Lanyon Manor, Coswyn or Coswynwullard, Lanyon, Gwinear

Gwinear Parish

Gwinear became the

home for the senior branch of the family. Their seat was known as Coswyn

or Coswynwullard and later was renamed Lanyon Manor.

The rental or survey of Connerton Manor in Gwithian dated 14 July 1463 and states:-

“John Lanyeyn

namely John Hicka, 2 Cornish acres in Coswyn.” (Cornish acres are much

larger). John Hicka married the heiress Joan Lanyeyn and became John

Hicka Alias Lanyeyn.

In the late 16th

century Coswyn was renamed Lanyon and in 1688 Tobias Lanyon rebuilt the

house in the French style.  Oriel chamber over the porch. The family

custom was to bring their dead and light a fire and keep it burning

constantly until they were buried. This ancient custom was observed for

Mrs Ann Lanion who died 21 Oct 1829, the last of the family to die at

Lanyon in Gwinear.

Rev. T Taylor

prepared a second volume of the Victoria County History of Cornwall. The

unpublished work is at the Royal Institution of Cornwall. He states:-

“Lanyon in this

parish must be distinguished from the place of the same name in Madron,

both of which were seats of the Lanyon family. In the latter half of the

16th century Edward Lanyon, a younger brother of John Lanyon of Madron,

is found living at Coswin in Gwinear (Feet of Fines Michaelmas 41

Elizabeth). The position which Coswin occupies on Norden’s map, and the

fact that in deeds of conveyance (Visitation of Cornwall 1620. Harl MS

1162) made in 1786 the estate is described as “Coswyn Woolva otherwise

Coswyn Wellard otherwise Lanyon” renders it probable that when the

mansion was built (Feet of Fines Trinity 44 Eliz) at Coswin in 1668 the

name was changed to Lanyon. (The Rent Roll of Connerton given in Bowles’

History of Penwith (the date of which may be as early as 1637 and

cannot be later than 1673) states that Tobias Lanyon, the builder of

Lanyon, was living at Coswin Wolver, and paid yearly 7s 11d to the manor

of Connerton. No high rent is now paid for Lanyon.”