The East Wheal Rose mining disaster of 1846 was the worst mining disaster in Cornish history.
Malcolm Kewn / East Wheal Rose Mine
On 9 July 1846 a thunderstorm caused a flash flood. The mine was in a natural bowl, and the flood waters had nowhere to go, except into the mine. Captain Middleton, the manager of the mine, organised 300 men to pile up earth around the collars of the shafts but the volume of water pouring down was so great that soon torrents of water poured down the shafts. This caused a wind to blow that extinguished the candles that the miners used underground. So when the water hit them, they were in utter darkness.
Captain Champion somehow managed to climb the slippery ladders against the tremendous weight of down-rushing water. A timber-man, Samuel Bastion, went down into the mine to lie across a manhole, diverting the flow of water and saving eighteen lives.
The beam engines were put to work in raising men to the surface, clinging to the kibbles and chains ‘like strings of onions’. Forty-three men and boys were missing but four of them were brought up alive next morning. The lower levels of the mine were completely flooded. But, by November 1846 all the debris and water had been cleared and the mine was in full production again.
William Lanyon and Peggy Exter Richard’s sons, Josiah and Reuben were among the thirty nine miners drowned.
The Royal Cornwall Gazette Jul 1846
Josiah Lanyon 1815-1846
Josiah married Charlotte Mae Mitchell at St Allen in 1837. They had four children:
Reuben 1838-1895 married Elizabeth Francis – six children: two died in infancy, Reuben, a school teacher died unmarried, aged 28, Mary Ellen married her cousin also called Reuben Lanyon (the son of John Lanyon and Johanna Roberts) but they had no children. Two sons Francis and Edwin had children.
Edwin 1840-1871 he was a miner and emigrated to California where he died, he was unmarried
Mary Jane 1842-1888 was a milliner and a spinster
Josiah 1845-1912 was a grocer and a bachelor
Josiah’s widow Charlotte died in 1900 at the age of 86.
Josiah & Charlotte Lanyon’s headstone
Reuben Lanyon 1824-1846
Reuben was Josiah’s younger brother and drowned alongside him in the mine disaster aged just 22.
Josiah and Reuben’s family tree
Six Lanyon boys were subsequently named after him.
The Lanyon family in St Allen intermarried with the Vincent, the Clark, the Gill, the Hoskins, the Clyma and the Searle families of St Allen and the surrounding areas. Their children and grandchildren intermarried as well and it’s fair to describe this part of the tree as ‘complicated’! So complicated that I may not have it 100% right!
The Searles
When John Lanyon and Sarah Straight moved to St Allen three of their children married into the Searle family.
The Searle Family
The Vincents
Richard and Henry Lanyons children married into the Vincent family. Three of Oliver Vincent and Catherine Paul’s children married three Lanyon cousins.
Vincent & Lanyon Families
The Hoskins & Clarks
Where to begin? Paul Clark 1773-1854 married Ann Carveth Hoskins and they had a son also called Paul Clark born in 1805. When Ann Carveth Hoskins died Paul married Jane Lanyon (the daughter of Henry Lanyon & Mary Searle) then had a son called William Clark.
Ann Carveth Hoskins had a sister called Dorothy who married Simon Lanyon, the brother of Richard Lanyon. Paul Clark 1805-1888 married Mary Lanyon who was the daughter of Richard Lanyon and Elizabeth Vincent and when Mary died he married her sister Louisa Lanyon! Paul’s half brother William married Caroline Lanyon his mother’s niece.
Not shown on the diagram above is the fact that Peggy and Elizabeth Vincent are sisters!
There is also a Thomas Hoskin/Hoskyn who married Sarah Lanyon (the daughter of Henry and Mary Searle) in 1803 at St Allen who is probably related to the other Hoskins but I haven’t worked out the connection yet!
The Gills
The Gill family also married into the Lanyon and Hoskins families.
The Clymas
Mary Ellen Lanyon and her sister Dorothy Hoskins Lanyon (the daughters of Simon Lanyon and Dorothy Hoskins) married an uncle and nephew. Dorothy married John Clyma and Mary Ellen married his nephew George Clyma.
To add to the confusion George Clyma’s father William Clyma had a wife and mother with the same name, Jenney Jennings. It appears that his wife was the niece of his mother but I haven’t got proof of that!
Henry and Richard Lanyon married two sisters, Elizabeth and Mary Searle. Henry and Mary had ten children. This post is about their four sons who had children.
Henry and Mary’s son Henry married Elizabeth Lanyon the granddaughter of Richard and Elizabeth Searle!
John Lanyon 1782-1859
John was the eldest son of Henry and Mary. He married Peggy Vincent at St Allen in 1810. John was a farmer of 80 acres and a butcher at Zelah, St Allen. He and Peggy had fourteen children!
William 1810-1898 married Mary Ann Bennett
Henry 1812-1876 married Grace Rose Anna Bennett
Simon 1815-1888 married Mary Batten
Josiah 1816-1898 married Esther Brenton
Paul 1817-1897 married Johanna Kendal
Mary Ann 1822-1896 married James Polkinghorne at St Allen in 1846 – no children
Elial 1824-1909 was a farmer and a Methodist preacher, he never married and died at Henver aged 86
Caroline 1824-1893 married William Clark, a gardener and farmer, two children
Sophia 1826-1847 never married, she committed suicide by throwing herself down a well, cause of death – temporary insanity
Ann Vincent 1827-1896 married James Williams, a farmer – no children
Robert 1829-1909 married Mary Ann Grose Curnow
John 1832-1916 married Annie Plimmer and Amelia Osborne
Samuel 1833-1908 married Cecilia Edwards and Lucy Ellen Brown
Elizabeth 1837-1897 married William Ripper Cock (that’s definitely one of the more memorable names on the tree!) at St Allen in 1858 three children and they emigrated to Wisconsin where the name was changed to Cox.
John died in 1859 and Peggy in 1877, they are both buried at St Allen. Their son erected a beautiful window in their memory in St Allen church.
Memorial window in St Allen church. By kind permission of Mark Charter of https://www.cornishstainedglass.org.ukMemorial Window in St Allen Church In memory of John Lanyon and Peggy his wife of Henver in this parish who died 1859 and 1875. Also of Simon their fourth son who died at Mineral Point Wisconsin USA March 1889. This window was erected by Simon Henry son of Simon Lanyon on his visit to England 1889 by kind permission of Mark Charter of https://www.cornishstainedglass.org.uk
William Lanyon 1791-1864
William was the second surviving son of Henry and Mary, they also had another son called William who died in infancy and was buried in 1875. William was a yeoman farmer of 280 acres, employing 7 labourers. He married Jane Veale Rowe at Newlyn East in 1836 and they had four children:
Jane Veale 1839-1905 married Samuel Mitchell in 1859. They had nine children including Jane Veale Mitchell the early 20th century Lanyon researcher mentioned throughout this website. Jane (junior) was born in 1866 and died in 1929 (she was accidentally knocked over and killed by a passing train) a spinster.
Mary Ellen 1841-1842 died in infancy
Isabella 1842-1852 died young
Charles Scott 1844-1890 married Elizabeth Jane Rowe
William died in 1864 aged 73 and was buried at Higher Treluddra.
Simon Searle Lanyon 1794-1858
Simon was a farmer and a great athlete.
“It will be in the recollection of many of the older Cornish people that the Henver family (of Lanyons) were remarkable for their physical build and great strength. Perhaps the best specimen of them in this respect was Simon Searle Lanyon whose powers when a young man were quite remarkable. Polkinghorne, who in the wrestling ring so manfully upheld his county in the contest with Cann for the championship of Devon and Cornwall could not stand before him. As a member of the Cornish Yeomanry Cavalry, he was their first athlete on their annual sport days of the Corps at the conclusion of their yearly training. The late Mr J.C.Lanyon of Redruth who was his second cousin took great delight in relating his feats on these occasions. One of the things which he did was to ride through the narrow lanes at full gallop, and with a cut of his sword divide two turnips placed opposite to each other on either side of the road!”
The Royal Cornwall Gazette Dec 1889
Simon never married but lived for many years with Elizabeth Batten/Batting a charwoman and they had a daughter:
Priscilla 1832-1905 married Oliver Robert Northey – two sons
Simon died at St Merryn in 1858 from inflammation of the bowels. Elizabeth was present at his death.
Henry was the youngest child of Henry and Mary. He married Elizabeth Lanyon, the daughter of his cousin Richard Lanyon. They had twelve children:
Henry LanyonElizabeth Lanyon
Albert Cornelius 1834-1887 married Mary Ellen Varcoe
Mary Searle 1835-1882 married William Collins, a smith – ten children
Simon Searle 1837-1859 emigrated to Ballarat, Australia in 1857 and died in a mining accident in 1859 age 23. No children
Emily 1838-1888 emigrated to Ballarat, Australia in 1857 and in 1859 married Thomas William Bull – eleven children
Emily Lanyon and Thomas William Bull
Henry Scott 1839-1903 married Maria Westcott
Lewis Edwin 1841-1886 married Sarah Osman
Elizabeth Catherine 1842-1908 married Henry Olver, a carpenter at St Allen in 1860 emigrated to South Africa – six children
Elizabeth Olver nee Lanyon
Sarah 1844-1904 emigrated to Australia and married Robert Quine at Victoria in 1866 – no children
Sarah Quine nee Lanyon
Obed 1846-1914 farmer of Polstein, St Allen, he never married and was described by his cousin Simon Henry Lanyon in his diary as “a rough jolly good fellow who weighs 210lbs and is not at all fat.”
Isabella 1848-1913 never married and worked as a grocer, draper and sub postmistress at Zelah, St Allen. The 1911 census mentions that she was paralysed. She lived with her sister Louisa and a niece, Mabel. She was very deaf and was killed when she failed to hear the approaching train at a rail crossing in Zelah.
Louisa Ellen Jane 1850-1928 never married and lived with her sister Isabella
Louisa outside her shop at Zelah
Eliza Ellen 1852-1943 in 1886 she married William Phillips, a farmer, at Truro – three sons
Eliza Ellen Phillips nee Lanyon
Henry Lanyon was a farmer at Trevalsa and Simon Henry Lanyon described him in his diary as “Great Henry, the champion wrestler of Cornwall”
Commemorates the great match between Polkinghorne and Cann
Two Lanyon brothers (Richard & Henry) married two Searle sisters (Elizabeth & Mary) and each couple had ten children. This post is about Richard and Elizabeth’s sons who had children.
Five of Richard’s and Elizabeth’s sons had children to carry on the Lanyon name.
William Lanyon 1777-1850
William was the eldest son and in 1803 he married Peggy Exter Richards at St Allen. They had eleven children:
Isabella 1806-1874 married Andrew Batten, a farm labourer at St Allen in 1809 – eight children (Isabella and Sarah may have been twins as they were both baptised on the same day in 1806)
Sarah 1806-1876 married Richard Benny, a farm labourer, at St Allen in 1835 – three children
Elizabeth -1809 died young
Elizabeth 1811-1873 no trace of a marriage and date of death is possibly not correct
William 1812- aft. 1846 married Elizabeth Gill Bishop at St Allen in 1835 – five children but can’t trace any of them after 1846, perhaps they emigrated?
Josiah 1815-1846 married Charlotte Mae Mitchell
John 1818-1882 married Johanna Roberts
Francis 1821-1876 married Alice Meryfield
Reuben 1824-1846
Jocelyn Joseph 1827-1882 married Grace Coplestone
Hubert 1829-1848 died young
William also had an illegitimate child with Ann Jolly a farm servant:
William 1816-1883 married Nanny Swan
Two sons called William just adds to the confusion!
His father Richard died in February 1838 and he had changed his will and left his estate to his son Richard and a codicil removed an annuity of £7 for William. In Mar 1838 he was sent to Bodmin Debtor’s Prison as he had a debt of £93. 3/-1d owed to Thomas Nicholas.
Perhaps the will was changed to protect the estate from legal action from Thomas Nicholas to recover his debt?
He was released from jail in Oct 1847 almost ten years later! He was permitted to remain at the jail for one extra night as neither his family nor his friends had come to pick him up and he was too weak to proceed alone. His wife Peggy had died in 1842.
He died at Little Trevalsa, St Allen in 1850 aged 72.
Richard Lanyon 1783-1860
Richard was the fourth son of Richard and Elizabeth (second son John was a bachelor). He was a farmer and inherited his father’s estate, Polstain. He married Elizabeth Vincent at St Allen in 1803, so father and son were both Richard Lanyons married to women called Elizabeth! He and Elizabeth had thirteen children:
Paul Vincent 1804-1882 was a farmer and agricultural labourer at Lanner Mill. He married Jane Truran at St Allen in 1854 at the age of 50. There were no children.
Elizabeth 1805-1807 died in infancy
Mary 1807-1866 married Paul Clark a farmer and a widower in 1838, they had one daughter, Elizabeth Jane Vincent Lanyon Clark.
Richard 1809-1878 married Catherine Lanyon
Elizabeth 1810-1873 married Henry Lanyon
Catherine 1812-1895 spinster
Robert Vincent 1814-1894 married Elisabeth Bowden
Bella 1816-1894 married Thomas Johns – emigrated to Ballarat, Australia – seven children
Oliver Vincent 1818-1821 died in infancy
Samuel 1821-1875 farmer at Lanner, married Elizabeth Hosking Gill at Perranzabuloe in 1860 – no children
John 1824-1846 died young (Asthenic Fever – fatigue and lethargy, could be from TB) may be the twin of Eliza as they were baptised together
Eliza 1824-1897 married Thomas Northcott, a farmer of 50 acres – ten children
Louisa 1826-1911 married her widowed brother-in-law Paul Clark in 1872 at St Mary’s Wesleyan Chapel – no children
Grave of Richard, Elizabeth and younger sister Louisa Clark.
Simon Lanyon 1785-1839
Simon was baptised at St Allen in 1785 and married Dorothy Hoskins there in 1810. He died at St Neot, Cornwall on 26th Dec 1839 aged 52. His will described him as a yeoman of St Neot. They had eleven children:
Ann Buckland 1810-1896 married John Skewes – six children
Dorothy Hoskins 1813-1883 married John Clyma at St Neot in 1834 – seven children
Simon 1814-1837 died age 22, killed by a kick from a horse, no children
Josephus 1816-1817 (twin) died in infancy
Josiah 1816-1839 (twin) died age 22 of a seizure, no children
Josephus 1819-1844 died at Bodmin Asylum age 26 of a brain fever, no children
Elizabeth 1825-1883 spinster, lived with brother John and his family
Mary Ellen 1825-1898 married George Clyma – four children
Catherine 1825-1894 (3 sisters baptised on the same day so may be older than born in 1825) married Richard Lanyon (son of Richard Lanyon, her uncle) confused yet?
John 1826-1908 he was a saddler he married Louisa Smith Upward in Dorset in 1873 – no children
Charlotte 1827-1843 died age 16 of spasms. The death was mistakenly recorded as Caroline Lanyon by the undertaker. The entry was corrected in the parish register by G. Morris, Vicar in the presence of Dorothy Lanyon, her mother and Mary Pellow who were present at her burial. (Recorded as Caroline at GRO.)
To my wife Dorothy one fourth part of residue of said property
To son Josephus one eighth part of residue of said property
To son John one sixth part of said residue
To each of the rest of my children namely: Ann, Dorothy, Elizabeth, Catherine, Mary and Charlotte one eighth residue
My wife sole executrix with power to execute the sureties herein required under the control of my brother Henry Lanyon, William Gill of Erme and John Francis of Par, St Cleer whom I appoint as trustees
Robert Lanyon 1786-1834
Robert was the youngest son of Richard and Elizabeth and a farmer at Trevascus in Gorran, he married Grace Roberts at Probus in 1817.
Henry was Richard and Elizabeth’s third son, he married his cousin Isabella. Henry was determined to join the navy and ran away three times so they bought his uniform and his training began.
In retirement he was renowned for his stirring tales of naval battles but it has proved difficult to find any records to substantiate these claims. There is an account of his naval career written by George Carter a grandson of Simon Lanyon of Mineral Point, Wisconsin who was a nephew of Henry Lanyon.
An account of the service of Captain Lanyon with the British Fleet in the War between Great Britain and the United States 1812-1814.
At Detroit, Michigan
The British Navy Lists record that Henry Lanyon was Navigation Master of His Majesty’s Ship ‘Horatio’, commanded by the Rt. Hon. Lord George Stuart which sailed from Spithead for America in 1812.
The Lanyon family records state that Captain Lanyon placed the British flotilla before Detroit when it fell to the arms of England.
James’ “History of the War Between Great Britain and the United States” states that armed British ships blockaded the lake at Detroit and aided in its capture on August 16, 1812 by British troops, which had been conveyed there by boats. The American Commander, Brigadier General Hull, in reporting his defeat to the American Secretary of War, under date of August 26, 1812, wrote:
“The body of the lake being commanded by the British armed ships, and the shores and rivers by gun boats, the army was totally deprived of all communication by water.”
The foregoing historical record confirms the Lanyon family record as to the activities of the British flotilla that Captain Lanyon placed before Detroit in 1812.
At Washington & Baltimore
The British Navy Lists record that Henry Lanyon was master of His Majesty’s ship ‘Tonnant’, carrying 80 guns, which sailed from England to North America in 1814.
James’ History of the War states that the ‘Tonnant’ was the flagship of Sir Alexander Cochrane, K.B., Vice Admiral and Commander in Chief of His Britannic Majesty’s ships and vessels upon the North American Station. Mahan’s History of the War states that Admiral Cochrane was in charge of both the Atlantic and Gulf Coast fleet of 20 war vessels and 4000 troops.
James’ History (Volume 2) contains the following statement in regard to the Tonnant, of which Captain Lanyon was the Sailing Master:-
“On the 24th of July (1814) the (British) squadron arrived at Bermuda, and there joined Vice Admiral Cochrane, having received on board the Tonnant Major General Ross and his staff , sailed for Chesapeake Bay; and on the 14th of August arrived, and joined the Albion, Rear Admiral Cockburn, off the mouth of the Potomac. On the next day, Major General Ross, accompanied by Rear Admiral Cockburn, went on shore to reconnoitre. It was during the excursion with General Ross, that rear Admiral Cockburn suggested the facility of an attack upon the city of Washington; and General Ross determined as soon as the troops should arrive from Bermuda, to make the attempt. On the 17th August, Rear Admiral Malcolm, with the troops, arrived and joined Vice Admiral Cochrane off the mouth of the Potomac; and the whole (including the ‘Tonnant’ with Captain Lanyon as Sailing Master) proceeded to the Patuxent, about 20 miles further up the bay.”
The Lanyon family records state that Captain Lanyon was under great disadvantage from the removal of navigation marks and also from the recent loss of a leg, which confined him to his quarters on the Tonnant, but nevertheless he successfully directed the steering by means of a relay of men from his quarters to the man at the helm. By this means as officer constantly sent him reports on the banks of the Chesapeake Bay. From that information Captain Lanyon directed the steering up the bay perfectly and without accident.
Being a Navigation Master and not a man-of-arms, Captain Lanyon took no part in the land operations around Washington and Baltimore, which in fact, he was physically unable to do, having only one leg. However his successful navigation of the British fleet up Chesapeake Bay made it possible for troops to land from the ships and speedily march to Washington, which was captured and partially burned on August 24 and 25 1814.
James’ History states that ‘the types and printing presses and materials of the Government paper at Washington were destroyed” and that a party of British troops under Captain Wainwright of the Tonnant destroyed a few stores and buildings in the Washington Navy Yard. The Government paper referred to was the National Intelligencer, published by Mr. Gales, a British subject, whose hostile statements had angered British commanders and they ordered his printing office to be burned. However on being told that the adjoining buildings would likely take fire, the printing office was spared, although as before stated, its types and printing materials were destroyed, which evidently greatly hampered Government printing in Washington for a time thereafter. Gales and Seaton afterwards did considerable Government printing, including the first American state papers.
After failure of the bombardment of Fort McHenry, Admiral Cochrane returned his flag to the ‘Tonnant’, as shown by his report written on board the ‘Tonnant’ in the Chesapeake under the date September 17, 1814. (James’ History page 514.) Admiral Cochrane’s report states that he hoisted his flag on the ‘Surprise’ so as to be able to pass further up the river for the attack on Fort McHenry, the ‘Tonnant’ being too large a vessel to navigate within range of the Fort. It is not known whether Captain Lanyon accompanied Admiral Cochrane and Francis Scott Key aboard the ‘Surprise’, but it seems quite certain that they must have met while Key was detained on the ‘Tonnant’ before the bombardment of Baltimore.
It was during the bombardment of Fort McHenry that the ‘Star Spangled Banner’ was written by Francis Scott Key.
The Star Spangled Banner
The Star Spangled Banner – The Lyrics
At New Orleans
After the failure of the British attack at Baltimore Sir Alexander Cochrane, with the ‘Tonnant’ and the Surprise, sailed for Halifax on September 19, 1814, to hasten the construction of flat bottomed boats intended to be employed in a great expedition on foot, according to James’ History, page 331.
James’ History next records that on December 8, 1814, Admiral Cochrane in the ‘Tonnant’, along with several other ships, arrived and anchored off Chandleur’s Island near New Orleans. In capturing several American gun vessels there, a boat from the ‘Tonnant’ was sunk and several of the crew killed or wounded (James’ History, pages 524-525.)
Admiral Cochrane in his report on the New Orleans campaign paid the following tribute to the officers and men of his squadron, which included the ‘Tonnant’, of which Captain Lanyon was the Navigation Master.
“In justice to the officers and men of the squadron under my command, who have been employed upon this expedition, I cannot omit to call the attention of my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to the laborious exertions and great privations which have been willingly and cheerfully borne, by every class, for a period of nearly six weeks.”
Maj Gen. Sir John Lambert, Commander of the British troops at the attack on New Orleans, reported their failure in a letter to earl Bathurst, written on board HMS ‘Tonnant’, off Chandleur’s Island, January 28, 1815 (James’ History page 505.)
Final action of the British fleet under Admiral Cochrane was its participation in the capture of Fort Bowyer on Mobile Point just as the war ended on February 11, 1815.
In action at Trafalgar, H.M.S. Tonnant accepting Monarca’s surrender – Nicholas Pocock, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Royal Cornwall Gazette (Dec 26th 1889) also featured an article about the Lanyons of Henver & St Allen.
They describe Henry Lanyon as “an officer in the Royal Navy…a man of considerable renown, being one of those skilful sailing masters in the service at the beginning of this century (19th) and constantly engaged in the memorable struggles of that period, and Admiral Lord Nelson frequently recognised his great aptitude for manoeuvring the fleet when in action, as in no small degree contributing to his brilliant success.”
The website Genealogy Trails mentions Simon Lanyon of Wisconsin:
“Mr. Lanyon’s uncle, Henry Lanyon, piloted the British fleet up the Potomac River to take Washington, in 1812; he was afterward Captain of a man-of-war, and was known as ‘Capt. Cork,’ on account of his cork leg.“
Sadly the only records I can locate are the Navy Lists which confirm that Henry Lanyon became a Master on 9 Nov 1809 and so far I haven’t found anything to link him to the ‘Tonnant’.
Jane Veale Mitchell (early 20th century Lanyon researcher) states that between 1809-1815 he served on HMS Truriculo, HMS Horatio and HMS Abercromby. By 1815 he was reserved on half pay. “Those who knew him at Truro remember his stirring tales.”
In 1817 he married his cousin Isabella Lanyon, the daughter of his uncle Henry Lanyon and Mary Searle. They had four children, sadly three of them died young.
Henrietta 1818-1900 spinster
Henry Scott 1819-1838 died young
Elizabeth Caroline 1824-1838 died young of ‘water on the brain’
Charles 1826-1842 was a draper, he died of Consumption (TB)
Henry died in Dec 1862, his wife Isabella died in 1858.
Henry & Isabella’s grave
Henrietta donated a lectern with her name on it and steps to Truro Cathedral and left her father’s gold jewelled sword and snuff box (a gift from the King of Sweden – Henry had piloted his ship) to the Cathedral but they have now disappeared.
There is a stained glass window in their memory at St Allen church.
In caram memoriam Henrici Lanyon RN obiit 8 Decembris 1862 et Isabella Lanyon obiit 18 Maii 1852 a filia sua Henrietta Lanyon (To the dear memory of Henry Lanyon RN who died 8th December 1862 and Isabella Lanyon who died 18th May 1858 from their daughter Henrietta Lanyon). Reproduced with permission of Michael Charter of Cornish Stained Glass Windows https://www.cornishstainedglass.org.uk
John was the youngest son of Thomas Lanyon and Margaret Paule and Thomas was the youngest son of the Golden Lanyon of Botrea, Sancreed.
Thomas Lanyon’s tree
John Lanyon 1711-1767
John was baptised at Paul in 1711 and married Sarah Straight of St Erme in 1735. John was a farmer.
Copy of the marriage record from St Erme issued by the rector in 1906
John and Sarah had six children:
Margaret 1736-1802 married John Searle, a labourer at Newlyn East in 1759 – six children
John 1740-1771 unmarried
William 1743-1763 unmarried
Richard 1746-1747 died in infancy
Richard 1749-1838 married Elizabeth Searle
Henry 1752-1838 married Mary Searle
Margaret, Richard and Henry married siblings. This post will follow Richard and Henry’s children.
John died intestate in 1767 and administration of his estate was passed to Sarah his widow, Richard Straight, his brother-in-law and James Fox of Lostwithiel.
Source – CRO AP/L/1732
Sarah was mentioned in a legal document of 1787 about the farm Henver Wartha: Copyhold land on the Manor of Cargol, Newlyn East leased to Sarah Lanion (sic) widow, Henry Lanion son and John her grandson.
Sarah died in 1791 at the age of 82.
Richard Lanyon 1749-1838
Richard was baptised at St Allen on New Year’s Day 1749. In 1774 he married Elizabeth Searle. There is a mention of a Richard Lanyon in St Allen in Dec 1775 as a master cordwainer taking on an apprentice Stephen Harris. Although the time frame fits with this Richard I’m not sure it is him. Richard was a yeoman and farmed at Polstein in St Allen.
Richard Lanyon’s tree
Richard and Elizabeth had ten children:
Mary 1775-1845 married Nicholas Gill at St Allen in 1801 – eight children
William 1777-1850 married Peggy Exter Richards
John 1779-1848 no trace of a marriage a possible burial in London in 1848
Henry Lanyon 1781-1862 married Isabella Lanyon
Richard 1738-1860 married Elizabeth Vincent
Simon 1785-1839 married Dorothy Hoskins
Robert 1786-1834 married Grace Roberts
Francis 1789-1790 died in infancy
Josiah 1790-1864 was a shopkeeper, and later an agricultural labourer, he married Sally Messer at Gwennap in 1822. By 1851 he was no longer living with her and she was running the grocers shop. On the 1861 census she is listed as the head of house and a former school mistress and he is listed as a boarder at an alternative address. They had one daughter: Elizabeth Martha Lanyon born in 1822 she married Thomas Johns in 1843 and he was dead by 1846. They had two daughters. Josiah was found dead in a ditch after a fit in 1864 and died ‘by the hand of God’ Source – Royal Cornwall Gazette.
Elizabeth 1792-1831 married Oliver Vincent at St Allen in 1820 – seven children
Richard and Elizabeth lived at Polstein estate, St Allen. Elizabeth died there in 1825 at the age of 77. In 1827 at the age of 78 Richard married again! His second wife was Catherine Charles age 57, she was a widow.
Richard died at Lanner in 1838 at the age of 89, he left a will.
Richard’s will CRO AP/L/2379
Partial Transcript:
Date of will 1833 and codicil 1834
I give estate called Polstein in Par St Allen to my son Richard Lanyon and his assigns for his natural life if my son William Lanyon shall so long live subject nevertheless to payment thereout to my said son William Lanyon providing he shall surrender said estate and premises in manner hereinafter mentioned….after William shall have surrendered said estate into hands of the Lord of the Manor of which same are respectively parcel….subject to the term and interest of my son Josiah.
If son William die then estate to my grandsons Richard Lanyon and Robert Lanyon (sons of said son Richard) £7 to be paid yearly to my grandson Josiah Lanyon, son of my son Simon Lanyon
I bequeath £100 to my son Richard
Residue of estate to my grandson Richard Lanyon son of my son Richard
Codicil
Revoked £7 to William Lanyon his son also to Josiah Lanyon his grandson.
Proved 27th Sep 1839 effects under £300.
Henry Lanyon 1752-1838
Henry was baptised at St Allen in 1752 and married Mary Searle (sister of his brother’s wife Elizabeth) at Crantock in 1775. They had ten children as well.
Henry’s tree
Sarah 1776-bef. 1788 died young
Jane 1780-1857 married widower Paul Clark, a farmer at St Allen in 1814. They lived at Perranzabuloe and had two children
John 1782-1859 married Peggy Vincent
William 1785-1785 died in infancy
Isabella 1786-1858 married her cousin Henry Lanyon
Mary 1787- married William Penprase at St Allen in 1809 – ten children
Sarah 1788-1838 baptised in 1788 but may have been born earlier married Thomas Hoskyn at St Allen in 1803 – four children
William 1791-1864 married Jane Veale Rowe
Simon Searle 1794-1858
Henry 1797-1872 married his cousin Elizabeth Lanyon
Henry was a yeoman farmer and his estate was Trevalsa at St Allen. He was married to Mary for 63 years and he died just 3 weeks after her. His older brother Richard died three weeks after him.
Burial register for St Allen 1838
Henry died at Trefannick Farm where his daughter Sarah lived with her husband lived. (Sarah died in Nov 1838 of a paralytic seizure at Trefannick just a few months after her parents died.)
Henry’s grave stone
Henry left a will.
Source CRO AP/L/2371
Partial Transcript:
Debts to be paid by my son William Lanyon by a note drawn for £85 12/- 6d now due in the hands of John Searle in the parish of Newland
To my grandson William Zachariah Penprase £5
To my granddaughter Mary Lanyon Hosken £10
To my grandson Henry Lanyon son of John Lanyon £10
To my son Henry Lanyon, executor and residuary legatee of estate called Trevalsa in Par, St Allen
Proved 12 Apr 1838 Value under £450
Richard and Henry were the ancestors of hundreds of Lanyons who ended up all over the world and we’ll follow their sons in separate posts. Get ready for some complicated intermarrying!
Richard was baptised at St Buryan in 1739 and married Mary Gomer at Paul in 1766. We know very little about Richard, not even the date of his death. He and Mary had seven children:
Richard 1766-1766 died in infancy
Richard 1767-1767 died in infancy
David 1768-1846 married Elizabeth Carter
Mary 1771-1771 died in infancy
Richard 1773- was a farmer who married Anne Chapple, a widow, at Paul in 1809 – no trace of children
Mary 1776- possibly married Richard Crocker at Paul in 1802, no further trace
John 1779-1831 married Grace Lanyon
David Lanyon 1768-1846
David was baptised at Paul in 1768 and married Elizabeth Carter at Paul in 1790. They had two children:
David 1799-bef. 1838 David was a shoemaker who married Anne Strick at St Buryan 1831. He died before 1838 as Anne ‘Street’ remarried that year. There were no children.
John 1803-1866 was baptised in Mousehole in 1803. He was a fisherman and only married Grace Crocker in 1848 at the age of 45. They had one daughter Elizabeth Harvey Lanyon born in 1849 who married Robert Allison, a boilermaker, in 1874.
David senior was admitted to the Penzance Dispensary in 1835, he was described as a poor man. He died age 79 at Paul in 1846. His wife died the following year.
Mousehole today
John Lanyon 1779-1831
John was a fisherman, he married Grace Lanyon his cousin at St Buryan in 1804. She was the daughter of Charles Lanyon and Martha Ellis. They had four children before Grace died of the effects of childbirth in 1810.
Mary 1805- no further trace
Martha 1807-1884 married John Watt, an iron founder at Phillack in 1829 – eight children
David – 1807 died in infancy
Grace 1810-1810 Grace died suddenly age 1 month and her mother Grace died of the effects of childbirth two days later.
John remarried in 1817. His second wife was Alice Mann, there were no children of this marriage.
With no male descendants to carry on the Lanyon name this little branch of the tree died out.
John Lanyon and Ann Hicks of St Just had three grandsons who produced at least 126 grandchildren between them. This post follows some of them.
Thomas Lanyon & Cordelia BennettsSons
Thomas and Cordelia had nine children and at least 61 grandchildren, we’re going to follow their sons: John, James, William and Hugh.
Most of the people in St Just at this time were connected to the mining industry. All of Thomas and Cordelia’s sons were miners. In 1800 the population of St Just was under 3000 by the 1840s it had tripled. The boom was over as quickly as it began and by the 1860s it was in decline and the great migration was underway. Miners and their families emigrated all over the world in search of mining work.
Botallack Mine is just one of many mines in the St Just area.
John Lanyon 1808-1855
John was baptised at St Just in 1808 and was a tin miner. In 1831 he married Elizabeth Jelbard née Bowden a widow. Sometimes when researching a family you come across a tragedy, poor Elizabeth Bowden suffered several tragedies.
Elizabeth’s first husband, also called John, was drowned in 1830, in 1831 she married John Lanyon. They had seven children:
John 1832-1857 married Jane Shakerley in 1854. They had one child, John who emigrated to Montana USA. John died age 25 of Phthisis Asthenia (TB, fatigue).
Elizabeth 1834-1895 she married Charles Davey at St Just in 1853 they had two children both called Charles. The first child was drowned in a well age 18 months. The family emigrated to Ballarat, Australia.
Thomas 1835-1888 married Elizabeth White – nine children, six died in infancy, one in a mining accident
Cordelia Bennetts 1838-1916 she was a tin ore dresser, she was 47 years old when she married John Gendall who was also a tin dresser, thirteen years her junior. They had no children.
Richard 1839-1843 died in infancy
James 1841-1867 was a tin miner, he married Jane White and emigrated to Ballarat, Australia. They had one son James who was born the same year his father died.
Richard 1844-aft. 1891 the various census returns make it clear that Richard was a ‘dumb imbecile’ who eventually ended up living with sister Cordelia and then the Madron Union Workhouse, where he died.
1881 Census St Just
John Lanyon was killed in a mine accident in 1855.
The Royal Cornwall Gazette, 16 November 1855
Coroner’s Inquest John Lanyon On the following day (the 10th inst.) in the parish of St. Just in Penwith, on the body of John Lanyon, aged 47 years. The deceased was a miner, and worked at Park Noweth Mine, in that parish, and was at the 80 fathom level, assisting in changing the boxes of the lift, when the engine being working, the rod came down, and the navel-pin thereof struck him on the head and caused such injury thereto that he died on the following day. It appeared to be the usual practice to change the boxes whilst the engine is at work, and that the same may be done without fear of accident where the party doing it is ordinarily careful. Verdict “accidental death.” The deceased was very much respected. He leaves a widow and five children to deplore their loss. The poor woman has been very unfortunate, having had her first husband drowned, her father killed, her son killed, and now her second husband also killed, and not long since a grand child was drowned in a well.
Poor Elizabeth, both husband’s killed, her father dead. Of her children: John died age 23, Richard died age 3, James died age 26 and her last Richard was a ‘dumb imbecile’. Of her grandchildren, Charles accidentally drowned in a well age 18 months, six of Thomas’ children died in infancy and another son was killed in a mining accident. Even by the standards of the day this was an especially tragic family.
Cornish Tin Miners in Dolcoath Mine – John Charles Burrow (1852—1918), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
James Lanyon 1811-1863
James was a miner and he married Mary Nankervis in 1836. They had ten children:
Mary Ann 1837-1851 died young
Peggy 1838-1839 died in infancy
James 1840-1840 died in infancy
Peggy 1841-1925 married William Warren in 1862 – two children
James 1842-aft. 1871 was a tin miner, married Susan Hill – four children
Thomas Henry Nankervis 1843-1896 he was a tin miner and emigrated to New Zealand where he worked as a grocer. His first wife was Caroline White. She died eight days after her second daughter was born in 1873. Thomas married Ester Ann Williams in 1874 and they had at least three children together. He died after a long painful illness after contracting influenza.
Thomas Henry Nankervis Lanyon
Elizabeth Nankervis 1846-1909 married William Semmens in 1870 – two children, emigrated to Australia
Jane 1848-1917 married Christopher Wallis Jelbart at St Buryan in 1870 – seven children of which five died in infancy. Emigrated to Australia
Grace James 1849-1911 married James Thomas Gill in 1874 in Australia – six children
Nanny 1851-1851 died in infancy
Mary died in 1854 at Pendeen. James remarried in 1858 and this is where it got a little bit complicated! James married Mrs Jane Lanyon (Shakerley), widow of his nephew John Lanyon!
James married his nephew’s widow!
James and Jane had two more children:
Nanny 1860- she married William Thomas Collins in 1880, she died in Canada in 1945.
Jane Shakerley 1862-1876 died young
Jane was widowed for a second time in 1863 and in 1868 she gave birth to an illegitimate daughter, Sarah. Sarah married William George Rounsley in 1886 and they emigrated to Pennsylvania, USA and had five children.
Jane then married for a third time to Charles Jenkin, a miner and had another child in 1878 called Jane. Jane senior died in Australia in 1923 aged 90.
William Lanyon 1820-1858
William was Thomas and Cordelia’s 5th son and the second called William. The first William died in infancy. He was baptised in 1820 at St Just. Like so many in his family he was a miner. In 1842 he married Aves Pearce, they had five children:
William Henry 1843-1895 he was a miner and married Jane Randall, they had seven children and emigrated to Wales.
Mary Cordelia 1845-1912 she had a son, possibly illegitimate, called Thomas Warren 1864-1934 (we can’t trace a marriage for Mary to Thomas’ father) Before 1881 she married William Bolton an engine driver and emigrated to Wales. Her widowed mother lived with her.
Mary Cordelia Lanyon
Nanny 1849-aft. 1871 no trace after 1871 census (there is more than one Nanny Lanyon at this time and it is hard to know which is which.)
Elizabeth 1852-1857 died young
Susan Ann 1857-1931 married Samuel Muxworthy, a miner, in 1875 and had 11 children, she too emigrated to Wales.
Susan Ann Lanyon
William senior died in 1858 at Pendeen aged just 38, he was suffering from consumption (TB).
Hugh Lanyon 1824-1884
Hugh was the youngest child of Thomas and Cordelia. He was baptised in St Just in 1824. He worked as a tin dresser and he married Mary Guy in 1848. (A tin dresser was usually a woman and they worked on the surface with hammers breaking the larger bits of stone into smaller pieces.)
Hugh and Mary had six children:
Mary Delia 1849-1915 married Robert Matthews, a tin miner, 10 children
Thomas 1850-1898 a tin miner, he emigrated to Colorado, USA and married Susie Louise Vance, five children
Elizabeth 1853-1896, a laundress never married
Cecilia 1855-1940 married George Hocking Ellis in 1874 – eight children emigrated to Colorado and in 1894 she married James C Grenfell and had three more children.
Jane 1859-1859 died in infancy
What it was like to go down into a tin mine every day!
Not for the faint hearted!
William Lanyon and Honor Davy’s Sons
William and Honor had twelve children including one set of twins. We’re going to follow four of them in this post: William, Richard, Thomas and Henry.
William Lanyon 1812-1852
William was baptised at St Just in 1812. He was a miner. He married Elizabeth (Peggy) Veal in 1836. They had two children:
John 1839-1905 he was a miner who emigrated to Australia and there married Honor Marie White and they had twelve children. John died at Bendigo, Australia in 1905
Honor (later known as Annie) 1840-1926 she emigrated to Australia in her early 20s and married James Clark in 1875, two children. Honor died of influenza on 25th Jul 1926, the day before her daughter died of influenza.
Peggy died in 1842 aged just 24. In 1847 William married Mary Woolcock and in 1849 they emigrated to Australia. They sailed on the ship ‘William Money’. They had three sons:
William Henry 1848-bef.1850 died in infancy
William 1850- no further trace
James 1851 – no further trace
William senior died in 1852 aged just 40 and was buried in Australia.
Richard Lanyon 1825-1878
Richard was a twin, his brother Thomas died age 6 months. Richard like so many in his family was a miner. He married Elizabeth Angwin in 1846 at St Just. They had nine children:
Elizabeth 1846-1921 married William James at Ballarat Australia in 1869 – nine children
Jane 1848-1927 no trace of a marriage, died at Bendigo, Australia.
Richard 1850-1912 baptised at St Just, married Mary Wesley Caddy at Ballarat, Australia in 1873 – twelve children
Mary Ann 1853-1874 married James Roach Hore in Australia in 1872, one child who also died in 1874
William 1854-1854 died in infancy
Honor Frances 1856-1938 married Francis Rowe in Australia – six children
Margaret 1860-1952 spinster died in Australia age 92
Ada 1864-1945 married Thomas Allen in Victoria in 1886 – one daughter
Annie 1867-1925 arrived in Australia age 9 months, married Joseph Tredinnick in 1890 – five daughters
Richard was William and Honor’s tenth child. He was a tin miner and in 1851 at St Just he married Jane Thomas. In 1854 he emigrated to Australia on the ship ‘Thetis’ and arrived in Adelaide on 4th Sep. Thomas and Jane had a whopping fifteen children!
Jane 1851-1851 died in infancy
Eliza Jane 1853-1855 died in infancy
Elizabeth Jane 1855-1918 born in Australia married Edward Alfred John Carey in 1877 – five children
Thomas 1857-1863 died young
Hannah 1858- married James Gowifey no further trace
Honor 1859-1938 married James Gourley – two sons both died in infancy
Margaret Ann 1861-1861 died in infancy
Thomas 1862-1862 died in infancy
Thomas 1864-1933 married Alice Maria Goulden in 1889, three daughters, all died young and one son
Margaret Ann 1865-1866 died in infancy
John 1866-1907 married Margaret Sheehan in 1898, died in 1907
James 1868-1940 married Sarah Oats – three children
William 1871-1875 died in infancy
Ruth 1873-1938 married Alex Borland
William Henry 1875-1916 he was a farmer, he married Emily Jane McGillivray in 1902- four children. According to his inquest William committed suicide by shooting himself
Inquest into William Henry Lanyon
Of the fifteen children seven died in childhood. How did they cope with the death of so many of their children?
Henry Lanyon 1829-1902
Henry was baptised at St Just and followed his father and brothers down the mines. In Apr 1854 he married Grace Leggoe and they went on to have twelve children.
Grace Leggo 1854-1934 Grace was born in Jul 1854 and in 1882 she married James Francis Batch in Australia
William Henry 1859-1917 He was born in Victoria, Australia and married Mary Barkas in 1888 – four children
John Leggo 1860-1915 bachelor
James Leggo 1861-1933 married Charlotte Rooney in 1891 – three daughters
Honorah 1863-1948 married Arthur Goodwin Stace, a signwriter in 1887 in Australia – two children both died in infancy in Australia and it appears as though they returned to England where Arthur died in 1890 in Surrey age 31. Honorah married again in 1893 in Australia to Alfred John Rowsell and they had a daughter who died in infancy and one son also called Alfred who was killed on 4th Oct 1917 at Ypres.
Jane 1864-1953 married William Penberthy Millar in 1883 at Victoria – ten children
Thomas 1866-1911 married Mary Jane Johns in 1889 at Victoria – seven children
Richard 1868-1943 married Charlotte Myhill – three children
Christopher 1869-1904 bachelor
Elizabeth 1872-1957 married William Speedie – three sons
Mary Ann 1876-1952 married Alfred Joseph Henry Harrison – no children
Albert Henry Leggo 1877-1940 married Lucy Elizabeth Mew – no children
Many of Henry’s children died at Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. The family like so many others from Cornwall went out to Australia for the Goldrush of the mid 19th century.
John Lanyon was the son of David Lanyon and Margaret Shetford in St Buryan. He married Ann Hicks from St Just in Penwith and their family lived at Boscaswell in St Just. This post is about his grandsons: Thomas, William and William.
Thomas Lanyon 1767-1829
Thomas was the eldest son of Thomas and Jane Ann Bennetts, he was baptised in St Just in 1767 and he married Cordelia Bennetts (probably a relative of his mother although I haven’t found the connection yet.) They had nine children:
Cordelia 1800-1866 married John Roberts, a tin miner, in 1821. Fourteen children!
Jane 1803-1875 married William Nankervis, a copper miner, in 1822. Fourteen children!
Thomas 1805-1825 unmarried
John 1808-1855 married Elizabeth Bowden – seven children
James 1811-1863 married Mary Nankervis & Jane Shakerley – 13 children!
Peggy 1814-1882 married Robert Roberts, an agricultural labourer in 1841, he died in 1845 aged 23 – two children
William 1818-1818 died in infancy
William 1820-1858 married Aves Pearce – five children
Hugh 1824-1884 married Mary Guy – six children
Thomas committed suicide by reason of insanity in 1829 at Pendeen at the age of 62.
William Lanyon 1788-1841
William was the youngest son of Thomas and Jane Ann Bennetts, he was twenty one years younger than his brother Thomas. He was baptised at St Just in 1788 and married Honor Davy in 1812. William was a tin miner. He and Honor had twelve children:
William 1812-1852 married Peggy Veal & Mary Woolcock – five children
John 1814-1838 bachelor died age 23
Honor 1816-1838 spinster died aged 21
James 1819-1819 died in infancy
James 1820-1889 he was a miner, married Alice Wearn, one son William who died in infancy, emigrated to Australia and described in his will as ‘Gentleman of Ballarat’.
Jane 1823-1827 died in infancy
Richard (twin) 1825-1878 married Elizabeth Angwin – nine children
Thomas (twin) 1825-1825 died in infancy
Hugh 1826-1872 he was a tin miner, married Elizabeth Olds, one daughter
Thomas 1827-1892 married Jane Thomas – sixteen children!!!
Henry 1829-1902 married Grace Leggoe – twelve children
Jane 1833-1923 married William Hockin, a tin miner – ten children, emigrated to Australia
William Lanyon 1767-1836
William was the eldest son of William Lanyon and Sarah Rowe, he was baptised in St Just in 1767. He was a labourer at Boscawen. He didn’t marry but had an illegitimate son, William, with Elizabeth Trembath in 1821.
In 1816 he appeared at the Lent Assizes and was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment for larceny. In 1822 at the age of 55 he was convicted at Launceston of larceny and transported for seven years to Australia. He sailed on the York.
He was freed in 1827.
Somehow he made it back to Cornwall! He was working as a fisherman at St Just when he was convicted again in 1831 of stealing 4 pieces of chain property of Boscaswell Downs Mine in the parish of St Just in Penwith. Again he was transported for seven years. (Source – CRO/AD 1676/4/1).
He arrived in Van Dieman’s Land (now Tasmania) on 15th Nov 1831 aged 64. He died at Hobart Colonial Hospital, Tasmania on 3rd Jun 1836.
He never saw his son William grow up. William was just 10 when his father was transported a second time. William junior married Mary Maddern at St Buryan in 1841. They had ten children:
William Thomas 1843-1905 he was a tin miner, he married Elizabeth Jane Leacher at Lelant in 1863 they had seven children who all died in infancy
Mary Jane 1846-1882 spinster died age 36
Charles Maddern 1848-1869 age 13 he was working as an agricultural labourer, died age 21 unmarried
John 1850-1934 was a labourer who married Caroline (possibly Lanyon) and had a son Charles born abt. 1878 and lost trace of him after 1891. John remarried Mary Ann Ausby in 1900.
Eliza Maddern 1852- aft. 1871 no further trace
James 1854- no trace after 1861
Elizabeth 1857-1910 the 1901 census shows Elizabeth living with William as head of household and a widower, Elizabeth as his wife but I think it must refer to her father as William’s birth date is about 1826. Elizabeth had a son William Thomas Lanyon born 1882 at Liskeard.
Susan 1859- no trace after 1881
Annie 1862-1870 died young
Edwin 1864-1864 died in infancy
Thomas, William and William have 126 grandchildren between them and possibly more as there are people we can’t trace. The St Buryan Branch of the family is definitely not at risk of dying out!
William’s parents Richard and Margery both died young and the children must have been raised by relatives. William was baptised at Madron in 1763, by 1770 he was an orphan. he married Mary Webb at St Buryan in 1787 and they had three children, a small number for the time.
Robert Webb 1788-1836 he married Jane Hosking – eight children
Mary 1793-1881 she married William Nicholls, a victualler – six children
William 1801-1888 he married Rachel Brownfield Matthews – nine children
William senior died at Boscowan, St Buryan in 1836 aged 74.
Margery Lanyon 1764-
Margery was William’s younger sister. She had an illegitimate son:
William 1791- he married Margaret Mitchell – four children
William Lanyon and Mary Webb’s sons
Robert Webb Lanyon 1788-1836
Robert married Jane Hosking at St Buryan in 1815. Robert was a labourer at Mousehole. They had eight children:
Elizabeth Hosking 1815-1891 married William Harvey in 1832 they had fourteen children! They emigrated to Australia.
William and Elizabeth Harvey
Uriah 1817-1877 he married Elizabeth Jane Nobel – six children
Jane 1820- possibly married Charles Johns
Mary 1822-1881 married Michael Edwards in 1858 – one son
John 1825-1826 died in infancy
Philadelphia 1827-1910 married James Thomas at Paul, ten children
John 1830-1896 he was a farm labourer, married Amelia Hosken no children and died in the Madron Union Workhouse
Sarah Hosking 1833-1904 married Thomas Wills at Paul in 1852 – eight children
William Lanyon 1801-1888
William was the youngest child of William Lanyon and Mary Webb, he was baptised at St Buryan in 1801. In 1829 he married Rachel Brownfield Matthews at St Buryan. They had nine children:
William Albert 1829-1885 married Bridget McGrath at Victoria Australia in 1851 – four children
Mary Anne Matthews 1832-1914 married George Maddern in Australia in 1853 – twelve children
Rachel Brownfield 1835-1905 married John Wadsworth Roberts in Australia – twelve children
Elizabeth 1838-1852 died young
Joseph 1840-1895 married Maria Hogan Ogenarks in Australia in 1860 – six children
Robert Matthews 1844-1859 died young
Christiana Matthews 1847-1873 married James Thorogood – two children
Francis 1851-1918 married Mary Ann Opie in 1875 – six children
George 1853-1896 not married
William died in Australia in 1888 but left a large family to continue the Lanyon name.
Margery Lanyon’s Son
William Lanyon 1791-
William was the illegitimate son of Margery Lanyon. He was baptised at Madron in 1791. He worked as a labourer and married Margaret Mitchell at St Buryan in 1823. Later he was a mariner and in 1835 the Boscawen pilot. They had four children:
John 1823-1893 he married Maria Williams in 1853 at St Levan – three children
Eliza 1827-1907 had an illegitimate son, John Lanyon in 1851 and then married Richard Carbis, a labourer, in 1853, they had one daughter. John took the surname Carbis. They emigrated to Australia .
Richard CarbisEliza Lanyon
Richard 1832-1907 married Ann Semmens – three children
Mary Mitchell 1835-1852 died young
By 1841 the family were split up, William may have died before 1841 but I can’t find a record of that.
Robert Webb Lanyon & Jane Hosking’s Son
Uriah Lanyon 1817-1877
Uriah was baptised at St Buryan in 1817 and in 1838 he married Elizabeth Jane Nobel at Madron. They emigrated to Pennsylvania, USA in 1848 on the ship ‘Mountaineer’. They had six children:
Uriah 1839-1839 died in infancy
Eliza Jane 1845-1907 born at Lelant and baptised at St Ives Primitive Methodist. She married Charles Wrenshall at Georgia in 1865 – four children
William Henry 1851-1913 married Kate Lindon and one son, William. William senior was a school janitor and died at Pottsville, Pennsylvania in 1913
Ida Ella 1854-1900 married Lewis Garner – at least two children
Lilly Lanyon 1860- married William Lacard (possibly Lockard) no further trace
Edwin W 1863-1941 bachelor
William Lanyon and Rachel Brownfield Matthews’ Sons
William Albert Lanyon 1829-1885
William was baptised at St Buryan in 1829 he emigrated to Victoria, Australia in 1849. He married Bridget McGrath in 1851. They had four children:
Emily 1854-1894 had an illegitimate son Samuel Albert born in 1874 then she married Joseph Frost at Victoria in 1879 and they had seven children.
Elizabeth Rachel 1855-1890 married Joseph Lawrence Minogue in 1874 at Victoria – nine children the last born the same year Elizabeth died.
William Patrick 1857-1946 married Mary Ryan in 1882 – four children
Edwin Joseph 1859- no further trace
Bridget left William in 1860 and he placed an advert in the paper to announce that he would no longer be responsible for any debts incurred by her as she ‘has left my bed and board without just cause’!
Source – Portland Guardian and Normanby General Adviser 11 Aug 1860
Francis Lanyon 1851-1918
Francis ‘Frank’ was born in 1851 is Portland, Victoria, Australia. He married Mary Ann Opie at Victoria in 1875. They had six children:
Edith Mary Ethel 1877-1918 married William Alexander Waller – two children
Ann Maude 1880-1969 spinster
Elizabeth Amy 1883-1953 spinster
Francis William 1885-1942 bachelor
Mabel Eliza 1887-1976 married Walter Edgar Brand – two children
Gertrude 1891-1952 spinster
There we must leave this branch of the family, there are descendants in Australia and the USA.
The Lanyons 