Cornwall

County

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1558-1603, ed. P.W. Hasler, 1981
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Elections

DateCandidate
1558/9JOHN TRELAWNY 1
 RICHARD CHAMOND 2
14 Dec. 1562PETER EDGECOMBE
 JOHN TRELAWNY
1566RICHARD CHAMOND vice Trelawny, deceased3
1571RICHARD GRENVILLE II
 WILLIAM MOHUN
1572PETER EDGECOMBE
 RICHARD CHAMOND
Nov. 1584(SIR) RICHARD GRENVlLLE II
 (SIR) WILLIAM MOHUN
1586(SIR) WILLIAM MOHUN
 PETER EDGECOMBE
11 Nov. 1588SIR FRANCIS GODOLPHIN
 PETER EDGECOMBE
1593SIR WILLIAM BEVlLL
 PETER EDGECOMBE
3 Oct. 1597WILLIAM KILLIGREW
 JONATHAN TRELAWNY
28 Sept. 1601(SIR) WALTER RALEGH
 JOHN ARUNDELL

Main Article

John Trelawny of Menheniot (1559, 1563) was descended from an old Cornish family and closely related to the Courtenays, earls of Devon. Richard Chamond of Launcells (1559, 1563, 1572) had already represented the county twice in previous reigns. As sheriff (1562-3) he was unable to stand at the general election in 1563, but came in at a by-election in 1566 caused by Trelawny’s death. Chamond’s being sheriff enabled Peter Edgecombe to win his first county seat in 1563. He had just succeeded to his father’s estates of Mount Edgecumbe and Cotehele, and was one of the 2nd Earl of Bedford’s supporters in Cornwall. He later served as deputy lieutenant in the county. He represented Cornwall five times during this period (1563, 1572, 1586, 1589, 1593) and was also one of the comparatively few Elizabethan gentlemen to sit for more than one county (Devon 1571). In both 1571 and 1584 Cornwall was represented by Richard Grenville II of Stowe and William Mohun of Hall and Boconnoc. Both came from old and well-connected Cornish families, were friends and supporters of the 2nd Earl of Bedford, and were at some time deputy lieutenants of the shire. Mohun, who sat again in 1586, married the widow of John Trelawny of Menheniot, the 1559 MP. Sir Francis Godolphin of Godolphin (1589), a leading duchy of Cornwall official and deputy lieutenant, was related to his fellow MP, Peter Edgecombe. Sir William Bevill of Killygarth (1593) was also related to many Cornish gentry families and was an obvious choice to take a turn as knight of the shire. After 1593 Peter Edgecombe retired from Parliament, probably on account of his straitened financial situation. The gap left by Edgecombe’s retirement may account for the return of William Killigrew, who had been struck off the Cornish commission of the peace, presumably on grounds of nonresidence, in 1587. The Killigrews had not gained a county seat before, and the family reputation was at a low ebb in Cornwall owing to the unruly behaviour of the two John Killigrews, so William’s election must be attributed to his and his brother Henry’s standing at court. The other county Member was Jonathan Trelawny, son and heir of the 1559 man. Again in 1601 a courtier took the senior seat. Ralegh was pre-eminent in the west country, and especially in Cornwall, as lord lieutenant of the county and warden of the stannaries. He was also closely related to many of the leading west country families. By sitting for Cornwall in 1601, Ralegh achieved the unique record in this period of sitting for three counties. John Arundell of Trerice, his fellow-Member, had succeeded to his estates in 1580, but owing to lengthy disputes about the settlement of the lands, he had only recently begun to play a full part in county affairs.

Author: M.A.P.

Notes

  • 1. E371/402(1).
  • 2. Ibid.
  • 3. Folger V. b. 298.