Family historians are lucky to find a documented legal dispute from the 14th century to help build their family tree. Ralph’s dispute with Princess Joan of Kent gives us valuable information which confirms names and relationships but it’s not the only record available about Ralph.
In 1390 the Bishop of Exeter granted a licence to celebrate divine service in the chapel of St Mary at Lanyen in Madron (Lysons 1817). Today the chapel is a ruin but it gives an idea of the size of Ralph’s home, the barton of Lanyon in the late 14th century.
There are also three records in the Court of Common Pleas which relate to Ralph.
CP40/561 Easter 1401. Roger Boswarneth sues Ralph Lanyeyn for a debt.
CP40/589 1408 Ralph Lanyeyn sues Luke de Pensans for detinue (the crime of wrongful detention of goods or personal possessions) for a chest of charters.
CP40/589 1408 Alice Reda sues Ralph Lanyeyn, John Cornyssh, Robert Pensans, Richard Joce (tailor), Ralph Joce, Richard Dere & David Shade for trespass.
At a time when there are no records of baptisms, marriages or burials these records prove that Ralph was still alive in 1408.
I also have a letter from Jane Veale Mitchell to Edward Augustus Bullmore dated 23 Jan 1926 which states:
‘In Rolls Office, Chancery Lane, a Radolphus Lanyon asks that Tregamynyan, then in possession of his brother-in-law de Rogers, might come to him and his descendants, because they had no children. Written in old French, date 1327.’
This throws up a query, is the date 1327 correct? Is it the same Ralph Lanyeyn? The original letter has been transcribed, could the transcriber have got it wrong? It’s possible.
We don’t know when Ralph was born but 1327 seems far too early. If Ralph is married with descendants in 1327 then he is a very great age in 1408!
We know that Ralph’s parents were John de Lynyen and Sibyl de Tregamynion. This is confirmed by the record in Calendar Close Rolls CCR Ric II Vol 30 p.71.
We know that John de Lynyen’s father was David de Kylminawis as CCR Hen IV Vol 4 states that ‘David de Kylmynawis to John his firstborn son and heir, and to the heirs of his body by Sibyl daughter of Jocelin de Tregamynion…’
So where does the Radolphus Lanyon mentioned in Jane’s letter fit in? I haven’t found the original record she mentions but I think the date 1327 must be wrong and that the Radolphus Lanyon she mentions is Ralph Lanyeyn, the son of John & Sibyl. This then gives us the name of his brother-in-law, de Rogers, and leaves us wondering why the property Tregamynion at Morvah should be in his possession?
And that’s the fun of researching your family history, a few records discovered and a whole load of new queries to puzzle over!
The Lanyons 