Sir William Wrey, 1st Baronet

Sir William Wrey, 1st Baronet (died 1636) of Trebeigh, St Ive, Cornwall and North Russell, Sourton, Devon, was High Sheriff of Cornwall in 1598[2] and was created a baronet by King Charles I in 1628.

[3] He was the second son of John Wrey (d.1597) by his wife Blanch Killigrew (d.1595), heiress of Trebeigh, daughter and heiress of Henry Killigrew, Esquire, of Woolstone, in the parish of Poundstock, near St Ive, in Cornwall.

[4] William succeeded his childless elder brother John II Wrey, who had married (as her 3rd husband) Eleanor Smith, daughter and heiress of Bernard Smith (c.1522-1591), Esquire, of Totnes in Devon, MP for Totnes in 1558 and mayor of Totnes 1549-50 and c.1565-6 also was escheator of Devon and Cornwall 1567-8.

[8] He was described by Carew (1602)[9] as a man of hospitality, and a general welcomer of his friends and neighbours.

He married (as his 2nd wife[11])Elizabeth Courtenay,[12] a daughter of Sir William V Courtenay (1553–1630) of Powderham in Devon (by his wife Elizabeth Manners, daughter of Henry Manners, 2nd Earl of Rutland (1526-1563)) by whom he had an only son and heir:

Arms of Wrey of Trebeigh, Cornwall and Tawstock, Devon: Sable, a fesse between three pole-axes argent helved gules [ 1 ]
Arms of Sir William Wrey, 1st Baronet impaling Courtenay of Powderham, detail from monument to his father John Wrey (d.1597) in Tawstock Church, Devon, formerly in St Ive Church, Cornwall [ 10 ]