The Hender Family Tradition
"T'is the Question"

prepared by Don R. Hender

     That which is our Hender Family 'LORE' is pretty much summed up in the query placed by Richard Peter, the son of Mary Hender and John Peter, who lived until 15 August 1910 and was buried in Launceston. Thomas Hender and Sarah Adams, my own 4th great grandparents, which is below chronicled, had two daughters Mary and Grance who married into the Peter family. Grace married Richard Peter, not the Richard of the inquiry, and Mary Hender married John Peter. It is their son Richard Peter who did live until 1910 and was of the age of the placed inquiry. This information has recently come to my attention during the spring of 2020 as found on the internet and is supported by the years (50+) of the genealogy research that I have put in on my own Hender ancestry. It confirms that the parent of Thomas Hender who married Agnes Evan was Edward Hender as I have for years considered in my old legal sized genealogy record hardcopy books of remembrance. Much of that information is presented in my web pages at 'hunterscastle.com' maintained by my son Shon Hender on the internet for me.

So, as the March 31, 1892 published query in "Notes and Gleanings" is documented below that any who have such interest in our Hender family line, and that they may come to an understanding it is given for them to have their own take on the matter. 


p160~NOTES AND GLEANINGS~[Vol 59~15 Nov 1892]


Queries.

HENDER FAMILY.—John Hender died Lord of
Bottreaux Castle, in Cornwall, June,
1613, and was buried at Minster. From
Col. Vivian's "Visitations of Cornwall," 
p. 717 [217], it appears that John had a
brother Edward, who was living in 1620,
and who married Elizabeth Trefrie.

   In 1671, Sir Edward Fowell, Knight and
Baronet, granted to one Edward Hender a
lease for lives of lands at Tregrenow, in the
Parish of Altarnun, Cornwall. Subsequently, a
further similar lease was obtained by Thomas 
Hender, son of Edward last named, from Arthur
Champernowne and Margaret Champernowne, and
in May, 1733, Henry Champernowne conveyed the
fee of Trcgrenow to Thomas Hender, son of
Thomas and grandson of Edward. 

   Tregrenow is about ten miles from 
Bottreaux Castle (now Boscastle).

   1. Is this Tregrenow identical with the
Manor named Trogrenon in Domesday, as one
of four Manors in Cornwall, then belonging
to Tavistock Abbey?
  
   2. Is Edward Hender, the above mentioned
lessee, descended from Edward Hender,
brother of John, the proprietor of Bottreaux,
or was he in any way, and how, connected
with John's family? John himself left four
daughters, but no son.

- RICHARD PETER.
    As seen in 'The Visitation of the County of Cornwall' of 1620, page 93, concerning the Hender family as referenced in the quiry and shown below; Edward Hender, brother of John Hender of Botriaux, had two sons as of the 1620 date.
 
Now in the context of the Hender family of Altarnun, a fresh look at the genealogy and ancestry of the family can be formed. First, the likely person formenting the inquiry was not the Richard Peter, the husband of Grace Hender the daughter of Thomas Hender IV and Sarah Adams. That Richard Peter did not live long enough to put forth the inquiry. The likely Richard Peter who did place the question was the son of the sister of that Grance Hender, Mary Hender who married the brother of Richard Peter, who was John Peter. Their son, Richard Peter who was Christen Baptized in 1809 at Bodmin and who lived until he was 100 years old and died and was and buried in 1910 in Lanceston. That would be the Richard Hender who would have had the family background knowledge and understanding and interest to so put forth the question in the Notes and Gleenings of 1892. And from Richard Peter, son of John Peter and Mary Hender, the family's inquiry was formed and it would seem that the Hender family history and 'lore' of tradition of the Hender family had become known and pasted on to grandson Richard Peter, the grandson of Thomas Hender and Sarah Adams, through his mother Mary Hender.

In fact the will of Thomas Hender I, who married Agnes Even, did convey the property of Tregrenow to his son Thomas Hender II. In that will, money out of Tregrenow is paid to son William Hender where Tregrenow is mentions but to be administered by Thomas Hender who recieved his father's land of Tregrenow. That Thomas Hender II, who married Elizabeth Northy, is the last 'consecutive' descended Thomas, the descendant of Thomas Hender I, son of Edward Hender, to hold Tregrenow, as it will jump a generation as Thomas II's son Thomas Hender III dies before the will of his father. And Tregrenow goes to 'Thomas Hender IV', the son of John Hender deceased and Grace Luskey, in the will of Thomas Hender II and thus misses a gerneration to Thomas Hender IV the grandson whose wife was Sarah Adams (See the quick rough pedigree diagram below.)

Thus, beginning with that Thomas Hender IV, the ancestry named by Richard Peter in his inquiry may be traced and applied to the known facts in the matter as atested by the family 'wills' linked below. The Edward Hender who is named in the query is father of a Thomas Hender I and then grandfather to the son of that Thomas Hender I. The meat of contributing fact that pedigree below would look to as follows: 


         Edward Hender   =   Mrs.
                         |
                         |
         db 20 Jul 1672  |
          Altarnun       |
                         |
              ___________|
             |                     
  Thomas [Edward] Hender I =  Agnes Evan
  cb 12 Feb 1661           |
   North Hill              |  
  m 29 Nov 1692            |
   Altarnun                |  
  db 29 Jun 1736           |
   Altarnun                |
     (WILL)                |
         __________________|
        |                  |
  Edward Hender      Thomas Hender II =  Elizabeth Northy
  cb 23 Dec 1693     cb 20 Feb 1695   |
   Altarnun           Altarnun        |
                     m 13 Jun 1727    |
                      Altarnun        |
                     db 7 Jul 1767    |
                      Altarnun        |
                       (Will)         |
        ______________________________|______________
 III   |         Ann  |             |                |
 Thomas Hender   Agnes Hender   John Hender    Edward Hender
 cb 3 Sep 1728   cb 4 Jan 1730  cb 25 Feb 1732  1735-1735
  Altarnun        Altarnun       Altarnun      William Hender
 db 18 Jul 1743   (Spinter)     db 20 Feb 1767  1736-1767
  Altarnun       db 10 Mar 1767  Altarnun      Elizabeth Hender
                  Altarnun      m 12 Dec 1752   1739-
                                 Altarnun
                                = Grace Luskey
                                |   (Will)
        ________________________|______________________
 IV    |               |                |              |
 Thomas Hender   William Hender  Elizabeth Hender  Mary Hender
 cb 26 Feb 1755  cb 22 Nov 1757   (1760-1781)      (1764-1783)
  Altarnun        Altarnun         (Spinster)       (Spinster)
 m 20 Mar 1776   m 2 May 1781        (WILL)
  Altarnun        Altarnun
 = Sarah Adams   = Annabella
 db 23 Jun 1791    Edgcombe
  Altarnun       db 27 Aug 1818
    (Will)        Altarnun
       |           (HisWILL)
       |          (Wife WILL)
Elizabeth Hender        |
  (1777-1796)      William Hender
Mary Hender        = Elizabeth Bury
= John Peter       Catherine Hender
Grace Hender       = James Venning
= Richard Peter    Annabella Hender
Thomas Hender V    = William Frost
= Jenny Peter*
John Hender
= Mary Smeeth
= Jenny Peter^^
William Hender
= Elizabeth Rowe
Annabella Hender
  (1790-1791)

* Jenny Peter, daughter of John Peter
  and Elizabeth Marten.
^^ Jenny Garland nee Peter, daughter
   of Richard Peter and Elizabeth
   Turner.

The Hender 'WILLs' support connections made by Richard Peter.
Review of Events

It well may have been the grant of Tregrenou/Tregrenow to Edward Hender in 1671 that brought Edward Hender from North Hill to Altarnun if he had not moved there before.

Edward Hender was buried on 20 July 1672 at Altarnun/Alternon Parish.

Subsequently, Thomas Hender I, son of Edward Hender last named, obtained a similar lease from Arthur Chapernowne.

And in May 1733, Henry Champernowne conveyed the fee of Tregrenow to Thomas Hender II, son of Thomas Hender I and grandson of Edward Hender.

After his wife, Elizabeth [Northy] Hender death in 1741, Thomas Hender II marries second Ebbett Edgecoumbe nee Skantellbury on 8 May 1743 the relick of Edgecoumbe. On 18 July 1743, Thomas Hender III, the son of Thomas Hender II, is buried at Altarnun.

In 1767, illness sweeps the county of Cornwall and the family of Thomas Hender II. Sons William Hender and John Hender are both buried on 20 February 1767. Daughter Ann/Agnes Hender is buried on 10 March 1767. Thomas Hender II writes his will as of the 25 April 1767 and by the 7 July 1767 he is also buried there in Altarnun.

Tregrenow is given to his grandson Thomas Hender a minor. His will names his second wife Ebbett Hender, his daughter in Law, Grace Hender, his two granddaughters Elizabeth and Mary, the daughters of John Hender and Grace [Luskey] Hender. He names his daughter Elizabeth the wife of John Venning. He names his grandson Willian Hender son of John and Grace Hender and leaves him his lately purchased Messuage and Tenement in Treween. And finally he names his grandson Thomas Hender [IV], also son of John and Grace, and leaves him Tregrenow.

The 1791 Will of Thomas Hender IV, where Tregrenow's sound of speech becomes ?Tregenna? and is referenced as Lower or Higher Tregenna with Coombes Tenement still attached to the Higher, which is given to Thomas Hender V who marries Jenny Hender daughter of John Peter of North Hill and Elizabeth Marten of Blisland.

Further Analysis

     Now, while the wills of my Hender family do present quite clearly the decent of the Henders per the inquiry, an additional question is just who are these benefators being named. Thus this further analysis is here given.

Firstly: Who is the Sir Edward Fowell, Baronet named in the inquiry of Richard Peter? It will needs be understood that the county line between Cornwall and Deven is not so markedly drawn when it comes to the people and their actual land governing and dealings. And if you are to strictly look for 'Edward' Fowell, you will miss him as well. When it comes to the names of Edward and Edmund, they are frequently mixed as 'Ed.' short form does reference both first given names. So if you please look for Sir Edmund Fowell, Baronet and Knight, which the 'Sir' so indicates that he indeed is a Knight. Then you will find him as one Sir Edmund Fowell, Baronet (1593 – October 1674) of Fowelscombe in the parish of Ugborough in Devon. He was a Member of Parliament for Ashburton in Devon from 1640 to 1648. (See Wikipedia article on Sir Edmund Fowell, Baronet, alias (Ed.).

Now The Visitations of the County of Devon produced by Vivian pages 369-370 lists the predigre of the family of Fowell of Fowelscombe the ancestors of Sir Edmund Fowell, Baronet, the benefactor to Edward Hender of Tregrenow so listed in the above query. Edward Hender was the father of Thomas Hender also of Tregrenow in the parish of Altarnun. Sir Edmund Fowell would have been age 78 in 1671 the year Tregrenow was granted unto Edward Hender. Edward Hender would die in 1672 and was buried at Altarnun. Sir Edmund Fowell would die and be buried at age 81 at Ugborough, Devon 9 Oct. 1674.

Secondly: Tregrenow was later again granted to the Hender family of Thomas Hender, the son of Edward Hender, by Arthur Champernowne and Margaret [Fowell] Champernowne. When Sir Edmund Fowell the 1st Baronet of Fowelscombe died in 1674, John Fowell, his first son bap. 14 Aug. 1623, was made to became the 2nd Baronet of Fowelscombe. Sir John Fowell, 2nd Baronet died and was buried relatively shortly after his father Edmund and was buried at Ugborough 17 Jan. 1676-7. Sir John Fowell's son John, 3rd Baronet died 1691 and then the honor fell to daughter Margaret Fowell as named in her father's will, her mother's will in 1678-9, and her brother John's will - 1691. Margaret Fowell had married in 1679, Arthur Champernowne of Darlington, Devon. This is detailed on page 370 of the Devon Visitation on the Fowell predigre where it is seen that Margaret Fowell is the last of that Fowell family line.*

Thirdly: In May 1733, Henry Champernowne 'conveyed' the fee of Tregrenow to Thomas Hender, son of Thomas [Edward] Hender and grandson of Edward Hender as so said. The Champernowne family pedigree is also set out in The Visitations of the County of Devon from page 160 through 164 and so on. On page 164 is where the marriage between Arthur Champernowne and Margaret Fowell enters the Champernowne line. It is listed there that they have a son named Henry Champernowne who we are left to conclude to be the same who 'conveys' the fee of Tregrenow in May 1733 to Thomas Hender whose wife was Elizabeth Northy.
_____________

* It should be noted that if one follows Wiki-Wiki or Quikie-Quikie - 'Pedia': The exact ancestry of Margaret Fowell, wife of Arthur Champernowne, is somewhat frustrated. While it is true that the heirship follows from Edmund Fowell 1st Baronet, to son John Fowell, 2nd Baronet, to his son John Fowell, 3rd Baronet, and then finally to Margaret the daughter of John Fowell; the visitations of Devon clearly diagrams that Margaret is sister to John Fowell, 3rd Baronet and she is the daughter of John Fowell the 2nd Baronet. As to who is correct Wiki or Vivian that question is left open. In either case the identy of the benefactors of the Hender family concerning the grant, lease and fee of Tregrenow to my Hender ancestors has been here provided.

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rev. 27 July 2020