Dovenby Hall was officially occupied by the Dykes family when they moved there in 1791 on the marriage of Joseph Ballantine-Dykes to Mary Dykes (who, prior to then, was the occupant).
However, the house became associated with the Dykes family many years earlier.
In 1728, Leonard Dykes (grandson of 12(i) Fretcheville Dykes born in 1666) married Susanna, daughter of the Reverand Thomas Capstack, and they had two sons; Fretcheville Dykes and Lawson Dykes. It was the eldest son Fretcheville who married Mary, daughter of John Brougham of Cockermouth.
Fretcheville and Mary had only one (recorded) child, a daughter called Mary Dykes and she was fortunate enough to inherit Dovenby Hall from her uncle Peter Lamplugh Brougham, on his death as Peter Lamplugh Bougham had no heir.
Subsequently, in 1791, Mary Dykes married her cousin Joseph Ballantine-Dykes, who was the son of Lawson Dykes (younger brother of Fretcheville).
Lawson Dykes had the good fortune to marry (in 1765) Jane, daughter and heiress of John Ballantine. As a consequence of the marriage, Lawson took on the surname of his wife's family and the Coat of Arms becoming Lawson Dykes-Ballantine.
Lawson and Jane had three children: the first being Joseph Ballantine-Dykes who married Mary Dykes (see above). Then came Fretcheville Ballantine-Dykes who served in the East India Company, and their sister Mary Dykes who married James Spedding.
So, Mary Dykes inherited Dovenby Hall and, in marrying her cousin Joseph Ballantine-Dykes, managed to keep the house in the family.
Joseph and Mary had a lot of children (ten).
Fretcheville Lawson Ballantine-Dykes would have retained the titles, and had to use the name Ballantine, as would his brother Joseph (who took holy orders at Oxford); Lamplugh Brougham, Lawson Peter, and James William.
Unfortunately, as my family name is plain "Dykes" and not Ballantine-Dykes, my branch of the family that leads to William Dykes born in 1919 either (a) broke off before the marriage in 1728 of Leonard Dykes and Susanna Capstack; or (b) Leonard and Susanna had 10 children and Leonard also had a child with an unknown woman (how someone found this out is anyone's guess). It is unlikely that one of the male children fathered Wilfred as the eldest would have been born in 1729. So it's possible that Wilfred is the illegitimate son of Leonard! But it is more likely that Wilfred's father was Leonard's uncle.
Whatever, it would seem the only connection my family has with Dovenby Hall is the Dykes family motto; examples of which should be found within the Hall; as Leonard and Susanna did not live there - Dovenby Hall was inherited by their granddaughter Mary.
My earliest proven relative is Wilfred Dykes born in 1747. He married Mary Winn and had one child with him, John Dykes born in 1801 (died in 1838). However, the reason for having only one child with Mary Winn was because he died, as Mary Winn married again in 1805 to Samuel Moss.
The father of Wilfred Dykes is proving tricky to identify, as he was probably born between 1720-29.
This information is from Burke's Peerage published in 1826, and "A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Commoners of Great Britain and Ireland".