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.

William was the second documented son of John Lanyon of Breage and Tamsin Tapprell.

William was baptised at Breage in Aug 1600. In Oct 1618 he married Susannah Burdon at Breage. We know very little about William; he signed the Protestation Return of 1641/2 for Breage and apart from baptising his children the only other record we have of him is his will of 1643. He must have been a farmer as his will values the corn and the corn in the ground.

His children:

• William 1619-1661 William was the eldest son and heir, he never married and when he died he left everything to his sister Margaret Richards

• George 1620-aft.1643 He is mentioned in his father’s will of 1643 so must have been alive then but no trace of him after that. No mention of him in his brothers’ wills of 1661 and 1674. His sister Margaret’s will mentions his daughter Elizabeth.
• Margaret 1622-1679 she married John Richards and had at least one child Susannah Richards who was baptised in 1655. Her brother William left all his estate to her and brother John left her the huge sum of £1000 in his will, she was buried at St Columb Minor on 20 Jan 1686. Susannah Richards married George Beare, gent of St Ervan in 1676. In 1680 there is a Bill of Complaint between George Beare the younger, Susannah his wife defendants complaint of Philip Lanion Esq, Thomas Yonge gent and Hester his wife. (Source- CRO AR/17/127)
• John 1625-1674
• Susannah 1628-1689 she married Nowell Tonken, a merchant of Newlyn, in Nov 1664 at Paul, Cornwall. They had two children: Dorothy and Susannah.
• Joanna 1632-1634 died in infancy

William senior died in 1643.

There is no mention of his wife Susannah so presumably she predeceased him. He leaves:

• To my son George 40 shillings
• To my son John £10
• To my daughter Margaret £20
• To my daughter Susan £10
• To my niece Hester Lanyon 40 shillings
• All the rest to my son William

Hester seems to feature in many of the wills!

John Lanyon 1625-1674

John was the third son of William Lanyon and Susannah Burdon. He married Dorothy Ford at St Andrews Church in Plymouth on 14 May 1656. They had two children:

• William -1665 died in infancy
• Margaret 1668-1671 died in infancy

There was an inscription in St Andrews Church in Plymouth (gradually worn away and in time will disappear altogether) Wife & Children of John Lanyon-

Under this stone a root with blameless green

To sense, but not to faith do lie unseen

Excepting when the righteous rising sun

Shall quicken them by Resurrection

Into that glorious state ordained of God

Of those who live their mercies and their rod

Ecclesiastical History of Plymouth – J Brooking, Devon 1873

The church was bombed during the Blitz in 1941 so presumably this inscription has been lost.

We don’t know when Dorothy died but at some stage before 1674 he appears to have married his cousin Hester Lanyon (the daughter of John Lanyon and Anne Goldsmith). There were no children of this marriage. Hester is described as his relict in a legal document. We don’t know if this marriage took place or if a mistake was made in the legal document.

John was a merchant in Plymouth and in 1672 he was Mayor of Plymouth. He was also the navy agent there.

He was friends with Samuel Pepys who mentions him in his diary:

30th. Up betimes, and with W. Hewer, who is my guard, to White Hall, to a Committee of Tangier, where the business of Mr. Lanyon
[John Lanyon, agent of the Navy Commissioners at Plymouth. The cause of complaint appears to have been connected with his contract for Tangier. In 1668 a charge was made against Lanyon and Thomas Yeabsley that they had defrauded the king in the freighting of the ship ‘Tiger’ (‘Calendar of State Papers,’ 1668-69, p. 138).]
took up all the morning; and where, poor man! he did manage his business with so much folly, and ill fortune to boot, that the Board, before his coming in, inclining, of their own accord, to lay his cause aside, and leave it to the law, but he pressed that we would hear it, and it ended to the making him appear a very knave, as well as it did to me a fool also, which I was sorry for. Thence by water, Mr. Povy, Creed, and I, to Arundell House, and there I did see them choosing their Council, it being St. Andrew’s-day; and I had his Cross
[The cross of St. Andrew, like that of St. Patrick, is a saltire. The two, combined with the red cross of St. George, form the Union flag.]
set on my hat, as the rest had, and cost me 2s., and so leaving them I away by coach home to dinner, and my wife, after dinner, went the first time abroad to take the maidenhead of her coach, calling on Roger Pepys, and visiting Mrs. Creed, and my cozen Turner, while I at home all the afternoon and evening, very busy and doing much work, to my great content. Home at night, and there comes Mrs. Turner and Betty to see us, and supped with us, and I shewed them a cold civility for fear of troubling my wife, and after supper, they being gone, we to bed. Thus ended this month, with very good content, that hath been the most sad to my heart and the most expenseful to my purse on things of pleasure, having furnished my wife’s closet and the best chamber, and a coach and horses, that ever I yet knew in the world: and do put me into the greatest condition of outward state that ever I was in, or hoped ever to be, or desired: and this at a time when we do daily expect great changes in this Office: and by all reports we must, all of us, turn out. But my eyes are come to that condition that I am not able to work: and therefore that, and my wife’s desire, make me have no manner of trouble in my thoughts about it. So God do his will in it!

John Lanyon to the Navy Commissioners. Finds the Milford may be supplied with a mainmast here. Wishes the old debts might be discharged; cannot persuade the carpenters without ready money to make the mast, as since the peace, they have been employed on merchant ships at 2s. 6d. per day. [Ibid. No. 166.]

John Lanyon to the Navy Commissioners. In expectation of satisfaction for his disbursements, will get ready a mast for the Milford frigate, which shall be despatched in a few days. [Ibid. No. 36.] Source – State Papers

John died in Paris in 1674 and was buried at the Shalanton Protestant Church. He left a detailed will mentioning many family members.

It’s a lengthy will that is impressive with the size and breadth of his bequests to the poor people of various towns and parishes, but it also gives us the information to deduce John was the son of William Lanyon and Susanna Burdon of Breage, baptised in 1625.

John left £50 to the parish of Breage in Cornwall, and also 40 shillings yearly forever, to be paid from “my interest in three prize tin bounds in or near the said parish”.

John’s will mentions his uncle Mr Philip Lanyon. This confirms that John’s father William had a brother called Philip, and they are more than likely both the sons of John Lanyon that was baptising children in Breage at the start of the 1600s.

The will also mentions John Lanyon of Plymouth’s sister, Margaret Richards and Margaret’s daughter Susanna, and another sister Susanna Tonkin, wife of Nowell Tonkin, and their daughter Dorothy Tonkin.

There is no mention of brothers William and George in his will written 15 Sept 1674 in Paris. William died in 1661 and presumably George had also died.

John mentions various ‘cousens’, among them are Hester Lanyon whom he bequests £700 “in case she should survive me and acquit my executors of my obligation for £30 per annum payable to her by me during her natural life.” This suggests there is a pre-existing arrangement possibly arranged and set down in the will of either his brother William or George. The will continues “out of this £700, my cousen Hester do pay or make good unto her sisters, my cousens, Mary and Ann £10 to each during their natural lives.” (John does not call Hester his wife.)

Other cousins/kinsmen mentoned are:

James Trewolla, my kinsman, John Trewolla his brother, Mary Trewolla his sister and Jane Trewolla his sister. John then gives an extra bequest to Jane Trewolla, calling her his cousin, and stating that she recieves “£50 pounds more in consideration of £5 which I received off my uncle Glynn to improve for her advantage.”

John Lanyon also gives to the grandchildren (un-named) of his aunt Glynn and to his cousin Thomas Glynn and his wife.

He was a great benefactor and left money to several parishes and money for almshouses in Plymouth (built 1679) and money for the Educational Foundation of John Lanion. There is an inscription in the boardroom of the Borough Workhouse in Plymouth:-

“to the memorie of a great benefactor to the poore of this town”

He also left £50 to Totnes in Devon and legal proceedings over this legacy give us more information about the family.

Chancery proceedings ante 1714 – Writ 297/99 Year 1679

John Lanyon merchant late of Plymouth personal estate valued at £20,000 did by his last will and testament dated 15 Sep 1674 bequeath a legacy of £50 to Totnes in Devon, which sum the Mayor and Burgesses were claiming of the Executors Captain Philip Lanyon, his sister Margaret Richards and niece Hester Lanyon.

In this chancery lawsuit the Totnes claimants speak of Hester Lanyon as John’s relict “who has since married Thomas Yonge”.

John Lanyon’s ‘personal estate’ consisted of ready money, rings, plate, jewels, bonds, judgments and the claimants accused the executors Philip Lanyon, Margaret Richards and Hester Lanyon of trying to defeat John Lanyon’s wish by pretending that the testator’s estate was not of the value it seemed to be.

Answer to Totnes: To this accusation Captain Philip Lanyon replied that after paying all legacies mentioned in John Lanyon’s will of 1674 there might be a small surplus left, but that he does not believe the testator’s estate to be of the value of £20,000 in fact, the said John Lanyon owed him over £600 on his house.

Note: In John Lanyon’s will he states the opposite, that his Uncle Philip owed him that amount on the house the said Captain lived in.

With no children to follow him this little branch of the tree now comes to an end.