Samuel Enys
Encyclopedia
Samuel Enys was an English merchant and politician who sat in the House of Commons
in 1660.
Enys was the third son of John Enys of Enys and his wife Winifred Rise, daughter of Thomas Rise of Trewardreva, Constantine. When he was 16, he was apprenticed to an English merchant at San Sebastian
. At the start of the English Civil War
he fought a duel "maintaining the King’s honour and dignity" and when he visited England in 1642, he provisioned a kinsman to fight in the Royalist
army. He was imprisoned in the parliamentary garrison at Plymouth and was released through the intervention of John St Aubyn and a loan of £100. He stayed abroad until after the last Royalist stronghold in Cornwall at Pendennis surrendered. He became one of the most successful merchants in Penryn and Falmouth and purchased lands to enlarge the family estate. Before the restoration he gave money to support the exiled court and in 1659 arranged the purchase of 300 guns in France which were stored at Trelawne. However the advance of George Monck into England avoided the need to use them.
In April 1660, Enys was elected Member of Parliament
for Penryn
although there were objections that he was a cavalier on account of the duel he fought. He was captain of militia for Cornwall from April 1660 to 1664. In 1661 he was appointed joint farmer of tin coinage for the Duchy of Cornwall at a rent of £2000 per year, but ran into conflict with James Robyns
the say-master and the farm was sub-let in 1664. He was commissioner for assessment for Cornwall from 1661 to 1680. In 1670 he became J.P.
for Cornwall. He became an alderman at Penryn in 1685 remaining until October 1688 and became commissioner for assessment again for the year 1689 to 1690.
Enys died at the age of 86 and was buried at Gluvias.
Enys married Elizabeth Pendarves, daughter of Samuel Pendarves of Roskrow, Gluvias on 5 July 1647. They had six sons and a daughter. His wife died on 28 May 1705.
House of Commons of England
The House of Commons of England was the lower house of the Parliament of England from its development in the 14th century to the union of England and Scotland in 1707, when it was replaced by the House of Commons of Great Britain...
in 1660.
Enys was the third son of John Enys of Enys and his wife Winifred Rise, daughter of Thomas Rise of Trewardreva, Constantine. When he was 16, he was apprenticed to an English merchant at San Sebastian
San Sebastián
Donostia-San Sebastián is a city and municipality located in the north of Spain, in the coast of the Bay of Biscay and 20 km away from the French border. The city is the capital of Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. The municipality’s population is 186,122 , and its...
. At the start of the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
he fought a duel "maintaining the King’s honour and dignity" and when he visited England in 1642, he provisioned a kinsman to fight in the Royalist
Cavalier
Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I and son Charles II during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration...
army. He was imprisoned in the parliamentary garrison at Plymouth and was released through the intervention of John St Aubyn and a loan of £100. He stayed abroad until after the last Royalist stronghold in Cornwall at Pendennis surrendered. He became one of the most successful merchants in Penryn and Falmouth and purchased lands to enlarge the family estate. Before the restoration he gave money to support the exiled court and in 1659 arranged the purchase of 300 guns in France which were stored at Trelawne. However the advance of George Monck into England avoided the need to use them.
In April 1660, Enys was elected Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Penryn
Penryn (UK Parliament constituency)
Penryn was a parliamentary borough in Cornwall, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of England from 1553 until 1707, to the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and finally to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1801 to until 1832...
although there were objections that he was a cavalier on account of the duel he fought. He was captain of militia for Cornwall from April 1660 to 1664. In 1661 he was appointed joint farmer of tin coinage for the Duchy of Cornwall at a rent of £2000 per year, but ran into conflict with James Robyns
James Robyns
James Robyns was an English lawyer and politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1660.Robyns was born before 1625 and became an attorney. He had an estate at Penryn and obtained a reversion of the assay of tin from King Charles I...
the say-master and the farm was sub-let in 1664. He was commissioner for assessment for Cornwall from 1661 to 1680. In 1670 he became J.P.
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
for Cornwall. He became an alderman at Penryn in 1685 remaining until October 1688 and became commissioner for assessment again for the year 1689 to 1690.
Enys died at the age of 86 and was buried at Gluvias.
Enys married Elizabeth Pendarves, daughter of Samuel Pendarves of Roskrow, Gluvias on 5 July 1647. They had six sons and a daughter. His wife died on 28 May 1705.