General history: Extinct baronets

Magna Britannia: Volume 3, Cornwall. Originally published by T Cadell and W Davies, London, 1814.

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'General history: Extinct baronets', in Magna Britannia: Volume 3, Cornwall, (London, 1814) pp. xcv-xcvii. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/magna-britannia/vol3/xcv-xcvii [accessed 24 March 2024]

In this section

Extinct Baronets.

Mohun of Boconnoc, created in 1612, and Robartes of Truro, created in 1612; afterwards ennobled and extinct as already stated.

Sir Richard Grenville, elder son of Sir Beville, was created a baronet in 1630. The title became extinct by Sir Richard's death, which happened at Ghent, in Flanders, in 1658, his only son Richard having died before him. His only daughter married Lennard, and died without issue. An account of this family has been already given.

Carew of Anthony. — This family was descended from Alexander, a younger son of Nicholas, Baron Carew of Haccombe, upon whom Anthony and other manors, parcel of his mother's estates inherited from the families of Courtenay and Archdekne, were settled. Richard Carew, Esq., the fourth in descent from Alexander, was the historian of Cornwall; his son Sir Richard was created a baronet in 1641. The title, and the male line of the family, became extinct on the death of Sir Thomas Carew, the sixth baronet, in 1799. (fn. n1) The Right Hon. Reginald Pole Carew, of Anthony, is representative of the Carews, through the Poles of Shute, in Devonshire, (his paternal ancestors,) and the Rashleighs.

Arms of Carew: — Or, three lions passant, Sable.

Crest: — A main-mast, the round top set off with palisadoes Or, and a lion issuing thereout Sable.

Supporters: — Two antelopes, Gules.

Smith of Crantock. — Sir William Smith, who by his arms appears to have been of the family of Smith of Tregonick, was created a baronet in 1642. He was a merchant in London, and though described in his patent as of Crantock, where he had an estate, does not appear to have had any residence there. He was the only baronet of the family, having died without male issue: he left two daughters, but it does not appear whether they were married.

Arms:—Azure, a saltier between four martlets, Argent.

Crest:—On a chapeau Gules, a Griffin's head couped, Or.

Killegrew of Arwenick. — This ancient family, which was originally of Killigrew in St. Erme, are traced to the reign of Henry III., and said to have been descended from a natural son of Richard Earl of Cornwall and King of the Romans. This conjecture is countenanced by the arms which, in a MS. history of the family, are said to have been given by that Prince to Ralph de Killigrew, the first of the family there mentioned. The Killigrews removed to Arwenick, near Falmouth-Harbour, on marrying the heiress of that house and name in the reign of Richard II. William Killigrew, Esq., their immediate descendant, was created a baronet in 1661. The title, and the male line of the elder branch of the family, became extinct by the death of Sir Peter, the second baronet (nephew of Sir William) in 1704. Martin Lister, Esq., who married one of the coheiresses, took the name of Killigrew, but died without issue; the other coheiress married Erisey. The Hon. John Wodehouse is the representative of this family, in right of his mother, daughter and heiress of Charles Berkeley, brother of the late Lord Berkeley, of Stratton, and grand-daughter and coheiress of James West, Esq., who married the heiress of Erisey.

Arms:—Argent an eagle displayed with two heads Sable, a border of the second bezanty.

Crest:—A demi-lion rampant Sable, charged on the body with three bezants in pale.

The Killigrews married the heiresses of Kentebury, Arwenick, Boligh, and Barrel, and a coheiress of Petit. A branch of the Killigrews, some time settled at Penryn, became afterwards, as Leland says, united to the Arwenick branch. The heiress of an elder son of the Killigrews, about the latter end of the fifteenth century, married into the Godolphin family.

Robert Killigrew, a younger son of this family, married the heiress of Woolston, in St. Ive; one of the coheiresses of this branch brought the Trebigh estate to the Wreys.

From a branch of this family, settled in Middlesex, sprung Thomas Killigrew, the celebrated wit of King Charles the Second's reign, Sir William Killigrew, Dr. Henry Killigrew, all dramatic writers, Mrs. Ann Killigrew the poetess, daughter of the latter, Admiral Killigrew, a celebrated naval officer in the reign of William III., and General Robert Killigrew, who died in 1707, and has a monument in Westminster Abbey. Some male descendants of Thomas Killigrew were living in the early part of the last century, and it is probable that this branch may be still extant.

Godolphin of Godolphin, created a baronet in 1661, and extinct, as before stated.

Coryton of Newton-Ferrers in St. Mellion.—This ancient family was originally of Coryton, in Devonshire, where they were settled as early as the reign of Henry III. They removed to West-Newton, now called West-Newton-Ferrers, in consequence of a marriage with the heiress of Ferrers in the fourteenth century. Their descendant, Sir John Coryton, was created a baronet in 1661. The title and the male line of the Corytons became extinct by the death of Sir John Coryton, Bart., in 1739: his sisters married Goodall, Peter, and Vaughan. The present representative of the family is John Tillie Coryton, Esq., whose father, Peter Goodall, Esq. (grandson of William Goodall, Esq., who married Elizabeth, sister of Sir John Coryton), took the name of Coryton, pursuant to the will of the last baronet. An ancestor of the Corytons had married the heiress of Tregasaw.

Arms of Coryton:—Argent, a saltier Sable.

Crest:—A lion passant-gardant, Gules.

Baronets' Seats.

Trelawney, the seat of the Rev. Sir Harry Trelawney, Bart.

Trelowarren — occupied by Vyell Vyvyan, Esq., trustee for the Rev. Sir Carew Vyvyan, Bart.

Clowance — of Sir John St. Aubyn, Bart., who has also an occasional residence at St. Michael's Mount.

Pencarrow — of Sir Arscott Ourry Molesworth, Bart.

Carclew — of Sir William Lemon, Bart.

Trewithan — of Sir Christopher Hawkins, Bart., who occasionally resides also at Trewinnard.

Whiteford-House — of Sir William Pratt Call, Bart.

Bake — of Sir Joseph Copley, Bart.

Trenant-Park — of Sir Edward Buller, Bart.

Anthony, some time the residence of the Carews, Baronets, is now the seat of their representative, the Right Hon. Reginald Pole Carew, M. P. Newton-Park, the residence of the Corytons, Baronets, is now the seat of Weston Helyar, Esq. Arwenick, the seat of the Killigrews, has never been restored to its former consequence, since it was burnt down in the civil war. It is now divided into two tenements. Trebigh, formerly the seat of the Wreys, is now occupied as a farmhouse.

Roserrow, now a farm-house belonging to Sir William Lemon, Bart., was formerly a seat of the Carews of Haccombe, in Devonshire, Baronets.

Footnotes

  • n1. On the death of Sir Coventry Carew in 1748, the title passed, without the estates, to a younger branch of the family settled at Harrowbear in Calstock.