Dering, Edward, Sir, 1st Baronet, of Surrenden Dering (1598 -1644)

Sir Edward Dering, of Surrenden in Kent, was the eldest son of Sir Anthony Dering, of Surrenden, and his second wife, Frances, daughter of Chief Baron Robert Bell. Admitted to the Middle Temple 23 October 1617, Edward Dering was knighted in 1619, and created a baronet 1 February 1627. He was Member of Parliament for Hythe in Kent during the Long Parliament. From a yeoman family, he had the vanity to devise himself a pedigree, with the assistance of Philipot the herald, to enable him to trace his ancestry to Saxon times. He added the `Dering' saltire to two ancient rolls in his own library, and forged charters to show his alliance with all the great families of the county. Part I of his library was sold by King and Lochée 3 December 1811, books from his library by Puttick & Simpson 8 June 1858, and charters and deeds from his collection, with some books, by Puttick & Simpson in a series of sales 10 July 1861, 4 February 1863, and 13 July 1865. The bulk of the family papers are deposited in the Kent Record Office in Maidstone, though a part were in the possession of Squadron Leader C.D. Stephenson of Little Chart in 1954.