John Wrey

It has been suggested that the family took its name from the estate of Wray in the parish of Moretonhampstead in Devon,[9][10][11] 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.[12]

According to Pole, William Wray held the estate of "Northwike" (in the parish of South Tawton,[13] called "North Week" by Risdon[14]) 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)[15] 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".[16] 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,[17] not dissimilar to the arms of the Wrey Baronets. The mediaeval mansion of North Wyke[18] 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)[19] Vivian (1895) gives the pedigree of Wykes of Northwyke, in which the descent is as follows:[20]

• William Wray of Northwyke, alive in 1242.
• Walter de Wray of Northwyke (son), living in 1277
• Roger de Wray of Northwyke (son)
• Walter de Wray of Northwyke (son)
• Roger de Wray of Northwyke (son), living in 1345. His eldest son was John Wyke, Sheriff of Devon in 1402, and his second son and heir was William Wyke of Northwyke, who during the reign of King Richard II (1377–1399) abandoned the surname Wray in favour of Wyke.

The estate of North Russell was given by Pole as North Trussell.[21] The River Thrushell[22] rises near Bridestow, and runs near Sourton, both within the historic hundred of Lifton. North Russell Farm[23] 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:

• Robert le Wrey, living in 1136, who married Sibyl Abbot, daughter of Ralph Abbot
• William le Wrey (son), who married Alice Kelley, daughter of John Kelley of Brodewood
• Elias I le Wrey (son)
• Elias II le Wrey (son), who married Joane Holwaye, daughter and heiress of Nicholas Holwaye
• Richard le Wrey, who married Joane Morris, sister and heiress of John Morris
• Stephen le Wrey (son)
• Thomas le Wrey (son), who married Elizabeth Yeo, daughter of Robert Yeo
• Walter le Wrey (son) who married Constance Shylston, daughter of John Shylston
• William Wrey (son) of North Russel
• Walter Wrey (son)
• Robert Wrey (son) of North Russel
• Walter Wrey (son) of North Russel, who married Bridget Shylston, daughter of Robert Shylston
• John Wrey, Esquire, who married Blanch Killigrew, daughter and heiress of Henry Killigrew

• John Wrey, eldest son, who 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 Cornwalll 1567-8. She was the widow of Sir John Fulford, of Fulford, in Devon. The arms of Smith of Totnes Barry undé of sixteen argent and azure, on a chief gules three barnacles or[27] are shown on the front of the chest tomb of John Wrey in Tawstock Church, impaled by Wrey. Without issue.

Arms of Sir William Wrey, 1st Baronet impaling Courtenay of Powderham, Detail from monument of his father John Wrey (d.1597) in Tawstock Church

• Sir William Wrey, 1st Baronet (d.1636), 2nd son, who succeeded his father at Trebitch, and was High Sheriff of Cornwall in 1598.[28] He was created a baronet by King Charles I in 1628.[29] He was described by Carew (1602)[30] as a man of hospitality, and a general welcomer of his friends and neighbours. He was knighted at Whitehall on 27 July 1603 before the Coronation of King James I. He married Elizabeth Courtenay, a daughter of Sir William V Courtenay (1553–1630) of Powderham in Devon, by whom he had a son Sir William Wrey, 2nd Baronet (1600–1645) who in about 1624 married Elizabeth Chichester, daughter of Edward Chichester, 1st Viscount Chichester (1568–1648) of Eggesford in Devon.[31] The 2nd Baronet left an only son and heir Sir Chichester Wrey, 3rd Baronet (1628–1668) of Trebitch, MP for Lostwithiel.
• Edmond Wrey, 3rd son, who married Katherine Prye, 2nd daughter of Roger Prye of Horwell in the parish of Colebrooke, Devon.[32] Katherine's eldest brother Richard Prye married Edward's niece Diana Coryton, daughter of his sister Jane Wrey and her husband Peter Coryton.[33]
• Arthur Wrey, who married Joyce Harris, daughter and heir of Tristram Harris of Hayne
• Robert Wrey, who died without issue.
• George Wrey, died without issue.

• Philippa Wrey, wife of George Upton of Puslinch, Yealmpton, Devon.[34]
• Jane Wrey, wife of Peter Coryton, Esquire, of Coryton, in Lifton Hundred, Devon and West Newton Ferrers, St Mellion, Cornwall.[35] The family of Coryton was said by Risdon to be of "great antiquity"[36] and later built Pentillie Castle on their manor near St Mellion. Jane's son was William Coryton (1580 – 1651) of West Newton Ferrers, MP for Cornwall in 1624, 1626 and 1628, for Liskeard in 1625, for Grampound in 1640 and for Launceston 1640–41.[37] Her grandson was Sir John Coryton, 1st Baronet (1621–1680). Peter Coryton had been forbidden by his father Richard Coryton (d.1564) to marry Jane Wrey, on pain of being disinherited. Shortly before the necessary legal document had been drawn up, Richard was murdered by two of his own servants, it is suspected on orders from his son Peter. Following his father's death Peter married Jane Wrey and inherited his father's estates, valued at £2,000 per annum. At the execution of one of the murderers at Launceston was present Edmond Wrey, Jane's brother, "seene att the place of execution with a black box under his arme in the sight of the malefactor who was cast over wth speed wth out any confession".[38] The murder is related in a petition dated about 1644 to the King by John Coryton of Probus, Cornwall,[39] Peter's great-nephew, and it features in one of the tales by Sabine Baring-Gould (d.1924) in his Cornish Characters and Strange Events (1909), pp. 388–398.