 In June 1553, Damsell signed Edward VI's "devise for the succession".Despite this, he was knighted by Queen Mary on 2 October 1553, following her coronation, and was later appointed Receiver-General of the Court of Wards and Liveries.Also in 1553, Damsell bought Wye College, in Kent, from Sir Maurice Denys 
Stephen Batman's "The Travayled Pylgrime" (1569), a verse translation of Olivier de la Marche's poem "le Chevalier délibéré" (1483), was dedicated to "Sir Wm.