William Lanyon was the fourth son of Richard Lanyon Esq and Margaret Treskillard. He was probably born in the 1550s-60s and he was buried 31 May 1619 at Morvah.
In 1589 Richard Lanyon and his eldest son John Lanyon sold the Tregamynyan Estate to William for £100.
The Foot of Fines from Westminster for the Trinity Term of the 31st year of the reign of Elizabeth I includes a fine passed between William Lanion gent. and Richard Lanion Esq. It states that Richard Lanion Esq. gave to his fourth son, William Lanion gent., with the agreement of his eldest son John Lanion gent., the Manor of “Tregamynyan” which included three messuages (dwellings), ten acres of meadow, sixty acres of pasture, one hundred and fifty acres of furze, one water-mill etc.
The Manor of Tregaminion remained the possession of William’s descendants until it was sold by the cousins of the Lanyons of Lanyon in Madron to John Borlase Esq. of Pendeen, during the reign of Queen Anne (1702 – 1714).
Record keeping in Morvah didn’t begin until the 17th century so most of the information we have about William and his family comes from his will.
William’s Will of 1619
His will lists his children:
- Elizabeth who married William Bolitho 9 Jun 1614 at Helston, their son Alexander is mentioned in the will and is given a colt.
- Margaret who married William Bosustow 24 Oct 1619 at Morvah.
- Honor who married Stephen Thomas on 17 Nov 1631 at Helston. She was left £40 in her father’s will.
- Mary who married Martin Samson on 23 Jan 1631 at Madron. She was also left £40 in her father’s will.
- John Born 1602 and was buried 26 Dec 1664 at Trerife, Sancreed. He married Ann Edwards 4 Feb 1625.
There is no mention of a wife so presumably she predeceased him. There is no record of his marriage but as he has two grand daughters called Blanche perhaps his wife was so named.
A child called Aves Lanion daughter of William Lanion died at Morvah in 1614.
From the large gap in ages between his children he may have had two wives and two families but there is no record of this.
In 1820 Gilbert noted that Morvah church contained a pew with the Lanion arms and the initials WL dated 1593. Sadly that no longer exists.
When William died in 1619 his son John was under eighteen and therefore still a minor. In 1622 the Court of Ward and Liveries held an Inquisition Post Mortem to determine his right to inherit.
Source: National Archives WARD 7/58/14
The Inquisition
John Lanyon 1602-1664
John was born about 1602 as he was 17 when his father died in 1619. In 1625 he married Ann Edwards at Morvah. They had one son also called John who was born at Morvah in 1630.
In 1659 John Lanyon and his son sold Tregaminian to their cousin John ‘Golden’ Lanyon of Botrea, Sancreed and they moved to Trereife House.
John senior died on 21 Dec 1664 and is described as ‘gentleman of Trereife.’
John Lanyon 1630-1699
John Lanyon Junior was born 1630 and married Anne Jones daughter of Francis Jones Esq of Sennen sometime before 1663 when their only son Hugh was born. There is a jointure settlement on marriage of John Lanyon of Trereife and Anne Jones of Sennen dated 30 Jan 1670.
John died on 2 Jun 1699 at Trereife.
Hugh Lanyon 1663-1706
Hugh was the only child of John and Anne Jones (he appears to have been named after her uncle Hugh Jones Esq). At the age of 21 on 21 Jan 1684 Hugh Lanyon of Sancreed released to John Borlase ‘his right in Trereife.‘
In 1689 Hugh married Mary Tonkin of Paul and they had six children:
- John 1692-
- Ann -1699 died in infancy
- Hugh 1697-1768. Hugh junior married a Catherine Lanyon (obviously a cousin but I can’t find the connection) and they both lived in the Scilly isles. There is no trace of any children.
- Ann 1699-1754 spinster
- Lydia 1703-1704 died in infancy
- Benjamin 1704-1746 he was a mariner on His majesty’s sloop ‘Lizard’. He died in 1746 aged just 43. Benjamin married Mary Quick at Madron in 1728. They had two children, Mary and Ann. Ann died aged 11 and there is no further trace of Mary, the name is too common to be sure we’ve found the right person.
Hugh senior is described as a merchant of Newlyn and at his death in 1706 administration of his estate was granted to John Borlase his principal creditor. (Source – CRO/AP/L/1060).
His son John was born in 1692 and there is no further trace of him. I’ve often wondered if he was the John Lanyon innkeeper of New York who inherited part of the Delavall Lands in Harlem. (I’ll cover this story in another post.)
Benjamin was the last of the Morvah branch of the family.
The Lanyons 