Tobias was the eldest son of Tobias and Mary Penneck, he was baptised at Gwinear in 1697. He attended Pembroke College at Cambridge University and was awarded a B.A. in 1720.
Pembroke College – Monsarc, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
He married Prudence Pawley at Uny Lelant in 1727. They had eight children:
Tobias 1730-1755 he was an attorney and married Mary Shallcross in 1752 at Maker, Cornwall. Jane Veale Mitchell states that he died in 1755 but we can’t find a record of that. Their only son Tobias was baptised in 1753 and buried at Lifton in Devon on 22 Sep 1774, two years after his mother Mary.
Hugh 1732-1767 Hugh died unmarried
Mary 1733- married Michael Proust in 1781 at Cuby with Tregony. He was a clerk vicar. There were no children.
Richard 1735-1802 married Ann King
Edward 1737-1766 he died at St Martin in the Fields, London. He was a bachelor and left his estate to his mother.
Jane 1739-1817 married William Lanyon R.N. who sailed with Captain Cook, no children.
William 1741-1808 married Frances Wills
Elizabeth 1746-1747 died in infancy
Tobias died in 1762 and was buried at Gwinear. Prudence outlived him by thirty years, she was buried in 1792.
Tobias Lanyon will of 1762 – Source: AP/L/1686
His will made the following provisions:
Hugh £30 yearly out of the tenement Trevoken, Gwinear
Sons Richard, Edward and William and Daughter Mary, £300 when aged 21.
Grandson Tobias £50 when age 15 to bind as an apprentice and £50 more to be paid when of age.
Residue and executorship to wife Prudence and friend Thomas Glynn Esq, in trust.
Richard Lanyon 1735-1802
Richard married Ann King at Gwinear in 1762. They had nine children. Richard was the last to live at Lanyon Manor, he sold the property in 1785. When Ann died she was the last to be laid in the oriel room above the porch at the house and a fire lit and maintained until she was buried.
Richard & Ann’s tree
Tobias 1763-1844 married Elizabeth Budge
Richard 1765-1848 married Maria Dorothea Scammell
Edward 1768-1792 unmarried
John 1770-1771 died in infancy
William 1772-1851 aged 74 bachelor William fathered an illegitimate son with his servant Caroline Rosewarne who was fifty years his junior! Their son David Lanyon Rosewarne was born in 1846. His father bequeathed him the tenement of Parbola in Gwinear. David emigrated to Australia and married Auguste Terese Franks in 1873. He started out in the mining business but later was a member of the Bendigo Stock Exchange. He died in 1909 after a lingering illness. He had no children.
William’s will 1851 – source AP/L/2533
Ann 1774-1852 married William Hodge – 8 daughters, 4 sons
John 1776-1866 he was a farmer, bachelor who lived with his brother William, no children. Died aged 90
Hugh 1778-1851 also a bachelor, no children. He died at Lostwithiel in 1851.
Mary 1787-1823 married Thomas Huthnance – 9 children (curiously her headstone states she was buried in 1823 aged 33 years but her baptism took place at Gwinear in 1787.)
Mary Huthnance headstone at Gwinear churchyard
William Lanyon 1741-1808
William has already been mentioned in the post about William Lanyon and Captain Cook. His sister Jane married her cousin William Lanyon and when he died in 1818 he left much of his estate to William’s children.
William married Frances Wills at St Ewe in 1786. They had eleven children:
Willian & Frances’ tree
Edward 1787-1866 married Jane Gill
William 1788-aft. 1818 mentioned in his uncles will, no further trace
Frances 1790-1875 married Thomas Penno – 7 children
John 1792-bef. 1817
Tobias 1795- no trace
Richard 1797-1863 married Susan Tucker and Mary Anne Lanyon
Jane 1799-1859 married William Hicks – 8 children
Henry 1801-aft. 1818 no trace
James 1803-1864 married Elizabeth Lanyon and Esther Budge
Elizabeth 1806-aft. 1818 no trace
Joseph 1808-1861 was a saddler, he moved to London and married Mary Ann Ward at Islington in 1842. They had two daughters: Maria and Mary.
Two of William’s sons married two of his great nieces! We’ll follow them in a separate post ‘Cousins’.
William Lanyon was a lieutenant in the Royal Navy and twice sailed with Captain James Cook.
Captain James Cook – Nathaniel Dance-Holland, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
William Lanyon joined the navy when he was about 15 years old. His first recorded service was as an Able Seaman on the Orford and then the Mars. He then served on HMS Jason as a midshipman. He moved onto HMS Terrible. In 1772 he joined HMS Adventure one of the companion ships on Cook’s second voyage. In 1773 he was promoted to Master’s Mate.
He was promoted to Lieutenant in 1774 but when he was taken on for Cook’s third voyage he was a Master’s Mate again on HMS Resolution. He was eventually promoted to Second Lieutenant on HMS Discovery in 1779.
John Cleveley the younger (1747-1786) (style of) – HMS ‘Resolution’ and ‘Discovery’ in Tahiti – BHC1939 – Royal Museums Greenwich.jpg
He supposedly collected vocabularies of the South Pacific languages which were published in 1979 by Peter Lanyon-Orgill but there is some doubt as to their authenticity.
Cook’s three voyages
Between 1790 and 1796 he was in command of the Spider a cutter based at Plymouth. In 1799 he commanded the Kent. In November of that year he captured a French privateer the Four Brothers out of Calais. His last recorded command was of HMS Genereux a prison ship at Plymouth.
By 1814 he was retired and living at St Austell. He was buried there on 26 Mar 1818, the register states he was ‘paralytic’. His wife Jane had been buried at St Austell almost exactly a year earlier on 27 Mar 1817. They had no children.
So where does William fit on the tree?
‘A Genealogical & Heraldic History of the Commoners of Great Britain & Ireland enjoying Territorial Possessions…..’ Vol IV by Burke. has the following entry in the index.
Lanyon, John, 36.
‘Jane b. in November 1765 m. to John Lanyon of Lanyon in Gwinear, grandfather of lieutenant William Lanyon R.N., well known for his various acts of heroism and benevolence in his profession, the last survivor of those gallant officers who accompanied Captain Cook in his voyages. Twice he circumnavigated the globe with that distinguished commander and was with him at the period of his melancholy end.’
The Jane referred to is Jane Willyams and Burke has transposed her date of birth from 1675 to 1765! Vivian’s ‘The Visitations of Cornwall: Comprising the Heralds’ Visitations of 1530, 1573 & 1620‘ prints the family tree of the Willyams family and shows the correct date.
Visitations of Cornwall -Willyams Family
Jane is shown as the daughter of Humphry Willyams of Roseworthy and Dorothy Addington of Devon. Jane was baptised 11 Nov 1675 at Gwinear and married John Lanyon of Lanyon Gwinear.
So who is John Lanyon of Lanyon Gwinear?
Assuming John was a similar age to Jane we are looking for a John born in the 1670s who lived at Lanyon Manor in Gwinear. This would probably be a child of Tobias Lanyon and Susannah Reynolds but they don’t have a child called John and don’t mention a son of that name in their wills. Tobias and Susannah’s son Tobias does have a son called John however he must have been born after 1703 and would be at least twenty-eight years younger than Jane Willyams!
We need to go back and look at the information we have for William Lanyon. There is a note on his Lieutenant’s certificate dated 29 July 1774 which says ‘we have examined Mr. William Lanyon who by certificate appears to be more than 28 years of age and find he has gone to sea more than six years….’ (Captain John Campbell and Captain Abraham North). This implies that William must have been born before 1746.
There is a baptism of William Lanyon son of Mr. John Lanyon and Mary on 2 Apr 1745 at Cuby with Tregony. They have three other children baptised there: Mary 1747, Mary 1752 and John 1755. Of their children, only William survived to adulthood.
There is a marriage between a Mr. John Lanyon and Mrs. Mary Symons at Creed in Cornwall (not far from Cuby with Tregony) on 3 Jan 1742. There is a Mary Symons baptised at Creed in 1715, the daughter of William Symons. We can’t prove it is the same person.
There is a John Lanyon son of Tobias Lanyon, deceased who is apprenticed to Philip Webber of Falmouth, Attorney at Law on 25 Sep 1722 for £52. 10/-
Proposed tree for William Lanyon
Possible tree but Jane would be far too old to give birth to William in 1745. Perhaps John & Jane had a son called John Lanyon who married Mary Symons?
The Jane Lanyon that William married appears to be the daughter of Tobias and Prudence Pawley.
John Lanyon left a will which might have helped clarify this part of the tree but it has been lost!
The Admiralty Record Office wrote to Captian Wingfield D.S.O., R.N., D.G.W. on 17 Feb 1959 and confirmed that:
William was born in 1745
Enlisted Sep 1760
Appointed lieutenant Aug 1779
Retired on half pay plus pension from Greenwich Hospital
Superannuated Commander 1814
Served on Spider 1790-1795, Kent 1795-1799, Matilda 1800-1804 and Genereux 1805-1806
Served on HMS Nelson & Resistance under Captain Cook on the voyages of discovery
The Will of William Lanyon proven on 15 May 1818 (PROB 11/1604). This is the last Will and Testament of me William Lanyon of the Parish of Saint Austell in the County of Cornwall, Esquire, Commander in the Royal Navy.
I give, devise and bequeath all that my Leasehold Dwelling House situate in the said Parish of Saint Austell in which I now reside with the Garden Courtlage and Appurtenances thereunto belonging unto Tobias Lanyon of Camborne in the said County, Surgeon, his Exors, Admors, and Assigns, for and during all the Estate and Interest which I shall have therein at the time of my decease, to and for his and their own absolute use and benefit, subject to the rent and other reservations payable by or under the Indenture of Lease by virtue of which I am intitled to hold the same.
I give and bequeath unto my Niece, Frances the Wife of Thomas Penna, all and singular my Household Furniture, Plate, Linen and China whatsoever which I may be possessed of at the time of my decease (except the Bed and Bedding hereinafter bequeathed to my Servant Mary Eplett) and I do will and direct that my Executors hereinafter named do and shall release and discharge the said Thomas Penna of and from all sum and sums of money which he may be indebted to me at the time of my decease, and particularly of and from the Sum of Two Hundred Pounds which I advanced him on a note of hand bearing date the 16th day of May last, which Note of Hand I hereby direct shall be given up to the said Thomas Penna.
I give and bequeath to my Servant Mary Eplett, if she shall be living with me at the time of my decease, over and above what may be due to her for wages, the sum of twenty pounds to be paid to her within six Months after my decease. Also I give to the said Mary Eplett the Bed and Bedding in the Garret on which she usually sleeps.
And as for and concerning all and singular other the property, Stocks, Funds, Money and Effects which I shall be possessed of or intitled to, or over which I shall have a disposing power at the time of my decease, of what nature or kind soever the same may be, I give, devise and bequeath the same and every of them unto the said Tobias Lanyon and John Carne of the said Parish of Saint Austell, Gentlemen, their Heirs, Exors & Admors upon the Trusts and to and for the several ends, intents and purposes hereinafter declared of or concerning the same, that is to say, upon Trust in the first place that they, my said Trustees, do and shall thereout with all convenient speed after my decease pay, discharge and satisfy all my just Debts and my Funeral and Testamentary Expences and the aforesaid Legacy of twenty pounds, and do and shall in the next place lay out and invest such of my Monies as shall not be already invested in the Stocks in the purchase of Parliamentary Stocks or Funds of Great Britain in the names of them my said Trustees, or the Survivor of them, his Exors or Admors and do and shall stand and be possessed of all such Stocks, Funds and Securities In Trust that they my said Trustees or the survivor of them, his Exors, or Admors do and shall pay the following Legacies (that is to say):
unto my Nephew Edward Lanyon (Son of the late William Lanyon of Surry) the sum of Eighty Pounds of lawful Money of Great Britain and my watch, unto my Nephew William Lanyon (Son of the said William Lanyon of Surry) the Sum of One hundred pounds of like lawful Money and my Sleeve buttons, unto my Niece Jane Lanyon, (Daughter of the said Willian Lanyon of Surry) the Sum of One hundred pounds of like lawful Money, unto my Nephew Richard Lanyon (Son of the said William Lanyon of Surry) the Sum of One hundred pounds of like lawful Money, unto my Nephew Henry Lanyon (Son of the said William Lanyon of Surry) the Sum of Fifty pounds of like lawful Money unto my Nephew James Lanyon (Son of the said William Lanyon of Surry) the Sum of Fifty pounds of like lawful Money, unto my Niece Elizabeth Lanyon (Daughter of the said William Lanyon of Surry) the Sum of Eighty Pounds of like lawful money, and unto my Nephew Joseph Lanyon (Son of the said Willaim Lanyon of Surry) the Sum of Fifty pounds of like lawful Money,
such several Legacies to be paid to such of my said Nephews and Nieces respectively as shall have attained the age of twenty one years immediately after my decease, and to such of my said Nephews and Nieces as shall be under that age, as and when they shall severally attain the age of twenty one years,
and my mind and will is and I hereby direct that it shall and may be Lawful to and for my said Trustees to receive the Dividends and Proceeds of such of the said Legacies as shall not be payable at the time of my decease by reason of the Legatees being under the age of twenty one years and do and shall lay out and invest the same in the purchase of the like Stock there to accumulate to and for the use and benefit of such last mentioned Legatees which accumulations shall be paid to them with their original Legacies as and when they shall severally attain the age of twenty one years, Provided always that it shall be lawful to and for my said Trustees to apply so much of the Dividends arising from any such Legacy as they shall think proper in and towards the education of the Person intitled thereto, and I direct that the Residue of my Property after payment of the before mentioned Legacies and the expences incident thereto shall be divided equally between and among my said last named eight Nephews and Nieces, to be paid to them at the time the youngest of them shall attain the age of Twenty one years, provided always that if any of my said Nephews or Nieces shall happen to die under the age of Twenty one years then it is my will and meaning and I do hereby direct that the Legacy and accumulation or Legacies and accumulations of him, her or them so dying shall go and accrue to the Survivors or such nephews and Nieces or Nephew and Niece as shall not have attained the age of twenty one years at the time of the death of such Nephew and Niece so happening to die, to be equally divided between them and to be vested, paid and payable to them at such age and in such manner as their original legacies are hereinbefore directed to be paid, Provided also and I do hereby further declare and direct that it shall be lawful for my said Trustees at any time and from time to time when and as often as they shall think fit or adviseable to sell, transfer and dispose of or vary all or any of the Funds or Stock wherein the said Trust monies shall at any time be invested and to lay out and invest the money to arise by any such sale, transfer or disposition in the purchase of other or the same or like Stocks or Funds in the joint names of them my said Trustees, and all such new or other Stocks and Funds shall stand and be in the names of such Trustees and the Dividends and annual produce thereof and of every part thereof respectively shall be applicable and applied upon and for such and the same Trusts, end, intents and purposes as the original Stocks and Funds and the Dividends thereof were subject and applicable to at the time of such Sale, Transfer, Disposition or variance thereof.
And lastly I nominate, constitute and appoint the said Tobias Lanyon and John Carne Execuitors of this my Will hereby revoking all former Wills by me made. In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and Seal this eighth day of July in the year of our Lord One thousand Eight hundred and Seventeen – Wm Lanyon.Signed and sealed by the said Testator William Lanyon and by him publiched and declared as and for his last Will and Testament in the presence of us who in his presence at his request and in the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our Names as Witnesses John Cary Maria Cary.
Proved at London 15 May 1818 before the Judge by the Oaths of Tobias Lanyon and John Carne the Executors to whom Admon. was granted being first sworn by Comm. Duly to Adminr.
Source NA/PROB/11/1604/220
(William Lanyon of Surrey is Tobias and Prudence’s son William born in 1741.)
We can’t prove that William Lanyon RN is the son of John and Mary Lanyon but it seems the most likely explanation.
To add to the confusion there is a newspaper cutting that further muddies the water by naming Tobias as the person who sailed with Cook!
It’s a valuable lesson on the accuracy of documents!
And finally another article where the dates aren’t quite right, is it any wonder that genealogists make mistakes?
There were Lanyons living at Gwinear long before Edward Lanyon lived there. William Laniene his grandfather in the Lay Subsidy Roll of the Hundred of Penwith paid 41 shillings for a property in Gwinear. It was also the burial ground for several Lanyons before Edward lived there. He was known as Edward of Coswin and he bought a tenement of 229 acres near Gwinear and renamed it Lanyon.
Edward was the 5th son of Richard Lanyon Esq and Margaret Treskillard. Norden’s ‘Survey of Cornwall’ 1584 mentions Edward Lanyon of Cuswyn Gwinear. We don’t know when he was born but it was probably late 1550’s early 1560’s, nor do we know when he married Margery Chappell, but their eldest surviving son was baptised in 1590.
They had three sons that are recorded:
William 1590-1652
Edmund 1592-
Raphe – 1584 died in infancy
Margery was buried in 1612 and in 1624 a room in the east wing of Lanyon Manor had the initials EL & ML 1624 with two joined hands in between.
Lanyon Manor today
The manor house was enlarged in 1680 and still stands today.
Edward was buried at Gwinear on 27 Sep 1630 and left a will.
Transcript:
Edward Lanyon gent of Gwinear 15 Mar 1630 Exeter Probate Registry
Inventory of all goods and chattels of Edward Lanyon gt. taken and approved by Alexander Stephen and Arthur Rosewarne. Son William executor.
Item: His wearing closyes £5
Item: I doo give and bequeathe to my sonne Edmunde Lanyon ‘if he be now living’ five pounds yearly during his life for his better maintenance to be paid him quarterly by equal portions or within a fortnight after every quarter.
Item: I doo give a legacy to my nephew Tobias Lanyon gent £20 (is this the Tobias who was the son of The ‘Golden’ Lanyon? see Botrea tree)
Item: To Constance my grandchild
To Margery my goddaughter and grandchild
To Grandchild Jane
Item: I doo give a legacy to my sister Jone Merefield
All the rest I bequeathe to William Lanyon my sonne.
Adds. Item: I do give and bequeathe unto my grandchild Elizabeth Lanyon £20
Present: Richard Harreye (is this Richard Herryes husband of Phelype, the daughter of William Generosi Lanyon?)
Edmund Lanyon 1592- aft.1621
Edmund was the second son baptised at Gwinear in Nov 1592. In 1621 he was granted a ‘Licence to Pass Beyond the Seas’ (an early passport!)
Register of Licences to Pass beyond the Seas
Edmund was serving as a soldier in Holland, probably in the Dutch Revolt. We don’t know if he survived or not.
William 1590-1652
William was the eldest son and heir. He married Elizabeth Ley alias Kempthorne (1591-1658) the daughter of Richard Ley alias Kempthorne and Constance Kendall. William lived at Wynyard Gwinear. They had eight children but only one surviving son, Tobias.
William & Elizabeth’s tree
Constance 1613-1691 married George Veale, an attorney of Trevaylor Gulval, Cornwall
Margery/Margaret 1615-aft. 1652 married Thomas Glynis/Gluvias
Joan/Johanna 1617-1663 married Renatus Trenwith at Gwinear in 1647, their son Thomas Trenwith married Rebecca Lanyon, the daughter of The ‘Golden’ Lanyon on the Botrea tree.
Tobias 1619-1698 married Susannah Reynolds
William 1620-1622 died in infancy
Elizabeth 1625- married Ezechiell Trenwith at St Ives in 1654
Tobias was baptised at Gwinear in 1619. In 1641/2 he signed the Protestation Return at Gwinear and in Oct 1646 he married Susannah Reynolds. There are actually two marriages for Tobias in the register, the first is to ‘Joane’ and is crossed out. (This could be a misreading of Johannah instead of Susannah.)
Tobias went to Exeter College, Oxford University and matriculated 9 Mar 1637/8. He was a surgeon and apothecary and the first of a long line of surgeons in this branch of the family.
Tobias & Susannah’s tree
He and Susannah had ten children:
Elizabeth 1647-1683 married John Arundell Esq in 1669, they had six children. Elizabeth died age 36 and her husband erected a memorial plaque.
Memorial Plaque to Elizabeth Arundell
Edward 1651-bef. 1699 Edward is not mentioned in his father’s will so must have died before 1699
Honor 1655-bef. 1699 married Samson Veale in 1675, she wasn’t mentioned in her father’s will in 1699 so presume she had died before that date
Susannah abt. 1657-1699
Constance 1657-aft. 1699
Mary 1660-aft. 1699 no further trace
Tobias 1661-1662 died in infancy
Jane 1663-aft. 1699 no trace of a marriage
Tobias 1665-1720 married Mary Penneck 1690.
Henry 1669-aft. 1699 Lay Vicar at Exeter Cathedral temporary during the Monmouth Rebellion July 1685. Mentioned in his father’s will but no trace of a marriage or children.
Tobias died in 1698 and his wife Susannah a year later.
Inventory
Will of Tobias Lanyon Source – AP/L/997
Will of Susannah Lanyon 1699 Source: AP/L/1002
Tobias Lanyon & Mary Penneck
Tobias was the eldest surviving son of Tobias and Susannah he was baptised at Gwinear in 1665 and in 1690 he married Mary Penneck at Breage.
Tobias was responsible for enlarging Lanyon Manor at Gwinear.
They had twelve children.
Tobias & Mary’s tree
Mary 1691-1740 married the Rev Hugh Ley in 1714
Dorothy 1692-aft. 1737 she was left 5/- in her mother’s will. There is a Mrs Dorothy Lanyon buried at Constantine, Cornwall in 1766. (Mrs was used to denote a gentlewoman rather than marital status)
Elizabeth 1692-1692 baptised and buried the same day
Elizabeth 1695-aft. 1737 married Rev John Collins in 1727- 2 children
Tobias 1697-1762 married Prudence Pawley
Jane 1700-bef. 1702 died in infancy
Jane 1702-1709 died young
John 1703-1703 baptised and buried the same day
Henry 1707-1709 died in infancy
Henry 1711-1754 married Catherine Davies by licence at St Erth in 1736, two surviving daughters. Rev Henry Lanyon was the curate at Breage, he succeeded his brother-in-law John Collins. When he died his brother Tobias acted as guardian for his two daughters Mary and Catherine.
Jane 1713-1716
John – aft. 1737
Tobias died in 1720 and left a long detailed will.
Peter Lanyon (1769-1827) had three wives, eight children and twenty six grandchildren! His eldest grandson was born in 1811 and his last grandchild was born in 1843. This post is about the grandchildren who carried on the Lanyon name.
In the 1860s the price of metals fell and many mines were no longer profitable. Mines closed and miners were unemployed. Many decided to emigrate. Wherever there were mines, there were Cornishmen! Whole towns sprang up and carpenters, blacksmiths and masons were needed to build them.
Francis’ father was transported to Australia and he was raised by his mother Ann Barnicoat Matthews in Penzance. In 1836 he married Catherine Harris and they had seven children
Hannah Maria 1837- Hannah is on the 1851 census, living at home and working as a household servant, no further trace
Catherine 1839-1931 married James Olsen, a mariner, at Madron and they emigrated to Canada.
Catherine Lanyon and James Olsen
Francis 1841-1911 – Francis was an engineer who emigrated to Pennsylvania, USA, no trace of his wife Susan Honeychurch. She appears to have been abandoned by her husband and by 1871 she was living with her parents and working as a charwoman. She had 6 children but only Theophilus and Catherine appear to have been fathered by Francis.
William Henry 1845-1875 was a soldier, a corporal in the 65 Foot who was invalided out of the army aged 29. He was described as 6’31/2” dark hair, brown eyes, sallow complexion, delicate constitution and could only do ‘light work’. He died age 31. He had served overseas.
Charles Winks 1848-1881 emigrated to Canada
Alfred Winks 1852-1881 emigrated to Canada, no trace of a marriage or children
John Theophilus Winks 1856-1864 died age 7 of Scarlatinal Nephritis
Francis Lanyon after 1881 with his grandchildren
Following his wife’s death Francis emigrated to Canada in 1881 and died there in 1888. Of his surviving children four of them emigrated to Canada and the USA.
John Lanyon & Rebecca Jane
John & Rebecca’s tree
William Lanyon 1826-1899
William married Caroline Jacka at Truro in 1848 and they had ten children! He was a miner at Chacewater.
William & Caroline’s tree
John James 1849-1936 tin miner, married Elizabeth Whitty in 1872 – 11 children
Thomas John 1850-aft. 1871, miner, married Emily Scobie – 3 children
Mary 1851-1858 died young
William Henry 1853-1858 died young
Harriet Jane 1855-56 died young
Joseph Charles 1856-aft. 1871 – grocer, there is a Joseph Charles Lanyon working as an auctioneer and a member of the Freemasons in Burma in 1891, after that no trace.
Richard Francis 1858-1896, tin miner, married Mary Ellen Williams 1879 – 6 children
William Henry 1860-1908, miner, married Caroline Jeffery 1883 – 12 children
Edwin Ernest 1862-1863 died young
Harriet Jane 1864-1945 – spinster
James Lanyon 1828-1891
James was also a tin miner at Chacewater. He married Caroline Pearce in 1850. They had 8 children.
Emma 1850- no trace after 1861
John 1852-1936 emigrated to Michigan USA became a mining foreman and married Elizabeth Jane Bennetts – 3 children
Rebecca Jane 1854- married William Matthews emigrated to ColoradoUSA – 2 children
Elizabeth 1856- no trace after 1871 census may have died or emigrated
James Henry 1856-1943, emigrated to Minnesota USA, married Agnes Jane Stewart and became a mining captain – no children traced
Lavinia 1861- domestic servant and no trace after 1881 census
Caroline ‘Kate’ 1864-1941 married James Pascoe in 1885 – 9 children
Frederick 1869-1921 miner, married Susanna Tregoning – 6 children
Thomas Lanyon 1828-1891
Thomas was a tin miner, he emigrated to Victoria Australia. No trace of a wife or children.
Francis Lanyon & Catherine Rundle
Francis & Catherine married at Paul in 1822. He was a cordwainer. They had five children.
Mary Anne 1822-1880 spinster
Thomas 1825- no trace after 1841 census
Catherine 1827-1891 married Henry Barnes five children
Anne Marie 1829- married Thomas Savage, one illegitimate son, Edwin Lanyon b. 1858 died infancy
Francis 1831-1895
Francis & Catherine’s tree
Francis Lanyon 1831-1895
Francis was a cabinet maker in Penzance. In 1854 he married Mary Hannah Clyma – four children:
Mary Thornton 1855-1856 died in infancy
William Henry 1856- no trace after 1871 census
Elizabeth 1860-1938 married Joseph Cox in New Zealand and lived with Robert Scott. From Robert there were seven children some known as Scott, some as Lanyon.
Thomas J 1863-1937 emigrated to New Zealand, married Elizabeth, no trace of children
Francis & Mary’s tree
William Lanyon & Ann Wills
William & Ann’s tree
William James Lanyon 1830-1924
William was a shoemaker, like his father, in Penzance. In 1851 he married Mary Ann Ancell (1831-1860), they had four children. Mary died giving birth to her fourth child, Mary Ann who died a few months later.
Louisa 1853-1857 died in infancy
Alice 1857- no trace after 1871 census
Ellen 1858-1937 emigrated to New Zealand and there married Henry Williamson – 11 children
Mary Ann 1860-1860 died in infancy
In 1869 William married Caroline Uren, a boot binder. They had a further four children:
Frederick 1870-1956, he was a newspaper compositor and married Edith Collins – 2 children
William James 1877 age 14 he was working as an errand boy – no further trace
Walter 1879-1880 died in infancy
Caroline 1881-aft. 1911 no further trace after 1911 census
Frederick Lanyon 1839-1869
Frederick was born in Penzance, married Mary Jane Branch and they emigrated to Australia and had four children. Frederick was killed in 1869 by a falling gum tree.
Gum Trees – Dorrit Black (1891 – 1951), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
David 1862-1943 married Johannah Lacey Dodds Jewaskiewitz in 1888 Adelaide Australia, 4 children
Mary 1864-1866 died in infancy
Elizabeth Mary 1866-1929 was born in Australia, married George Baldwin and emigrated to New Zealand – 11 children
Sarah Ann 1868- born in Australia, no further trace
Francis was the son of Francis and Rosamon Lanyon of Penzance, he was born about 1653. When his grandmother died in 1655 she left him a ewe in her will.
Francis’ branch of the tree
We don’t know the name of Francis’ wife, their marriage wasn’t recorded but he did have a son also called Francis in 1680.
Like his father, Francis was a cordwainer in Penzance. In 1695 he is mentioned as the principal creditor of Edmund Lanyon who died whilst aboard HMS Weymouth.
Edmund Lanyon’s administration AP/L/969 signed by Francis and William Landry
We don’t know where Edmund fits on the Lanyon tree as there are many gaps in the records.
Francis Lanyon abt. 1680-1757
Francis was the only son of Francis Lanyon. His baptism was not recorded but he was probably born about 1680. He married Elizabeth Thomas at Madron in 1708. They had seven children:
Francis 1713-1758 married Anne Lutey
Ann 1716-1757 married Richard Lembry – one daughter
Hugh 1719- aft.1759
Charles 1721-1757 bachelor, no children
John 1723-1727 died in infancy
Elizabeth 1726-aft. 1759 no further trace
John 1729-aft. 1759 living abroad- no further trace
So many in this family died in such a short time period that there was probably some sort of epidemic in Penzance. Francis senior died in April 1757, in November Ann & Charles both died. Jan 1758 Elizabeth senior died and in June 1758 Francis junior died. In 1757 there was a smallpox outbreak which may have reached Cornwall and also epidemics of measles and scarlatina and in 1758 an influenza epidemic. Perhaps one or a combination of illnesses affected this family. Daughter Elizabeth had to administer her father’s estate as the widow and heir had both died.
Source AP/L/1652
In 1754 Vesuvius erupted and that caused poor weather and sickness in subsequent years. The 1750s seems to have been a time of natural disasters and disease. Gangrenous sore throat and Angina Maligna (an obsolete term for: Acute necrotising ulcerative gingivitis; Diphtheria; Pseudomembranous pharyngitis) are described as being ‘very fatal’.
Francis married Anne Lutey in 1734 at Madron. They had six children.
Francis & Anne’s tree
Robert 1735-
Sarah 1736- in 1767 she married Thomas Shepherd, a hatter, they had three children.
Peter 1741-1771
Henry 1743-1747 died in infancy
David 1746-1768 unmarried
Anne 1748- married Richard White no children traced
Hugh Lanyon 1719- aft.1759
Hugh was baptised at Madron in 1719 and he married Christian Williams at Madron in 1740. There are no children from this marriage and she must have died before 1747 as Hugh married for a second time to Sarah Row at Charles the Martyr, Plymouth, Devon.
Plymouth – Charles the Martyr – bombed during the blitz
From Francis’ will of 1759 he mentions son Hugh and children now living at Plymouth Dock. There are three children traced.
Mary 1749-
Sarah 1752-59
Hugh 1757-1760
There are later marriages and burials of Lanyons at Plymouth but we can’t say if they are related to Hugh & Sarah.
Marriage register Plymouth Charles the Martyr 1747
Hugh was buried at Stoke Damerel on 17 Dec 1760.
Robert Lanyon 1735-
Francis and Anne Lutey’s son Robert was baptised at Madron in 1735 and in 1759 he married Martha Dyer at Plymouth St Andrew. Perhaps after his father’s death he went to join Uncle Hugh in Plymouth?
Robert & Martha’s tree
They had two documented children:
Sarah 1764- who married William Gains at Plymouth in 1784.
Mary Jensen 1772- no further trace
Possibly John Jenkinson Lanyon 1770-1835
Baptism register Plymouth St Andrew 1772
The researcher Jane Veale Mitchell believed that John Jenkinson Lanyon (see Irish branch) was the unrecorded son of Robert and Martha. The names Jensen and Jenkinson are both unusual and don’t appear anywhere else in the tree. John Jenkinson Lanyon used a ring with the Madron coat of arms to seal his letters so he must have had a connection to this branch of the tree somehow.
Peter Lanyon 1741-1771
In 1767 Robert’s brother Peter married Mary Carpenter at Madron. Peter was a cordwainer at Madron. They had three children
Peter & Mary’s tree
Peter 1768-1768 died in infancy
Elizabeth 1768- no further trace
Peter abt. 1769-1827
Peter senior died aged 30 and left Mary to raise the children.
Peter Lanyon abt. 1769-1827
Peter’s tree
Peter, son of Peter and Mary Carpenter had three wives. He married for the first time at Madron in 1789 to Grace Cock (1771-1793). There were two children from this marriage.
Peter 1790-1852
John 1793-1857
Grace may have died, possibly in childbirth, in 1793 as Peter remarried in 1795. His second marriage was to Mary Wall (1772-1806). This marriage produced three children.
Francis 1797-1857
Richard 1799-1973 was a grocer, he married Caroline Johns at Helston in 1822, no children
Ann 1803-1886 spinster died age 82
Mary died in 1806 and Peter married for a third time in 1807 to Ann Michell (1770-1839). They had three children.
Elizabeth 1807-1886 she married Charles Andrew at Madron in 1827 – six children
William 1810-1889
David 1813-1846 was a mason, he married Catherine Rebecca Davies in 1838 – one daughter died in infancy.
Peter was aged 58 when he was buried at Penzance in 1827. He had eight children and 26 grandchildren!
Peter Lanyon 1790-1852
Peter’s tree
Peter’s eldest son was also called Peter and like his father he too had three wives! In 1810 at the age of 20 he married Ann Barnicoat Matthews (1789-1822)
Francis 1811-1888
Peter 1813-1846 he was a mason who died in Bodmin Asylum a pauper with a ‘disease of the brain’
John Matthews 1815- John married Mary Addison Edmonds at Madron in 1836, they had one daughter Rebecca Addison 1838-1898 who married James Eva in 1855
A ‘disease of the brain’ could be anything from a disease to a head injury. Clearly it was serious as he died aged just 33.
UK Lunacy Patients Admission Registers 1846-1912
Bodmin Asylum is still a forbidding place today.
In 1817 Peter senior was convicted of larceny and sentenced to be transported for seven years. His wife and three young sons were left to fend for themselves. Peter arrived at Sydney, Australia on the ship Lady Castlereagh on 1 May 1818. He was described as 5’5″, dark complexion, dark hair and hazel eyes. He was a mason.
In 1824 he married Sarah Whittle at Parramatta NSW, Sarah must have died because in 1836 he requested and was granted permission to marry Bridget Delaney.
NSW Register of Convicts’ Applications to Marry 1826-51
Peter died in Australia in 1852, he never saw Cornwall or his Cornish children again.
John Lanyon 1793-1857
Peter’s brother John was a miner and in 1823 he married Rebecca Jane (1795-1870) at Kea in Cornwall. They had five children.
John & Rebecca’s tree
Joseph 1826-1889 he was a tin miner, he married Cecilia Rose Emidy in 1848. Cecilia had an illegitimate daughter Julia. Joseph had no children.
William 1826-1899
Emma abt. 1827-aft. 1871 was a tailoress who had two illegitimate children
James 1828-1891
Thomas 1828-1891 was a tin miner, he emigrated to Australia, no trace of any children
John died in 1857 at Chacewater. Chacewater was the centre of the mining world and there are a number of mines in the area. In the 1860s metal prices started falling and mining declined.
Peter and John’s half brother Francis was a cordwainer like his father. He married Catherine Rundle at Paul in 1822. They had five children.
Francis & Caroline’s tree
Mary Anne 1822-1880 – There is a Mary Anne Lanyon convicted of larceny which may be her
Thomas 1825- possibly married Mary Whear. Father of Milly 1860-1941 who married Edward Ladner in 1885. No further trace of Thomas.
Catherine Elizabeth 1827-1891 married Henry Barnes at Penzance in 1855 – five children
Anne Maria 1829- In 1858 she had an illegitimate son, Edwin who died in infancy. In 1859 she married Thomas Savage and they had one daughter, Mary Ann.
Francis 1831-1895
Shoemaker – Paul Renouard, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
William Lanyon 1810-1889
Peter, John, and Francis’ half brother William was born in 1810. He was described as a ‘poor shoemaker’ on admission to the dispensary in 1829. In 1830 he married Ann Wills at Madron. They had six children.
William & Ann’s tree
William James 1830-1924
Mary Wills 1832-1904 married Edward Williams – no children
Louisa 1836-1904 married Richard Baxter Hocken – five children and she died in Yorkshire.
Joseph Phillips 1837-1847 died young
Frederick 1839-1869
Sarah Ann 1841-1921 married John Rose – two daughters, emigrated to New Zealand
We’ll find out what happened to Peter’s grandsons in the post ‘Peter Lanyons Grandchildren and the Great Migration’.
The final branch of the Botrea tree are the sons of Thomas Lanyon 1661-1738.
Thomas & Margaret’s tree
Thomas was just 3 years old when his father died in 1664. Of the eight children he had only William and John survived to produce their own families and carry on the family name.
John (1711-1767) married Sarah Straight and moved to St Allen in Cornwall and founded a whole new and very successful branch of the family. (See St Allen Branch). William (1705-1791) married Margaret Richards and despite living to the grand old age of 86 only had one surviving son.
William Lanyon 1739-1827
William was born at Paul, he married Mary Pooley at Ludgvan (near Marazion) Cornwall in 1776.
Mary 1787-1862 married John Strick at Ludgvan in 1810
Richard 1789-1853
Ann 1791-1860 married Christopher Trathan, a labourer, at Gulval in 1814, one son, William Lanyon Trathan b 1817
Margaret 1793-1875 spinster
William Lanyon 1777-1834
William Lanyon’s first child was illegitimate and born to Susan Dinneshorn when he was 19. William Lanyon senior and junior were charged a £30 bastardy bond by church wardens and the parish poor law overseer for Susan’s base child. The son, George, was born in 1796 and married Ann Edmonds at Ludgvan in 1827. He died in 1829 and left a will, George Lanyon yeoman of Ludgvan – 2 guineas to my father and all the rest of my goods to my wife Ann sole executrix. There were no children of this marriage but Ann Edmonds had a daughter Grace Jennings born in 1836.
Bastardy Bond 1796 Ludgvan
William married Mary Martin in 1803 and he had a further nine children:
Juliana 1804-1877 married Matthew Trewhella 1827 – six children, emigrated to Connecticut, USA.
Margaret 1806-1887 married Jasper Allen 1834 – ten children, emigrated to Connecticut.
Mary 1806- married Richard Edmonds 1825, three children
Jane 1806-1815 died young
William Argell Perrow Lanyon 1808-1884 was a farmer, he never married but lived with his illegitimate son, Alfred Lanyon, who was born about 1856. No further trace of Alfred.
Joseph Martin Lanyon 1811-1870
Henry Lanyon 1814-1871
Jane 1815-1837 died at Rospeath (family home) age 21
James 1822-1885
Of those nine children only four sons had children of their own who carried on the Lanyon name, William, Joseph, Henry and James.
Joseph, Henry and James all emigrated to Connecticut, USA.
The Great Emigration
Between 1815 and 1915 many thousands of people emigrated from Cornwall to seek a better life. They headed to countries like the USA, Australia and South Africa. They were ‘economic migrants’. When tin mining was no longer profitable and mines closed many Cornish men moved to mining areas all over the world. As a result of the Great Emigration, there are now more than six million people of Cornish descent around the world, some of them are called Lanyon!
Three of William’s sons emigrated to Connecticut, USA.
Joseph married Mary Thomas Harry in 1835 at Ludgvan and by 1844 they had emigrated to Connecticut, USA. Joseph was a miner. Their children
Joseph & Mary’s tree
Joseph Martin 1837-1837 died in infancy
Mary 1838-1900 married James A Crase in 1857 at Connecticut and moved to California. Five children.
Louisa 1840-1876 married Llewellyn Michell who died in 1874. Five children who all died in infancy.
Jane 1843- married Henry Rowe at Connecticut. One child.
Bethulia 1847-1931 married Josiah Champion in 1865. Three children.
Joseph H Lanyon 1851-1900. Married Caroline Harris. Six children.
William T Lanyon 1854-1908 a stonemason, married Alice Sophia Leavenworth. Three children.
And there we must leave Joseph Martin Lanyon’s family. His brother Henry also emigrated to Connecticut.
Henry Lanyon 1814-1871
Henry was born at Ludgvan, married Elizabeth Sarah Wills at Bath in Somerset in 1840. He died at Connecticut in 1871.
Henry & Elizabeth’s tree
Mary Jane 1841-1913 born in Gloucestershire, England – spinster who died in Canada.
Emily Millicent 1843-1927 also born in Gloucestershire. Three marriages: Nathaniel Williams – one daughter; William Taylor – eight children; John Catron – two children. She died in Pennsylvannia in 1927.
James M 1845-1903 a butcher, born in Connecticut married Emma Bristol – 2 sons Wilbur & James.
William Wills 1847-1905 married Sarah Bronson Thrall – four children. William died in Los Angeles.
Joseph M Lanyon 1849-1850 died in infancy
Arabella 1852-1933 spinster died in California
Julia 1854- no trace
Elizabeth 1856- no trace
Susan Gertrude 1858-1923 married in 1876 to Herbert Rudy Hawley – three children. Susan died in New Jersey.
Henry John 1866- no trace
James Lanyon 1822-1885
James was the third son of William Lanyon and Mary Martin. He was also born at Ludgvan in Cornwall and emigrated in the 1840s to Connecticut. There he married Lucretia Brooks in 1843. They had three children.
James & Lucretia’s tree
William J 1844-1844 died in infancy
Mary 1846-1846 died in infancy
Wesley 1848-1928 married Eleanora Harriett Allen in 1848 and they had three children.
That’s where we leave William and Mary Martin’s branch of the tree and move to his brother John Lanyon.
John Lanyon 1782-1847
John was a farmer and miller, he lived at Tregarthen at Ludgvan. In 1815 he married Ann Hosken. They had four children.
John & Ann’s tree
Henry 1817-1834 died young no children
Mary Ann 1819-1888 she was a spinster and died at Mithian in 1888
John 1821-1864
Richard 1824-1874
Farming-Städel Museum, PDM-owner, via Wikimedia Commons
John Lanyon 1821-1864
John was also a farmer at Tregarthen, he married Mary Reed at Ludgvan in 1852. He died when he was just 42.
John & Mary’s tree
William John 1853-1857 died in infancy
Thomas James 1855-1941 no trace of a marriage or children, he died in Alabama
Elizabeth Margaret 1857-1885 died unmarried
William John 1860-1867 died in infancy
Eliza Jane Reed 1863 1920 married Samuel A Bice, no children. Died in Alabama
Without any surviving children this branch died out.
Richard Lanyon 1824-1874
Richard was a farmer in 1854 he married Anne (Nanny) James. They had seven children but only one child ever married.
Richard & Ann’s tree
James 1855-1932 never married and lived with his unmarried siblings. He died age 77 at New Farm in Crowan.
Emily 1856-1916 spinster lived with unmarried siblings
Anne 1862-1870 died young
Jane 1864-1937 married John James Liddicoat – one child.
Richard 1865-1932 never married and lived with unmarried siblings
John 1867-1951 he was a farmer, he never married but was living with Maude Lanyon, a widow, in 1939.
Emma 1870-1930 spinster lived with unmarried siblings
With so many unmarried children it’s not surprising that this male line died out!
Richard Lanyon 1789-1853
We go back to William and Mary Pooley’s children. Richard was a farmer at Rospeath, Ludgvan. At Zennor, in 1826, he married Elizabeth Stevens and had eight children.
Richard & Elizabeth’s tree
Elizabeth (Betsy) Stevens 1827- married Thomas Richards no further trace
John 1829-1829 died in infancy
John 1831-1902
Mary 1833-1833 died in infancy
Mary 1835- married William Bennetts – eleven children
James 1837-1837 died in infancy
James 1839-1912
Margaret 1841-1842 died in infancy
Richard died in 1853 and his will specifically excluded his son in law Thomas Richards. “Thomas Richards shall not receive any benefit from my daughter Elizabeth Richard’s part”.
Of Richard and Elizabeth’s eight children only two sons had children of their own, John and James.
John Lanyon 1831-1902
John was a farmer at Rospeath, Ludgvan and his ‘claim to fame’ is that he had two wives, both called Jane!
John’s marriages
Jane Matthews – married Jan 1857. Jane died nine months later in Sep 1857 so it is possible she died in childbirth with their first child.
Jane T Chellew was his second wife. He married her in Jan 1858. They had five children and four of them died in infancy. Only John 1860-1933 survived. Jane died in 1869, leaving a nine year old son.
John Lanyon’s grave at Ludgvan.
John Lanyon 1860-1933
John was baptised at Ludgvan 29 Dec 1861, the only surviving son of John Lanyon and Jane Chellew. He was a farmer at Rospeath, Ludgvan. He married Priscilla Trembath in 1883. They had six children.
John & Priscilla’s tree
William John 1881-1949 married Ada Mary Tilly – no children.
Richard Henry 1886-1940 married Honor Jeffrey – four children
Robert Henry 1886-aft. 1911 farm labourer no further trace
Mary Annie 1888-aft. 1911 no further trace
Bessie 1894-1921 bessie died at Bodmin Asylum age 27.
Priscilla 1898-1987 she married James Leonard Noy in 1931 – no children
We must leave this branch of the family here.
Bodmin Asylum – Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
James Lanyon 1839-1912
James was the son of Richard Lanyon and Elizabeth Stevens. He worked as a farmer and a miner. In 1863 he married Mary Carlyon Corin at Ludgvan and they had seven children.
Grace Jane Corin 1865-1930 married Samuel Semmens – no children
Mary Elizabeth 1866-1877 died young
Elizabeth 1866-1949 spinster died at St Erme in 1949
James 1869-1935 bachelor of Chy Vellan farm at Ludgvan.
Matilda 1872-1949 married 1901 William Ernest Semmens – one son Ernest Semmens. Matilda married for a second time in 1923 to William A Curtis, at Penzance.
William John 1876-1951 never married
Richard 1879- never married
Yet again with so many unmarried children this branch of the tree died out.
James & Mary’s tree
In just eight or nine generations this branch of the Lanyon tree has almost died out in Cornwall due to the reluctant grooms. Why did so many of them remain unmarried?
John Lanyon and Mary Ellis had a large family but their descendants quite often left no traceable issue.
The ‘Golden’ Lanyon’s children
Francis Lanyon 1651-1725 had six sons.
Francis 1686-1723
Thomas 1691-1755
William 1693-1756
Nicholas 1695-1706 (died young)
John 1697-1738 never married
Tobias 1702-1778 never married
Only three of them, Francis 1686-1723, Thomas 1691-1755 and William 1693-1756 had sons of their own.
Francis Lanyon 1686 – 1723
Francis & Jane’s tree
Francis married Jane Edwards at Morvah in 1715. They had five children, the fifth was born following the death of Francis in 1723.
Jane 1716 – 1716
Dorothy 1717-1778 married John Tellum (three children)
Francis 1719-1730
Jane 1722-1807 – spinster
Benoni John 1723-1777 (Benoni means ‘son of my sorrow’)
Benoni was baptised three months after his father’s death. He was an attorney and married Sybella Tremenhere, the daughter of James Tremenhere and Catherine Lanyon, a grand-daughter of John Lanyon and Mary Ellis.
Benoni John had no children.
Thomas 1691-1755
Thomas married Ann (surname unknown) and worked as a pewterer in Bristol (see separate post for his life story.) He had one son, Francis, born 1725 – no further trace of him.
William 1693-1756
William was a yeoman of Madron and married Jane Philips at Zennor in August 1725.
They had four children:
William 1725-1790
Ralph 1727-
Jane 1730
Hugh 1732-1769
William 1725-1790
William was baptised at Zennor in February 1725. He married twice, first to Joan Esterbrook in 1751. Joan died before 1758. They had two children:
William 1751- aft 1770. William inherited the estate at Boswarthen but there is no further trace of him
Mary 1752- ? there is no mention of her in her father’s will so presumably she died young.
William then married for a second time to Elizabeth Murrish (1736-1796) on 2 Aug 1758. They had four children.
William’s tree
Elizabeth 1759-1779. She married James Edwards.
Hugh 1764- mentioned in his father’s will of 1770 but no further trace
Sarah 1767-1767
Sarah 1769- she married Thomas Harvey
There are no traceable male heirs of this line.
Hugh Lanyon 1732-1769
Hugh’s tree
Hugh was baptised at Zennor in 1732. In 1762 he married Anne Eady at Sancreed and they had two sons, Hugh and Ralph. Hugh senior was a yeoman which meant he owned some land. Hugh died in 1769 when his youngest son was just two. He died intestate and his wife renounced administering his estate to Martyn Angwin, Richard Harvey and William Lanyon 1725-1770 (her brother-in-law) his principal creditors.
Ann renouncing Hugh’s estate – Source – CRO AP/L/1753
Hugh Lanyon (Junior) 1762-1838
Hugh and Anne’s eldest son was also called Hugh, he was baptised at Sancreed in 1762, three months after his parents marriage. Hugh was an agricultural labourer and he married Alice Ladner at Sancreed in 1805. They had four children:
William 1806- no further trace
Francis 1808-1865
Nancy 1810 – no further trace, she may have died in infancy
Nanny 1813- Nanny married James Hodge, an agricultural labourer at St Buryan in 1837 and they had 3 children.
In 1819 Hugh and Alice were imprisoned for six weeks for larceny.
Criminal Register Cornwall 1819
Hugh died in 1838 at the Penzance Union Poorhouse aged 80, the cause of death was debility. Alice died in 1854 at the Union Workhouse Madron age 90.
Francis Lanyon 1808-1865 & Betsy Lanyon 1808-1892
Hugh and Alice’s only surviving son Francis married Elizabeth (Betsy) Leah at Paul in 1834. Francis was a Newlyn fisherman and Elizabeth Leah was featured in a series of photographs and paintings depicting Newlyn fishwives.
Source: The photos are of Betsy Lanyon and Blanche Courtney taken in the Gibson Mount’s Studio in Penzance circa 1885. Penlee House Gallery & Museum, Penzance.
Francis and Elizabeth had three children: Grace, Elizabeth and Francis. Only Francis survived to adulthood.
Francis senior died in 1865 and Elizabeth/Betsy died at Newlyn in 1892 but Betsy Lanyon lives on… she is now a ‘living’ part of history and talks to visitors at the Penlee House Gallery & Museum about life in Newlyn in the 19th century.
Betsy Lanyon appears to have been the model for the old woman in this Walter Langley painting. Penlee House Gallery and Museum, Penzance.
Francis Lanyon 1842-1872
Betsy and Francis’ son Francis was born at Paul in 1842. The 1871 census for Paul in Cornwall shows that he was living with his mother who was a widow and he was described as age 30 and a ‘cripple and has been for 20 years.’
In 1858 at the age of 16 Francis was found guilty of willfully destroying a tree, the property of Rev. Wm. Veale, clerk at Gulval. He was sentenced to 3 weeks hard labour or a fine of approximately 20 shillings which he couldn’t possibly pay. He had no previous convictions but was sentenced to three weeks on the treadmill. (We’ve already noted that he had been a ‘cripple’ since the age of about ten so three weeks on a treadmill was particularly harsh.)
He was described as 5’2″, dark hair, dark eyes and a dark complexion. Unable to read or write. Freckled, thick lips, scar on nose and left wrist, large eyebrows and slightly pock marked. He was already working as a labourer at Penzance. His weight on entering prison was 133lbs and 3 weeks later it has fallen to 129lbs. Bodmin Gaol was tough. (Source AD/1676/4/5).
British Library, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Poor Francis died, aged 31, of Scrofulus abscesses (scrofula was TB of the lymph nodes in the neck) and diarrhoea. His mother Betsy lived for another 20 years.
Ralph Lanyon 1767-1842
Ralph was the younger son of Hugh Lanyon and Anne Eady. He worked as an agricultural labourer. His first marriage was to Margaret Pearce in 1796 at Paul. There were two children from this marriage.
Mary 1798- 1842 Mary had 3 illegitimate children: Mary Ann 1825, James 1830 and Matilda Bluett 1834-1841. No further trace of the first two children. She died age 46 of TB.
Hugh 1801-1846.
Hugh Lanyon 1801-1846
Age 24 Hugh enlisted in the army. He was a Colour Sergeant in the Royal Sappers & Miners. While bound for Vera Cruz in the ship ‘Cambria’ he helped rescue 551 of the passengers and crew of the ‘Kent’ an East India ship which caught fire in the Bay of Biscay in Feb 1825. Connolly, in his ‘History of the Royal Sappers and Miners’ p309, writes of him ‘Sergeant Hugh Lanyon, after Sergeant – Major Forbes’ removal, was appointed to the charge of the detachment at Sandhurst College, and carried on the file details in every way to the satisfaction of the authorities. For many years, as a private and non-commissioned officer, he worked at the College, and his example had the best effect on the successive parties with which he served. As a practical sapper he was one of the ablest and most skilful in the corps, and in the rapidity with which he threw up earth works was unsurpassed. Sir Charles Pasley has done him the honour by noticing the extraordinary labours of the sergeant in his ‘Practical Operations for a Siege’. His willing ness and ability in this respect covered, in great measure, his educational deficiencies. In charge of the detachment he displayed his usual industry and exertion, kept his men in perfect discipline and order… so effectively were all the instructions carried out, that the governor of the college, with the sanction of the Master-General, presented him in November (1837) with a case of drawing instruments bearing an inscription ‘flattering to his zeal and services.’ Shortly afterwards he was promoted to colour-sergeant and served in Canada during the rebellion. Somewhat broken in health he was discharged in 1844 and became a surveyor on the Trent and Mersey Canal, working under James Forbes. He died in 1846 at Lawton in Cheshire. He was a ‘remarkable man with rather more brawn than brain one suspects‘ (P.A Lanyon-Orgill). Connolly recounts a story about him while building a stockade at Mississawra in Canada in 1842; ‘six men complained to him of the heavy task they were subjected to in removing timbers about 15 feet long and 12 inches square….Lanyon made no observation, but shouldered one of the unweildy logs and, to the amazement of the grumblers, carried it to the spot unassisted.’In 1843 he was in Ireland and was sent to explore a sewer running into the Liffe river which might provide a means of entry into Dublin Castle. ‘He did so and found that a strong iron grating existed in the passage, which would effectually prevent the supposed entrance. In this duty, being much exposed to the influence of noxious vapours, he soon afterwards was seized with fever and jaundice, which shortened his days.’ (Connolly). He never married or had any children.
HUGH LANYON OF TRURO, in the county of Cornwall. He died at Lawton on the 15th of June A.D. 1846: Aged 41 years He was an Assistant Surveyor to the Trent and Mersey Company. As a record of his Zeal in the discharge of his duties the Company have raised this stone.
Ralph senior married for a second time in 1805 to Alice Chirgwin 1774-1869. There were two children from his second marriage:
Ralph 1807-1868
Sarah 1810-1867 married Francis Nicholls in 1827 and they had four sons.
Ralph senior died at the Penzance Union Workouse in 1842. He was a pauper and suffering from TB. Alice his wife died at Lelant in 1869, she was still working as a labourer age 64.
The family has come quite a way from the days of the ‘Golden Lanyon’ and his great wealth.
Elizabeth 1833-1869. Elizabeth was a dressmaker and a charwoman. In 1869 she married William Potter, a widower. She died whilst on honeymoon (of nephritis and congestion of the lungs) at Portsea and William was a widower for a second time!
Hugh 1838-1857, Hugh died age 20.
James 1839-1862 he was a tin miner like his father and died of TB age 22.
Thomas Henry 1840-1896
Ralph 1843-1843 died in infancy
Ralph died in 1868 of TB. Tuberculosis was very common at this time and, whilst it could affect anybody, it was particularly rife amongst the poor who lived in cramped conditions.
Thomas Henry Lanyon 1840-1896
Of the six children of Ralph and Mary only Thomas had children of his own. He married Emma Elliott and they had nine children.
Thomas & Emma’s tree
Ellen 1857-1889 She married Robert Chirgwin in 1879, they had two children but Ellen died in 1889 and Robert in 1890 leaving their children orphans. They were split up and taken in by separate families.
Thomas Henry 1858-1937
Elizabeth 1864- she was on the 1871 census but after that there was no further trace
John 1866-bef. 1871 died in infancy
James 1866-1935 he worked as both a tin miner and a farm labourer, no marriage or children traced
Annie 1870-1956 she worked as a dressmaker and never married
Jessie 1872-1937 in 1896 she married Robert Molesworth Thomas and they had two daughters
Mary Eveline 1880-1962 she married Arthur James Thomas in 1911 and they had a child
Laura 1888-1954 in 1906 she married Albert James Pearce and they emigrated to Pennsylvania in the USA.
Thomas Henry was fined for not sending his children to school, he explained that he couldn’t afford shoes for them which shows how poor they were. In 1877 Thomas was imprisoned for debt in Bodmin Gaol. Source: AD 1676/5/2
1879 newspaper cutting-Petty Sessions Nov 1879
Thomas was also seriously injured in a mining accident. Mining was a dangerous occupation but often it was all that was available.
Cornish Telegraph 15 Jan 1878
Cornish Miners – John Charles Burrow (1852—1918), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Out of nine children only one son had children to carry on the family name.
Thomas Henry Lanyon 1858-1937
Thomas was also a tin miner like his father. Later he became a farm labourer. He married Annie Chirgwin in 1890 and they had eight children.
Thomas & Annie’s family
Laura 1880-1967
Annie Jane 1882-1919
Thomas 1885-
Elizabeth Ann 1886-1965
Ellen 1889-1967
William James 1895-1954
Caroline 1899-1985
Gwendoline 1902-1919
That’s where we must leave this branch of the family. There were grandchildren so this branch of the family has survived.
Despite having fourteen children the Golden Lanyon had only twelve great great great grandsons to carry on the family name on the Botrea branch of the Lanyon family. There may be unrecorded children, and children who have moved away from Cornwall and not been traced, but it is a diminishing tree.
Diminishing Botrea Branch
The Fowey Boys
John and Thomas (the sons of William Lanyon 1680-bef. 1776) both lived in Fowey, initially I couldn’t find their parents or where they fitted on the tree. It was the wills of William’s brother Robert and his wife Grace Chennall which helped me resolve the problem.
We don’t know the name of William’s wife but as both his eldest grand daughters are called Mary we may surmise that is her name or perhaps they were named after their great grandmother, Mary Ellis.
William’s tree
John Lanyon abt. 1720-1762
John was born about 1720 but there is no trace of a baptism, he married Elizabeth Joans from Fowey, at Lostwithiel, on 26 Jul 1753. John was the Officer of Excise in Fowey.
They had five children:
Mary 1754-1809
Elizabeth 1756- no further trace
John Hewet 1757- no further trace
William 1759- no further trace
Francis Joans (Jones) 1761-1841
It is possible that only Francis and Mary survived to adulthood and he is the only ‘nephew’ mentioned by Grace Lanyon (Chennall) in her will.
Smugglers – John Atkinson
Francis Joans Lanyon 1761-1841
Francis Joans Lanyon was a shipwright and married Jane Turner in 1786 at Charles the Martyr, Plymouth, Devon. Their children:
Francis Joans Lanyon’s tree
John 1788-1791 died in infancy
John Francis 1792-1863 married Jane Hicks at Plymouth in 1815, they had no children but lived with her widowed mother Betsy and nieces. From the 1859 census we can see that John was a bread baker. He died in 1863 and left an estate valued at under £200.
Jane 1795-1872 was baptised at Devonport and married Edward Wills. They had four sons two of which were called Napoleon and Horatio! Perhaps Edward fought at Trafalgar? Edward died before 1826 as Jane remarried William Honey and had another five children including William Lanyon Honey and John Francis Lanyon Honey.
Eliza 1798-1799 died in infancy
Elizabeth 1805- no further trace
Francis -1791 died in infancy
Then in 1831 Francis Joans Lanyon married Ann McFarline at East Stonehouse, Devon. They are shown on the 1841 census he is aged 80 and she is aged 30! The 1841 census doesn’t show their relationship.
1841 census East Stonehouse, Devon
Thomas Lanyonabt. 1720-1770
William’s second son was Thomas born about 1720, he was a victualler and maltster in Fowey. Thomas married Mary Varco at Fowey in 1752. Their children:
Thomas & Mary’s tree
Mary 1753- was born at Fowey and she married Walter Colmer at Fowey in 1774 and had 9 children, the eldest was called John Lanyon Colmer.
John 1755- no further trace
Thomas 1758-1790 he married Jane Williams by licence at Fowey in 1784. He was a ‘salt officer’. He and Jane had a daughter Elizabeth. Jane died Nov 1787, Thomas died Sep 1790 and Elizabeth died Oct 1790 aged just 6.
William 1762- no further trace
Thomas Lanyon and his wife Mary Varco ran the Dolphin Inn at Fowey, the Dolphin’s biggest competitor was the Ship Inn (John Rashleigh and Alice Lanyon’s first town home.)
Thomas died in 1770 and left a wonderfully detailed inventory of goods which gives a real glimpse into their lives. The will describes the furnishings in each room.
Part of the inventory of Thomas’ administration- Source: CRO AP/L/1772
Following Thomas’ death Mary continued to run the inn and in 1771 Philip Rashleigh’s expenses listed ” the widow Lanyon’s bill for the entertainment on election day £2 4/-“. Source – Old Cornish Inns by H.L Douch. 1966.
The Dolphin was taken over by her son in law Walter Colmer and daughter Mary but by 1817 it was defunct.
Mary was buried on 12 Aug 1818 at Fowey aged 99! (Royal Cornwall Gazette.)
The Golden Lanyon had six surviving sons and sixteen surviving grandsons.
John Lanyon & Mary Borlase
His eldest son John married Mary Borlase. They had three sons who survived to adulthood and married. John, William and Tobias.
John Lanyon & Mary Borlase’s sons.
John Lanyon 1664-aft. 1708
John and Mary Borlase’s eldest son, also called John, married Lady Frances Brydges. They were married by licence on 14 Jun 1697 at Trinity Church, London, Frances Clarke widow aged 45 and John Lanyon bachelor of St Ives age 28. The ages on the marriage register don’t quite match the baptism records. If John was baptised in 1664 he would have been 33 not 28. But Frances was also somewhat economical with the truth about her age!
She was born circa 1644 at Wilton Castle, the daughter of John Brydges, 2nd Baronet of Wilton and his wife Lady Mary Pearle. Frances’s first husband was Dr William Brabourne and by him she had 4 sons and a daughter. William died in 1684 and she then married Henry Clarke. He must have died sometime before 1697 when she married for the third time to John Lanyon. She was aged about 53 and John was about 33.
London & Surrey Marriage Allegations and Bonds
Frances was the sister of James, Lord Chandos 1642-1714.
James Brydges Lord Chandos Government Art Collection, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
James was the father of the James Brydges the first Duke of Chandos
Duke of Chandos by Herman van der Mijn, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
John and Frances had no children and there is no trace of their deaths. John appears to still be alive in 1708 and Frances was still alive in 1713.
Tobias Lanyon 1675-1709
Tobias married Ann Walscombe at Truro in 1696. (Name is spelt Leanion in the parish register.)
Tobias & Ann’s tree
Their eldest child was John baptised 12 May 1699 at Truro. In 1722 Philip Webber of Falmouth, attorney was paid £52.00 to take on John as an apprentice. John married Grace Luke in 1716. Their children-
John & Grace’s tree
Ann 1717- no futher trace
Jane 1720 – married Roge Harding. Her sister Susannah’s will calls her Jane Harding.
Grace 1722-1724 died in infancy
Elizabeth 1725- no further trace
Tobias 1727-1796 he married Elizabeth Gray in 1752 at Redruth and they had one daughter Jane born in 1753. No further trace of Jane. He then married Catherine Brown in 1786. In 1742 a consideration of £8 was paid to Richard Stone for an apprenticeship for Tobias. He was later described as a shopkeeper of Redruth.
Susannah 1730-1780 spinster
John’s second wife was Mrs Ann Bolithoe, they married at Kenwyn near Truro in 1744.
We don’t know when John died but Ann died at Maker in Cornwall in 1782, Susannah also died at Maker so perhaps they were living together.
William Lanyon & Jane Keigwin
William was the Golden Lanyons second son, he and Jane had three sons that married. William, Martyn and Robert.
William Lanyon & Jane Keigwin’s tree
William Lanyon 1680-bef. 1776
William was baptised in Sancreed in 1680. I couldn’t trace a marriage, however a William Lanyon of Sancreed is excommunicated on 16 Jan 1722 for contumacy (stubborn refusal to obey or comply with authority, especially disobedience to a court order or summons.) Source: NA ARD/160/24 (National Archives – Archdeaconery of Cornwall.)
Excommunication of William Lanyon 1722
There is no trace of a marriage for William however Grace Chennall’s will leaves enough information for us to place John and Thomas Lanyon as his sons. John and Thomas lived in Fowey and it is possible that the family moved there following William’s excommunication.
William died before 1776 as he is mentioned in his brother Robert’s will as ‘my late brother’.
See more about John & Thomas in the post ‘The Fowey Boys.’
Martyn Lanyon 1682-1734
Martyn was baptised at Sancreed in 1682 and married Margery Luddard at Liskeard in 1722. (Name spelt Laynion in the register.) Forty was quite old for a first marriage but I haven’t found any trace of a previous marriage. There was a Martyn Lanyon who married a Grace Bonyface on 5 Aug 1736 at Plymouth St Andrew and a Martyn Lanyon married Grace Luddra at Yealmpton, Devon on 8 Aug 1742. Could this Martyn be a son of Martyn Lanyon of Liskeard? Liskeard is close to the border between Devon and Cornwall. Martyn is an unusual name in the Lanyon family, Jane Keigwin’s father was called Martyn so this seems to be the origin of the name.
Martyn was an innkeeper at Liskeard and was buried there on the 11 Aug 1734.
Robert was baptised at Sancreed on 29 Sep 1688. He married Grace Chennall on 14 Oct 1755 at Perranarworthal, Cornwall when he was 67 years old! If he had an earlier marriage I haven’t yet found it.
On 21 Jun 1757 he took on Joan White age 13 as an apprentice in housewifery. She was indentured to him until the age of 21.
He was buried on 23 Feb 1776 at Feock in Cornwall. There is a tablet over the side door of Feock church “Robert Lanyon of Sancrete of this county, gent, 1776 age 83”.
His will mentions no children but it does mention other relatives.
Transcript of Will: Exeter Consistery Court 30 Aug 1773 – Proved 1776
Robert Lanyon yeoman of Penryn.
First my kinswoman Isabella Rogers, wife of John Rogers of St Michael
Kinsman Mathias Andrews. (the husband of his deceased sister Isabel) of St Michael, also Mathias Andrews my cloathes chest and all my wearing apparel.
To kinswomen Jane, Margery and Isabella, daughters of Mathias Andrews
To William Lapp, Plymouth and his two sisters Mary and Elizabeth.
To John Lanyon, grandson of my late brother William Lanyon, my silver goblet and my two handle silver cup and silver tankard.
To younger brother of said John Lanyon £10
To before named kinsman John Lanyon, his heirs and assigns, my messuage and tenement called Ennis-an-Mannen, St Creet, and dwelling house etc at Penryn called Chennalls House, also my several tin bounds called Ennis-an-Mannen bounds, Church lane Bounds and Tronach Mill Bound, also 1/5 part or share in all other tin bounds called Great Vrane, Wheal reeth, Wheal Yelt, and Wheal-an-Speeren Bound, St Crett, according to the customs of the Stannary of Penwith and Kirrier.
I give and bequeath to my old friend and acquaintance Samuel Tresidder, town of Falmouth, one guinea to buy him a mourning ring.
The rest to my beloved wife Grace.
Seal shows falcon’s wing extended over two large towers and a large door castle with one hole above each side of door and waves of the sea.
His wife Grace was 25 years younger than her husband and lived on at Feock until 1791. In 1784 she took in Jenefer Williams age 12 as an apprentice indenture for Housewifery. Grace was described as a widow of Perranarworthal.
Reproduced by kind permission of OPC Cornwall – transcribed by John Warren
Source: Source:- LDS Film No. 1596395 – Poor law records for Perranarworthal, 1724-1860
Grace died in 1791 and left a will which helps clarify her brother-in-law William’s grandson.
Partial Transcript: Will of Grace Lanyon widow of Robert Lanyon of Penryn
My silver tankard and silver goblet to my nephew Francis Jones Lanyon (in fact he was her great nephew) of the borough of Looe to keep in remembrance of me.
My niece Grace, daughter of my late brother John Chennall and Maria her sister, wife of William Mitchell of Penryn
(William Mitchell was a mason and Grace Lanyon appears very worried about her niece Grace Tiss ? marrying this man.) Source – Jane Veale Mitchell note.
Tobias Lanyon & Jane Tresilian
Tobias, the third son, married Jane Tresilian and had one surviving son, Charles.
Charles Lanyon 1689-1768
Charles was baptised at Sancreed on 8 Mar 1689. He married Joan Noye at Morvah on 5 Oct 1713. The parish register notes that they were both from the town of Paul. Charles was a merchant at Paul. They had four children: Sarah b.1716, Charles b.1718 and Mary b.1719 and Thomas b.1722. There is no further trace of any of the children.
Charles died at Penzance in 1768 and his wife died the following year.
Francis Lanyon & Phillipp Nicholls
Francis was the fourth son, he married Phillipp Nicholls and they had five sons.
Francis & Phillipp’s tree
Francis Lanyon 1686-1723
Francis was baptised at Sancreed 29 Dec 1686, he married Jane Edwards of Penzance at Morvah on 10th Aug 1715. They had five children:
Jane 1716-1716 died in infancy
Dorothy 1717-1757. She married John Tellum at Lostwithiel in 1750. They had 3 children and he died before the third was born. She died seven years after the marriage.
Francis 1719-1730 died young
Jane 1722-aft. 1778 She is mentioned in her aunt’s will of 1778.
Benoni John 1723-1777 Born three months after the death of his father. Benoni means ‘son of my sorrow’. He was an attorney and married Sybella Tremenheere at Madron in 1769. No children.
Francis & Jane’s tree
Thomas Lanyon 1691-1743
Thomas was baptised 10 Feb 1691 at Sancreed. He became a pewterer in Bristol. You can read all about him in the post ‘Thomas Lanyon Pewterer of Bristol.’
William Lanyon 1693-1756
William was baptised at Sancreed on 3 Mar 1693. He was a yeoman and married Jane Philips on 18 Aug 1725 at Zennor. They had four children.
William & Jane’s tree
William 1725-1770 He married Joan Esterbook 1751 and Elizabeth Murrish 1758.
Ralph 1727- no further trace
Jane 1730-1799 She married Thomas Woolcock. One daughter Grace.
Hugh 1732-1769 He married Anne Eady and had two sons.
John was baptised at Sancreed 15 Sep 1697 and was buried there in 1738. No trace of a marriage or children.
Tobias Lanyon 1702-1778
Tobias was born in 1702 and in 1717 he was apprenticed to John Tonkin of Penzance, a tobacconist, for a fee of £20. Tobias never married.
In 1769 Richard Carew’s book ‘Survey of Cornwall’ was rereleased and Tobias was listed as one of the subscribers. ‘Tobias Lanyon Esq of Penzance.’
He also left a will which details some of the family relationships.
Abstract: Tobias Lanyon of Penzance, gentleman.
Sister in law Jane Lanyon (Edwards) widow of my late brother Francis and his daughter Jane Lanyon.
Remembers his late housekeeper and gives her land in Camborne and Illogan
Nephew James Tellum
Godson John Tresilian Reichenberg, son of John Rodolpus Reichenberg, gent, his interest in tenement of Treledvas, Buryan.
God daughter Grace Pendar, daughter of Benjamin Pendar gent, £100
To my kinsman William Nicholls of Trereife, Esq. and his sister Mrs Francis Harris, wife of William Harris of Kenegy Esq.
To my kinsman John Nicholls Esq. of Lincoln’s Inn Fields
To sister Mary Lanyon of Penzance, spinster, and then to my nephew William Wayne, gent, late of Bristol (bought to Cornwall to teach the Cornish metallurgy) and niece Anna Maria Wayne, his daughter. In the end she inherits all his wealth and married Samuel Bird Esq.
William Wayne 1725-1787 married Ann Lanyon and their daughter Anna Maria Wayne 1763-1803 is the person mentioned in Tobias’ will. Ann Lanyon was the daughter of Thomas Lanyon, pewterer of Bristol.
Thomas & Anne’s tree
Tobias’ sister Mary was born 1690 and died in 1779 a spinster. She left a detailed will which shows how wealthy she was.
Mary Lanyon’s will Source: NA PROB 11/105/117
Sister-in-law Jane Lanyon of the parish of Paul, widow of my brother Francis Lanyon annuity £10
Niece Jane Lanyon daughter of my brother Francis annuity £10
Nephew John Tellum late of Penzance annuity of £10
Mrs Sibilla Lanyon widow of my nephew Benoni John Lanyon £100
Joan Tresilian widow of John Tresilian £100
Sarah Lanyon of Penzance spinster daughter of the late Charles Lanyon £100
Spinster Jane Bullock who used to live with me £100
Nephew James Tellum carpenter £300
Jane and Catherine Ustick daughters of late Stephen Ustick Esq of Botallack in St Just £100 each
Cousin William Nicholls of Trereife £100 guineas
Mary Stewart Nicholls daughter of my cousin William Nicholls Esq. £20 guineas
Frances Harris wife of William Harris Esq £20 guineas
Mary Ustick widow of the late Henry Ustick of Breage £5 guineas
Catherine Lanyon daughter of late Henry Lanyon of Breage £100 (Gwinear branch)
David Dennis of Penzance gent £100 guineas
David Carthors of Penzance gent £100 guineas
Cousin John Nicholls of Lincoln’s Inn London Esq £1000
Nephew William Wayne late of Bristol and now of Penzance £1000
Mrs Olive? Gubbs of Penzance £10
Niece Anna Maria Wayne £2000
William Wayne & David Dennis executors £100 each
Thomas Lanyon & Margaret Paule
The Golden Lanyon’s youngest son was Thomas who married Margaret Paule in 1681 at Breage. They had two sons who survived to adulthood: William and John.
William Lanyon 1705-1791
William was baptised at Paul on 25 Mar 1705. 1733 he married Margaret Richards. They had three children:
Margaret 1737-1823 Married Thomas Cattran 1757 at Paul six children
William 1739-1827 Married Mary Pooley 1776 at Ludgvan, seven children
Henry Lanyon 1743-1748 died in infancy
William & Margaret’s tree
John Lanyon 1711-1767
John was baptised at Paul on 8 Apr 1711, married Sarah Straight at St Erme in 1735. They moved to St Allen and lived at their farm at Henver Wartha.
They had a large family and this was the start of the St Allen branch of the tree.
John & Sarah’s treeCopy of the marriage entry of John Lanyon and Sarah Straight issued in 1906
The Golden Lanyon was so named due to his great wealth. His first wife Ann/Nan Jopp died as did his first child, Alsen. He then married Mary Ellis and they went on to have 13 children (displayed over two trees below.)
John 1641-1720
Mary 1643-1723
Hugh 1644-1645
Phillip 1645-1646
William 1647-1726
Tobias 1648-1698
Jane 1648-1722
Francis 1651-1725
Joanne 1653-
Rebecca 1656-1705
Charles 1658-1721
Phillip 1659-1710
Thomas 1661-1738
The Golden Lanyon’s tree 1
The Golden Lanyon’s tree 2
John Lanyon 1641-1720
John was the eldest, born in Sancreed in 1641. Aged twenty he married his cousin Mary Borlase. Mary was the daughter of John Borlase and Cheston Pawley and the granddaughter of Walter Borlase and Mary Lanyon of Breage (see Breage branch). They married at Morvah on 27 Dec 1661.
John was Mayor of St Ives in 1685, 1690 and 1696. In 1697 there is a legal agreement between John Lanion gent of St Ives and his brother William Lanion gent of Botrea over the Balleswidden mine at St Just.
Mary 1662-1733 married John Ustick at Morvah in 1883 – 11 children
John 1664-
Tobias 1666-1675 died young
Cheston 1670-1733 married Martyn Gubbs at St Ives in 1698
William 1673-1706 no marriage found.
Tobias 1675-1709
Jane 1678-1736 married John Hichens at St Ives in 1705 – 7 children
Elizabeth -1687 died young
John Lanyon junior of St Ives tree
Mary Lanyon 1643-1723
Mary married John Perrow at St Buryan in 1662 and they had one child also called John. Her husband died in 1668 and in 1673 Mary married Richard Tresilian, they had two children, Marye and James.
William Lanyon 1647-1726
In 1670 William married Jane Keigwin at St Burian. Jane was the great grand daughter of Jenkin Keigwin and Thomasine Rawe of Mousehole. Jenkin was killed by canon fire on 23 Jul 1595 when his home at Mousehole was attacked by Spaniards who sacked the town.
Jenkin’s house is still standing in Mousehole, the oldest building in the village.
William and Jane had 10 children.
John 1671-1727 – mentioned in his father’s will of 1727 but no further trace.
Isabel 1673-1756 married Matthias Andrew and had six children.
Mary 1675-1679 died in infancy
Elizabeth 1677- no further trace, the name Elizabeth Lanyon is very common.
William 1680-1776 (he died aged 96!)
Martyn 1682-1734
Tobias 1685-1685 died in infancy
Francis 1686-1687 died in infancy
Robert 1688-1776 married Grace Chennall in 1755 when he was 67 years old! A second marriage perhaps but no trace of any children.
Jane 1691-1692 died in infancy
William & Jane’s tree
Jane Lanyon 1648-1722
In 1670 Jane married Richard Bosustowe at St Buryan. They had two daughters, Mary and Jane. Jane died at St Levan in 1722.
Tobias Lanyon 1648-1698
In 1670 Tobias also married at St Buryan to Jane Tresilian. They had seven children but only four Lanyon grandchildren and we don’t know what happened to them.
Tobias & Jane’s tree
Jane 1672- married Abel Angove of Illogan (see post ‘Abel Angove’)
Tobyas 1674- still alive in 1714
James 1676-1684 died young
John 1678-1684 died young
Charles 1682-1683 died in infancy
Mary 1685-1691 died in infancy
Charles 1689-1768 married Joan Noye at Morvah in 1713, they had three children: Sarah, Mary, Thomas and Charles and no further trace of any of them.
I did find a legal dispute Lanyon v Lanyon – Chancery Proceedings Ante 1714
Tobias Lanyon gent having died, his wife Jane and his brother Charles said that the deceased had paid John Trewren for conveyance but that John Ustick (the husband of his niece Mary Lanyon) had not given Tobias the elder the receipt for Reprovance Vean asked for, and which Jane asked for after his death. (John Ustick would rather be torn by wild horses than do it!).
This legal dispute implies that Tobyas the younger was still alive at 1714.
Inventory of Tobias Lanyon will of 1698 – Source CRO AP/L/1003
Tobias’ inventory was signed by John Ustick and Richard Tresilian.
Francis Lanyon 1651-1725
Francis married Phillipp Nicholls on 31 Dec 1681 at Madron. They had ten children.
Francis & Phillipp’s tree
Dorothy 1685-1687 died in infancy
Francis 1686-1723
Phillipa 1689-1689 died in infancy
Mary 1690-1779
Thomas 1691-1743
William 1693-1756
Nicholas 1695-1706 died in infancy
John 1697-1738
Jane 1699-1738
Tobias 1702-1778
I found a reference to Francis Lanyon in ‘A Compendium of the History and Geography of Cornwall’ by Rev JJ Daniell 1908.
p 454 Sancreed
The author talks about the poor state of this parish church and adds the following footnote:-
“This question of seating was a trouble in many parishes. the vicar here, John Smyth, was sore tried…at a later time even Francis Lanyon of Sancreed, gentleman, being a man of considerable estate and married into a very worthye family, viz., Mrs Phillip Nicholl, niece to the worshipful Colonel Godolphin esq ‘was actually without a convenient seat.’ The Lanyons of Botrea and later Tregonebris were for many generations the leading family in Sancreed.”
These comments were apparently penned by Bishop Sparrow after his visitation to Sancreed on 15 July 1671.
Joane married John Edwards at Ludgvan in 1674, no further trace.
Elizabeth Lanyon 1654-1737
Elizabeth married Francis Elies at Sancreed in 1681, they had three children: Bennet, Anne and Caterina.
Rebecca Lanyon 1656-1705
Rebecca married her cousin Thomas Trenwith at Towednack, Cornwall in 1676. (Her name is spelt Rovena in the register). Thomas was the son of Renatus Trenwith and Joan/Johanna Lanyon of Gwinear. (see Gwinear branch.)
Thomas went to Oxford University and was Mayor of St Ives in 1684.
Thomas and Rebecca had eight children.
Trenwith & Lanyon tree
Charles Lanyon 1658-1721
The Sancreed parish register lists his baptism as Charels son of Mr John Leanyne and Marie.
Charles married Sarah Tresilian about 1686 and they had four children:
Charles & Sarah’s tree
Mary 1688- married Paschoe Hockin at St Buryan 1710
Sarah 1690-1793 (age 102!!) she never married (see post ‘Sarah’s Pew’)
Catherine 1698-1751 married James Tremenhere at St Levan in 1720 – five children.
Abraham Lanyon 1699- no further trace.
Charles Lanyon’s will of 1722 (Source Bodmin Probate Registry) lists the following:
A purse, girdle and wearing apparel, one pair of pistols, one gun, one sword, to a friend.
Charles Lanyon 1722 – Inventory
Phillip Lanyon 1659-
Phillip was the seventh son but he still managed to inherit land in Sancreed and money from both parents.
There is an Ann Lanyon d/o Philipp baptised at Madron in 1678, she could be a daughter of this Philipp, it isn’t clear. Phillip married Mary Edwards at Ludgvan in 1683 but no further children traced.
There is a burial of a Phillip Lanion at Eastern meeting Society of Friends at Liskeard on 16 Jul 1697, also an Elizabeth Lanion buried 29 May 1689 of Liskeard. It is possible that it is the same Phillip. Could the Phillip buried at Liskeard be a woman?
Thomas Lanyon
Thomas was born in 1661 just three years before his father died. He was left land and money by both parents. He married Margaret Paule at Breage in 1681.
Thomas & Margaret’s tree
Phyllis 1695-1750 – spinster
Anne 1698-1699 – died in infancy
Jane Lanyon 1700-1782 – married John Tremethick
Jone Lanyon 1702-1784 – married William Perrow – 2 children
William 1705-1791 – married Margaret Richards – 3 children
John 1711-1767 – married Sarah Straight and started the St Allen branch of the family.
And just like that the Botrea branch of the family has grown! With so many children and grandchildren I have concentrated on the male grandchildren and their families. It becomes a journey of wealth to poverty over the course of the generations.
The Lanyons 