The Plot to Assassinate the King!

Every family has a ‘fruitcake’, this post is about ours!

John Trulock and Christian Wallburge were the great grandparents of Banister Trulock born in 1770.

Their son Joseph Trulock married Ann Bosworth on 25 Feb 1719 at St Benet Paul’s Wharf, London. Ann sadly died in Sep 1721 and Joseph remarried on 07 Jun 1722 • St. Anne’s Church, Lewes, Sussex to Susannah Tooth.

Their first two sons John and Joseph died young and that left their third son, Banister as the eldest son and heir.

Banister was born about 1734 in East Grinstead. He married Elizabeth Campbell 05 Oct 1766 at Broxbourne, Hertfordshire. He signed a marriage bond.

London and Surrey Marriage Bonds DL/A/D/24/MS10091E/79

Their son also called Banister was born about 1770 at Hertfordshire. In 1783 Banister was apprenticed to John Payne a cordwainer in East Grinstead, Sussex. His father is described as a husbandman.

(The name Banister and Trulock are variously recorded as Bannister, Banester and Truelock.)

Before 1799 he married Ann/Hannah and they had two sons: Banester who died age 4 and William Henry who was baptised in 1812.

Banister was a religious fanatic who prophesied the second coming of the messiah. He also insisted in the belief that the Messiah would be born from his mouth!

“He met Hadfield by accident in White-Conduit Fields, and talked the unfortunate fellow into a persuasion, that the first step to the commencement of his doctrines, and to its fulfilment in a happy change of things throughout the world, would be the death of the Sovereign ; with this view, Hadfield set out as the supposed chosen instrument for the accomplishment of the great design. Hadfield, in his examination, mentioned this man’s name ; he was accordingly apprehended the next day, underwent several examinations, and was committed to prison ; but from his incoherent manner, his answers, and the evidence of his mother, he was found to be deranged, and was sent ultimately to Old Bethlem.By May 1800 he was working as a shoemaker and living in the White Lion, Islington, London. Whilst there he was visited by James Hadfield, whom Trulock encouraged to try to assassinate King George III. ”

Source – https://www.gethistory.co.uk/reference/sources/modern/georgian/sketches-in-bedlam-males

He was lodging with Sarah Lock until Dec 1799, she evicted him after he told her on Christmas Eve that there was a plot to assassinate the king. (Source: Hampshire Chronicle, 2 Jun 1800)

George III – Studio of Allan Ramsay, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The Assassination Attempt

At the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, on 15 May 1800, James Hadfield tried to shoot King George III while the national anthem was being played, and the king was standing to attention in the royal box.

It’s reported that after missing his target, Hadfield then said to the king:

‘God bless your royal highness; I like you very well; you are a good fellow.’

Hmm, we’re thinking that his words might be a very good examples of quick thinking…

Hadfield went on trial for high treason but, after listening to evidence from three doctors as to Hadfield’s state of mind, the judge decided on an acquittal, with the proviso that Hadfield would be detained indefinitely at his majesty’s pleasure.

Hadfield died from tuberculosis in Bethlehem Hospital (i.e. ‘Bedlam’) in 1841.
Chester Chronicle – Friday 27 June 1800

Banister Trulock was apprehended the next day and was committed to prison ; but from his manner, his answers, and the evidence of his mother, he was found to be deranged, and was sent to Old Bethlem.

Bethlem Hospital at Moorfields London – John Maurer, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Visitors reported that he sounded sane until he started to discuss religion. He was kept in some comfort and had an apartment at the top of the hospital which had a view of the Surrey hills. He had ‘coal, candle and every convenience for his use; his provisions are regularly brought to him and in the fine weather he is permitted to walk in the garden.’

He was later moved to New Bethlem hospital.

Visitors to Bethlem could pay to ‘view’ the patients and Banister Trulock was one of the celebrated patients.

Visitors to Bethlem – British Museum, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Banister died on 02 Nov 1830 at Bethlehem Hospital, St Saviour Southwark, London

15th Dec 2023

Citizens of London – The Walburge and Trulock Families

John Walburge

John Walburge was born about 1634. We don’t know where he was from. He was a haberdasher who married Christian Holloway on 20 Nov 1655 at St Michael Bassishaw, City of London and again on 21 Nov 1655 at St Giles Cripplegate, City of London! Perhaps the marriage was recorded in both home parishes?

(The name Walburge is variously spelt: Walburge, Walburghe, Walbarge, Wallbridge.)

John and Christian had several children. Our ancestor is Christian Walburge, she married John Trulock.

Both John Walburge and his son in law John Trulock were citizens of and had the freedom of the City of London. John Walburge apprenticed his son Simon to John Trulock, soapmaker in 1682

London, England, Freedom of the City Admission Papers, 1681-1930, London Metropolitan Archives

John Walburge died in 1690 and was buried at Bishopsgate, Middlesex. He left a will proved 29 Jan 1690. His will mentions his dear and loving wife Christian, his daughter Christian ‘now wife of John Trulock’, his house at Tottenham which has a garden and orchard. He bequeaths various tenements and messuages to his children and grandchildren. Clearly he is a wealthy man. His wife Christian (Holloway) was buried in 1701.

John Trulock

John Trulock was born about 1650 and Christian Walburge was baptised 03 Oct 1656 • St Michael Bassishaw, London. They married at St Helens, Bishopsgate, London on 27 Nov 1674.

London & Surrey Marriage Bonds & Allegations 1674

John and Christian had several children all born towards the end of the 17th century. Their son Banister Trulock was born in 1684. He married Mary Ham at St Paul’s Cathedral, London, on 23 Nov 1714.

John was buried in 1705 and Christian his wife was buried in 1715. She is recorded as being a widow who died of convulsions. Buried Tindals Ground/Bunhill Fields, London.

Banister Trulock

Thank goodness John and Christian chose such an interesting name for their son as it made research a lot easier! Banister was born in 1684 and was a successful soapmaker like his father. His name means: English (of Norman origin): from Old French banaste, banastre ‘covering for a cart or wagon; basket’, i.e. a large wicker container. Perhaps this had been a family surname in the past.

In Oct 1711 Banister Trulock was the victim of a crime.

Whereas at the Sessions of the Peace
holden for ye County of Midx in Febry last
an Indictmt. was preferrd agt Thos Hatton
of ye Pish of Tottenham High Cross in ye Sd County
Yeoman & other for an Assault & Battery upon
Banister Trulock These are to Authorize
and require you that you enter or Cause to
be entred a less at processd on the sd Indictmt.
& stay all proceedings thereon agt. the sd.
Thomas Hatton onely And for so doing
this Shall be of Warrant Dated the 27th
day of Novr. 1711
Middlesex Sessions : Sessions Papers – Justices’ Working Documents SM | PS, 10th October 1711

He married Mary Ham (possibly Horn) at St Paul’s Cathedral, London, on 23 Nov 1714.

Their first child was born in 1718 and the second in 1720 then there is a gap of 10 years before their third child was born. Perhaps there were more children which died in infancy.

Banister was a non-conformist and lived at Tottenham, we know he was buried at Bunhill Fields as the burial was recorded. His wife was buried there in Sep 1777.

Banister’s will was proved on 23 Apr 1759 and he left his various property at Tottenham and East Grinstead to his wife and daughters. The will is several pages long and shows that this was a wealthy family.

Their fifth daughter, Christian married Thomas Flight who was a porcelain manufacturer on 11 Sep 1751 at Allhallows London Wall,London.

London Metropolitan Archives; London, England; Reference Number: P69/ALH5/A/005/MS05088

You can find out all about the Flight family from the posts: The Flight Family, Thomas Flight and the Royal Worcester China Factory and Banister Flight and his Descendants.

9th Dec 202310th Dec 2023

Lest We Forget

Cecil Ernest Lanyon 1894-1918

Cecil was born 07 Aug 1894 • Brooklyn, New York, USA. He was the son of Ernest James Lanyon (originally from Guernsey) and Helen Sullivan. He was the eldest of three children. He was a private, service number: 2444596 in the 305th Infantry, 77th Division. He was killed in action on 31 Aug 1918 and was buried at Oise-Aisne American Cemetery, France.

Charles Edward Lanyon 1882-1918

Charles was born 05 Mar 1882 • Penzance, Cornwall, England the son of John Rodolphus Lanyon and Emily Anne Hearle. He was the fifth of six children born to the couple. He was a farmer who emigrated to Manitoba, Canada in 1909. He was a private in the 46th battalion of the Canadian Infantry (Saskatchewan Regiment), service number: 255807. He was killed in action (shot by a sniper) on the 1 Nov 1918, just days from the armistice on 11 Nov. He was buried at Aulnoy Communal Cemetery, Nord, France.

Frederick Lanyon 1895-1916

Frederick was born 16 Apr 1895 • Chacewater, Cornwall, England, the son of Frederick Lanyon and Susanna Tregoning. Frederick was a private (service number SE/20297) in the Army Veterinary Corp. He died on 30 Nov 1916 at Salonika, Greece.

George James Lanyon 1909-1942

George was born 8 Nov 1909 • Harlton, Kent, England, the son of George Henry Lanyon and Daisy Harriet Warren. He was the second of five children born to the couple. The 1939 Register shows he was a munitions worker. He served in Fighter Command as an Air Craftsman First Class, service number 1031229. He was killed, aged 32, in an accident at the military base at Llanbedr, Merioneth on 9 Sep 1942 when he was struck while on drogue collection duty by a Spitfire which was taking off.

Harold Merrill Lanyon 1920-1942

Harold was born 01 Jun 1920 • Hanover, New London, Connecticut, USA. He was the son of William Jacob Lanyon and Frances Merrill and the eldest of four children. He joined the Marine Corps and was a marine pilot. He was accidentally killed when his plane crashed on 24 Nov 1942 in California, USA.

Irving Frances Lanyon 1922-1944

Irving was born 11 Jul 1922 • Stamford, Connecticut, USA, the only son of Irving Lanyon and Leona Madelon Farrell. He was a Private First Class (service number: 439683) in the 2nd Btn, 25th Marines. He was killed in action in the Marshall Islands on 31 Jan 1944 age just 21.

John William Haig Lanyon 1929-1952

John, known to his family as ‘Bill’, was born in 1929 in Nantwich, Cheshire, England, the eldest son of John Arthur Lanyon and Nancy Eleanor Mitchell. He was a Lieutenant (service number: P/407938) in the 1st Battalion King’s Shropshire Light Infantry. He was killed on 26 Jul 1952 in Korea and buried at the United Nations Memorial Cemetery Tanggok, Busan, South Korea. He is commemorated on the Kelsall War Memorial in Cheshire.

Joseph James Lanyon 1894-1916

Joseph was born at Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia in 1894, the son of John James Lanyon and Eliza Jane Sampson. He was the fourth of seven children. Private Joseph James Lanyon, 1st Battalion from Broken Hill, NSW. A 21 year old labourer with previous service in the 20th Militia prior to enlisting on 13 Apr 1916, he embarked for overseas with the 3rd Divisional Cyclist Company from Sydney on 18 May 1916 aboard HMAT Demosthenes (A64). On arrival in France, he transferred to the 1st Battalion on 29 Oct 1916 and was killed in action near Gueudecourt, France on 5 Nov 1916. Pte Lanyon is commemorated on the Australian National Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux, France with others who have no known grave.

Joseph James Lanyon (public domain photo)

Kenneth Maurice Munro Lanyon 1913-1940

Kenneth was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England in 1913. He was the only son Harold John Lanyon and Ada Maud Munro. In 1939 he married Pattie Vinson Hewitt. He was a gunner in the Royal Artillery, 4th Battalion City of London Regiment. Service number: 1432428. He died in hospital on 30 Dec 1940, he was suffering from inflammation of the kidneys and heart weakness aged 27. He was buried at Rakowicki Cemetery, Małopolskie, Poland.

Robert Jordan Lanyon 1891-1917

Robert was born 16 May 1891 • Cometville, Queensland, Australia, the son of Richard Lanyon and Kate Jordan. He was one of 15 children born to the couple, 9 of which died in infancy. Robert was a bank clerk who volunteered for the Australian Infantry. He was a 2nd Lieutenant. He was killed on 3 May 1917 at the Battle of Bullecourt and was buried at Villers-Bretonneux, Departement de la Somme, Picardie, France.

Angus Herbert William Kennedy 1906-1941

Angus was born 13 Mar 1906 • Bendigo, Victoria, Australia, the only son of Donald Dan Kennedy and Elizabeth Anne Lanyon. He was a gunner in the Second Australian Imperial Force (service number: Vx1088). He was killed at the Battle for Crete on 24 May 1941 and buried at Athens, Greece.

To be continued…..

15th Aug 20239th Nov 2023

Banister Flight and his Descendants

Banister Flight was born about 1757, the son of Thomas Flight and Christian Trulock. He was named after his maternal grandfather Banister Trulock and it seems the perfect name for a carpenter!

In 1783 Banister married Mary Hensman at Kimbolton, Huntingdon. They had one child, Thomas born in 1792.

From London electoral registers we can see that Banister and his son owned property at 44, 45 and 46 Gray’s Inn Lane.

Gray’s Inn Lane, (now Gray’s Inn Road) described in 1878 by Thornbury in Old and New London as a narrow, dingy thoroughfare, had several literary associations, it was the road by which Fielding’s Tom Jones entered London, James Shirley (1596-1666), the dramatist resided here and it was the favourite haunt of the poet John Langhorne (1735-1779). Public domain.

Banister may have owned property in Gray’s inn Lane but he resided at Stone-bridge, Tottenham. He also lived at Lewes in Sussex.

In 1804 Banister Flight applied to join the London Stock Exchange.

He was also a director of the London Annuity Society for the Benefit of Widows.

When he died in 1838 (of paralysis) he left his estate to his wife Mary and son Thomas. Mary died just two years later in 1840.

Thomas Flight

In 1812 Thomas, like his father, was given Freedom of the City of London as part of the Carpenter’s Company. His occupation was banking and moneylending and it made him very wealthy.

He lived partly in Brighton and was an early commuter to London.

Thomas married at Eton in Buckinghamshire in 1840 at the age of 48, his wife Matilda Catherine Budd was just 23! They went on to have eight children. It may have been Thomas’ first marriage but they weren’t his first children.

Previously Thomas lived with Maria Frances Fletcher, a widow and they had five children together.

Maria Flight Fletcher b 1829
Mary Flight Fletcher b 1830
Thomas Flight Fletcher b 1832
Banister Flight Fletcher b 1833 – 1899
Emily Flight Fletcher b 1837

The children were all sent away to school at a young age and the 1841 census shows the four eldest children at school on the Isle of Thanet. Emily age 4 was living with a nurse Eliza Rickards at Seymour Place, St Pancras.

It’s not clear what happened to Maria Frances Fletcher, she may have married Thomas Prier. Of the children I have only traced Banister Flight Fletcher, more of him later.

Once married Thomas wasted no time in starting a second family with Matilda. They produced eight daughters!

Christiana 1841-1931
Matilda 1842
Mary 1843-1920 (two daughters called Mary is helpful when researching a family tree!!)
Sophia 1846-1944
Frances 1847-1933
Annie 1848-1941
Septima 1852-1926 (by now he seems to have run out of female family names to use!)
Octavia 1853-1926

In 1843 Thomas was a beneficiary of his aunt Christian Flight’s will. She bequeathed him £3000.

By 1871 they were living at Grecian Villa, Beulah Hill, Norwood in Surrey. He died on 15th Feb 1877 at Brighton aged 85. Cause of death was old age and exhaustion.

Today Grecian Villa is St Joseph’s College

**St Joseph’s College, Beulah Hill**
cc-by-sa/2.0 – © Stephen Richards – geograph.org.uk/p/2218283

Banister Flight Fletcher

Banister was born on 11th Aug 1833 and baptised on 29th Jun 1836 at St Mary Paddington along with his siblings. In 1864 he married Eliza Jane Phillips.

He was an architect and surveyor for the board of trade. He was also the Liberal MP for North West Wiltshire. He went on to become the professor of architecture and building construction at King’s College in 1890.

Banister Flight Fletcher – Public domain via Wikimedia Commons

He had 12 children, his eldest son also called Banister Flight Fletcher was knighted. His youngest son was memorably named Ernest Tertius Decimus Fletcher – obviously chosen to help future family historians!

Sir Banister Flight Fletcher by Glyn Warren Philpot RA (5 October 1884 – 16 December 1937), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Thomas Flight’s Daughters

Thomas had eight daughters from his marriage to Matilda Budd.

Christiana 1841-1931

She may have been named after her great aunt Christian Flight. When Christian died in 1843 she left Christiana £100. Christiana was presented to Queen Victoria.

Christiana Flight presented to Queen Victoria

In 1863 she married William James Nevill and they had 11 children. She emigrated to New Zealand and died there in 1931.

Matilda 1842-

Matilda was born in 1842 in Highbury. In 1867 she married William Henry Smith. They emigrated to Australia and had five children. There are so many Matilda Smiths that it isn’t possible to determine when she died.

Mary 1843-1920

Thomas had two daughters called Mary and one called Maria which complicated the search for information! Mary was born in 1843 and married Thomas Howse the younger, a merchant, in 1865. They had four children. Mary died in 1920 in Kent.

Sophia 1846-1944

Sophia was born in 1846 in Upper Brook St, London. In 1868 she married Edwin Francis Hickman and they had five children. Sophia died in 1944 in her 99th year.

Frances 1847-1933

Frances was born in 1847. In 1874 she married George Robinson Bridge Drummond. At the time of their marriage he was a Captain in the Bombay Army and he went on to become the Chief Constable of Sussex. He was knighted in 1904. They had four daughters.

Annie 1848-1941

Annie was born in 1848 and never married. She never worked and was described on the census as having independent means. She died in 1941.

Septima 1852-1926

Septima was born in 1852 in Norwood, Surrey. In 1871 she married Lewis William Lamotte a tobacco broker. They had seven children. Their eldest daughter married Arthur Herbert Lanyon. Septima died in 1926.

Octavia 1853-1926

Octavia, the eighth daughter was born in 1853. She married Bonham Carter Evelegh, a journalist and author, in 1882. They had five children. Their son George was held prisoner by the Japanese during the 2nd World War. Both George and his brother Aldridge, were given freedom of the city of London and admitted to the Company of Carpenters like their ancestors.

13th Aug 202313th Aug 2023

Thomas Flight and the Royal Worcester China Factory

Thomas Flight was Thomas and Martha’s second and arguably the most successful son. He was born at Abingdon in Berkshire in 1726 and in 1751 he married Christian Trulock/Truelock. They had six children in all but this post is about his third and fourth sons, Joseph and John Flight.

Marriages 1750 at All Hallows London Wall

Thomas was a carpenter by trade and a very successful business man. In 1768 his place of abode was Monument Yard.

He was also the London agent for Worcester china. In 1783 he purchased the factory for £3000 and intended that his sons John and Joseph would run it. (In the same year Chamberlain opened a rival china factory in Worcester.)

In 1788, on the advice of George III, they opened a shop at 1 Coventry Street off Piccadilly Circus which was run by Joseph Flight. In 1789 the King awarded them their first Royal Warrant.

In 1789 Thomas was listed in Kent’s directory as a Worcester china man living at 22 Bread St, London.

John Flight kept a detailed diary about his time at the factory. It reveals how they got new ideas for their wares and resolved some of the problems they encountered; they spied on French potters! It was a dangerous time to be travelling to France which was in the midst of a bloody revolution.

The diary is in the Royal Worcester Porcelain Museum.

John kept the journal from 1785 until his death in 1791 aged just 25.

Worcester, Angel Street (Independent), Burial

John left a wife, Ann Gillam and a son also called John who was born after his death and died aged 1 year.

It now fell to his brother Joseph to run the factory with Martin Barr and later Martin’s son.

British Museum, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

During this time the factory produced many fine pieces. In 1830 they made the Coronation dinner service for King William IV.

Joseph married Hephzibah Gill in 1790 and they had at least four sons, John, Josiah, Edward and Conrad.

In 1840 Chamberlain, Flight and Barr merged into one company and by 1862 it was called Royal Worcester.

13th Aug 202313th Aug 2023

The Flight Family

Septima Flight married Lewis Lamotte and their daughter Catherine Septima Lamotte married Arthur Herbert Lanyon in 1899. The Flights are an interesting family and probably deserve their very own website.

Thomas Flight and Judith

Thomas Flight lived in Henley in Berkshire and the little we know about him comes from his wife’s will. We don’t know when he was born or when he married but presumably it was before 1691 when his eldest son Thomas was born. When Judith died in 1729 she was a widow and her will described Thomas as a baker. They had 5 daughters and 4 sons all named in Judith’s will.

Thomas Flight and Martha Fuller

Thomas and Judith’s eldest son Thomas Flight married Martha Fuller 1st Aug 1720 at St. Leonards, Wallingford, Berkshire. Thomas was buried on 8th Aug 1767 at Bunhill Fields in London. His burial record records that he was a dissenter. His will names his children: Joseph, Thomas, John, Ann, Mary, Elizabeth and Hanson, son in law Joseph Pattison and grandson Joseph Pattison. He left the sum of £1600 to his wife to be shared amongst his children. His eldest son Joseph inherited his lands in Farringdon and his youngest son, Hanson, inherited his lands at Abingdon. His sons Thomas and Joseph are his executors.

His daughter Martha Pattison died in 1766

His son Joseph was a turpentine merchant and wheelwright. He died in 1788.

His son John was a maltster and draper. He died in 1769.

His youngest son was Hanson.

Hanson Flight and Martha Underhill

In 1752 aged 15 Hanson was apprenticed to Francis Gawthern a citizen and farrier of London for seven years however three years later his apprenticeship was passed to Gurdolfston Rolfe a citizen and mercer of London.

Hanson Flight and Martha Underhill pledged to marry at Bermondsey, Surrey in Feb 1765 and married at St Anne, Soho two days later on the 24th.

London and Surrey, England, Marriage Bonds and Allegations

Hanson and Martha had at least two sons:

Joseph 1773 – 1811 married Jane Greenwood in 1801
Hanson 1776

Joseph was a miller and lived at the Abbey Mills at Barking. Joseph was attacked and murdered by footpads at Bow Bridge, River Lea at Stratford on 2nd Feb 1811. He left a wife and six children under the age of 10.

The Abbey Mills no longer exist but on the site today is the Abbey Mills pumping station.

Joseph Flight’s son was also called Hanson and worked as a collector to a draper.

Joseph’s great great great great granddaughter also married a Lanyon!

18th Apr 202311th Dec 2025

The Fiji Lanyons

I was surprised to discover that there is a flourishing branch of the Lanyon family tree in Fiji!

After a little research I discovered this branch is descended from the Gwinear branch of the tree.

Edward James Lanyon 1848-1928 was the son of Edward James Lanyon and Jane Brown. He was born in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire and for a long time there was no further trace of him. Then I came across the Fiji Lanyons on a Facebook post and a whole new avenue opened up!

Fiji

Edward James Lanyon travelled out to the other side of the word to become a plantation owner. He was very successful, he married Te Maotarawa in Fiji and they had three children:-

Jack (John) Lanyon abt 1880-1972
Rerebati Lanyon
Ned (Edward) Lanyon

Jack married Naom and they had five children:-

Rerepati Elizabeth Lanyon 1910-
Wilson Lanyon 1910-1999
George Lanyon
Tapanou Lanyon
Mary Lanyon

Rerebati married George Low King and they had two daughters Mereka and Beri

Ned married Oriwe and they had five sons and his second wife was Meresi:-

Jack Lanyon 1940-1980
Edward Koaia Lanyon
David Lanyon
Frank Lanyon
John Lanyon

Curiously Edward James Lanyon was a great great nephew of William Lanyon RN who sailed with Captain Cook. Perhaps the desire to sail to the other side of the world is in the genes!

18th Apr 202311th Dec 2025

The Milliners

The Milliner – Richard Edward Miller, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Edward Lanyon was the son of William Lanyon and Frances Wills. He was baptised on 20 Jul 1787 at St Ewe in Cornwall. He married Jane Gill in 1821 at High Bickington, Devon. They had nine children:-

Edward James Lanyon 1822-1899
Mary Jane Lanyon 1824-1915 – milliner
Esther Stanbury Lanyon 1827-1890 – milliner
Catherine Lanyon 1828-1923 – married a milliner
Elizabeth Lanyon 1830-1910 – milliner
Frances Lanyon 1833-1903 – milliner
Lucy Lanyon 1835-1891 – milliner
George Lanyon 1836-1866
Emily Ann Lanyon 1838-1840

Map of St Ewe near Mevagissey, High Bickington near Barnstaple and Ilfracombe.

Edward was an excise man. In 1851 the family were living at Ilfracombe and Edward was still working at the age of 63.

Edward’s eldest son Edward James Lanyon was an inland revenue officer, he married twice, first to Jane Brown who died before 1867 and second to Elizabeth Parkin. There were three children from the first marriage:-

Edward James Lanyon 1848-1928 he founded the Fiji branch of the Lanyon family
Jane Lanyon 1851-1881
Emma Eliza Lanyon 1854-1935

In 1867 Edward married Elizabeth Parkin in Barnstaple, Devon. They moved to Liverpool and they had six children:-

Rose Lanyon 1872-1951
George Lanyon 1875-1954
Nora Lanyon 1877-1966
Ellen Lanyon 1879-1941
Richard Lanyon 1885-1937
Maud Lanyon 1886-1940

Of Edward senior’s daughters only two married and they had no children. Catherine married Joseph Hicks and Frances Lanyon married William Henderson. All the daughters were at one time working as milliners or hat makers.

The Little Milliners 1882 by Edgar Degas, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Over the decades the census shows them living together with Joseph and Catherine Hicks in London and Cornwall. Joseph was a warehouseman, a manufacturer of women’s clothing and a milliner. They must have been fairly successful as they were all able to live ‘on their own means’.

In 1881 they were living at 13 Alwyne Road, Islington, London and employed three servants.

Their younger brother George worked as a draper and a grocer, he died aged just 30 from TB.

18th Apr 202318th Apr 2023

Hugh & Sarah of Plymouth Dock

Hugh Lanyon was baptised on 22 May 1719 at Madron, Cornwall, the son of Francis Lanyon and Elizabeth Thomas. Francis died in 1757 and his 1759 will mentions that son Hugh was now living at Plymouth Dock.

PLAN of the LINES round PLYMOUTH DOCK, 1756.jpg- British Library, No restrictions, via Wikimedia Commons

Hugh married Christian Williams at Madron on 6 Feb 1740. There were no children recorded from this marriage but Christian must have died as Hugh married for a second time on 19 Jan 1747 at Charles the Martyr, Plymouth, Devon to Sarah Row.

They had three children:-

Mary 1749-
Sarah 1752-1759
Hugh 1757-1760

Sometime between 1749 and 1752 they moved from Plymouth to Stoke Damerel, Devon. Hugh worked as a labourer.

Stoke

We know very little about them but Sarah appears in the Devon Quarter Session records and through that we get a tiny glimpse of their life.

‘Sarah Lanyon wife of Hugh of Stoke Damerel, labourer – bound to appear next session accused of assaulting and beating William Dobey of Plymouth, salesman,’ (24/11/1757)

Source – Devon Southwest Heritage Trust – QS/4/1758/Epiphany/RE/29

And again in 1763. ‘Sarah Lanyon late of Stoke Dam, widow, for assaulting Edward Stephens at Stoke and breaking the windows of his dwelling house.‘

Source – Devon Southwest Heritage Trust – QS/4/1763/Easter/PR/24

From these two records we can work out that Hugh died between Nov 1757 and 1763. Sarah was buried at Stoke Damerel in March 1775.

16th Apr 202312th Dec 2025

Stand and deliver!

My husband recalled being told tales of a highwayman in the family when he was a little boy but just assumed it was a made up bed time story. A little research however reveals that it was probably true!

Highwayman holds up a coach, by illustrator E. A. Holloway – Wikimedia Commons

In 1814 Thomas Lanyon, William Butler and John Rymell were convicted at Warwick Assizes of shooting at Mr J Stanley with intent to kill on the highway at Leek Wootton, just outside Warwick.

There is a short newspaper account in Aris’s Birmingham Gazette dated 25 April 1814.

The jury retired for a few minutes to consider their verdict, they found them guilty and asked for mercy but Lanyon and Rymell were hanged at Warwick for their crime.

Thomas Lanyon was buried on the 1st May at Banbury in Oxfordshire. He was just 27.

Having discovered Thomas I needed to work out where he fitted on the Lanyon tree. It didn’t take long to find his parents and siblings. He was the son of Thomas Lanyon and Priscilla Nicholls who were married at Banbury on 12 July 1785.

Their children were born shortly after:-

William Nicholls Lanyon 1786-
Thomas 1787-1814
Harriot 1788-
Charles 1790-
George 1792-
James 1796-
Sarah 1797

The parish record keeper has helpfully recorded the occupations of the men presenting their children for baptism so we know that Thomas was a hairdresser.

Banbury Parish Register – baptism of Harriot Lanyon

We don’t know if Thomas was a barber or a wigmaker, perhaps he was both.

In a crowded salon, a wigmaker fits wigs according to occupation; Coloured etching by J.E. Marcus after J. Smies, c. 1810.

Priscilla Lanyon was buried in February 1814 and her husband Thomas was buried on 11 Dec 1826 at Banbury.

There is a record of a Thomas and Mary Lanyon presenting a son John for baptism in 1803. This Thomas is also noted as being a hairdresser. It seems likely that this is the son Thomas who was executed, although he would be barely 16 years old.

Where did Thomas Lanyon senior come from? After quite a search there was just one Thomas who seemed to fit the bill. Thomas baptised 13 July 1760 at Madron, the son of Richard Lanyon and Margery Riccault.

Having worked out where they came from the family disappears and I cannot find where they went. Perhaps the stigma of an executed brother was too much for them to remain in Banbury? Perhaps they changed their names? Perhaps they emigrated?