Francis Lanyon was the eldest son and heir of John & possibly Margaret Richard and he is described as a ‘gentleman’. He married Elizabeth on 19 Jun 1607 at Madron (sadly most women did not have their surnames recorded in the Madron register so we don’t know which family Elizabeth was from.) He was a Penzance merchant.
Francis signed the Protestation return of 1641/2. He appears on the Subsidy Roll for Charles I in Oct 1641 and paid £3 on goods.
I Oct 1655 the mayor of Penzance granted him the profits of ‘key and pier’ (quay) for one year for £25.
In Oct 1656 the ship Dunkerke landed at Mousehole and Francis was paid 12/-
The Penzance mayoral records also show that Francis and Thomas Jenkin were paid 12d for repairing the quay’s mansards.
Francis and Elizabeth had three surviving children: Bennett, Sampson and Susanna.
Bennett Lanyon 1615-1661
Bennett, Francis’ son and heir, was baptised in 1615 eight years after his parents married. Perhaps there were other children born before him? He too took the Protestation Oath in 1641/2. In 1647 he married Martha. They had four children:
- Agnes 1648 – married Edward Polgrean at Zennor in 1687. Their only child was Benedict. He married Elizabeth Stephens in Jun 1721 and in Jun 1722, just a month after his son Benedict’s baptism, he died.
- Francis 1651-1719 he married his cousin Dorothie Noy (née Lanyon) when he was aged 50. Their only child Martha died aged 4. His estate was left to his nephew Benedict Polgrean in 1719. Less than three years later Benedict was dead too.
- Elizabeth 1654-1655 died in infancy
- Elizabeth 1655- married Francis Ellis (Elies) – 4 children: Bennett, Sampson, Francis and Katherine
Bennett’s line finishes here.
Sampson Lanyon 1616-
Sampson was baptised in 1616 in Madron. In 1647 he married Margaret and had four children:
- Agnes 1648- no further trace
- Mary 1653- no further trace
- Anne 1656-1661 died in infancy
- Margaret -1661 died in infancy
Sampson’s line finishes here.
Susanna Lanyon 1619-
Susanna was baptised at Madron in 1619. In 1640 she married William Tregeco. There are no further records of this family.
Here ends Francis’ line.
The Lanyons 