John Wrey Explained

John Wrey (died 1597) of North Russell, Sourton, and Bridestowe[1] in Devon and Trebeigh, St Ive, Cornwall, was Sheriff of Cornwall in 1587.[2]

Origins

He was the son and heir of Walter Wrey of North Russell by his wife Bridget Shilstone, daughter of Robert Shilstone.[3] A branch of the Shilstone family (which took its name (originally de Shilston) from the manor of Shilston, anciently Shilfeston, in the parish of Drews Teignton, Devon[4]) was seated at this period within the parish of Bridestowe, near North Russell. Elizabeth Shilstone (d.1605), the only daughter and heiress of (another) "Robert Shilstone of Bridestowe", married Sir Peter Courtenay (d.1552) of Ugbrooke, Sheriff of Devon in 1548/9, 2nd son of Sir William III Courtenay (1477–1535) "The Great", of Powderham.[5] Pole also mentions, without context, a certain "Sir Robert Shilston of Woode", who bore the same arms as Shilston of Shilston: Ermine, a saltire azure between four cross-crosslets(/patées) fitchée sable.[6]

Wrey Family origins

The le Wrey family was believed by Betham (1771), due to its unusual prefixed adjunct, to have taken its name from some office of unidentified duties, "the wrey". At least three historic estates, all in South Devon near to Okehampton and Dartmoor, have been suggested by various sources to have been the origin of the Wrey family, later Wrey Baronets:

Wray, Moretonhampstead

It has been suggested that the family took its name from the estate of Wray in the parish of Moretonhampstead in Devon,[7] [8] [9] in which case the ancient name would have been de Wrey. However, the Moretonhampstead History Society in its history of the existing "Wray Barton", on the Wray Brook about 1 mile south-east of Moretonhampstead, omits mention of any connection to the Wrey Baronets.[10]

North Wyke, South Tawton

According to Pole, William Wray held the estate of "Northwike" (in the parish of South Tawton,[11] called "North Week" by Risdon[12]) during the reign of King Henry III (1217–1272) which was retained by his male descendants who changed their surname to Wike during the reign of King Richard II (1377–1399)[13] Risdon however stated the estate of North Week to have been held during the reign of King Henry III by William de Wigorin alias Chamberlain, "whose posterity assumed the name of Week from their dwelling".[14] In 1661 John Wykes (d.1661) of Northwyke settled the estate of Northwyke onto Richard Weekes (1656–1696), son and heir of Richard Weekes (d.1670) of Hatherleigh, descended from the family of Weekes of Honichurch. The arms of de Wray/Wykes were: Ermine, three battleaxes sable,[15] not dissimilar to the arms of the Wrey Baronets. The mediaeval mansion of North Wyke[16] survives in the parish of South Tawton, and in St Andrew's Church, South Tawton, survives the effigy of the armed warrior John Wykes (c.1520–1591)[17] Vivian (1895) gives the pedigree of Wykes of Northwyke, in which the descent is as follows:[18]

North Russell, Sourton

The estate of North Russell was given by Pole as North Trussell.[19] The River Thrushell[20] rises near Bridestow, and runs near Sourton, both within the historic hundred of Lifton. North Russell Farm[21] today is situated on the north bank of the River Thrushell, about 6 miles south-west of Okehampton. Betham (1771) traced the ancestry as follows:

Career

John Wrey was High Sheriff of Cornwall in 1585.[22]

Marriage and progeny

John Wrey married Blanch Killigrew (d.1595), daughter and heiress of Henry Killigrew, Esquire, of Woolstone, in the parish of Poundstock, near St Ive, in Cornwall, by his wife a daughter and co-heiress of the prominent Trelawny family. She was heiress to large possessions,[23] and the lordship of the manor of Trebeigh (anciently Trebitch), in the parish of St Ive, Cornwall, which became thenceforward their capital mansion.[23] By Blanch he had the following progeny, six sons and two daughters,[23] the arms of whose respective spouses are shown on the top tier of the three tiered reredos on the monument to John Wrey in Tawstock Church:

Sons

Daughters

Monument at Tawstock

The large monument to John Wrey and his wife Blanche Killigrew exists in St Peter's Church, Tawstock, against the east wall of the north transept. It takes the form of a gothic altar tomb with three-tiered altarpiece or reredos behind, the lowest tier of which resembles a triptych. It was moved from St Ive Church in Cornwall in 1924 by Sir Philip Bourchier Sherard Wrey, 12th Baronet (1858–1936), of Tawstock Court.[37] It consists of a large slate chest tomb with a large slate back-plate behind and above, on which are shown in relief kneeling figures of Wrey and his wife. The monument displays much heraldry. The large slate slab on top of the chest tomb is inscribed within a ledger line thus:[38]

Ye body of John Wrey Esquier who was buried ye 9th of June Ano Domini 1597 Heere lieth the body of Blannch Wrey who was buried ye 16 of December 1595
On the left panel of the triptych is inscribed the following verse:
Loe here he lieth though dead yet living still,
His famous name resounding echo saye,
Whereby report of hym the ayre doth fyll
The lastinge fame & name of rightful Wreye,
Good to ye poore bribes never woulde he take,
Voyde of oppression all kind of waye,
He faithful frynds of enemyes did make,
Of quarels greate ceast lawe ech daye by daye.
Death doe they worst this Wreye yet lives & shall,
Thy darte his deeds cannot extyrpe or quayle.
Thousands are they which thou hast causde to fall,
And yet on hym no waye thou canst prevayle.
What resteth then but cease to mourne & moane
For hym whose vertues shine like to the sonne.
Though here he lieth his Sowle to Heave is gone,
Where Angells see hym though his threads be spoone.[39]

Sources

Notes and References

  1. Pole, p.345
  2. Betham, William, Baronetage of England, Vol.1, 1801, pp.320–323
  3. Vivian, 1887, p.564
  4. Risdon, p.128
  5. Vivian, 1895, p.247
  6. [William Pole (antiquary)|Pole, Sir William]
  7. Betham, 1771, vol.1, p.300
  8. Web site: WREY, William (c.1601-1645), of Trebigh, St. Ive, Cornw. - History of Parliament Online. Historyofparliamentonline.org. 24 February 2019.
  9. Pole, p.263: "Wray lieth in this parish (i.e. Moreton), sometyme belonging unto yt name..."
  10. Web site: Moretonhampstead History Society. "The small manor of Wray was held in about 1285 by William de Chevereston (or de Wray), who held it of John de Humphraville, who held it of the King. It passed on the marriage of the co-heiress into the Abbot family in the fourteenth century; from them it descended as shown in the Visitations of Devon". 24 February 2019.
  11. Pole, p.243
  12. [Tristram Risdon|Risdon, Tristram]
  13. Pole, p.521
  14. Risdon, p.290
  15. [John Lambrick Vivian|Vivian, Lt.Col. J.L.]
  16. Pevsner, pp.605–6
  17. Vivian, 1895, p.825; Pevsner, p.752
  18. Vivian, 1895, p.825
  19. Pole, p.509
  20. Risdon, p.227
  21. Web site: Members Login - Devon Planning Applications - CPRE Devon. 24 February 2019.
  22. [Regnal year|Anno 28 Eliz]
  23. Betham, p.301
  24. Pole, Sir William (d.1635), Collections Towards a Description of the County of Devon, London, 1791, p.502, blazoned as Barry unde of six argent and azure on a chief gules three barnacles or. Shown at Tawstock as Barry unde of sixteen argent and azure on a chief gules three barnacles or
  25. regnal year 41 Elizabeth, per Betham, p.301
  26. Betham incorrectly gives his son as the 1st baronet
  27. [Richard Carew (antiquary)|Carew, Richard]
  28. 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
  29. Vivian (1895), p.631, pedigree of Prye of Horwell; given erroneously by Betham as "Jane ap Howel, daughter of Price ap Howel"
  30. Vivian, p.631, pedigree of Prye of Horwell
  31. Vivian, 1885, p.743, pedigree of Upton
  32. Vivian, 1885, p.351;Anne & Hunneyball, Paul, biography of Coryton (Currington), William (1579–1651), of West Newton Ferrers, St. Mellion, Cornwall, published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1604–1629, ed. Andrew Thrush and John P. Ferris, 2010
  33. Risdon, p.226
  34. Duffin & Hunneyball
  35. Cornwall Record Office, Coryton of Pentillie, CY/7043
  36. Cornwall Record Office, Coryton of Pentillie, CY/7043, undated,http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/records.aspx?cat=021-cy_4&cid=-1#-1 "To The Right Honneable [...] houses of parliament now sittinge att Westminster, The Humble petticion of John Coryton of the parish of Probus in the County of Cornwall, gent: A great sufferer for And in his Ma'ties Clause"[]
  37. Pevsner, p.790
  38. Web site: Tawstock Effigies and Mural Monuments. Sites.rootsweb.com. 24 February 2019.
  39. A reference to Atropos of Greek mythology, the eldest of the Three Fates, who ended the life of each mortal by cutting their thread with her "abhorred shears." She worked with her two sisters, Clotho, who spun the thread, and Lachesis, who measured out the length.

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