] was father of
JOHN DENNE, of Denne Hill, in 1308, who was s. by his son,
SIR WILLIAM DENNE, knt. of Denne Hill, who sat in Parliament for the city of Canterbury 19th Edward II. [1326] and for the county of Kent in the 14th of the following reign [1341]. Sir William espoused Elizabeth, daughter and co-heiress of Hamo de Gatton, of ??oughton, and left a son and successor,
RICHARD DENNE, of Denne, living in the (?)6th Richard II. [1383?]who m. Agnes, daughter of -- Apuldrefield, of Challock,* and had four sons, THOMAS, Michael, John, and Robert; of whom the eldest,
* “This ancient family,” says Philpot, “descended from Henry de Apuldrefield, of Apuldrefield, in Coudham, who was in the catalogue of those eminent Kentish gentlemen who were engaged with Richard I. at the siege of Acre, in Palestine.”
THOMAS DENNE, of Denne Hill, wedded Isabel, daughter and heir of Robert de (?)arde, and had (with a younger son, Thomas, who died issueless in 1468), his successor,
JOHN DENNE, of Denne Hill, who m. Alice, daughter of Richard Arden, and had issue,
IMICHAEL, his heir.
IIThomas, of Kingston, who m. Agnes, daughter of William Eshehurst, and had an only daughter and heiress,
1.Avis, m. to John Crispe, of Quicks, in the Isle of Thanet.
IIIParnell, m. to William Keale.
The elder son,
MICHAEL DENNE, esq. of Denne Hill, living in the reigns of Edward IV. and Henry VII. [1461-1483 and 1485-1509] espoused Christiana Coombe, of Lymne, an heiress, and had issue,
I THOMAS, his heir.
IIWilliam.
IIIJohn, of Lymne, Kent, who m. and had four sons, viz.
1.Michael, of Lymne, who d. in 1559, leaving issue.
2.Henry, mentioned in his brother Michael's will.
3.John, m. and had issue.
4.Peter, m. and had issue.
IVIsabella, m. to Simon Quilter.
The eldest son,
THOMAS DENNE, esq. of Denne Hill, left by Alice Eshehurst, his wife, three sons, viz.
IThomas, of Denne Hill, who m. Alicia, daughter of Thomas Mett, esq. left issue.
IIWILLIAM, of whom presently.
IIIJames, of Marley, who d. at Kingston in 1574, leaving issue, by Agnes his wife.
The second son of Thomas Denne, of Denne Hill, by Alice Eshehurst his wife,
WILLIAM DENNE, esq. of Kingston, in Kent, proprietor of extensive estates in that county, espoused Agnes, daughter of Nicholas Tufton, esq. of Northiam Place, in Sussex, great grandfather to the first earl of Thanet, and by her, who d. in 1588, had issue,
IVincent, of Kingston, LL.D. m. Joan Kettel, of London, and dying in 1591, left issue
IIThomas, esq. a bencher of Lincoln's Inn in 1590, who m. Jane, daughter of John Swift, esq. of Essex and London, and left issue
IIIMary, m. first, to John Coppin, esq.;and, secondly, to Thomas Boys, esq. of Eythorne.
IVCATHERINE DENNE, m. to THOMAS GOOKIN, esq. of Ripple Court, Kent.
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