Philip Lanyon was the fifth son of John Lanyon and Tamsin Tapprell of Breage.
Philip was baptised at Breage in 1615.
On 29 Feb 1640 he was given a grant of a gunners room in the Tower of London. Fee 6d per diem during pleasure to commence from the death of Nicholas Congon.
Philip signed the Protestation Return of 1641/2 at Penzance and between 1641-1660 he was in partnership with Anthony Gubbs a wholesale merchant in wood and iron. Anthony Gubbs was elected alderman and Mayor of Penzance.
In 1641 (the transcription says 1644 but that is after the baptism of the first child) Philip married Agnes Gubbs, Anthony’s daughter at Madron/Penzance. They had three sons:
- Anthony 1641-1649 died young
- Philip -1648 died young
- Anthony aft. 1649-1680 he was a soldier and died at Tangier in North Africa. Administration of his estate was granted to his father “All to Philip Lanyon, father”.
In 1647 Philip Lanion was an alderman of Penzance.
During the Civil War he was adjutant and captain of the King’s Forces in Cornwall. The land from Lizard Town to St Michael’s Mount held for King Charles I. Lords Goring and Hopton’s horse troops (supporters of the Crown) were driven to Penzance by Parliamentary forces and were welcomed by the town. In revenge two days later Sir Thomas Fairfax’s Parliamentary forces sacked the town in 1648. Philip was plundered of £1000 his estate sequestered and he was imprisoned.
In an appendix to Mary Coate’s ‘Cornwall in the Great Civil War and Interregnum, 1642-1660’ she gives a list of Royalist Commanders in the County of Cornwall in Jan 1646/7 and among the list is Philip Lanyon of Penzance, gent. Fined £10. 16/- 8d. (This was one of the lightest fines which ranged from £10,000 to £3. 6/- 8d. So apparently Philip Lanyon was not the most ardent of Royalists!)
At the Restoration, he petitioned Charles II for what seems to have been the office of supervisor of workmen at all castles and forts throughout the kingdom, but it does not appear that he was successful.
He was Mayor of Penzance in 1650 and he issued a token in Penzance with the arms of the borough on one side and those of Lanyon on the other. There are five known tokens issued by the town between 1663-7. The names of the other merchants whose names appear on these little coins are:- John Trevethan, Anthony Gubbs, John Blunt and Ralph Beard. (Source- ‘Penzance Past and Present’ – West Penwith Resources.)
In 1659 Philip Lanyon was the guardian of a child and administered the estate of William Tonkin of Penzance. In 1689 a legal case Lanyon V. Tonkyn at Plymouth, Devon. A dispute about an inheritance! (Source- NA C8/518/21)
In 1662 Philip married to Constance Carter a widow. No children of this marriage.
In 1667 there was a warrant from the Commissioner of Prizes to Lord Ashley to pay £200 to Philip Lanyon Deputy Treasurer and Commissioner of Prizes at Plymouth. (Source – British Museum Addt MSS, 5752, fol, 164.)
In the 1670s there are many letters listed in Charles II State Papers from Capt. Philip Lanion regarding ships coming and going from Plymouth letters sealed with the Madron arms in black wax.
In Jul 1671 The King visited Plymouth. The Governor of Plymouth, the Earl of Bath, asked Capt. Philip Lanion if he would allow the Earl to keep a table in the hall of his house and entertain daily for him, the Duke of York, the Duke of Monmouth, the Marquess of Blanquefort and many other nobles.
In his later years Philip was involved in numerous legal disputes.
1657 Court of Chancery – Six Clerks Office NA C/10/55/110 Lanyon v Lanyon. Plaintiffs: Richard Lanyon. Defendants: Elizabeth Lanyon and Philip Lanyon. Subject: property in St Merryn, Cornwall. Document type: bill and two answers.
1661 Court of Chancery – Six Clerks Office NA C7/456/8 Lanyon v Lobb. Plaintiffs: Richard Lanyon. Defendants: Philip Lanyon, [unknown] Lobb and others. Place or subject: money, Cornwall.
1662 Court of Chancery – Six Clerks Office NA C/6/77/96 Lanyon v Hall. Plaintiffs: Philip Lanyon and Constance Lanyon his wife. Defendants: John Hall. Subject: money matters, Devon.
1666 Court of Chancery – Six Clerks Office NA C5/513/100 Lanyon v Eastwicke. Plaintiffs: Philip Lanyon and another. Defendants: Adrian Eastwicke and another. Subject: money matters, Devon.
1666 Court of Chancery – Six Clerks Office NA C/10/82/71 Lanyon v Spernon. Plaintiffs: Philip Lanyon. Defendants: William Spernon. Subject: money matters, Devon.
1667 Court of Chancery – Six Clerks Office NA C7/474/74 Lanyon v Goodall. Plaintiffs: Philip Lanyon. Defendants: John Goodall. Place or subject: money, Devon.
1671 Court of Chancery – Six Clerks Office NA C/5/459/100 Cary v Lanyon. Plaintiffs: Robert Cary. Defendants: Philip Lanyon and Constance Lanyon his wife. Subject: property in Plymouth, Devon.
1674 Chancery: Master Brougham’s Exhibits NA C111/221 PEIRSON v SAWLE: Agreement with bond between Philip Lanyon, Margaret Richards and Hester Lanyon, all of Plymouth, Devon, concerning the estate of John Lanyon of Plymouth, deceased.
1674 Court of Chancery – Six Clerks Office NA C8/188/43 Lanyon v Amy. Plaintiffs: Philip Lanyon. Defendants: William Amy and Thomas Wills. Subject: property in Tintagel, Cornwall.
1675 Court of Chancery – Six Clerks Office NA C6/217/2 Barton v Lanyon. Plaintiffs: Isaac Barton. Defendants: Philip Lanyon. Subject: money matters.
1675 Court of Chancery – Six Clerks Office NA C5/513/101 Lanyon v Barton. Plaintiffs: Philip Lanyon and others. Defendants: Isaac Barton. Subject: money matters.
1676 Court of Chancery – Six Clerks Office NA C8/329/126 Lanyon v Buckham. Plaintiffs: Philip Lanyon and Hester Lanyon. Defendants: John Buckham. Subject: property in Plymouth, Devon.
1678 Court of Chancery – Six Clerks Office NA C/8/297/157 Yeabsly v Lanyon. Plaintiffs: Thomas Yeabsly. Defendants: Philip Lanyon, Thomas Young, Hester Young his wife, William Addis and Thomasine Yeabsly, widow. Subject: money, Devon.
1678 Court of Chancery – Six Clerks Office NA C7/558/33 Lanyon v Young. Plaintiffs: Philip Lanyon. Defendants: Thomas Young, [unknown] Beere and others. Place or subject: money, Devon.
1679 Court of Chancery – Six Clerks Office NA C10/204/98 Trewolla v Lanyon. Plaintiffs: Mary Trewolla. Defendants: Philip Lanyon, Thomas Younge, Hester Younge his wife, George Bere, Susannah Bere his wife and Nowell Tonken. Subject: personal estate of John Lanyon, Plymouth, Devon.
1679 Court of Chancery – Six Clerks Office NA C8/297/99 Mayor of Totnes v Lanyon. Plaintiffs: Mayor etc of Totnes. Defendants: Philip Lanyon, Thomas Younge, Hester Younge his wife and Margaret Richards. Subject: charitable bequest under will of John Lanyon, Totnes, Devon.
1679 Court of Chancery – Six Clerks Office NA C7/574/111 Younge v Lanyon. Plaintiffs: Thomas Younge. Defendants: Philip Lanyon and another. Place or subject: property in Breage, Saltash, Cornwall etc.
1680 Court of Chancery – Six Clerks Office NA C7/576/6 Ford v Lanyon. Plaintiffs: Philip Ford and others. Defendants: Philip Lanyon, [unknown] Addis and others. Place or subject: money, Devon.
1682 Court of Chancery – Six Clerks Office NA C7/589/29 Lanyon v Rashleigh. Plaintiffs: Philip Lanyon and others. Defendants: Jonathan Rashleigh and others. Place or subject: property in Calstock, Cornwall.
1683 Court of Chancery – Six Clerks Office NA C7/575/54 Lanyon v Carkett. Plaintiffs: Philip Lanyon. Defendants: Thomas Young, [unknown] Carkett and others. Place or subject: money, Devon.
1685 Court of Chancery – Six Clerks Office NA C7/117/48 Ford v Lanyon. Plaintiffs: Philip Ford and Philip Ford. Defendants: Philip Lanyon and others. Place or subject: property in Plymouth, Devon.
1686 Court of Chancery – Six Clerks Office NA C5/171/22 Lanyon v Johnson. Plaintiffs: Philip Lanyon. Defendants: Elizabeth Johnson and others. Subject: property in Plymouth, Devon.
1686 Court of Chancery – Six Clerks Office NA C7/573/92 Lanyon v Eastlake. Plaintiffs: Philip Lanyon. Defendants: John Johnson, [unknown] Eastlake and others. Place or subject: estate of Tobias Wiseman, Plymouth, Devon.
1686 Court of Chancery – Six Clerks Office NA C7/573/67 Ford v Young. Plaintiffs: Philip Ford. Defendants: Philip Lanyon, [unknown] Young and others. Place or subject: money, Devon.
1688 Court of Chancery – Six Clerks Office NA C/7/594/71 Lanyon v Eastlake. Plaintiffs: Constance Lanyon, widow and executrix of Philip Lanyon late of Plymouth Devon, esq deceased. Defendants: John Johnson and Elizabeth Johnson his wife, Samuel Eastlake and Rebecca Wiseman. Place or subject: money, Devon.
Wow! Wonder what they thought in Court of Chancery – Six Clerks Office every time they saw Philip Lanyon’s name?
Philip died in Plymouth in 1688 and his widow Constance continued the litigation!
Philip left a will which named his kinsman John Trewolla, his two god daughters, daughters of Thomas Glynn and his wife Constance. He also mentions Constance’s children Samuel, John, Deborah (Hook) and Ann (Hopkins).
Without any surviving heirs this little branch of the family died out.
The Lanyons 