Wills are a great way to build a tree especially when there are gaps in the baptism, marriage and burial records.
Margaret Richard’s will (which I came across by accident whilst looking for another document) helped with the early Breage Lanyons.
Margaret was baptised on the 27 Oct 1622 at Breage, the daughter of William Lanyon and Susannah Burdon. William must have been a farmer as his will inventory values his corn and the corn in the ground.
Margaret married John Richards but we don’t have a date of marriage. When her older brother William died unmarried in 1661 he left his estate to her.
Margaret made a will in 1675 (it was proved in 1679) and her will helps confirm relationships on this very early branch of the tree.
She is described as Margaret Richards of Plymouth, ‘widdow, being sick and weake in body but of perfect minde and memory’ and she mentions the following relatives:
- My brother-in-law Nowell Tonkin £5 for a mourning ring
- My sister Susannah Tonkin £5 for a ring
- Their daughter Dorothy Tonkin £20
- Uncle Philip Lanyon of Plymouth Esq 20 shillings for a ring
- His wife Constance Lanyon 20 shillings for a ring
- Mary and Anne Lanyon daughters of my Uncle John late of the City of London £20 (John was Chief Engineer to Charles I) £20 each
- Hester Lanyon daughter of Uncle John £100 (again Hester is described as a cousin and not the wife of her brother John Lanyon)
- Cousin James Trewollah £5
- Cousin Elizabeth Lanyon daughter of George Lanyon £5
- Cousin John Penhellick and Humphrey Penhellick sons of John Penhellick of Helston £3 each (not sure where they fit on the tree)
- Roger Lampoire? servant of my brother John Lanyon £5
- All the rest to my dear and only daughter Susannah Richards.
- Nowell Tonkin and Hester Lanyon to be her guardians
Interestingly the name Lanyon is spelt two ways in this will; Lanyon and Lanion.
Until this document we had no idea that George had a daughter. Now we know he had a daughter but we’ve no idea what happened to her! So the search continues!
The Lanyons 