Who was the Father William D'Aeth founder of Dartford Grammar School?

Answer 1

William D'Eath [there are many varients on the spelling of D'Aeth, [ie; Death, D'Ath, de'Ath etcetera] was the son-in-law of the founder of Dartford Grammar School. The founder was William Vaughn the famous philanthropist, who was one of the yeoman to King Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I. William Vaughn had two known wives, Joan and Alice. He had two children by Joan, Charles and Elizabeth who was born 1541c. Elizabeth married William D'Aeth, a lawyer of Staple Inn, London. In 1576, Vaughn, D'Aeth and a Edward Gwynn, executed a deed of conveying a house and garden on the High Street, Dartford to trustees and to use the rent from the property to pay for a master at the grammar school. There are a number of D'Aeth's in the Knowlton, Kent area connected to Sir John Narborough's families and also to Sir Thomas Peyton families in Isleham, Cambridge. The present manor house built in 1585 was built by Sir Thomas Peyton and then became the property of Admiral Sir John Narborough in the late 17th century. The estate eventually passed to the D'Aeth family who owned it until 1904. Any further information required please contact Colin de'Ath, tel; London (020) 8287-0648