William had nine daughters and four sons: Richard his son and heir, William, Walter and Edward.
Richard Lanyon Esq 1516-1592
Richard Lanyon Esq was born about. 1516 and was buried 18 Dec 1592 at Gwinear, Cornwall. He married Margaret Treskillard and they had at least twelve children, eight sons and four daughters.
Margaret was the daughter of Thomas Treskillard and Elizabeth Penwarne. Thomas of Treskillard Manor, Illogan, died before 1533 (we know this as his 2nd wife Isabel was mentioned as his widow in a legal dispute of 1533). Elizabeth Penwarne was born at Penwarne Manor Mevagissey.
Margaret married Richard Lanyon Esq abt. 1535.
Margaret was famous for having a dream about the location of a new tin mine.
“Richard Lanyon of Gwinear found a rich tin work as a result of a dream of his wife, and made nearly £4000 in four years”.
Source: ‘Tudor Cornwall’ by John Chynoweth.
“Some have found Tynne-workes of great value, through means no less strange, then extraordinaire, to wit, by dreams. As in Edward the sixth time, a Gentlewoman, here to one Tresculierd, and wife to Lanine, dreamed that a man of seemly personage told her how in such a Tenement of her land, she should find so great store of Tynne as would serve to enrich both her selfe and her posterity. This she revealed to her husband: and he putting the same in trial found a work which in four years was worth his welneere so many thousand pounds.”
Source: ‘The Survey of Cornwall and an Epistle Concerning the Excellencies of the English Tongue’. By Richard Carew 1602
£4000 in four years was a huge amount of money in Tudor times. This is the family at the height of its success. In less than a hundred years much of it would be lost by Richard and Margaret’s great grandson.
In 1561 he was described in his son’s marriage settlement as Richard of Morvah so he must have been living at Tregamynyan at that time. By 1569 two years after the death of his father he was living at the family manor at Gwinear and was listed on the 1569 Muster Roll for Gwinear.
‘Corslet mourion long bow sheaf of arrows bill a gelding with his…. Richard Lanyne gent furnushed. Ability a, ar‘ (Archer).
The 1569 Muster Roll was to include all men between 16 and 60. For wages over £5 a certain amount of weaponry/armour had to be provided. For goods over £10 the same applied, bow, arrows and bill being the lowest contribution rising to furnishing horses at the higher end with goods over £400 or an income of over 100 marks anyone with a park was expected to supply horse.
Property Transactions
In 1578 sale by John Noy yeoman of Madron to Richard Lanyon of land in Newlyn.
Source: Royal Institution of Cornwall
1587 Property Transaction: Richard Lanyon of Gwinear esquire and John Lanyon of Madron his son and heir to Nicholas Botistowe of Newlyn of three gardens and a hemp plot.
Source: Royal Institution of Cornwall
Map of Cornwall showing Newlyn & Paul
Richard died in 1592 and was buried at Gwinear on the 18th December, thirteen years after his wife’s death.
William Lanyon abt. 1520-1597
William ‘Generosi’ Lanyon (William’s second son) was probably born after 1516 and died 7 Oct 1597 at Breage, Cornwall. (see separate post about William Lanyon – Breage Branch.)
Walter Lanyon abt. 1520-1605
Walter Lanyon was probably born 1520s-30s. He married Elizabeth Nanspyan the daughter of John Nanspyan and Joan Tregose of Godrevy Manor, St Erth. Elizabeth was buried 28 Sep 1598 at Madron and Walter was buried 12 May 1605 at Madron.
There are no records of any children born to this couple however a property lease shows at least one son, John.
“Tenant Walter Lanyon, mort., Elizabeth ux and John (80) filius by grant of Richard Lanyon esq and John Lanyon 11 Eliz. Previous tenant John Angove. Also a corn mill and stamps. John Lanyon gent by grant of Richard Lanyon of Nancothan esq 5 James holds Lanyon Rysech (except the mills) on lives of Francis Lanyon, 50, Alexander, 48, and David ,46. Rent £6.”
Source – Henderson’s MSS 30534 pt 7 (transcribed in a letter from Rose Tolman to William Lamparter 6 Jun 1970).
This proves that Walter and Elizabeth were tenants of Richard Lanyon esq (his brother) and John Lanyon, (his nephew) in 1569. It confirms the lease to Walter’s son and grandsons when the property is owned by Richard Lanyon of Nancothan in 1608. Walter’s son John was aged 80 in 1632 when the lease was renewed by Jonathan Rashleigh (the new owner of Madron) and it confirms the ages of Walter’s three grandsons.
There are few mentions of Walter in the records, I could only find the following:
1569 Muster Roll of St Erth – Water (sic) Lanyne – Bow shaft arrows, ability B
21st Apr 1577 Peter and Hellynor servants of Walter Lanyon gent married at Madron. (Source: Madron Parish Register.)
Edward Lanyon -aft. 1586
Edward Lanyon – There is no record of a baptism, marriage or burial and most family trees don’t include him. Initially it looked as though he was not on the 1569 Muster Roll, however there is an Edward Leyne on the 1569 Muster Roll for Padstow (near Crugmorreck) which could be him. He died aft. 1586 but there is no trace of a burial. Perhaps he left Cornwall to find his fortune as many younger sons did.
Most records show William Laniene having only three sons however he must have had at least one more as there is a legal document that names him.
Lawsuit over Crugmorreck, St Merryn
Parties: 1) Edward Lanyen 2-3) George Arundell and John Michall.
Letters patent of Queen Elizabeth, giving record of a lawsuit in court of the Queen’s Bench, enrolled Easter term, 1570 (12 Elizabeth), in which (1) had brought a bill in Hilary term last past [1570] against (2)-(3) ‘in custod’ marr’ maresc’ Domine Regine’ in a plea of trespass and ejection of farm. Recites that Richard Lanyen esquire, on 20 September 1569 (11 Elizabeth), had granted to party (1) 30 acres of land, being one close called Crukemorecke (parish of Seynt Meryn), for (1) to hold for term of 6 years from St Bartholomew last past [24 August 1569]; on the following 26 September [1569], (2)-(3) forcibly entered the tenement and ejected him from it, to (1)’s damages of 20 marks. Now on Wednesday 12th/19th April (Wednesday after 18 of Easter) 1570, (2)-(3) came to reply, pleading not guilty. (1) said that Peter Edgecombe esquire was sheriff of Cornwall, and a kinsman of (1), being son of Elizabeth, daughter of Joan daughter of Thomas Tregian, who was also father of Thomasina, mother of (1); therefore an order was given to have come 12 men of the view of Seynt Meryn before the Queen at Westminster on Friday 3 November (Friday after the morrow of All Souls). Later it was respited until Saturday 9 October 1574 (Saturday after the octave of Michaelmas, 16 Elizabeth), unless previously [resolved?] on 16 August at Launceston Castle by form of statute. On which date [9 October] some of the jurors impanelled came (namely Thomas Trenance de Wythyell, William Achyb gentleman, Richard Braye de Saynt Clare, and William Kyllyowe de St Tethe), and some not, so that others present were appointed at the request of (1), namely Thomas Hawke, William Lytell, Edward Murthe gentleman, Richard Drenyok, Thomas Bugge, William Blygh de Polhille, Thomas Roche and John Frenche. Then (1), though solemnly summoned, did not appear, and his bill against (2)-(3) was not further prosecuted. So (1) to be in mercy for a false claim, and (2)-(3) to go free without a day. Royal seal. Dated 28 Elizabeth.
So Edward Lanyon states that his mother is Thomasine Tregian, daughter of Thomas Tregian.
Source: CRO AR/3/39
There is no record of a marriage or burial for Edward but he may have had descendants.
There are another two possible sons of William Laniene
William may have had other sons who are not documented as they were born after the first Herald’s Visitation of 1531 and died before the second visitation.
There is a John Lanyon who was buried at Gwinear 22nd Jul 1563. Could he be an undocumented son of William Laniene and Thomasine Tregian?
Could this John be the father of Sader (Sarah?) Lanyon who was also buried at Gwinear on 30th Mar 1565 and listed as the daughter of John? A John Lanyon was also listed as the father of Richard Lanyon who was buried at Gwinear on 15 Oct 1547. It’s impossible to say with any certainty how they are all related.
There was also a George Lanyne, gent who was baptising children at Sancreed in the 1560s and was probably born in 1530s who may also be a relative. He was buried at Sancreed on 16th Nov 1592. The description of him as a gentleman indicates that he could be the son of an esquire or gentleman.
The Lanyons 