Chichester Wrey


Sir Chichester Wrey, 3rd Baronet of Trebeigh in the parish of St Ive, Cornwall and of North Russell in the parish of Sourton, Devon, was an active Royalist during the Civil War and was Colonel of the Duke of York's Regiment and served as Governor of Sheerness.

Origins

He was the eldest son and heir of Sir William Wrey, 2nd Baronet of Trebeigh in the parish of St Ive, Cornwall and of North Russell in the parish of Sourton, Devon, a Member of Parliament for Liskeard, Cornwall, in 1624. At the start of the Civil War the 2nd Baronet was a Royalist and in 1642 was appointed a Commissioner of Array in Cornwall, responsible for raising local militia troops for the King's army. His mother was the 2nd Baronet's wife Elizabeth Chichester, daughter of Edward Chichester, 1st Viscount Chichester of Eggesford in Devon.

Career

During the Civil War, like his father, he was an active Royalist and fought for the King's cause with much bravery, and was knighted by King Charles I at Bristol Castle on 3 August 1643. He succeeded to the baronetcy on his father's death in 1645, during the Civil War. He was Colonel of the Duke of York's Regiment and served as Governor of Sheerness.
After the Restoration of the Monarchy he was elected to the Cavalier Parliament in 1661 as a member for Lostwithiel in Cornwall, sitting until his death in 1668.

Marriage and children

He married Lady Anne Bourchier, the third daughter and eventual co-heiress of Edward Bourchier, 4th Earl of Bath of Tawstock Court in North Devon, and widow of James Cranfield, 2nd Earl of Middlesex. The Wreys had been seated for several generations at the manor of Trebigh, but by the marriage of Sir Chichester Wrey with Lady Anne Bourchier, and following the death without children of Henry Bourchier, 5th Earl of Bath, they inherited the manor of Tawstock, thenceforth the family seat, and several other estates. By his wife he had children as follows: