Warwick Guy was baptized in Endellion[1] on 24 February 1748. He was the son of Mark Guy and Jone Kent, who were married in Endellion on 12 October 1740.
By the Calendar (New Style) Act 1750,[2][3] which became law on 27 May 1751, Great Britain adopted a calendar identical to the Gregorian calendar. In the 18th century (after 28 February 1700) the old style British calendar and the Gregorian calendar differed by 11 days; the changeover was effected by omitting the days from 3 September 1752 to 13 September 1752 (inclusive), so that the day after 2 September 1752 (old style) was 14 September 1752 (new style). Furthermore, the new style act made 1 January the first day of the year, rather than 25 March as previously.
By the old style calendar, Warwick was baptized on 13 February 1747 and his parents were married on 1 October 1740. Images of the relevant pages of the Endellion parish register are available online.[4][5]
Mark and Jone Guy had the following children baptized in Endellion:
The daughter Joanna was probably the Joanna Guy buried on 7 October 1743.[10]
Warwick's mother Jone died in 1750, buried in Endellion on 19 October,[11] and on 21 December 1753 his father married Ann Gray.[12] This marriage produced four children:
Since the gap between Catherine (1758) and Joan (1764) is so large, it is natural to wonder if there was another child in between. The Endellion baptism register for this period is in several places illegible or barely legible. However, the Cornwall Online Parish Clerks database[17] includes data from the Bodmin transcripts of Endellion baptisms covering this period, transcribed by Pat Balmer, and no extra child of Mark and Anne appears.
Since Warwick had half sisters named Joan and Sarah it seems likely that his full sisters Jone and Sarah died before their namesakes were born, and indeed the Endellion burial register shows that a Joan Guy and a Sarah Guy were both buried on 25 June 1758.[18] Presumably both girls died of the same cause, but what that cause was the burial register does not tell us.
Warwick's half sister Katherine is mentioned in Warwick's will (see below), though not as a beneficiary. The will specified that after Katherine's death the house in Port Isaac[19] in which Katherine lived was to pass to Warwick's daughter Ann.
Warwick's stepmother Anne was buried in Endellion on 12 January 1797,[20] and his father Mark was buried in Endellion on 27 March 1798.[21]
Warwick Guy married Grace Mallett in Endellion on 4 April 1776.[22] The marriage was by licence rather than banns. Warwick signed his name in the register, Grace made a mark.
Warwick and Grace had the following children baptized in Endellion:
Warwick Guy's wife Grace died at age 53, and was buried in Endellion on 7 January 1807.[32] Their youngest child, Richard Phillips Guy, died at age 11, buried on 25 November 1806.[33]
Warwick Guy first rented and then purchased Roscarrock Manor, near Port Isaac in Endellion. Roscarrock House is now a grade I listed building.[34]
The discussion of Endellion in the book The History of Cornwall, from the earliest records and traditions, to the present time, published in 1824, includes the following paragraph about Roscarrock:[35]
The manor of Roscarrock in this parish, which was known at the time of the Conquest, was at a very early period the property of a family of that name. In 1347 John de Roscarrock was one of the representatives of the county. In the days of Henry VlI. John Roscarrock, Esq. was sheriff of this county; another of this family enjoyed the same honour in the reign of Edward IV.; and two others during the reign of Elizabeth. This manor remained in their possession until the year 1610, when it was sold to Edward Boscawen, Esq. member of parliament for Truro, for the sum of £4000. Charles Roscarrock, Esq. by whom it was sold, is supposed to have been the last of that ancient family. Since that time this manor has been successively the property of the Earl of Westmoreland, and Dr Mean. It was purchased of the latter by Mr. Warwick Guy, the present proprietor and occupier, who had for many years been tenant of the barton.
This information was in fact out of date by the time the book was published, in 1824, since Warwick Guy died in 1819. He was buried in Endellion on 25 February 1819.[36]
The following advertisement appeared in the 25 February 1802 issue of the newspaper Trewman's Exeter Flying Post or Plymouth and Cornish Advertiser :
Perhaps it was at this time that Warwick purchased Roscarrock.
Although the newspaper advertisement reproduced above named Jonathan and Warwick Guy as the tenants of Roscarrock, Warwick's brother Jonathan had died two years earlier. Jonathan was buried in Endellion on 31 December 1799.[37]
The document The History of Port Isaac and Port Quin, written in about 1834 by Dr Frederick Trevan of Port Isaac,[38] contains a substantial amount of information about the Guy family. Of Roscarrock Dr Trevan wrote (amongst other things) "the building has been greatly altered and modernised by the present owner who purchased it about 30 years since". But at that time the owner was Warwick's son Mark; so Dr Trevan should have said "the present owner's father who purchased it 30 years since" (although the modernisations may have been mainly Mark's work).
Although Roscarrock was undoubtedly valuable as a farm, it was the fishing industry that made Warwick Guy rich. The web page Changing Fortunes at Port Gaverne tells us that "1802 saw the first interest of the Guy family in Port Gaverne when Warwick Guy leased out land to build the first fish cellar or ‘pilchard palace’ in the cove", and continues on to say that "four generations of the Guy family dominated Port Gaverne: Warwick Guy, who died in 1819; his son Mark, who died in 1851; Warwick Richard Guy (1821-1905); and finally Mark Guy, who died in 1918."[39]
The wills of Warwick Guy, his father Mark, and his brother Jonathan, are all available on the FamilySearch website.[40][41][42][43] Warwick's is transcribed below.
Mark Guy's will mentioned two estates or tenements, one called Kearn Parks (which he left to his son Jonathan) and the other Treswarrow (which he left to Warwick). He made Jonathan and Warwick joint executors of his will. Jonathan left all his lands to his brother Warwick, who was also the executor of his will.
Since there is no mention of Roscarrock in Mark's will, it would appear that Jonathan and Warwick were the first Guys to occupy Roscarrock.
This is the last Will and Testament of me Warwick Guy of Roscarrock in the Parish of St Endellion in the County of Cornwall Gentleman I give to my Daughter Joan the wife of John George the Sum of Two Hundred Pounds / if the said John George deliver up unto my Son Mark Guy a certain Deed of Trust relating to Two Overland Tenements called Kearn Parks and Cornish's Tenement otherwise Kellow's Tenement situate in the said Parish of St Endellion within one year after my decease / to be paid as in manner hereinafter mentioned, But if the said John George shall refuse or neglect to deliver up the said deed as aforesaid the said Sum of Two hundred Pounds shall revert to my Executor hereinafter named I give to my Daughter Grace the wife of Robert Pearce the Sum of Two hundred Pounds To my Daughter Katherine the wife of Samuel Worden the Sum of Two Hundred Pounds and to my Daughter Elizabeth the wife of Digory Gray the Sum of Three Hundred Pounds the said Legacies to be paid in the manner and in the proportions and at the time hereinafter mentioned / that is to say, to my Daughter Joan the wife of the said John George the Sum of One Hundred Pounds at the expiration of one year next after my decease and the Sum of One hundred Pounds at the expiration of two years next after my decease if the said John George shall deliver up the said deed as aforesaid To each of my said Daughters Grace and Katherine the Sum of One Hundred Pounds at the expiration of one year next after my decease and the Sum of One Hundred Pounds at the expiration of two years next after my decease and to my Daughter Elizabeth the wife of the said Digory Gray the Sum of One Hundred Pounds at the expiration of one year next after my decease the Sum of One Hundred Pounds at the expiration of two years next after my decease and the sum of One Hundred Pounds at the expiration of three years next after my decease and I give to each of my Daughters Joan, Grace, Katherine, Ann and Elizabeth during their respective natural lives one clear annuity or Sum of Ten Pounds of lawful money of Great Britain to be issuing and payable out of all that my Barton Lands Hereditaments and Premises called Roscarrock situate lying and being in the said Parish of St Endellion by half yearly payments without any deduction or abatement for or by reason of any Parliamentary or other Taxes whatsoever for their Sole separate and respective uses exclusive of their said Husbands and not to be subject nor liable to their debts management or control and the respective receipts of my said Daughters only to be sufficient discharges for the same the first half yearly payment of the said Sums or Annuities to be made and paid to my said Daughters respectively at the expiration of six calendar months next after my decease But if the said yearly Sums or Annuities or either of them or any part thereof shall be in arrear by the space of twenty eight days [Warwick Guy] after the same ought to be paid as aforesaid it shall and may be lawful to and for my said Daughters or either of them to whom the said Sums or Annuities shall be so in arrear respectively into and upon the said Barton Lands Hereditaments and Premises or any part thereof to enter and distrain for the said Yearly Sums or Annuities or so much thereof as shall be in arrear and unpaid and the distress and distresses then and there taken to lead drive carry away and inpound and sell according to Law as in cases of Distress for rent reserved by Lease or common demise I give to my Granddaughter Sarah Guy Brown the Sum of Two Hundred Pounds to be paid in manner hereinafter mentioned, that is to say, the Sum of One Hundred Pounds at the expiration of one year after my decease and the Sum of One Hundred Pounds at the expiration of two years next after my decease I also give to my said Granddaughter Sarah Guy Brown one clear yearly Sum or Annuity of Ten Pounds of lawful money of Great Britain to be issuing and payable out of all those my Freehold Estate Lands Hereditaments and Premises in and called Treswarrow situate lying and being in the said Parish of St Endellion, I give to my Servant Ann Kittoe one clear yearly Sum or Annuity of Five Pounds of lawful money of Great Britain to be issuing and payable out of all those my said Freehold Estates Lands Hereditaments and Premises in and called Treswarrow the said last mentioned two Annuities or yearly Sums to be paid by half yearly payments without deduction or abatement for or by reason of any parliamentary or other taxes whatsoever the first half yearly payment of the said two last mentioned yearly Sums or Annuities to be made respectively at the expiration of Six Months next after my decease But if the said two last mentioned annuities or either of them shall be in arrear and unpaid by the space of twenty eight days after the same ought to be paid as aforesaid it shall and may be lawful to and for the said two last mentioned Annuitants or either of them to whom the said yearly Sums or Annuities or any part thereof shall be so in arrear respectively into and upon the said Freehold Estates Lands Hereditaments and Premises called Treswarrow or any part thereof to enter and distrain for the said yearly Sums or Annuities or so much thereof as shall be in arrear and unpaid and the distress and distresses then and there found and taken to lead drive carry away and impound and sell according to Law as in cases of distress for Rent reserved by Lease or common demise I give to my said Servant Ann Kittoe the Sum of Five Pounds it is my wish and I do hereby give the Custody tuition and guardianship of my Granddaughter Sarah Guy Brown to my Son Mark Guy during her minority if she should be under the age of twenty one years at the time of my death and if she my said Granddaughter should happen to died before attaining the age of twenty one years the said sum of Two Hundred [Warwick Guy] Pounds so given to my said granddaughter shall be divided equally between my Grandchildren Jonathan and Grace Brown I give and devise to my said Daughter Ann Guy her Heirs and Assigns forever (after the death of my Sister Katherine Billing) all that one dwelling House together with a Garden behind the same and a Cellar adjoining the said Dwelling House situate and being in Port Isaac in the said Parish of St Endellion and now in the occupation of the said Katherine Billing I give and devise (subject to and charged with the Payment of the said yearly Sums or annuities of Ten Pounds hereinbefore granted unto my Granddaughter Sarah Guy Brown and Five Pounds to my Servant Ann Kittoe) unto my Son Jonathan Guy his Heirs and Assigns forever all those my Freehold Estate and Estates Lands Hereditaments and Premises with the Appurtenances called Treswarrow situate and being in the said Parish of St Endellion and now in the occupation of the said Jonathan Guy he the said Jonathan Guy paying Rent for the same to my Executor hereinafter named up to the Michaelmas next after my decease after the rate he now pays for the same Premises I give and devise all that my Freehold Estate Lands Hereditaments and Premises with the appurtenances called or known by the name Trecrege otherwise Trecredge situate and lying in the said Parish of St Endellion and also All that Field or Close of Land called Trevithicks Meadow otherwise Woons Field situate and being in or near the Village of Trewethick in the said Parish of St Endellion unto my Son Warwick Guy his heirs and Assigns forever He the said Warwick Guy paying Rent for the same unto my Executor hereinafter named up to the Michaelmas next after my decease after the rate he now pays for the same premises I give and devise (subject to and charged with the payment of all my just debts funeral charges and expences and the payment of all the Annuities granted by this my Will (except the Annuities hereinbefore granted to my Granddaughter Sarah Guy Brown and to my Servant Ann Kittoe) and also with the payment of all the Legacies hereinbefore given and bequeathed unto my Son Mark Guy his Heirs and Assigns forever All that my Barton Messuages Lands Tenements Hereditaments and premises with the Appurtenances called or known by the name of Roscarrock situate lying and being in the said Parish of St Endellion And I give and devise all other my Messuages Lands Tenements Hereditaments and Premises with the Appurtenances whatsoever and wheresoever not hereinbefore given and devised and all my Personal estate and Effects Goods and Chattels of what kind or nature soever not hereinbefore bequeathed to my said Son Mark Guy his heirs Executors [Warwick Guy] Administrators and Assigns forever And lastly I do hereby nominate constitute and appoint my said Son Mark Guy Executor of this my last Will and Testament In Witness whereof I the said Warwick Guy the Testator have to the three first sheets of this my Will (the whole whereof is contained in four sheets of paper) set my hand and to this the last sheet my hand and seal this twenty third day of October One thousand eight hundred and seventeen.
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