Sir William Wrey, 1st Baronet

Last updated

Arms of Wrey of Trebeigh, Cornwall and Tawstock, Devon: Sable, a fesse between three pole-axes argent helved gules WreyArmsAlone.PNG
Arms of Wrey of Trebeigh, Cornwall and Tawstock, Devon: Sable, a fesse between three pole-axes argent helved gules

Sir William Wrey, 1st Baronet (died 1636) of Trebeigh, St Ive, Cornwall and North Russell, Sourton, Devon, was High Sheriff of Cornwall in 1598 [2] and was created a baronet by King Charles I in 1628. [3]

Contents

Origins

He was the second son of John Wrey (d.1597) by his wife Blanch Killigrew (d.1595), heiress of Trebeigh, daughter and heiress of Henry Killigrew, Esquire, of Woolstone, in the parish of Poundstock, near St Ive, in Cornwall. [4]

Inheritance

William succeeded his childless elder brother John II Wrey, who had married (as her 3rd husband) Eleanor Smith, daughter and heiress of Bernard Smith (c.1522-1591), Esquire, of Totnes in Devon, MP for Totnes in 1558 and mayor of Totnes 1549-50 and c.1565-6 also was escheator of Devon and Cornwall 1567-8.

Career

William was High Sheriff of Cornwall in 1598. [5] and was knighted at Whitehall on 27 July 1603 before the Coronation of King James I. He played a leading figure in the local government of Cornwall. He served as a Deputy Lieutenant and a Commissioner of Oyer and Terminer. [6] He served in the honorary post of Recorder of Liskeard from about 1615 to his death. [7] He was created a baronet by King Charles I in 1628. [8] He was described by Carew (1602) [9] as a man of hospitality, and a general welcomer of his friends and neighbours.

Lands held

He added to his patrimony inherited from his brother, much of which formed his mother's Killigrew inheritance, and at his death he owned over 6,000 acres including four manors in Cornwall and a share in four others.

Marriage and children

Arms of Sir William Wrey, 1st Baronet impaling Courtenay of Powderham, detail from monument to his father John Wrey (d.1597) in Tawstock Church, Devon, formerly in St Ive Church, Cornwall WreyImpalingCourtenay TawstockChurch1597.JPG
Arms of Sir William Wrey, 1st Baronet impaling Courtenay of Powderham, detail from monument to his father John Wrey (d.1597) in Tawstock Church, Devon, formerly in St Ive Church, Cornwall

He married (as his 2nd wife [11] )Elizabeth Courtenay, [12] a daughter of Sir William V Courtenay (1553–1630) of Powderham in Devon (by his wife Elizabeth Manners, daughter of Henry Manners, 2nd Earl of Rutland (1526-1563)) by whom he had an only son and heir:

See also

Sources

Related Research Articles

Edward Chichester, 1st Viscount Chichester

Edward Chichester, 1st Viscount Chichester of Eggesford in Devon, was Governor of Carrickfergus and Lord High Admiral of Lough Neagh, in Ireland.

Wrey baronets Title in the Baronetage of England

The Wrey Baronetcy, of Trebitch in the County of Cornwall, is a title in the Baronetage of England. It was created on 30 June 1628 for William Wrey (d.1636), 2nd son of John Wrey of Trebeigh, St Ive, Cornwall, a member of an ancient Devon family. The third Baronet was a supporter of the Royalist cause and sat as Member of Parliament for Lostwithiel after the Restoration. He married Lady Anne, third daughter and co-heir of Edward Bourchier, 4th Earl of Bath, and a co-heir to the barony of Fitzwarine. The fourth Baronet represented Liskeard and Devon in the House of Commons. The fifth Baronet was Member of Parliament for Camelford while the sixth Baronet represented Barnstaple.

Sir Bourchier Wrey, 6th Baronet

Sir Bourchier Wrey, 6th Baronet of Tawstock, Devon, was a Member of Parliament for Barnstaple, Devon, in 1747–1754. The manor of Tawstock, about two miles south of Barnstaple, had been since the time of Henry de Tracy the residence of the feudal barons of Barnstaple, ancestors of the Wrey family.

Tawstock Human settlement in England

Tawstock is a village, civil parish and former manor in North Devon in the English county of Devon, England. The parish is surrounded clockwise from the north by the parishes of Barnstaple, Bishop's Tawton, Atherington, Yarnscombe, Horwood, Lovacott and Newton Tracey and Fremington. In 2001 it had a population of 2,093. The estimated population in June 2019 was 2,372.

William Coryton

William Coryton (1580–1651) of West Newton Ferrers, St Mellion, Cornwall, was a Cornish gentleman who served as MP for Cornwall in 1624, 1626 and 1628, for Liskeard in 1625, for Grampound in 1640 and for Launceston 1640–41. He was expelled from Parliament for falsifying returns.

Thomas Wise (died 1630)

Sir Thomas Wise, KB, of Sydenham in the parish of Marystow and of Mount Wise in the parish of Stoke Damerel in Devon, was Sheriff of Devon in 1612 and in 1621 served as a member of parliament for Bere Alston in Devon.

Francis Courtenay (died 1638)

Francis Courtenay, de jure 4th Earl of Devon, of Powderham, Devon, was an English Member of Parliament. In 1831 he was recognised retrospectively as having been de jure 4th Earl of Devon, having succeeded his father in 1630.

William Courtenay (died 1630)

Sir William Courtenay of Powderham in Devon was a prominent member of the Devonshire gentry. He was Sheriff of Devon in 1579–80 and received the rare honour of having been three times elected MP for the prestigious county seat (Devon) in 1584, 1589 and 1601.

John Chichester (died 1669) English politician

Sir John III Chichester of Hall was Member of Parliament for Lostwithiel in Cornwall in 1624.

Sir Reginald Mohun, 1st Baronet

Sir Reginald Mohun, 1st Baronet of Boconnoc in Cornwall, was a prominent member of the gentry of Cornwall and an MP.

Sir Bourchier Wrey, 4th Baronet

Sir Bourchier Wrey, 4th Baronet (1653–1696) of Tawstock Court in North Devon, was a Member of Parliament and a noted duellist. He commanded a regiment of horse after the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660, serving under James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth.

Bernard Smith (d. 1591) English politician

Bernard Smith of Totnes in Devon was MP for Totnes in 1558. He was mayor of Totnes in 1549–50 and c. 1565–6, and was escheator of Devon and Cornwall in 1567–8.

Arwenack

Arwenack, historically in the parish of St Budock, Cornwall, is a historic manor on the site of what is today the town of Falmouth. It was partly destroyed in 1646, and only a remnant survives today. It was long held by the Killigrew family, which was responsible for the development of the town of Falmouth, Sir Peter Killigrew, MP, having received a royal charter for its foundation in 1661.

George Smith (MP for Exeter)

Sir George Smith of Madworthy-juxta-Exeter and Madford House, Exeter, Devon, was a merchant who served as MP for Exeter in 1604, was three times Mayor of Exeter and was Exeter's richest citizen, possessing 25 manors. He was the grandfather of George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle (1608-1670) KG and of John Grenville, 1st Earl of Bath (1628–1701).

Manor of Tawstock

The historic manor of Tawstock was situated in North Devon, in the hundred of Fremington, 2 miles south of Barnstaple, England. According to Pole the feudal baron of Barnstaple Henry de Tracy made Tawstock his seat, apparently having abandoned Barnstaple Castle as the chief residence of the barony. Many of the historic lords of the manor are commemorated by monuments in St Peter's Church, the parish church of Tawstock which in the opinion of Pevsner contains "the best collection in the county apart from those in the cathedral", and in the opinion of Hoskins "contains the finest collection of monuments in Devon and one of the most notable in England".

Sir Henry Northcote, 4th Baronet

Sir Henry Northcote, 4th Baronet (1655–1730) was an English baronet from Devon. He was by profession a doctor of medicine. His great-great-great-grandson was Stafford Northcote, 1st Earl of Iddesleigh (1818–1887).

John Wrey

John Wrey of North Russell, Sourton, and Bridestowe in Devon and Trebeigh, St Ive, Cornwall, was Sheriff of Cornwall in 1587.

Sir William Wrey, 2nd Baronet

Sir William Wrey, 2nd Baronet of Trebeigh, St Ive, Cornwall and North Russell, Sourton, Devon, was MP for Liskeard, Cornwall in 1624.

Chichester Wrey

Sir Chichester Wrey, 3rd Baronet (1628–1668) of Trebeigh in the parish of St Ive, Cornwall and of North Russell in the parish of Sourton, Devon, was an active Royalist during the Civil War and was Colonel of the Duke of York's Regiment and served as Governor of Sheerness.

Ambrose Bellot

Ambrose Bellot, of Downton in Devon was a Member of Parliament for East Looe in Cornwall in 1597.

References

  1. Debrett's Peerage, 1968, p.877, Wrey Baronets
  2. regnal year 41 Elizabeth, per Betham, p.301
  3. Betham, William, Baronetage of England, Vol.1, 1801, pp.320-323, Betham incorrectly gives his son as the 1st baronet
  4. Betham, p.301
  5. regnal year 41 Elizabeth, per Betham, p.301
  6. Hunneyball
  7. Hunneyball
  8. Betham incorrectly gives his son as the 1st baronet
  9. Carew, Richard (1555-1620), Survey of Cornwall, 1602
  10. The monument was moved from St Ive Church to its present position against the east wall of the north transept of St Peter's Church, Tawstock, Devon, in 1924 by Sir Philip Bourchier Sherard Wrey, 12th Baronet (1858-1936), of Tawstock Court.(Pevsner, Nikolaus & Cherry, Bridget, The Buildings of England: Devon, London, 2004, p.790)
  11. Vivian & Drake, 1874, p.268
  12. Vivian, Lt.Col. J.L., (Ed.) The Visitations of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620, Exeter, 1895, p.247, pedigree of Courtenay
  13. Stated incorrectly by Betham as daughter of "Sir Edward (sic) Chichester, Earl of Donnegall" (Arthur Chichester, 1st Earl of Donegall (1606–1674) was in fact her brother
Baronetage of England
New creation Baronet
(of Trebitch)
1628–1636
Succeeded by