Henry Bayntun was born in 1572 at Bromham House in the county of Wiltshire. He was educated at Lincoln's Inn (admitted 1588). His father, Sir Edward Bayntun and his wife Agnes Ryce had 13 children, most of whom were girls. The first born male heir, William, was murdered by witchcraft in 1564. However in 1572, Henry was born to the couple and he went on to inherit his father's estate upon his death in 1593. The names of all of Henry's brothers and sisters are not know or have never been recorded.

He was 21 years old when his father died in 1593 and he subsequently inherited the Manor of Bromham and Bremhill estate. The spelling of the surname changed from 'Baynton' to 'Bayntun' some time after his death, as seen on his son's memorial in the Bayntun Chapel in the Church of St. Nicholas at Bromham. However during his life he was known as Henry Baynton and this is evident in his will and other manoral documents. It is not known why the surname changed, but as in previous generations listed in this website, we refer to them all as Bayntun to avoid confusion.

He was a Member of Parliament for Devizes Borough in 1585 and 1592 and again in 1603, M.P. For Wiltshire County in 1597 and High Sheriff of Wiltshire in 1600. On 14th September 1601 he was awarded the title Knight Bachelor, an officer in the Wiltshire militia – Captain of Horse 1586-1597 and foot 1605-1610; a Justice of the Peace for Wiltshire 1592-1593, 1594-1616; DL for Wiltshire 1609-1611; Deputy Warden of Melksham Forest 1600-1616; High Sheriff of Wiltshire 1601-1602; MP for Chippenham 1588; for Devizes 1993, 1604 and for Wiltshire 1597.

Special livery was granted to Henry after the death of his father, Sir Edward Bayntun in 1593. His father's will made provision for four overseers to bring him up in "virtuous and godly life" and he retained strong Puritan convictions throughout his life. He was a man of conscience and he exercised great influence around Bromham, Stanley, Chippenham and Bremhill, where he had another substantial house. The Court Book of the Bayntuns for various manors, including Bromham, for the years 1565 to 1612 is in the British Museum.

On 30 Elizabeth I (1589), Henry Bayntun and Roger Gifford, doctor, were elected by Anthony Parry and John Moggriche, the younger, free tenants of Old Castle or Old Sarum.

Henry Bayntun married Lucy Danvers in 1590 – the daughter of Sir John Danvers, of Danby Castle, Dauntsey, Wiltshire and sister of Henry Danvers, the Earl of Danby. Sir John acquired, through marriage to Elizabeth Neville, the castle, but died just one year after his daughter's marriage in December 1594, leaving behind him great possessions. Lucy came from a large family of three brothers and six sisters and she and Henry had three children. Their first born, Edward, was baptised at Bremhill on the 5th September 1593, Charles was also christened at Bremhill on the 19th January 1595 but died the following year, aged just 13 months and Elizabeth, their only daughter was born in 1596.

In 1595, Henry sold an estate in Berwick Bassett, which was the origin of Berwick Farm, to Thomas Hutchins. The estate was acquired by his grandfather, Sir Edward Bayntun at the time of the Dissolution in 1541, along with the Manor of Temple Rockley. In 1606 Sir Henry and his servants appeared in the Star Chamber accused of taking deer and timber, removing boundaries and illegally enclosing a park in Pewsham and Blackmore Forests. They were prosecuted for this offence.

The family owned many manors, including that of Bremhill, Wiltshire. A survey of the Bromham and Bremhill manors, taken for Sir Henry and dated 1611, shows a large manor house at Bremhill. At times the family chose to live there and some of the children were baptised at St. Martin's Church, Bremhill, Wiltshire. A survey taken in 1612, listed a large tenantry on manors owned by Sir Henry. The Wiltshire property alone brought in more than £2,000 p.a. in rents and Henry's income after succeeding to the estate was reckoned to be double that figure.

According to letters patent, on the 26th March 1616, King James granted Sir Henry a reversion of the entailed manors of Bromham, Clench (near Wyke) in Wiltshire and parcel of the lands, the property of Battle Abbey, Sussex to be held in chief in perpetuity, consideration £200, 'good causes' and an annual rent of £3 - 2s and one-twentieth knight's fee. Bromham was an important weaving centre, but the weavers suffered severely during depressions in the cloth trade.

In 1612 Sir Henry built six little cottages in the village of Bromham for the poor people of the town, probably intended for impoverished weavers. The full story of these cottages and the foundation and rules of the Almhouses can be read on a separate page Almshouses

Both Sir Henry and his wife loved horses and details from their respective wills indicate they left some of these animals to their good friends as a gesture of their love and friendship.

Henry Bayntun died on the 24th September 1616 and was buried at Bromham. An inquisition post mortem was held in 1617/8 and his will was proved in the PCC on the 18th November 1616. A stone set in the aisle floor (under the table) in the Bayntun Chapel, in the Church of St. Nicholas, Bromham is the only memorial to him. This was taken from the Almshouses just prior to their demolition in 1964. In his will (see below), dated the 30th July 1616, Sir Henry left considerable sums of money to the parish churches of Bromham, Bremhill, Steeple Eton and Rowde, towards their reparation and maintenance. As well as his commitment to the Almshouses in Bromham, he also left money to the Church Wardens and Overseers of the poor in the parishes of Bromham, Bremhill, Rowde and Bishops Canning.

He also left a sum of £30 to each of the towns of Chippenham, Calne and Devizes on the condition that £10 from each total would go towards the poor of each respective town and the remaining £20 to be set up as loans. His wish was that such money be lent out yearly to poor artificers (skilled workers or craftsmen) and tradesmen and no loan to be less than £6 13s 4d.

There was no mention whatsoever of his wife, Lucy, in his will but he named his only son and heir, Sir Edward Bayntun as his Executor, and bequeathed to him, his estate. His only daughter, Elizabeth, received £500 from her father and all the manors, lands and tenements Sir Henry had recently purchased from Sir William Throckmorton and Sir Thomas Tracey. He outlined in his will that if her brother wanted such lands, and was prepared to pay her the sum of £3,000 within one year, they could be his.

His desire was to be buried with his family and ancestors in the Parish Church of St. Nicholas, Bromham and as a token of his love for his friends, Sir Henry Poole of Oaksey, Sir John Earnley, Sir Roger Owen and Henry Bayliffe of Monkton, he gave each one of his best horses or gelding.

His will reads reads:
In the name of God the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost Amen. I Henry Baynton of Bromham in the County of Wilts, Knight, diseased in my body but of good and perfect memory and understanding for which I give thanks unto Almighty God, do upon consideration of my mortality make and ordain my last Will and Testament by this present writing in manner and form following. That is to say first I commend my soul into the hands of my most merciful redeemer Jesus Christ who by his suffering hath made satisfaction for all my sins and by whose mediation alone I hope to find mercy in the hand of my most merciful father even for the merit of his dearly beloved son Jesus Christ in whom he is well pleased and my body I commit unto the earth to be buried in the Parish Church of Bromham aforesaid amongst such ancestors and kindred who have been buried before me, believing that this my earthly tabernacle shall be dissolved, yet but in the last days shall rise again and that my soul and body shall be reunited and shall reign merciful happening with the blessed company of God’s elect. Concerning my worthy estate in premise I give and bequeath towards the reparation and maintenance of the Parish Church of Bromham aforesaid the sum of Five Pounds to be paid to the church wardens of the said parish within one year after my death. I give and bequeath towards the reparation and maintenance of the Parish Church of Bremhill in the county aforesaid the sum of Forty Shillings to be paid to the church wardens of the said parish of Bremhill within one year after my death. I give and bequeath to Mr. Richard, parson of the Parish Church of Bromham aforesaid the sum of Ten Pounds. I give and bequeath to Mr. Webb, preacher and minister of the word of God in the Parish of Steeple Eton the sum of Five Pounds. I give and bequeath to Mr. Collier, vicar of the Parish Church of Bremhill aforesaid the sum of Forty Shillings. I give and bequeath to Mr. Tyse of the Parish Church of Rowde in the county aforesaid the sum of Forty Shillings. I give to the poor people of the parish of Bromham in the county aforesaid the sum of Five Pounds to be paid to the church wardens and overseers of the poor of the same parish within one year of my death and to be distributed by them amongst the poor the same year. I give and bequeath to the church wardens and overseers of the poor of the said parish of Bremhill in the county aforesaid the sum of Forty Shillings to be paid to the church wardens and overseers of the poor of the parish of Bremhill within one year of my death and to be distributed by them amongst the poor of the said parish. I give and bequeath to the poor people of the parish of Rowde in the county aforesaid the sum of Forty Shillings and to the poor people of the parish of Bishops Canning the same sum of Forty Shillings, the same sum to be paid respectively to the church wardens and overseers of the poor of the said parish of Rowde and Bishops Canning within one year of my death and to be distributed by them respectfully among the poor of each of the said parishes. I give and bequeath to the town of Devizes in the county aforesaid the sum of Thirty Pounds and the town of Chippenham in the county aforesaid the like sum of Thirty Pounds and to the town of Calne in the county aforesaid the like sum of Thirty Pounds the same sum of Thirty Pounds to be paid to the Mayors, Bailiffs or other choice officers of the said towns respectfully to be paid within one year of my death. My meaning is that Ten Pounds out of each of the said sums of Thirty Pounds shall be to the use of the poor people of the parish of Devizes, Chippenham and Calne aforesaid respectively and that the same overall sums of Ten Pounds shall either remain in stock to raise some yearly commodity towards the relief of the poor of each of the said parishes respectfully, who shall in their description determine to be most convenient, and my further meaning is that Twenty Pounds out of each of the said sums of Thirty Pounds shall remain in stock for ever to be lent out yearly upon good security to poor artificers (skilled workers or craftsmen) and tradesmen of each of the said towns respectfully, wherein my meaning is that no less shall be lent to any one person than Six Pounds Thirteen Shillings and Four Pence. I give and bequeath to my cousin Richard Baynton the sum of Five Pounds. I give and bequeath to my kinswoman______________Evans the sum of Five Pounds. I give and bequeath to her sister Mary the sum of Forty Shillings. I give and bequeath to my servant Robert Seager and to Robert Chener the sum of Five Pounds apiece. I give and bequeath to every of my other household servants dwelling in Bromham House or Bremhill House being my two ordinary dwelling houses such and the like sum of money as a whole years wages of every such servant respectively. I give and bequeath to my daughter Elizabeth Baynton and to her heirs and assignees for ever all my manors, lands, tenements and hereditaments with the appurtenances whatsoever which I lately purchased of Sir William Throckmorton knight and Baronet and of Sir Thomas Tracy knight and my will and meaning is that if my son Sir Edward Baynton shall pay unto my said daughter Elizabeth or to her assignees the sum of Three Thousand Pounds of good and lawful money of England within one year after my death then this present debt and bequest concerning my said manors and lands, tenements and hereditaments shall be made and to no effect and that then upon such payment my said son Sir Edward Baynton shall have the said manors, lands, tenements and hereditaments with their appurtenances to himself, his heirs and assignees for ever. I give and bequeath to my good friend Ralph Wilbraham of Lincoln’s Inn in the county of Middlesex one of my best horses or gelding to be chosen and delivered to him by my executor. I give and bequeath to my said daughter Elizabeth Baynton, over and above my former bequeath unto her, the sum of Five Hundred Pounds. My will is that all and above my legacies given and bequeathed by this my last Will and Testament shall be paid within one year after my death and of this my last Will and Testament. I make and appoint my said son, Sir Edward Baynton to be my so ever and only executor to whom my debts and legacies being paid and my funeral expenses discharged. I give and bequeath to him the sum of all my goods and chattels as well as personal of that nature or quality saver they be and I do request my well beloved friends Sir Henry Poole of Oaksey in the said county of Wilts knight; Sir John Earnley knight; Sir Roger Owen knight and Henry Bayliffe of Monkton in the said county of Wilts esquire to be the overseers of this my last Will and Testament desiring them to be supporting to my said executor by their best advice and counsel concerning the one performance of this my last Will and Testament and to each of them from a remembrance of my love I give and bequeath one of my best sort of horses or gelding to be chosen and delivered to either of them respectfully by my said executor and I do further hereby revoke all forms of wills and testaments whatsoever which in my time I have made in writing whereof I have hereunto put my hand and soul the thirtieth day of July in the year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord James by the grace of God of England, France and Ireland, King, defender of the faith for the fourteenth and of Scotland the fifteenth Anno Domini 1616. Signed: Henry Baynton.
Memo: That the said Sir Henry Baynton did publish this to be his last Will and Testament, the day and year above written in the presence of Henry Bayliffe, Robert Seager, Robert Chener and Anthony Neate.

His wife Lucy survived him and died in the parish of St. Martin, in the Fields, in 1621 at Northumberland House, near Charing Cross, London. She was brought to Westminster Abbey, London on the same day. At the time of its foundation, the Church of St. Martin was "in the Fields" (the countryside) with very few buildings around it, and the name has stuck to this day. It is the City of Westminster, opposite Trafalgar Square. The burial register at the Abbey indicate she was buried there on the 14th June 1621 at the entrance to St. John The Baptist's Chapel in the North Ambulatory. She has no monument or readable gravestone, which is not unusual as many burials of the nobility were not even accorded stones, or the family did not pay for a monument. Obviously she was of the right status to be allowed Abbey burial. There are approximately 3,300 people buried at Westminster Abbey. Prior to this she lived at Bremhill House as she lists many of her possessions in her will, being in her chamber room at this house. It is most likely after her husband died, her son moved into Bromham House and she remained at Bremhill House. Her will (see below), dated 23rd November 1620, appointed her brother Sir. John Danvers and her cousin Sir. Charles Danvers as her Executors and wrote of her wish to be buried in the Abbey Church of Westminster. There was no mention of her son, Sir Edward Bayntun, in her will, but she refers to her daughter as Elizabeth Dutton, to whom she left a ring to the value of £100. Elizabeth was married to John Dutton from Sherborne, Gloucestershire. She left her best gown and satin waistcoat to Lady Magdalen Danvers, the wife of her brother with the remaining of her wardrobe to be divided between her two servants – Mary Nichols and Susan Thompson. Her cousin, Charles Danvers, received all the furniture she possessed, including bedding, cushions, chairs, tables and wall hangings from her chamber room at her house in Bremhill. This chamber, she wrote, was commonly called the "best chamber" near the dining room in the house. It is not known how long she remained at Bremhill House before her death at Northumberland House in London. Lucy Bayntun's final resting place is at the entrance to St. John The Baptist's Chapel in the North Ambulator, at Westminster Abbey, London (pictured left).

Her will reads:
In the name of God Amen: The three and twentieth day of November in the year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord James by the Grace of God, King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland. I Lucy Baynton of Bremhill in the county of Wilts widow, being sick in body but of good memory, I thank God and do make this my Last Will and Testament in manner and form following. I commend my soul into the hands of God, trusting to be saved by the merits of Jesus Christ my Blessed Lord and Saviour and my body to be buried in the Abbey Church at Westminster and concerning such goods and chattels such it hath pleased God to lend me during my life, I do hereby declare my will and meaning to be that they shall be disposed as hereinafter in their presents mentioned. That is to say I do give, will and bequeath to my loving daughter Elizabeth Dutton wife of John Dutton esquire, one ring of the value of One Hundred Pounds to be used by my said daughter during her life and after to remain to her daughter Elizabeth Dutton as a remembrance of my love to her. I give and bequeath to my brother Sir John Danvers knight one ring of the value of Forty Pounds and to the Lady Magdalen Danvers, his wife, one piece of plate to the value of Ten Pounds and my ash colour wrought velvet gown and my ash colour satin waistcoat and personal belonging to the same. I give and bequeath to my cousin Charles Danvers all the bedding, chairs, stools, tables, cushions, hangings and furniture whatsoever commonly used in the chamber commonly called the best chamber in the said house, near adjoining to the dining chamber therein. I will and bequeath to my servants Mary Nichols and Susan Thompson all my wearing apparel, except such apparel as I have before given to the said Lady Magdalen to be equally divided between them by my Executors or such as they shall appoint. I give and bequeath more unto the said Susan Thompson Five Pounds in money and to my servants Joan Evans and Anne Saunders Five Pounds apiece, to Lionel Woodward my black mare, to John Long Ten Pounds, to my servant ___________ Five Pounds on condition that he shall serve the rest of his years of apprenticeship with my son and daughter Dutton if they will receive him. I give and bequeath onto Elizabeth Sutton Ten Pounds. I will and bequeath that my Executors shall bestow Fifty Pounds in land or rent to be conveyed by them and their heirs to the inhabitants of Foxham in the parish of Bremhill upon trust that they shall pay yearly at the Feast of the Annunciation of Our Lady the Virgin Mary and the Feast of Saint Michael the Archangel three pounds by equal portions to the maintenance of a minister that shall say devine service in the Chapel of Foxham. All the rest of my goods, chattels, plates, jewels, money, bonds and household stuff whatsoever I give and bequeath unto my Executors towards the payment of my debts and performance of my legacies and such charges and expenses as they shall be, at in our about, or concerning their execution of this my last will. I do will and bequeath that all my said legacies shall be paid and delivered within five months after my decease and I do make my said brother Sir. John Danvers and my cousin Sir. Charles Danvers my lawful Executors of this my said will and do desire them to see the same truly performed according to my meaning. In witness hereunto I have subscribed my name, the day and year above written. Lucy Baynton.
Signed and published by the said Lucy Baynton as her Last Will in the presence of William Langston, Lionel Woodwarde and Henry Pepper.

Her desire for the upkeep of the church at Foxham was evident also in her will when she appointed her Executors to bestow Fifty Pounds in land or rent to be conveyed by them and their heirs to the inhabitants of Foxham in the parish of Bremhill upon trust that they would pay yearly, at the Feast of the Annunciation of Our Lady the Virgin Mary and the Feast of Saint Michael the Archangel, Three Pounds by equal portions to the maintenance of a Minister that shall say devine service in the Chapel of Foxham.

Foxham was one of six hamlets in the parish of Bremhill and as the parish church was at so inconvenient a distance – there being a long, intervening hill – a private chapel was built and endowed conjointly by the Bayntun and Hungerford families, for the sake of having a nearer place of worship for their families. This was endowed in the reign of James I, as appears by the date of a Deed of Agreement between Sir. George Hungerford, Sir Edward Bayntun, Lady Lucy Bayntun and Mr. Robert Essington of Bremhill, one of the feoffees of the above mentioned indenture. It appears that certain lands were assigned to Essington on condition that he should pay Four Pounds per annum for the maintenance of a Minister.

This chapel is no longer standing, having made way for a newer church. The chapel was a cause of dispute, for over 200 years, between the Vicar of Bremhill on one hand and the Hungerford family and the people of Foxham on the other. The cause of dispute was the responsibility for the upkeep of the building and the provision of a Minister. The result of the quarrel was that the chapel fell into such disrepair that it had to be pulled down, and for many years prior to its removal, no service was held there.

Robert Stratton, of Hanger in the parish of Bremhill, Co. Wilts, in his will dated January 1618, mentions an agreement he had with the Lady Lucy Baynton, Lady of the Manor of Bremhill that the names of his son Thomas Stratton and his daughter Phrizwith Stratton shall be in his copy of the reversion of the living at Foxham.

Sir Henry Bayntun's memorial stone reads:
I was hungry and yee gave mee meate,
I was thirstie and yee gave mee drinke,
I was naked and yee clothed mee,
I was harbarles and yee gave mee lodginge.
Come yee blessed of my Father,
Inherit the Kingdom prepared for you.
Mat 25 Anno Chri 1612 et anno.

Sir Henry Bayntun died in 1616 and was succeeded by his eldest son and heir Edward Bayntun