Henry Nance - Margery Basset Descendants
A Crouch Family Heritage Association Family
Tree page, Nance family line
Quoted from "Genealogy of the Nances in Cornwall" by Martin L.
"Pete" Nance, 1970.
Text excerpted from Dave Nance's Definitive Nance
Genealogy Clearinghouse
VII.a. Henry Nance, Esquire, of Nance in Illogan, son of MARGERY
ARUNDELL and JOHN NANCE; born 1556, baptised 1557, died 1625, married
1610 (age 54) Margery Basset, daughter of Sir James Basset of Tehidy in
Illogan and high sheriff of Cornwall. The parents of five children, their
births and deaths in the Parish records. The four oldest children died young
without heirs. The youngest was Henry, born ca 1622-23, became heir by law
to the estate upon reaching his majority (21 years). Prior to this, the
Bassets Of Tehidy were his guardians and naturally controlled the Nance
fortune. During the civil war ca 1645, the Bassets were staunch royalists,
as were most of the other adult members of the Cornish gentry. After Cromwell's
victory, those loyal to the crown suffered the loss of their estates. Doubtless,
Henry was caught in the vacuum with the Basset uncles. When Charles regained
the throne, the Cornish estates were returned to the previous owners, however,
one can imagine how some of the gentry must have become debt laden during
that time they received no revenue from their estates, and it is safe to
say that here is when the decline of the Nance fortune began.
Here, then, are the children of Henry Nance (the father, not the
son):
VIII.a. John Nance, 1614-1638, no heirs.
VIII.b. Kathryn Nance, 1615-1616.
VIII.c. Arthur Nance, 1617-1637. No heirs.
VIII.d. Margarent Nance, 1621-1621.
VIII.e. Henry Nance, 1622-1660, became of age to the Nance fortune during
the rule of parliament and troubled times in Cornwall. He married 1650 Luce
Hele, had one son:
IX John Nance, Esquire, 1652-1724,(only child of Henry Nance,
Jr., Esquire, and his wife Luce Hele.) As heir by law, he inherited the
bulk of the Nance estate and fortune amassed by his great-great-grandfather,
Henry Trengove, Esq. of Nans in Illogan in 1660 at the age of eight years.
By the time he was 27 years old he had squandered his birthright, become
heavily in debt, forced to sell the many Nance properties including Nance
in Illogan, moved to Warleggon ca 1679, and apparently purchased Trengoff,
as this was never shown in previous records as being Nance property. He
had five sons by his wife dorothy chester, all died without heirs. It is
said that Mrs. Nance as well as her son, when he became of age, knew little
of the value of money, and proceeded to spend same much in excess of their
income. This finally caught up with them and they began to sell the Nance
estates, one by one, until about 1678-79 they had disposed of or lost all
of their real estate except Nance and a few tin holdings, the last under
mortgage. The family moved to Warleggon where they purchased more land and
later sold Nance. A personal letter concerning this new land mentioned no
place names but it is now apparent this new place was Trengoff. It is with
this generation that we can safely say, "the Nance fortune was squandered
away." There were five sons born to John Nance, Esquire, of Trengoff
and his wife Dorothy Chester:
X. Chester, Henry, John, William and John II. All died
without heirs. The youngest John, 1694-1772, first married Elizabeth, second
married Mary Gooch. The males of this branch known as the Illogan-Warleggon
family became extinct march 18, 1772 at the death of John Nance, Esquire.
His widow later married the Rev. Francis Cole, vicar of Luxwallen. At her
death Trengoff passed on to the Rev. Cole as heir at law. It is said that
when the name died out, some of the tenants who were named "Trengove"
took the last name of Nance so that it would continue. But that may have
instead been on the farm called "Nance" in Illogan.
How to contribute information or links
|| Search Crouch Family Tree || Sources
and Authorities
Crouch Family Heritage
Association
Permission granted to copy or use information
Crouchmas is May 3