RICHARD CORYN (1530?-1582?), son of Michaell Coryn was probably born about 1530. In the Harleian MS 1079, ff.5 and 143, he is described as 'of Kenwyn'. However, it is likely that he lived in St Gerrans. Between 1564 and 1571 there are several references to "servants of Richard Coryn" in the parish register.
Richard seems to have been one of the richer inhabitants, as the Muster Roll of 1569 assessed him as being liable to provide 'a pair of almain rivets, a bow and a sheaf of arrows.' His son John was born in St Gerrans, and named St Gerrans as his home parish in 1590 when he married. His daughter Alice was also married there in 1582, which also suggests a connection with the parish.
Richard married Elizabeth Vivyan. She was daughter of John Vivyan, and niece of Thomas Vivyan, Prior of Bodmin. It may be through her that the Coryn family acquired lands and interests around Bodmin(7).
Bodmin was granted borough status by Queen Elizabeth in 1563 (Elizabeth was in the habit of ensuring support for herself in Parliament by granting charters of incorporation to suitable boroughs.) One of the original burgesses was a Richard Coryn, and it seems quite likely that our Richard was he(8).
He probably died in 1582 and was buried at St Gerrans on 29 May. His daughter Alice married four weeks later.
According to the pedigree in the Visitation Returns, Richard and Elizabeth Coryn had a daughter, Alice, and a son, John.
ALICE CORYN (1560?-after 1619) married Pentecoste Woolcocke, the son of Pascow Woolcocke of St Just in Roseland, at St Gerrans on 26 June 1582 a month after her father's death(9). She was widowed after seven years: Pentecoste was buried at St Gerrans on 30 July 1589. On 7 October 1597, Alice married again, this time to Alexander Nicholas. She was widowed again before 1619, when her brother left her a two-year-old heifer in his will.
JOHN CORIN (1564-1619), see next.
Possibly MARGARET CORYN (1560?-?). A Margaret Coryn married Edward Coffyn at St Gerrans on 19 February 1575.