William Henry Dawnay, 6th Viscount Downe (20 August 1772 – 23 May 1846), styled The Honourable William Henry Dawnay until 1832, was an English clergyman and Irish peer.

William was the second son of John Dawnay, 4th Viscount Downe

John Dawnay, 4th Viscount Downe

John Dawnay, 4th Viscount Downe , was a British peer and Whig politician.-Background:Dawnay was the younger son of the Honourable John Dawnay, eldest son of Henry Dawnay, 2nd Viscount Downe...

. Educated at Eton

Eton College

Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....

, he became friends there with the son of Giles Earle (d. 1811). He matriculated at Christ Church, Oxford

Christ Church, Oxford

Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...

 in 1790, receiving his BA in 1795 and his MA in 1796.

In 1798, his brother John Dawnay, 5th Viscount Downe

John Dawnay, 5th Viscount Downe

John Christopher Burton Dawnay, 5th Viscount Downe , styled The Honourable John Dawnay until 1780, was a British Whig politician....

 presented William to the rectories of Sessay

Sessay

Sessay is a small, linear village and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. It is located about four and a third miles south-east of Thirsk, and just under two miles west of the A19 road....

 and Thormanby

Thormanby

Thormanby is a village and civil parish in Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England. It lies on the A19 approximately half-way between Easingwold and Thirsk....

. Both of these livings are in North Yorkshire

North Yorkshire

North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...

, and were in the patronage of the Dawnays, as was Ashwell, Rutland

Ashwell, Rutland

Ashwell is a village and civil parish in the county of Rutland in the East Midlands of England. It is located about three miles north of Oakham....

, to which he was presented by his brother in 1803.

On 6 June 1811, William married Lydia Heathcote, of Connington Castle, by whom he had three children:

• William Dawnay, 7th Viscount Downe
  William Dawnay, 7th Viscount Downe
  William Henry Dawnay, 7th Viscount Downe was a British politician.-Background:Downe was the son of Reverend William Henry Dawnay, 6th Viscount Downe, Rector of Sessay and Thormanby.-Political career:...
  
   (1812–1857)
• Hon. Lydia Frances Catherine Dawnay (2 October 1813 – 28 January 1890)
• Hon. Payan Dawnay (18 November 1815 – 17 June 1891)

Dawnay inherited Beningbrough Hall

Beningbrough Hall

Beningbrough Hall is a large Georgian mansion near the village of Beningbrough, North Yorkshire, England overlooking the River Ouse. It boasts one of Britain's finest baroque interiors and an attractive walled garden, as well as being home to over 100 portraits on loan from the National Portrait...

, Yorkshire, in 1827, upon the death of Margaret Earle, mother of his school friend at Eton. Her sons predeceased her, and as she was the last of the Bourchier family that had owned Beningbrough, she left it to him. He succeeded his brother as Viscount Downe in 1832. Downe died at Torquay

Torquay

Torquay is a town in the unitary authority area of Torbay and ceremonial county of Devon, England. It lies south of Exeter along the A380 on the north of Torbay, north-east of Plymouth and adjoins the neighbouring town of Paignton on the west of the bay. Torquay’s population of 63,998 during the...

in 1846 and was succeeded by his eldest son William Henry. Beningbrough, however, was left to Downe's second son, Payan.