William Lanyon was a lieutenant in the Royal Navy and twice sailed with Captain James Cook.
William Lanyon joined the navy when he was about 15 years old. His first recorded service was as an Able Seaman on the Orford and then the Mars. He then served on HMS Jason as a midshipman. He moved onto HMS Terrible. In 1772 he joined HMS Adventure one of the companion ships on Cook’s second voyage. In 1773 he was promoted to Master’s Mate.
He was promoted to Lieutenant in 1774 but when he was taken on for Cook’s third voyage he was a Master’s Mate again on HMS Resolution. He was eventually promoted to Second Lieutenant on HMS Discovery in 1779.
He supposedly collected vocabularies of the South Pacific languages which were published in 1979 by Peter Lanyon-Orgill but there is some doubt as to their authenticity.
Between 1790 and 1796 he was in command of the Spider a cutter based at Plymouth. In 1799 he commanded the Kent. In November of that year he captured a French privateer the Four Brothers out of Calais. His last recorded command was of HMS Genereux a prison ship at Plymouth.
By 1814 he was retired and living at St Austell. He was buried there on 26 Mar 1818, the register states he was ‘paralytic’. His wife Jane had been buried at St Austell almost exactly a year earlier on 27 Mar 1817. They had no children.
So where does William fit on the tree?
‘A Genealogical & Heraldic History of the Commoners of Great Britain & Ireland enjoying Territorial Possessions…..’ Vol IV by Burke. has the following entry in the index.
Lanyon, John, 36.
‘Jane b. in November 1765 m. to John Lanyon of Lanyon in Gwinear, grandfather of lieutenant William Lanyon R.N., well known for his various acts of heroism and benevolence in his profession, the last survivor of those gallant officers who accompanied Captain Cook in his voyages. Twice he circumnavigated the globe with that distinguished commander and was with him at the period of his melancholy end.’
The Jane referred to is Jane Willyams and Burke has transposed her date of birth from 1675 to 1765! Vivian’s ‘The Visitations of Cornwall: Comprising the Heralds’ Visitations of 1530, 1573 & 1620‘ prints the family tree of the Willyams family and shows the correct date.
Jane is shown as the daughter of Humphry Willyams of Roseworthy and Dorothy Addington of Devon. Jane was baptised 11 Nov 1675 at Gwinear and married John Lanyon of Lanyon Gwinear.
So who is John Lanyon of Lanyon Gwinear?
Assuming John was a similar age to Jane we are looking for a John born in the 1670s who lived at Lanyon Manor in Gwinear. This would probably be a child of Tobias Lanyon and Susannah Reynolds but they don’t have a child called John and don’t mention a son of that name in their wills. Tobias and Susannah’s son Tobias does have a son called John however he must have been born after 1703 and would be at least twenty-eight years younger than Jane Willyams!
We need to go back and look at the information we have for William Lanyon. There is a note on his Lieutenant’s certificate dated 29 July 1774 which says ‘we have examined Mr. William Lanyon who by certificate appears to be more than 28 years of age and find he has gone to sea more than six years….’ (Captain John Campbell and Captain Abraham North). This implies that William must have been born before 1746.
There is a baptism of William Lanyon son of Mr. John Lanyon and Mary on 2 Apr 1745 at Cuby with Tregony. They have three other children baptised there: Mary 1747, Mary 1752 and John 1755. Of their children, only William survived to adulthood.
There is a marriage between a Mr. John Lanyon and Mrs. Mary Symons at Creed in Cornwall (not far from Cuby with Tregony) on 3 Jan 1742. There is a Mary Symons baptised at Creed in 1715, the daughter of William Symons. We can’t prove it is the same person.
There is a John Lanyon son of Tobias Lanyon, deceased who is apprenticed to Philip Webber of Falmouth, Attorney at Law on 25 Sep 1722 for £52. 10/-
The Jane Lanyon that William married appears to be the daughter of Tobias and Prudence Pawley.
John Lanyon left a will which might have helped clarify this part of the tree but it has been lost!
The Admiralty Record Office wrote to Captian Wingfield D.S.O., R.N., D.G.W. on 17 Feb 1959 and confirmed that:
- William was born in 1745
- Enlisted Sep 1760
- Appointed lieutenant Aug 1779
- Retired on half pay plus pension from Greenwich Hospital
- Superannuated Commander 1814
- Served on Spider 1790-1795, Kent 1795-1799, Matilda 1800-1804 and Genereux 1805-1806
- Served on HMS Nelson & Resistance under Captain Cook on the voyages of discovery
The Will of William Lanyon proven on 15 May 1818 (PROB 11/1604). This is the last Will and Testament of me William Lanyon of the Parish of Saint Austell in the County of Cornwall, Esquire, Commander in the Royal Navy.
I give, devise and bequeath all that my Leasehold Dwelling House situate in the said Parish of Saint Austell in which I now reside with the Garden Courtlage and Appurtenances thereunto belonging unto Tobias Lanyon of Camborne in the said County, Surgeon, his Exors, Admors, and Assigns, for and during all the Estate and Interest which I shall have therein at the time of my decease, to and for his and their own absolute use and benefit, subject to the rent and other reservations payable by or under the Indenture of Lease by virtue of which I am intitled to hold the same.
I give and bequeath unto my Niece, Frances the Wife of Thomas Penna, all and singular my Household Furniture, Plate, Linen and China whatsoever which I may be possessed of at the time of my decease (except the Bed and Bedding hereinafter bequeathed to my Servant Mary Eplett) and I do will and direct that my Executors hereinafter named do and shall release and discharge the said Thomas Penna of and from all sum and sums of money which he may be indebted to me at the time of my decease, and particularly of and from the Sum of Two Hundred Pounds which I advanced him on a note of hand bearing date the 16th day of May last, which Note of Hand I hereby direct shall be given up to the said Thomas Penna.
I give and bequeath to my Servant Mary Eplett, if she shall be living with me at the time of my decease, over and above what may be due to her for wages, the sum of twenty pounds to be paid to her within six Months after my decease. Also I give to the said Mary Eplett the Bed and Bedding in the Garret on which she usually sleeps.
And as for and concerning all and singular other the property, Stocks, Funds, Money and Effects which I shall be possessed of or intitled to, or over which I shall have a disposing power at the time of my decease, of what nature or kind soever the same may be, I give, devise and bequeath the same and every of them unto the said Tobias Lanyon and John Carne of the said Parish of Saint Austell, Gentlemen, their Heirs, Exors & Admors upon the Trusts and to and for the several ends, intents and purposes hereinafter declared of or concerning the same, that is to say, upon Trust in the first place that they, my said Trustees, do and shall thereout with all convenient speed after my decease pay, discharge and satisfy all my just Debts and my Funeral and Testamentary Expences and the aforesaid Legacy of twenty pounds, and do and shall in the next place lay out and invest such of my Monies as shall not be already invested in the Stocks in the purchase of Parliamentary Stocks or Funds of Great Britain in the names of them my said Trustees, or the Survivor of them, his Exors or Admors and do and shall stand and be possessed of all such Stocks, Funds and Securities In Trust that they my said Trustees or the survivor of them, his Exors, or Admors do and shall pay the following Legacies (that is to say):
unto my Nephew Edward Lanyon (Son of the late William Lanyon of Surry) the sum of Eighty Pounds of lawful Money of Great Britain and my watch,
unto my Nephew William Lanyon (Son of the said William Lanyon of Surry) the Sum of One hundred pounds of like lawful Money and my Sleeve buttons,
unto my Niece Jane Lanyon, (Daughter of the said Willian Lanyon of Surry) the Sum of One hundred pounds of like lawful Money,
unto my Nephew Richard Lanyon (Son of the said William Lanyon of Surry) the Sum of One hundred pounds of like lawful Money,
unto my Nephew Henry Lanyon (Son of the said William Lanyon of Surry) the Sum of Fifty pounds of like lawful Money
unto my Nephew James Lanyon (Son of the said William Lanyon of Surry) the Sum of Fifty pounds of like lawful Money,
unto my Niece Elizabeth Lanyon (Daughter of the said William Lanyon of Surry) the Sum of Eighty Pounds of like lawful money,
and unto my Nephew Joseph Lanyon (Son of the said Willaim Lanyon of Surry) the Sum of Fifty pounds of like lawful Money,
such several Legacies to be paid to such of my said Nephews and Nieces respectively as shall have attained the age of twenty one years immediately after my decease, and to such of my said Nephews and Nieces as shall be under that age, as and when they shall severally attain the age of twenty one years,
and my mind and will is and I hereby direct that it shall and may be Lawful to and for my said Trustees to receive the Dividends and Proceeds of such of the said Legacies as shall not be payable at the time of my decease by reason of the Legatees being under the age of twenty one years and do and shall lay out and invest the same in the purchase of the like Stock there to accumulate to and for the use and benefit of such last mentioned Legatees which accumulations shall be paid to them with their original Legacies as and when they shall severally attain the age of twenty one years, Provided always that it shall be lawful to and for my said Trustees to apply so much of the Dividends arising from any such Legacy as they shall think proper in and towards the education of the Person intitled thereto, and I direct that the Residue of my Property after payment of the before mentioned Legacies and the expences incident thereto shall be divided equally between and among my said last named eight Nephews and Nieces, to be paid to them at the time the youngest of them shall attain the age of Twenty one years, provided always that if any of my said Nephews or Nieces shall happen to die under the age of Twenty one years then it is my will and meaning and I do hereby direct that the Legacy and accumulation or Legacies and accumulations of him, her or them so dying shall go and accrue to the Survivors or such nephews and Nieces or Nephew and Niece as shall not have attained the age of twenty one years at the time of the death of such Nephew and Niece so happening to die, to be equally divided between them and to be vested, paid and payable to them at such age and in such manner as their original legacies are hereinbefore directed to be paid, Provided also and I do hereby further declare and direct that it shall be lawful for my said Trustees at any time and from time to time when and as often as they shall think fit or adviseable to sell, transfer and dispose of or vary all or any of the Funds or Stock wherein the said Trust monies shall at any time be invested and to lay out and invest the money to arise by any such sale, transfer or disposition in the purchase of other or the same or like Stocks or Funds in the joint names of them my said Trustees, and all such new or other Stocks and Funds shall stand and be in the names of such Trustees and the Dividends and annual produce thereof and of every part thereof respectively shall be applicable and applied upon and for such and the same Trusts, end, intents and purposes as the original Stocks and Funds and the Dividends thereof were subject and applicable to at the time of such Sale, Transfer, Disposition or variance thereof.
And lastly I nominate, constitute and appoint the said Tobias Lanyon and John Carne Execuitors of this my Will hereby revoking all former Wills by me made. In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and Seal this eighth day of July in the year of our Lord One thousand Eight hundred and Seventeen – Wm Lanyon.Signed and sealed by the said Testator William Lanyon and by him publiched and declared as and for his last Will and Testament in the presence of us who in his presence at his request and in the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our Names as Witnesses John Cary Maria Cary.
Proved at London 15 May 1818 before the Judge by the Oaths of Tobias Lanyon and John Carne the Executors to whom Admon. was granted being first sworn by Comm. Duly to Adminr.
Source NA/PROB/11/1604/220
(William Lanyon of Surrey is Tobias and Prudence’s son William born in 1741.)
We can’t prove that William Lanyon RN is the son of John and Mary Lanyon but it seems the most likely explanation.
To add to the confusion there is a newspaper cutting that further muddies the water by naming Tobias as the person who sailed with Cook!
It’s a valuable lesson on the accuracy of documents!
And finally another article where the dates aren’t quite right, is it any wonder that genealogists make mistakes?
William Lanyon’s Resolution and Adventure medal.
Article in the Western Morning News 23 Aug 1968
The Lanyons 