William ‘Generosi’ Lanyon of Breage

William Laniene and Thomasine Tregian had four sons: Richard, William & Walter and a previously undocumented son – Edward.

Richard was the son and heir, Walter lived at Madron, we lose track of Edward after 1586 and William founded the Breage branch of the Lanyon tree.

William ‘Generosi’ Lanyon had 8 children and with the exception of Baldwin it’s not clear who gave birth to each child. I’ve noted the dates of marriage as we don’t have dates of baptism for any of them except Baldwin.

William was probably born about 1520 in Gwinear. There is no mention of any Lanyon on the Breage Subsidy Roll of 1543 so his move to that area happened after that date, possibly 1569.

William’s first wife was Tamson, we don’t know the date of marriage nor how many children they had. William and Tamson had a son Baldwin who was buried on 24 Jun 1563 at Gwinear aged 2 and Tamson was buried two days later.

Sometime after 1563 William married Margaret. Variously I’ve seen her named as Margaret Tresilian or Margaret Kekewich but can’t find any proof for either.

There are a further seven children but it is not clear if they are from the first or second marriage.

William abt. 1550-1630
Phelype abt. 1558-
Mary -1614
Elizabeth abt. 1560-
Margaret abt. 1560-1634
Bennett abt. 1566-
Francis abt. 1566-

In 1553 William is mentioned in a pre-marital settlement on Benedict Penrose and Jone Lanyon, his sister. William is a trustee and is called ‘junior’ as his father William Laniene is still alive.

William is listed on the 1569 Muster Roll for Breage, Cornwall. “Furnished long bow sheaf arrows steel cap and black bill. Willm Lanyne”

In 1581 William Lanyon of Tregonen in Breage, gent, and William Lanyen (sic) junior his son and heir to William Painter of Trelysick heir in St Erth ‘Trelysick Walbert in Erghe’. (Source – Royal Institution of Cornwall.) This is the only mention of their home ‘Tregonen’ that I’ve come across. Tregonen may be Tregonning today.

In 1582 William was appointed overseer by John Rashleigh of Fowey (his brother-in-law).

William appears in the records again in 1595 at Helston, William Lanion (sic) gent of Breage, 4 pieces of tin of 1726lbs for coining.

He was buried on 7 Aug 1597 at Breage and left a will which is now sadly lost. In the Breage parish records he is described as ‘generosi’ due to his generosity.

Jane Veale Mitchell suggests that George Lanyon, gent, of Sancreed is the son of this William. I have found no documentary evidence but she did have access to wills which are now destroyed.

William Lanyon’s Children

William Lanyon abt.1550-1630

William Junior (eldest son and heir) married Elizabeth Kerne alias Tresilian the daughter of Paskowe Kerne alias Tresilian and Margaret Vivyan. They married at Breage in 1572 which makes it likely that he was born in the 1550s. They had two children:

William -1591 died in infancy
Maria -1592 died in infancy

William died at Breage in 1630 with no other heirs.

Mary Lanyon -1614

Mary married Walter Borlase at Breage in 1576 so was probably born in the 1550s. They had nine children:

William 1577-1653
Philippa 1579-1682 married Nicholas Hicks
Thomas 1583-
Walter 1584-1679
Harry 1585-1653
Mary 1586-1681
Dorothie 1587-1684 married John Keigwin
John 1600-1664 married Cheston Pawley, their daughter Mary Borlase married John Lanyon of St Ives (Botrea branch of the tree.)
Ann

Walter Borlase died in 1601 and Mary married William Chiverton.

Elizabeth Lanyon abt. 1560–

Elizabeth married Mychell Trelobus at Breage in 1581. No further information about them.

Phelype Lanyon abt. 1558-

Phelype Lanyon married Rychard Herryes at Breage in 1583. No further information about them.

Margaret Lanyon abt. 1550-1634

Margaret married John Code at Breage in 1584. They had five children: John, Blancia, Loveday, Thomasin and Elizabeth. John’s grand daughter Patience married Ralph Lanyon (the son of Thomas Lanyon and Mary Levelis of Madron.)

Francis Lanyon bef. 1566-aft. 1587

Francis is mentioned in a legal document of 1587 which shows he is at least 21 and therefore born 1566 or earlier. There is no further trace of him.

“ME Edgcumbe family of Cotehele, Calstock and Mount Edgcumbe, Maker.

Ref No ME/501Title: Quitclaim, land in Menyghye Veor, Wendron

Date 1 May 1587

Description

Parties: 1) Bennett Lanyen and Francis Lanyen, gentlemen of Breage

2) William Lanyen of Breage, gentleman, father of party 1.

Property: Land held of demise of Edward Sparnan, gentleman, deceased, in Menyghye Veor in Wendron.”

Bennett Lanyon bef. 1566

Bennett married in 1589 to Katheren Cocke and they had four children:

John aft. 1589-aft. 1626
Bennet 1601-1601 died in infancy
Grace 1609- no further trace
William – 1616 died young

His second marriage was to Margeri Wake in 1620 at St Michael Penkevil. No children traced from this marriage.

John Lanyon aft. 1589-aft. 1626

John, the son of Bennett, married Judith Nowell at St Michael Penkevil on 26 Apr 1618. They had four children:

In 1641/2 he or his son John, signed the Protestation Return for St Michael Penkevil – name spelt John Lanine. If he signed the protestation return he must have been alive in 1641/2. There is only one Lanyon that signed the Protestation Return so it seems likely that it was signed by his son and he was dead by this date.

Margrie 1622- a Margery Lanyne married Thomas Langdon at Truro St Mary in 1654, it’s possible that it is this Margery
Agnes born abt 1620. there is no evidence that Agnes was John & Judith’s daughter but she married William Ceely at St Michael Penkevil 22 Jun 1646 and there is no other Lanyon family in the town at that time.
John 1624- aft. 1664 married with five children
Kateren 1626-1626 died in infancy
Bennodine -1629 died in infancy

St Michael Penkevil Church is close to Lamorran on the map.

Lamorran

John Lanyon 1624-aft. 1664

John was the son of John & Judith. He is probably the person who signed the 1641/2 Protestation Return. In 1664 he paid Hearth Tax in St Michael Penkevil.

The Parochial History of Cornwall by Davies Gilbert. 1838 described him thus:

“Mr. John Lanyon of this parish, a sea sand barge daily labourer.”

John married Mary, we don’t know the surname of John’s wife as his marriage wasn’t recorded but they had five children:

Johane 1648- no further trace
John 1652-1726
Elizabeth 1657- no further trace
Anne 1662- no further trace
Bennett – 1661 died young

We don’t have any record of what happened to his daughters, but we do know what happened to his son John.

John Lanyon 1652-1726

John was the eldest son and heir of John Lanyon, a ‘sea sand barge daily labourer’ and his wife Mary.

The Parochial History of Cornwall stated that John senior:

“ had a son named John Lanyon who having had his education under Hugh Boscawen, gent, Master of arts, who kept a school at St Michael Penkevill Church, became afterwards a steward to Trefusis, St Aubyn, Coryton and lastly came into the service of Brook Lord Chandos, and having by these services accumulated considerable riches he gave lands and built and endowed an almshouse for poor people.”

The almshouses built in 1726 are still there today.

John may have married Sarah Symons although I cannot find a record for this. He didn’t have any children and died in 1726 at St James in London but left a very interesting will naming lots of Cornish people.

The Will of John Lanyon of St James Westminster – Source NA/PROB 11/620/334

In his will he asks to be buried ‘as near as may be to my wife Sarah.

Mentions brother -in-law Jonah Symons of Mylor (he was a clothier).

Niece Anne Tresidder, wife of Nicholas Tresidder of Budock.

Brother-in-law Richard Oliver, Wymouth, wool stapler.

Codicil dated 1726 mentions sister-in-law Mesdames Francis and Jobson.

Benjamin Brown, son of late brother-in-law Benjamin Brown.

My kinswoman Mrs Lanyon, widow of Thomas Lanyon and daughter. We don’t know which Thomas Lanyon he is referring to.

There is also a property transaction dated 29 Sep 1683 (Source – CRO CY/378) which links John to the Symons family.

James Tillie – Middle Temple Esq
Richard Symons of Kea, yeoman and John Lanyon of Kea, yeoman. Bargain and sale Lanner Wood and Lambe Wood in Kea, part of Manor of Landegay. To have two years ‘for the rynding, felling, cutting down, coaling, working upp and faggotting’ these coppice woods.
This was witnessed by a John Lanyon as well.

(See the post ‘Poisoned?’ in The Black Sheep category, for more information about John.)

And here ends the Breage branch of the tree.

In many parishes, during the Civil War and Interegnum, records were poorly kept or omitted altogether. The government appointed lay people to take on this task rather than priests and as there was a charge for registering births – 4d (and it was births, not baptisms at this time), marriages 1/- and burials 4d many people did not record their family’s life events. The Breage branch may end here but there were probably descendants of this branch that we just cannot trace.

The History of Parish Registers

18th Sep 202212th Nov 2025

Francis Lanyon’s Descendants

Francis Lanyon was the eldest son and heir of John & possibly Margaret Richard and he is described as a ‘gentleman’. He married Elizabeth on 19 Jun 1607 at Madron (sadly most women did not have their surnames recorded in the Madron register so we don’t know which family Elizabeth was from.) He was a Penzance merchant.

Francis signed the Protestation return of 1641/2. He appears on the Subsidy Roll for Charles I in Oct 1641 and paid £3 on goods.

I Oct 1655 the mayor of Penzance granted him the profits of ‘key and pier’ (quay) for one year for £25.

In Oct 1656 the ship Dunkerke landed at Mousehole and Francis was paid 12/-

The Penzance mayoral records also show that Francis and Thomas Jenkin were paid 12d for repairing the quay’s mansards.

Francis and Elizabeth had three surviving children: Bennett, Sampson and Susanna.

Bennett Lanyon 1615-1661

Bennett, Francis’ son and heir, was baptised in 1615 eight years after his parents married. Perhaps there were other children born before him? He too took the Protestation Oath in 1641/2. In 1647 he married Martha. They had four children:

Agnes 1648 – married Edward Polgrean at Zennor in 1687. Their only child was Benedict. He married Elizabeth Stephens in Jun 1721 and in Jun 1722, just a month after his son Benedict’s baptism, he died.
Francis 1651-1719 he married his cousin Dorothie Noy (née Lanyon) when he was aged 50. Their only child Martha died aged 4. His estate was left to his nephew Benedict Polgrean in 1719. Less than three years later Benedict was dead too.
Elizabeth 1654-1655 died in infancy
Elizabeth 1655- married Francis Ellis (Elies) – 4 children: Bennett, Sampson, Francis and Katherine

Bennett’s line finishes here.

Sampson Lanyon 1616-

Sampson was baptised in 1616 in Madron. In 1647 he married Margaret and had four children:

Agnes 1648- no further trace
Mary 1653- no further trace
Anne 1656-1661 died in infancy
Margaret -1661 died in infancy

Sampson’s line finishes here.

Susanna Lanyon 1619-

Susanna was baptised at Madron in 1619. In 1640 she married William Tregeco. There are no further records of this family.

Here ends Francis’ line.

17th Sep 202212th Nov 2025

Alexander Lanyon’s Descendants

Alexander Lanyon married Philippa at Madron in 1614.

The parish registers have lots of gaps at this time so wills can be an additional source of information. John Lanyon’s 1634 will mentions numerous grandchildren and from that we can start to build a tree.

Anne and Maud were still alive in 1634 but there is no further trace of them. They may have married and their marriages have not been recorded or they may have died.

Alexander aft. 1616-1624
Anne 1616-aft. 1634
Maud 1617-aft. 1634
Peter 1622-bef. 1634
Joane 1628-bef.1634
Walter bef.1634-1715
John bef.1634-1673
Alexander aft. 1634-1660
William -1624

The only children who have recorded marriages are Walter, John and Alexander.

Alexander Lanyon aft. 1634-1660

Alexander wasn’t mentioned in his grandfather’s will so must have been born after 1634. He and his wife died within nine months of one another in 1660. We don’t know what caused their deaths but given that they were both only in their twenties perhaps they both died of TB which killed so many young people. They had no children so this line died out.

Walter Lanyon bef. 1634-1715

Walter was the heir and he lived at the barton of Lanyon after his father. He married Mary and they had two sons:

John 1665-1733 married Margery Ustick – one son John
Thomas 1670-1723 married Alice Baynard – no children

Walter died 8 Sep 1715 at Madron and left a will.

Walter’s will 1715 – Source CRO/AP/L/1174

The will gives his son John the barton of Lanyon, son Thomas half his goods and cattle and his wife Mary land in Boswednan, Madron and Boswarva and these lands to go to his grandson John after her death.

He also leaves his suit of ‘best apparel’ to Francis Lanyon of Penzance and £3 to his beloved henchman Richard Wallish.

Walter’s son John married Margery Ustick in 1691 and their only child John was born the following year. John died in 1733 and the estate passed to his son, Walter’s grandson.

John junior married Elizabeth Huthnance the daughter of Henry Huthnance, the vicar of Breage. They had a daughter, also called Elizabeth, born in 1718. John’s wife died but there is no record of her burial. John remarried in 1725 to a Lanyon cousin, Jane Andrew. (She was the daughter of Isabel Lanyon and Matthias Andrew of Sancreed.) They didn’t have any children.

In 1954 William Lamparter corresponded with Miss Dorothy E B Hichens, the niece of John Hichens, who was then aged 90 and the great grandson of Richard Hichens who held the lease at ‘Lanyon’. She stated “The only thing I can tell you about Elizabeth Lanyon is a story handed down the family and told to me by my grandmother – that Elizabeth’s mother having died, the child was neglected by her father and her mother’s family paid a gypsy to steal her. They brought her up after which she presumably returned and married my ?? grandfather.”

His only daughter Elizabeth married Richard Hutchens (Hichens), they had four children: Richard, Jane, Elizabeth and Thomas.

John Lanyon was without a male heir and when he died in 1784 aged 92 he left the barton of Lanyon to his favourite granddaughter, Jane Hutchens. John was the last Lanyon to live at the old ancestral home.

John Lanyon’s will 1784 – Source CRO/AP/L/1878

Jane Hutchens renounced the bequest and from 1784 Mr John Hosking of Landithy, Madron took a 99 years lease of Lanyon for his two sons John and Thomas who failed to make a success of the farm and Mrs Elizabeth Hutchens’ grand sons, Richard and Thomas took the remainder of the lease and much improved the Lanyon estate. The old manor house was pulled down and a new house built. Thomas’ son, Richard Hutchens, died at Lanyon in 1889.

Jane Hutchens renounces the bequest from her grandfather. Source – CRO/AP/L/1878

This is the end of Walter’s line.

On 29 March 1927 Jane Veale Mitchell wrote the following:-

“Last Tuesday the weather improved and I went off to keep an appointment at Carne, in Morva with Mr John Hichens (St Ives family) whose great-grandfather Richard held Lanyon in Madron and Rissick in Madron, under 99 years lease or remainder. (For several weeks I have missed him when he came into Penzance; then we met and I went out). How glad I was, you can imagine when he brought in a great armful of oldish deed for me to see. Between us (and you too) we are sworn to secrecy in regard to these deeds, as the man would be pestered for them; as it is, he gave me the one I longed for and which explicitly explained what my instinct told me must be a fact i.e. that a Lanyon, as his fathers before him, lived and died at Lanyon in Madron in the year 1784, the very last one in the old Manor House, before Mr Hosking (who renewed the lease from Philip Rashleigh’s assigns) tore it down and built the present farmhouse.”

John Lanyon – bef. 1634-1673

John was the second surviving son of Alexander and Philippa. John Lanyon married Blanche about 1648, the marriage was not recorded but their first child was born about 1650.

They had seven children:

Mary – 1654 died in infancy
Margaret 1649-aft. 1673 no further trace
Bennett abt. 1650-aft. 1673
David 1650-1656 died in infancy
Dorothie 1659-1732 she married Thomas Noye in 1678 – six children. Then in 1701 she married her cousin Francis Lanyon – they had one daughter Martha who died age 4.
Rebecca 1661-1706 she married Humphrey Stodden – three children
Philippa 1666-aft. 1673 no further trace
Mary – 1654 died in infancy

We’re covered Dorothie in the post ‘Lanyons, Trewrens and Noys’.

Bennett Lanyon abt. 1650-aft. 1673

Bennett was born about 1650. He was the executor of his father’s will. We know he married but we don’t know his wife’s name. He had six children:

Mary 1673-1673 died in infancy
John 1673-1733 married Blanche Pendar
Mary 1675-1676 died in infancy
Ann 1677- married Alexander Johns in 1706 no further trace
Blanch 1678- no trace
Walter 1681- no trace

John Lanyon 1673-1733

John and Blanche married in 1723 when John was aged 50. His son John may have been from an earlier unrecorded marriage.

John died in 1733 and his will begins “being penitent and very sorry for my sins”. One wonders what he had done!

John Lanyon’s will 1733 source: CRO/AP/L/1371

There is no record of John and Blanche’s son being baptised, married or buried. His father left him 1/- in his will which suggests he had already inherited. In 1752 he had the role of Accessionable Manor’s Commissioner and we know nothing else about him.

And this is where we must leave Alexander’s line, there are no more traceable Lanyon descendants.

Interestingly on 5 Mar 1781 an Alexander Lanyon died in Penzance aged 100. There is no record of any Alexander Lanyon being baptised about 100 years earlier. Could he be a descendant of this line?

17th Aug 202211th Nov 2025

The First Esquire – William Laniene

Richard Lanyne (the son of John Lanyen and Isabell Ruthfrey) married Isabel Trelissick. Richard’s son and heir was William Laniene born abt. 1480 but it’s not clear if Isabel Trelissick was his mother or if she was Richard’s second wife. William’s sister, Isabel was born in 1496. There is no trace of any other siblings but Benoit’s 1531 MSS states that Thomas Treuran married Isabell the 1st daughter of Richard Lanyne of Trylyswyke so that implies there must have been at least one other daughter.

William was the first recorded esquire

Heraldic visitations were tours of inspection undertaken by Kings of Arms. Their purpose was to register and regulate the coats of arms of nobility, gentry and boroughs and to record pedigrees. They took place from 1530 to 1688, and their records provide important source material for historians and genealogists. Much of the Lanyon family information from the 16th & 17th century comes from these visitations. They visited Cornwall in 1531, 1573 and 1620. Families submitted trees to establish their right to bear arms. (The trees weren’t always correct!)

The definition of an Esquire is “the eldest son of a knight and their eldest sons in perpetuity”. Second sons were styled “Gentlemen” and the sons of gentlemen were given the title Mr. (daughters were addressed as Mrs. even when single). A Yeoman was a landowner but not considered genteel enough to be styled Mr or gentleman.

Below yeoman was a husbandman and below that serf/villein/cottar, then came domestic servant and finally in the pecking order vagabond and slave.

Whilst these terms started to fall out of use by the late 17th and 18th centuries in the 16th and early 17th centuries they were still generally adhered to and that’s a huge help to genealogists.

In 1531 William Laniene gave his family tree to the heralds and his right to ‘bear arms’ was documented. The first Lanyon to bear arms may have been born much earlier than William but this is the first documented esquire.

Grant of Arms to Bacon family – British Library, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

William lived at Gwinear. Perhaps a medieval long house was not sufficiently grand, perhaps it just wasn’t big enough for his large family or perhaps it’s just a bit too cold and windy in West Penwith compared to Gwinear!

William married Thomasine Tregian the daughter of Thomas Tregian of Tregian and Truro and Margaret (daughter of William Kingdon and widow of John Borlase) abt. 1505. William’s large family (at least nine daughters and four sons) married into the important families in the county.

William large family requires two images!

We don’t know the dates of birth for all his children or the order they were born in-

Alice born abt. 1520 died 20th Aug 1591 married John Rashleigh abt. 1540.
Elinor married John Carveigh.
Cecilia/Cicely born abt. 1520 married Martin Angwyn abt. 1540.
Isabell married ? Tresprison.
Anne married John Wood alias Atwood.
Thomasine died 12th April 1593 married John Cosgarne.
Jane married Alexander Arundel. Their descendants were the Arundel’s of Leigh.
Philippa married Edward Noy Esq abt. 1556
Johanna/Joan married Bennet Penrose 1553 (she was the first of his 3 wives so presumably died young.)
Richard, his eldest son and heir born abt. 1516 and died 18th Dec 1592 married Margaret Treskillard.
Edward died aft. 1586.
William ‘Generosi’ died 7th Aug 1597. Married Tamsin and Margaret.
Walter died 12th May 1605 married Elizabeth Nanspyan.

William Laniene died 20th Mar 1567. (Source- Inquisition Post Mortem 1586 of William Lanyon Coswinwollard, Gwinear. Source CRO/R/1168)

William owned substantial lands. Gilbert says “this William succeeded his father in considerable estates in Maddern, Morva and other adjoining parishes….”. The Penwith Subsidy Roll of 1509-1523 lists the following: value of land by the year – Willm Lanyine Gwinear 41s, St Erth 41s, Gulval 11s 8d, Madron 111s 8d.

In common with much of the landed gentry in Cornwall at that time William was frequently manipulating and speculating in land often with his relatives.

In a legal dispute from 1504-1515 William Laniene claims a right to part of the estate of the late Michael Ruthfos. Michael left his large estate to a Thomas Ruthfos and his heirs, with remainder to a John Ruthfos and his heirs, and a further remainder to a Richard Ruthfos and his heirs. William Lanyon appears to claim that as Thomas and John Ruthfos died without heirs he, as a son of Richard Lanyon, has a right to the property. If Richard ‘s mother Isabel Ruthfrey was the daughter or heiress of Richard Ruthfos this could explain how he got the name Richard. Variations of the name Ruthfos appear so Ruthfrey is possible.

Legal dispute -Source : Anglo American legal Tradition – aalt.law.uh.edu/AALT7/ChP/C1no341/IMG_0085.htm

Court of Star Chamber 1509-1547

PLAINTIFF: Alan Powe DEFENDANT: William Lanyen, Tamysen (Thomasine) his wife and Thomas Trewren. Messuage and land in Cosswyn Wulward.

PLAINTIFF: William Lanyon DEFENDANT: Thomas William, Jenett his wife, and John and Robert their sons. Source: National Archives STAC 2/30/48

PLAINTIFF: Thomas William DEFENDANT: William Lanyeyn and Thomasyn his wife, Richard Lanyeyn, William Lanyeyn, junior, John Breton, and John Trespryson. Source: National Archives STAC 2/30/48

PLACE OR SUBJECT: Forcible entries in Gwinear COUNTY: Cornwall, William Lanyeyn and Thomas William. Source: National Archives STAC 2/30/48

Court of Chancery: Six Clerks Office:

John Nanscuvell and William, son and heir of Richard Lanyen. v. John Tremayle and Thomas Deane, feoffees to uses. Messuages, land, rents, and services in Treveben, Tregollas, Trehenben, Trewynnyan by Trewothek, Trearnan, Treneryn, Tregonvoen, Trevethen, Date: 1504 – 1515 Source: A C1/341/56

In 1533-38 Thomas Tresculard’s widow Isabel took action against William Lanneyen and others over the detention of deeds relating to messuages and lands in Tresculard and elsewhere. Source: C1/911

The History of the Family Borlase cites a legal dispute over woods at Bridockke involving Thomasina’s nieces where evidence was given that Thomasina’s brother John referred to William Lanyne as his brother in law. Source: The Genealogist Magazine Vol III 1886.

Mentioned in a deed, 1 Mar 1554, Cornwall, England. Grant of land, Penrose, Sennen and land in Sancreed. Parties: 1) Joyce Penrose of Penrose, gentleman, to 2) Radulph Penrose, John Treuryn and William Lanyon. Penrose [Sennen], Respletha, etc, and Brane, Bosence and Zelena in Sancreed.

William was also a ‘tinner’. In Oct 1556, Cornwall, England, William and his partner David Angove were given a licence, for two years, to search and dig for tin anywhere on the lands of the Earl of Oxford throughout Cornwall. Source: CRO AR/1/852

William is also listed on the ‘Tinner’s Muster Roll’ of 1539 for St Clement, Cornwall. Stannary of Tywarnhaile, Moreske Manor. Whole Harness (the harness and trappings for a horse which might include armour).

In 1539 William could have been almost 60 years of age (Henry VIII would have been 48) and there were threats from Scotland, the low countries, France and Spain so it was possible that he may have had to fight.

17th Aug 202217th Apr 2026

David de Kylminawis

David was born about 1280 and died after 1341. David may have been the brother of Sarah Lynyen. It’s not possible to say with any certainty but they were both living at the same time. The tree below shows the possible relationship.

Kylminawis – Kyl may be the equivalent to the Scottish Kil meaning church so Kylminawis possibly refers to St Minver in North East Cornwall.

A Cornish language expert has also suggested that the name Kylminawis is near identical to the earliest recorded spellings of Kilminorth, Talland on Cornwall’s southeast coast. Those spellings are ‘Kilminawyd’ and ‘Kylmynawyd’ 1284, It’s thought to contain the words ‘kyl’ meaning ‘nook, back, ridge’ and ‘menowes’ meaning ‘awl, or a hill, stone or piece of land shaped like an awl.’ I haven’t been able to find any connection to this area and the 1341 charter mentions David’s bake house in Portzwyhan which is now Port Quin which is on the north coast near St Minver. There are also family connections to St Ervan, St Merryn, Padstow and Harlyn.

In the Fine Rolls there is a mention of a David de Kilminand in Cornwall, is this David the father of David de Kilminawis?

1272 Fine Roll Henry III – David de Kilminand – Cornwall – gives half a mark for having a pone order to the Sheriff of Cornwall.

In the context of medieval English Fine Rolls (records of payments to the King for favours and legal concessions), a pone refers to a legal writ used to remove a case from a lower court (such as a county court) to a higher court, specifically the Court of Common Pleas at Westminster.

In 1341 there is a charter which mentions David de Kylminawis and his son John who married Sibyl de Tregamynyan.

St Enodoc’s Church at St Minver by Peter Skynner,

Edward III – Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

“David De Kylmynawis to John his firstborn son & heir, and to the heirs of his body by Sibyl daughter of Joceli de Tregaminion his wife, with remainder to the grantor and his heirs. Charter with warranty of all his messuages, lands etc. In Kylmynawis, namely yards, gardens, woods, meadows, moors, turbaries, launds an pastures, and his corn mill there with multiple, waters and watercourses or beads, his bake house with garden in the town of Portzwyhan, the rent and service of John de Landewarnek and his heirs for lands held of the grantor in Kylcoys, of Simon de Kylcoys there, of Paternus and Robert brothers of the grantor for lands of him held for their lives in Kylcoys, of Margery his sister likewise in Araweyte, and the reversion of all lands of the said John, Simon, Paternus, Robert and Margery which they claim to hold for life of the grantor and his heirs when it shall fall in.”

Dated Kylminawis, Friday before St Barnabas 15 Edward III

Source: CCR Calendar Curia Rolls, Henry IV, Vol.4, 1441-47, (Public Records Office, London, 1937), 452/3.

Portzwyhan is Port Quin today.

Port Quin

Port Quin and St Minver in North Cornwall.