This post was going to be about the Lanyons who served in the navy but when I started researching I discovered that we’ve had our fair share of drownings. Without wishing to be macabre this is the story of the Lanyons who died at sea and in other bodies of water. It’s also the story of those who put their lives on the line to rescue others.
Edmund Lanyon 1675-1695
Edmund served on HMS Weymouth, a 50 gun fourth rate ship launched in 1693 at Portsmouth dockyard. Edmond was the son of John and Thamsina Lanyon of Gulval in Cornwall. He was baptised on 18 May 1675. We know almost nothing about him apart from the administration of his estate which was granted on 15 June 1695. He is described as ‘of Madderne’ (Madron in Cornwall). Administration was granted to Francis Lanyon of Penzance, cordwainer and principal creditor, William Landrey of Nyott and Johnum Doe.
There is a letter with the administration papers. It’s not easy to read but I think it says the following:
Mr Betty ? 14th Junij 95
I understand Mr Anstis & his son are in Devon ? ? who is come for letters of Administration to his apprentice who died in his Majesties service in order to recover his pay pray lett it be done & send him to me to be sworn by some man if he commended to me by a friend therefor pray use him kindly in the? trust? Youll oblige
Your friend
James Fincher
(Different hand)
This man served in his Maties Service the Weymouth
The Inventory amounts to 12sh ?….?…
It appears that Edmund was an apprentice when he died at the age of 20 in his Majesty’s service.
Benjamin Lanyon 1704-1746
Benjamin was the youngest child of Hugh Lanyon and Mary Tonkin. Hugh was a merchant at Paul in Cornwall and he died when Benjamin was a toddler in 1706.
In 1725 Benjamin married Mary Quick at Madron and they had two daughters, Mary and Anne.
We know that Benjamin was a mariner from his will which was proved on 1 May 1746.
In the Name of God, Amen, I Benjn Lanyon Marriner belonging to his Majs. Sloop Lizard being in Bodily health an of……sound and disposing Mind and Memory; and considering the perills and dangers of the seas and other uncertainties of this Transitory Life, do, (for avoiding Controversies after my Decease) make, publish and declare this my last Will and Testament, in manner following: That is to say, first I recommend my Soul to God that gave it, and my Body I comitt to the Earth or Sea as it shall please God to Order; and as for all my Worldly Estate, I give, bequeath, and dispose thereof as followeth: That is to say all my singular such salary wages, trinkets, Bounty Money, Prize money, Fighting Money, short Allowance money and all other—-
Wages, Sum and Sums of Money, Lands, tenements, Goods, Chattles and Estate whatsoever, as shall be any ways due, owing, or belonging unto me at the Time of my Decease, I give, devise, and bequeath the same unto my well Beloved Wife Mary Lanyon of Penzance in the County of Cornwall—-
William Lanyon -1763
We don’t know when William was born or the name of his father. We know his mother was called Sarah and she was a widow in 1763 but we can’t place her on the tree with any certainty.
I have an abstract of his will which describes him as a bachelor and seaman of HMS Rochester and he leaves his estate to his mother.
Charles Lanyon 1780-1802
Charles was baptised at Sancreed in Cornwall on 16 May 1780, the son of Richard Lanyon and Mary Nicholas. Like William above, I have an abstract of his administration from Somerset House.
The administration was proved in 1802 and was granted to Charles Lanyon the father. Richard is described as a bachelor, seaman onboard HMS Excellent. HMS Excellent was an active 74-gun, Arrogant-class ship of the line in the Royal Navy. The abstract mentions ‘Asia’ but I can find no connection between HMS Excellent and Asia at this time. In 1802 it was involved with the revolt by the West India Regiment in Dominica and perhaps he was killed in that uprising.
William Lanyon 1742-1807
William was baptised at St Just in Penwith on 21 December 1742, the son of John Lanyon and Anne Hicks. He was the fifth of seven children and is later described as a tinner. In 1663 he married Sarah Rowe at St Just and they had three children William, Sarah and Anne. His son William was transported to Australia, not once but twice! Sarah died in 1786 and the following year William married for a second time to Jane Colliver at St Ives.
William and Jane had five children but they all appear to have died in infancy.
In 1768 William inherited £20 and ‘one half of Martin Edwards stamps on tenement of Trewellard’. In 1805 his brother John left him 1 shilling in his will.
In July 1807 he drowned at Newquay. We don’t know the circumstances of his death, perhaps he was working as a fisherman?
William Lanyon 1810 – 1831
William was the son of John Jenkinson Lanyon, a navy purser and Catherine Mortimer, a socialite. The records at Eastbourne St Mary show that William was baptised on 8 December 1810 and again on 22 May 1811!
It is possible that the first William was baptised when his mother was pregnant, died, and then the second child was also baptised William.
William worked for the East India Company and drowned on 17 November 1831 at Canton in China.
William’s older brother John Hamilton Mortimer Lanyon emigrated to Australia and founded Lanyon homestead at Canberra, one of Australia’s most important historic properties. Charles his younger brother was the famous Belfast architect.
John Lanyon 1797 – 1840
I found John’s will long before I could place him on the tree. His will was proved in 1840 so it was easy to find his death certificate.
His will mentions his wife Elizabeth.
The Royal Cornwall Gazette 3 April 1840 reported:-
On Thursday the 26th ult. as Mr. Lanyon, grocer and coal-dealer, of Falmouth, was going across the harbour to St. Mawes, in a small punt, she was upset by a sudden squall, just off the mouth of St. Mawes creek, and sunk. We regret to state that Mr. Lanyon was drowned; but a little boy 13 years of age, called Gilbert, who was with him, swam towards the shore, and after being in the water a considerable time, was picked up by a boat from St. Mawes, the accident having been seen from that place. The body was not found till Saturday morning.
I had all this information about John Lanyon but struggled to place him on the tree. He married Elizabeth Philp on 31 July 1832. I knew he was born abt. 1797 from the age declared on his death certificate. The only baptism I could locate for 1797 was for John son of John and Ann Lanyon at Gwennap in Cornwall but how they fit onto the tree is as yet unknown.
Sophia Lanyon 1826 – 1847
Sophia was one of fourteen children born to John Lanyon and Peggy Vincent of St Allan, Cornwall. She was baptised on 19 February 1826. We know nothing of her life apart from the manner of her death. On 26 September 1847 she committed suicide by throwing herself down a well whilst suffering from temporary insanity.
She shares a grave with her father John.
Elizabeth Mary Lanyon 1829 – 1858
Elizabeth was baptised 10 August 1829 in Guernsey, Channel Islands, the daughter of William Clothier and Harriette Baptiste. She married James George Lanyon, a cordwainer, who was originally born in Liskeard but moved to St Peter Port in Guernsey.
They had six children together, the last born in 1857. In 1858 Elizabeth drowned on a boat trip to the island of Herm.
The Guernsey Lanyon family bible lists James and Elizabeth and their children.
The Star newspaper reported the incident.
An inquest was held and The Jersey Independent and Daily Telegraph reported it:-
James married again to Martha Anna Collings and went on to have a further seven children.
Herbert Marsden Lanyon 1876 – 1893
Herbert was the son of Herbert Owen Lanyon and Amelia Hind. He was born 14 August 1876 at Belfast in Ireland. He joined the navy in 1891 and was training to be a midshipman. In 1892 he was sent to the Mediterranean Squadron to HMS Victoria where he was appointed ADC to Capt, the Hon Maurice A Bourke. The Victoria was the flagship of the Mediterranean Squadron and was commanded by Admiral Tryon.
On 22 June 1893 HMS Victoria was in collision with the Camperdown and went down off Tripoli with the loss of Admiral Tryon, Herbert and nearly 400 others. Herbert was actually on the bridge at the time of the collision. (A Book of Heroes by Alfred H Miles.)
No lives were lost on the Camperdown and she managed to dock in Malta.
Titanic
I even found a distant connection to the Titanic disaster in 1912. A Mr Lanyon collected almost £400 at Redruth for the Titanic Relief Fund. I have no idea which Mr Lanyon this refers to as there are several in this area at this time.
Sydney Howard Lanyon 1864 – 1914
Sydney was born in Croydon in 1864 the son of John Charles Lanyon and Jane Stacey Bennett. His father was a successful businessman but Sydney doesn’t seem to have inherited any of his business acumen. He failed at Cambridge and suffered with severe eczema. He was even rejected by the army.
On 24 October 1914 he committed suicide by jumping off Westminster Bridge, in front of his nephew Noel Hindley. His body was found at Rotherhithe on 4 November.
His inquest was reported in the papers:
On Thursday an inquest was held at Rotherhithe on Sidney Lanyon, 50, of independent means, who was found in the Thames off the Canada Wharf, Surrey Commercial Docks, on Wednesday. Arthur Lanyon, merchant, of Brighton, identified the body as his brother, who was living at the Langham Hotel, Portland-place at the time of his death. He knew of nothing that was worrying him ; he had plenty of money. He left the hotel on Oct. 24th, and nothing was known of his movements since. P. S. 50 Thames, who found the body in the river, said deceased was fully dressed, and there were no marks of violence. Doctor Macaulay said death was due to suffocation from drowning. An open verdict was returned.
J Lanyon
I cannot identify which Lanyon this story refers to but it must be included in this post.
He was a private in the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry and The Swanage and Wareham Guardian reported that on 19 June 1915 that he and Corporal Woolcock rescued a drowning boy at Boscombe.
The most remarkable thing is that J Lanyon already possessed a Royal Humane Society medal for saving a sailor’s life!
Norman Lanyon 1869 – 1917
Norman was born on Christmas day 1869, the son of George Lanyon and Ida Crisp.
In 1917 Norman was shipwrecked in the English Channel when the boat he was travelling home in was hit by a torpedo.
Edward Lanyon
In 1927 Edward Lanyon found a headless body on the beach at Perranporth, Cornwall. I haven’t been able to work out which Edward Lanyon this is.
John Henry Lanyon 1880 – 1935
John was born in Guernsey in 1880, the son of James George Lanyon and Martha Anna Collings. James lost his first wife Elizabeth in a boating accident so perhaps he made sure all his children could swim.
In 1931 John rescued a boy drowning in a river in Lincoln and was awarded a Royal Humane Society medal.
William John (Jack) Lanyon 1904 – 1937
William was born in Barrow-in-Furness, the son of George Henry Lanyon and Hannah Fanny Prouse. The 1921 census describes him as an apprentice plater at Vickers naval construction works.
In 1937 he died whilst trying to rescue a drowning child.
And finally a puzzle!
In 1943 a William Lanyon of Bath was found floating in Bristol harbour.
The newspaper helpfully reported his age so I thought it would be fairly straightforward to identify him and where he belonged on the tree. I was wrong!
You can follow my search for William in a separate post, ‘Lanyon or Lannin?’
The Lanyons 