Mayney’s family lived at Biddenden in the Kentish Weald from the fourteenth century, although Mayney himself was born at nearby Staplehurst. His father purchased Linton Place, four miles south of Maidstone, and resided there in the latter part of his life.
In 1607 Mayney married the lady-in-waiting to Lucy Paulet, the wife of John Paulet, 4th marquess of Winchester. Until the death of the marchioness in 1614, the couple mostly lived with the Paulets in Hampshire, either at Basing, the marquess’ principal seat, or more often at Hackwood House, a nearby park lodge. Indeed, it was at Basing that in 1609 Mayney was knighted. However, the Mayneys also maintained a house in Egham in Surrey. During this period, Mayney had the ‘ordering and disposing’ of the Paulet estates and became the godfather to the Paulets’ youngest son. Nevertheless Mayney was not an employee, for in 1614 the marchioness declared in her will that Mayney had received no recompense for his services, despite the fact that these had been ‘not without charge to himself’.
In 1622 a correspondent of the Reverend Joseph Mead described Mayney as ‘a great Papist’.
Mayney first entered Parliament in 1610, when he was returned at a by-election for the Gloucestershire borough of Cirencester. Although he owned property in Gloucestershire and was related to Arnold Oldisworth*,
After the dissolution, Mayney continued to be closely connected to the Paulets, acting as a trustee for the settlement of property upon the marriage of Winchester’s heir, Lord St. John to a daughter of Viscount Montagu in early 1614.
In September 1614 Mayney, along with Danvers and three other peers, was chosen as an executor by the marchioness of Winchester, who also entrusted his wife with the care of her jewels and papers. For their pains, Mayney and his wife were accused five years later by the marquess of carrying off vast stores of Paulet goods and documents to their house in Egham.
Henceforward, Mayney principally attached himself to his ‘ever dearest’ friend Sir Richard Weston*, whose long attendance at Court was about to bear fruit. Weston, who like Mayney had been a trustee for Lord St. John’s marriage settlement,
Mayney drew up his will on 26 Aug. 1625. Declaring himself to be ‘in perfect health’, he asked to be buried ‘in the chapel belonging to my house in the parish church of Linton’, and made provision for an almshouse. He bequeathed 13s. 4d. per parish to the poor of 27 Kent and five Gloucestershire parishes, and to the poor of any other parishes ‘wherein I shall have house or land’. He also ordered that rings be provided for 30 ‘of my nearest acquaintance’ including Danvers, his cousin Nicholas Arnold*, Sir Francis Barnham*, Sir Thomas Culpeper*, John Donne*, the 1st earl of Westmorland (Sir Francis Fane*), Sir George Fane*, (Sir) Tobie Matthew*, Sir Charles Montagu*, Lord St. John of Basing (Lord John Paulet*), the 1st earl of Bolingbrook (Oliver St. John I*), Lord St. John of Bletsoe (Oliver St. John II*), Sir Henry Wotton*, and the Tuscan resident, Amerigo Salvetti. Among Mayney’s executors were his brother-in-law Sir Lewis Watson*, Sir William Parkhurst and his cousin Nicholas Younge, who was to receive 20 marks a year during the winding up of the estate ‘by reason of my debts, and of debts owing unto me’. The executors were authorized to sell lands in Gloucestershire to pay off his debts and provide his daughters with portions of 2,000 marks each. Weston was appointed overseer and bequeathed a black enamel ring inset with a diamond and a death’s head, which he was requested to wear ‘for his sake that ever entirely loved him’. Codicils were added on 6 Feb. 1626 and 26 Jan. 1627, the last of which was witnessed by Plowden.