NOWTH, of Cornewe and Tillond in Cornwall, the last male of the younger branch of the very ancient and powerful family of Trenowth of Trenowth, with whose descent, as briefly recorded in the Harl. MSS. 1079, and 1162, we shall commence this lineage until the line merges in that of Sprye, merely adding of the extinct house of Trenowth, than which none in Cornwall has ranked higher in antiquity, alliance, or possessions, that many of its members sat in parliament for the county, and for several of the western boroughs, at very early periods. JOHN DE TRENOWITH, in Probus, Cornwall, the first recorded in the Visitations, was father of STEPHEN DE TRENOWITH, who m. Johanna, daughter of Richard de Trenaco, and had a son and successor, MICHAEL DE TRENOWITH, who, by Margaret Butler, his wife, had four sons, Michael, Ralph, John, and Thomas. The eldest son, MICHAEL DE TRENOWITH, succeeded his father at Trenowith, but died without issue, when his next brother, • BODANNON, or BODANNAN, a manor in the parish of Enddyon, or Endillion, in the hundred of Trigg, and deanery of Trigg minor, to which manor the bailiffry of that hundred, said to have been sometime called the hundred of Bodannan, was anciently annexed, lying about five miles from Wadbridge, and seven miles from Camelford, was a seat of the CHEYNDUITS,' a family of considerable antiquity and distinction, whereof Robert de Cheyni, of Bodanan, was sheriff of Cornwall, 5 EDWARD I. 1277, John Chenduit knight of the shire, 18 RICHARD II. 1394, and Sir John Cheynduit, 9 HENRY IV. and 8 HENRY V. 1407, and 1420. They bore gu. a lion rampant reguardant, arg. within an orle of acorns, or, and became extinct in the reign of HENRY VI.when the co-heiresses m. Trejago and Roscarrock, between which families their estates were divided. Bodannan fell to the share of Roscarrock, by whose descendant, John Roscarrock, esq. it was sold in 1586, to Nicholas Dagge, who eleven years after, in 1597, disposed of it to Henry Rolle, esq. of whose descendant of the same name it was purchased in 1739, by John Lyne, esq. whose son the Rev. Philip Lynne, LL.D. was its proprietor in 1814. In the chancel of Endillion Church, there is an ancient uninscribed tomb, said to be of one of this family, and by tradition, of a Lord Cheyney. The family of Trejago, of Trejago, in Crantock county of Cornwall, a parish bordering on the Bristol channel, was also of considerable note and power in that county at a very ancient period. In 17 EDWARD II. 1323, we have a list of knights RALPH DE TRENOWITH, became heir. He m. the daughter of Richard Busbell, and had three sons, John, Thomas, and Richard. The eldest son, JOHN TRENOWITH, of Trenowith, considerably increased his patrimony by marriage with Jane, the elder of the two daughters and co-heirs (by Alice, his wife, daughter of William Cheynduit, of Bodannan), of Stephen Trejago, of Fentongollan, in Cornwall, representative of a younger branch of the seated itself at Fentongollan as early as the Trejagoes of Trejago, in Crantock; which Trenowith had two sons, of whom the younger reign of EDWARD II. By this lady, John was ancestor of a branch which continued at Trenowith until the time of HENRY VIII. when it terminated in co-heiresses, who married Boscawen, Borlase, and Hearle. The elder son and heir, RALPH TRENOWTH, removed to Fentongollan. He m. Jane, daughter of Sir William Bassett, and was succeeded by his son, JOHN TRENOWTH, of Fentongollan, who and esquires, all of whom held forty librates of land. The high sheriff of the shire at that time was John de Trejago, who was among the first class of landholders. The heiress of the Trejago branch married MYNORS, in the reign of EDWARD IV. The Fentongollan branch settled at that place in the reign of EDWARD VI. in the 18th year of which sovereign, Johannes de Treiago thereof was high sheriff of the county, and through the first half of the fourteenth century, members of this family were returned knights of the shire to parliament, as follows: 35 EDWARD I. 1306, John de Trejago, with Henry de Bodrigan. 6 EDWARD II. 1312, John de Trejago, with Thomas de Erchdekne. 12 EDWARD II. 1318, John de Trejago, with Edward Erchdeckne. 2 EDWARD III. 1328, John de Trejago, with John de Valetort. 12 EDWARD III. 1328, John de Trejago, with Edward Erchdeckne. 14 EDWARD III. 1340, John de Trejago, with Michael Petit. John de Trejago, with John Arundell. And 5 HENRY V. 1417, Richard Trejago and J. Butt, were chosen members for the borough of Liskeard. The ancient arms of Trejago were, arg. on a chevron sa. between three balls gu. [sa.] five bezants of the field. At a later period they bore, or, a chevron between three crosses crosslet, sa. The Fentongollan branch married the heiress of Trewarthenick, and a co-heiress of Cheynduit : and the heiress of Trejago, of Fentongollan, m Trenowth. 1 STRICKSTENTON, or TRIGGENSTENTON, a parcel of the manor which belonged to the family of Mathew in 1620, and was subsequently the property of Mr. Clements, is said to have been also a seat of the CHEYNDUITS, but no remains of a mansion are at this time visible. 2 They have been erroneously stated also to have borne: gu. four lozenges conjoined in fesse, each charged with an escallop shell sa. m. Jane, daughter and co-heir of Jacob Nanfan, of Trethewel in St. Evall, in the hundred and deanery of Ryder, near St. Columb and Padstow, descended from Nanfan of Nanfan, an ancient and eminent Cornish family. By this lady he had two sons, JOHN and WILLIAM. The elder, the Sprys of Boyton and Exe ter. 2. JOHN, of Trewinney, in Cornwall. 3. ROBERT, of Millbrook, in Cornwall, ancestor of the present REV. JOHN SPRYE, vicar of Ugborough, Devon. (See that branch). The elder son, JOHN TRENOWTH, of Fentongollan, m. Honor, daughter and heir of William Tregarthen, and died without male issue in 1497, when the possessions of this, the elTHOMAS SPRIE, esq. m. Elizabeth, elder dest branch of the family, devolved on his daughter and co-heir of John Trenowth, of four daughters and co-heirs who married Tillond, as shown above, and acquiring with Carminow, St. Aubyn, Raynward, Strad-her the estate of Tillond, settled there. He ling and Godolphin. The male line of had two sons, and two daughters, viz. the family was continued by his younger brother, of WILLIAM TRENOWTH, of Cornave, father STEPHEN TRENOWTH, who m. a daughter and co-heir of John Blomptin, or Blompin, and had a son and successor, JOHN TRENOWTH, of Tillond, in Cornwall, who left by his wife, the daughter of Beile, of Stoke, two daughters, his co-heirs, ELIZABETH and CATHARINE, who married THOMAS and JOHN SPRYE, the sons of THOMAS SPRYE, or SPRIE, of Cutcrewe, who came out of Devonshire, and was the first of the family who settled in Cornwall. He m. Catharine, daughter of John Bake, of Lanrake, and had the before mentioned two sons, namely, J. THOMAS, his heir. 11. John, to whom his father gave Cut- 1. OLIVER, of Cutcrewe, who m. The manor of Trethewell, said to have been purchased by John Nanfan in the reign of HENRY VI. passed by a female heir on the death of Richard Nanfan without male issue, to the family of Erisy, and by successive sales to those of Grenville, Smith, and Leach. It was one of the manors which having been forfeited by Sir Robert Tresilian's attainder, was granted to his widow, the heiress of Hervis, and her second husband Sir John Coleshill. The property is now in the possession of Sir Samuel Thomas Spry. HALSE, in his parochial history of the county, also speaks of a manor named, Tregerryn, in the parish of Padstow, as having been purchased by HUGH, his heir. Edward, of Tencreke, in Cornwall, who had issue, m. Thomas, of Tencreke, who Peter, of Mawnen, in Cornwall, John, who, in 1620, had two sons. Levithan, in Blisland. Joan, m. to Peter Burdon, esq. HUGH SPRIE, esq. of Tillond, m. Margaret, daughter of John Debill, esq. of Insworth, and had, with a daughter, Joan, the wife of John Meriel, three sons, THOMAS, Hugh, and Edward. The eldest THOMAS SPRYE, esq. of Tillond, and of Bodmin,† at which place he was living in John Nanfan in the reign of HENRY VI. and not now known as a manor. The manor and mansion house of BLISLAND, a parish near Bodmin, did also belong at this time to the family. It was granted by HENRY VII. to the Stanhopes, and passed from them successively to the families of Parker, Reynolds, and Sprye. At the period of the civil wars, William Sprye was there settled, and was so active an adherent of the royal party in his shire, that serving in Pendennis Castle, as one of its principal commanders at the time of its surrender, though comprised in the articles granted by Fairfax to its defenders, yet had his estates included, by vote of the House of Com 1620, m. Catharine, daughter of Arthur Ashford, esq. of Wonwell, in Devon, and had four sons, ARTHUR, Thomas, Henry, and Robert. The eldest, ARTHUR SPRYE, esq. was the first of the family who fixed his residence at Place, or mons, 26th October, 1652, in the bill for the sale of lands, forfeited to the Commonwealth for treason, thereon he presented the following petition to: "The Honourable the Commons, for relief upon articles, the humble Petition of William Sprye, of Blisland in the county of Cornwall, Humbly sheweth:-That your Petitioner being amongst others included in the articles made upon the rendering of Pendennis Castle, as by a list certified unto your Honours, under the hande and seale of Colonell Richard Ffortescue, commander in chiefe there now remayninge before your Honours maie appeare; by virtue whereof your Petitioner and all others comprised in the said articles bee to injoye theire estates reall and personall, they submitting to all orders and ordinances of Parliament, which your Petitioner hath done without doeing anie act whereby to forfeit the benefitt of the said articles, yet nevertheless, your Petitioners estate both reall and personall, hath ever since the makinge of the said articles, beinge now nigh seaven years, layen under sequestration duringe which tyme great waist hath beene comitted upon his estate, and together with his whole personall estate sould and all the profitts of his lands taken to the use of the Commonwealth, whereby a farr greater sum hath been raised than would accordinge to the highest proportion have paide his composition; and yet at length your Petitioner's name is returned to be putt into the Bill for sale of the inheritance of his said estate, whereby he and his family are in danger utterly to bee ruined. Palace, granted to them by HENRY VIII. It is in the parish of St. Anthony, in Roseland, which church (extra parochial) was erected and dedicated to that saint in 1124, by William, bishop of Exeter. Arthur Sprye was returned in 1660, with Mr. Cloberry, benefit of those articles eyther by omission by what was on his part to bee performed, or havinge a hande in anie new hostilitie or designe against the Parliament; with the particulars of the time, manner and other circumstances of the same, whereupon the court will proceed further as they shall thinke fitt. Tracy Paunceforte, registrar. "Edmond Toll, maketh oath that this order was delivered unto him as the order for the commissioners for reliefe upon articles of warr, by Mr. Wilson Clarke assistant of that court. Edmond Toll. "Sworn before the commissioners, 11th January, 1652.-R. M.” After this, 3rd October, 1653, a resolution of Parliament was passed permitting the composition of the parties claiming the benefit of these articles : and 13th of that month the registrar, Mr. Reading, reports on the petition of Walter Langdon, esq. according to their order of the 11th, to the commissioners for composition that : "I finde that the 3rd October, 1653, Colonell Brans, reported from the committee for petitions, "The humble petition of John Arundell, esq. of Tririse,' sometime governor of the castle of Pendennis, Richard Arundell his sonne, Walter Langdon, John Arundell, William Sprye, Henry Bidlark, and Richard Hicks, comprised in the articles granted upon the surrender of the said castle. "Which was then read; and then it was "Resolved by the Parliament, that Walter Langdon 'be admitted to composition for his estate after the rate of two years value, &c." In the list of gentry of Cornwall, annexed to the "Britannia," at the later period of 1674, are the names of George Spry, esq. of Blisland. Arthur Spry, esq. of Place, and Nicholas Spry, esq. of St. Kew. "Hee therefor humblie praies that according to the several letters of the late Lord-generall Fairfax, and the now Lord-generall Cromwell, avowing the said articles, and together with them now remayning before your Honours, you will be pleased to allow your Petitioner such benefit accordinge to theire true intent and meaning was intended him. And in order thereunto to recommend the confirmation of them to the Parliament; and in the mean tyme to staie the sale of your Pe-pied by labourers, its ancient magnificence having titioner's estate and all proceedings thereupon. And your Petitioner shall ever praie, &c. William Sprie." Upon which petition the following order was passed. Exchequer Chamber, Westminster, medons. daie, 1st December, 1652. By the commissioners appointed for reliefe upon articles of warr. Upon receiving the petition of William Sprie, it is ordered that a coppie thereof attested by the registrar of this court shall be delivered to the commissioners compounding with delinquents, who are desired to state the case as the same remains before them, with what else they shall think fitt to urge thereupon. And also to informe the court whether there remaine anie thinge before them or theire sub-courts in the countrie to evidence that the Petitioner hath lost or forfeited the The last of the family who inherited the Manor House of Blisland, which was formerly the residence of the lords of the manor, and is now occu departed with the owners of this name, was Lieutenant-general Horatio Spry, who died in October, 1811, aged eighty-two, in Hampshire, at the residence of his son-in-law Rear-admiral Falkner, who had there died two years previously in the fiftieth year of his age. This Rear-admiral Falkner, was eldest son and heir of Admiral Falkner, whose family claims a pre-eminence in the naval history of the British Isles; for from the close of the 17th century, and even previously to that time, it uniformly adorned the list of our Admiralty Board. One of Admiral Falkner's ancestors had the honour of receiving the flag of the renowned czar, Peter of Russia, when serving under Sir John Norris in the Baltic Afterwards created by CHARLES II. Baron Arundell of Trerise. M. P. for the borough of St. Mawes; and again in 1661, the first parliament after the Restoration, with Sir William Tredenham, and continued as its representative until 1678. He acted as a Commissioner of Prizes; and as such, his name is among those given in that virulent party tract of the period, Flagellum Parliamentarium," professing to record the different motives which induced nearly two hundred members of that parliament to become the mere instruments of the crown, in the exercise of their senatorial duties. He m. first, Mary, daughter of Richard Gayer, who died 4th May, 1656, and was buried in Anthony Church. He m. secondly, a daughter of — Hele, and dying in 1685, was buried in the church of Anthony, where is a stately monument to his memory, having a bust placed between two sorrowing female figures, intended to represent his two wives, and bearing the arms of Sprye, Gayer, and Hele. He left a son and successor, GEORGE SPRY, esq. of Place House, a magistrate for Cornwall at the death of GEORGE I. He m. a daughter and co-heir of Bullock, and had issue, ARTHUR, his heir. of many of the enemy's ships. In 1760, he was appointed to the Oxford, and displayed much watchful activity against those vessels of the enemy that escaped the defeat of Conflans. These and many other important services, were graciously noticed by the sovereign, to whom he was specially introduced 15th March, 1761, at St. James's. In 1766, he was made commodore, and commander of a squadron stationed in the Mediterranean, having his broad pendant on board the Jersey. In 1769, he returned to England, and in the following year was made rear-admiral of the Blue, and soon after the White. In 1775, he held a command in the fleet assembled at Portsmouth, which was reviewed by the King, who then, on the quarter deck of his ship, conferred the honour of knighthood upon Admiral Spry. Sir Richard subsequently_attained the rank of rear-admiral of the Red, and served as commander in chief on the coast of America, and in the Mediterranean, and as port-admiral at Plymouth; and was also appointed envoy to the Emperor of Morocco. He died unmarried at Place House, 1st December, 1775, was buried in Anthony Church, and succeeded by the eldest son of RICHARD, (Sir) knight, successor to his his sister Mary, his nephew, brother. Lucy. MARY, who m. Thomas Davy, esq. and had two sons and one daughter. Of the eldest son, THOMAS DAVY, Who eventually inherited the estates of SPRY, more presently. Charity. George Spry died in 1730, (on the 10th November, of which year letters of administration was granted in London, and was buried in Anthony Church), and was s. by his son, ARTHUR SPRY, esq. of Place House, at whose decease unmarried, in 1756, the estates devolved on his brother, SIR RICHARD SPRY, knight, of Place House, a distinguished admiral who accompanied Boscawen in several of his enterprising expeditions, greatly assisted in the reduction of Louisburgh, and in the capture in 1715. Rear-admiral Falkner was advanced to post rank in 1782, and promoted to his flag in 1804. He left issue by his wife, the daughter of General Horatio Spry, to whom he was m. at Titchfield, 5th March, 1789, three children, the eldest of whom, Jonathan, had just entered the royal navy, at the time of his father's death, when he was serving as a midshipman with Admiral Purvis in the Mediterranean. It is to his memory that the national monument in St. Paul's Cathedral was erected. ADMIRAL THOMAS DAVY, who, 13th April, 1779, took, by royal licence and authority, officer also distinguished himself in the the surname and arms of SPRY only. This American war, and held the rank of admiral for the long period of thirty-two years. Retiring from active service, he resided chiefly at Place House, acting as a magistrate for the county. He m. 9th February, 1796, Anna-Maria, sister and sole heiress of Samuel Thomas, esq. of Tregolls, in Cornwall, high sheriff of that county,* and by her had issue, two sons and two daughters, I. SAMUEL-THOMAS (Sir), his heir. Clements, in the deanery of Powder, and west division of that hundred, two miles from Truro, was many years in the family of THOMAS. The late Samuel Thomas, esq. who died in 1796, bequeathed it to his sister, the wife of Thomas [Davy,] Spry, esq. admiral of the white. In the parish church is a monument by Bacon, in memory of the foregoing Samuel Thomas, esq. and a tablet for Honor, wife of John Thomas, who died in 1777, aged ninety-three. The Thomases of Tregolls were a branch of the family of Thomas of Trethake, which coming from Wales, settled in * The Barton of Tregolls, in the parish of St. Cornwall, in the 16th century. Admiral Spry d. 27th November, 1828, aged seventy-four, was buried in Anthony Church, and s. by his son, the present SIR SAMUEL-THOMAS SPRY, of Place, and Tregolls, M.P. for Bodmin. Arms-Az. two bars, and achev. in chief or. Crest-A dove arg. beak and legs gu. standing on a serpent nowed ppr. Motto-Soyez Sage et Semple. Confirmed to the family 28th March, 1619, by "Sir William Segar, garter principall kinge of armes." PRINCIPAL QUARTERINGS: 1. TRENOWTH, arg. on a fesse sa. three chevronels palewise, points to the dexter arg. 2. TREVAGO, arg. on a chev. between three roundles sa. five bezants of the field. 3. TREWITHENECK, arg. a chev. and border indented sa. 4. CHEYNDUIT, gu. a lion rampant reguardant, arg. within an orle of acorns or. 5. NANFAN, sa. a chev. erm. between three dexter wings displayed arg. 6. THOMAS, arg. two swords in saltier ppr. hilts and pommels or, in chief a bunch of grapes of the second, leaved and stalked of the same. Estates-Barton of Place, and Manor of Bohorrough in St. Anthony, in Roseland, Barton of Tregolls, Trethewell with the manor of Trehear, and other estates, all in Cornwall. Seats-Place in St. Anthony, in Roseland, and Tregolls, in St. Clements. EDWARD successor to his brother. 1689; m. 1st September, 1721, to Thomas Holman, of Plymouth. Edward Sprye died at Plymouth, in 1702, and was s. by his son, JOHN SPRYE, of Millbrook, baptized at Maker, 1st March, 1691, who left by Margaret, his wife, whom he married about 1724, two daughters, Anne and Magdalen. His brother and successor, EDWARD SPRYE, of Millbrook, and of Stoke Damarell, in Devon, b. 5th March, 1695, m. at St. Germans, 3rd January, 1720, Elizabeth, daughter of T. Binney, esq. and had by her, who d. 24th July, 1745, to survive infancy, five sons and three daughters, namely, EDWARD, his heir. Binney, b. in 1729, bred to physic, d. unmarried. JOHN, successor to his brother Edward. Jane, m. at Stoke Damarell, 10th December, 1756, to William Kingdom, of Plymouth, merchant, and had three sons, and five daughters, viz. Edward Kingdom, of Plymouth, m. twice, but had no issue. William Kingdom, chief clerk of the Victualling office, London; m. and left issue. John Kingdom, secretary to the Navy office, m. but has no issue. Elizabeth Kingdom, m. 12th December, 1785, to Thomas Mudge, esq. of London, son of Thomas Mudge, the celebrated chronometer maker, and grandson of Zachariah Mudge, D.D. prebendary of Exeter, the friend of Dr. Johnson and Sir Joshua Reynolds. Ann Kingdom, m. in 1784, to Ste- Mary Kingdom, m. to Thomas Sophia Kingdom, m. toMr. Brunell, of London, the distinguished engineer, inventor of the block machine in the naval arsenal of Portsmouth, and projector of the Tunnel under the Thames. Edward Sprye, having lived to the great age of ninety-three, died at Plymouth at the residence of his son, Dr. Edward Sprye, early in February, 1788, on the 15th of which month he was interred in the burial place of his ancestors at Maker. He was s. by his eldest surviving son, EDWARD SPRYE, LL.D. &c. of Plymouth, b. in 1727, and baptized at St. Germans, 26th February, of that year. He was a |