lady jane killigrew

1584 - date of death unknown

Suggested by Diana Dowson

Diana writes, “Jane Kiligrew, né Fermoy, was an heiress forced into marriage with John Killigrew IV of Falmouth at the age of 12. She endured a life of misery and eventually escaped from Arwenack Manor and fled to Penryn. The then Mayor gave her sanctuary and a house on St. Thomas street.

Many years later she donated a large silver cup to the town of Penryn as a thank you for their kindness to her. It is now almost 400 years old and is still used each time a new Mayor is appointed. A lasting legacy from a brave and worthy woman.

The Killigrew family were one of the most powerful in the country. Jane was trapped in a loveless marriage, her fortune being used to fortify the Killigrews. I am moved by her bravery in a dangerous time in Cornish history.“

Jane’s cup can be seen in the local library, but there is little detail available about her life. An internet search for an image to represent her turned up two photos of the cup both featuring Gill Grant, Mayor of Penryn at the time; one at The Antiques Roadshow in Falmouth, 2012 where a large crowd are gathered to hear its backstory and value of £150,000; the other is with a Killigrew Family descendant in 2014.

Elizabeth Dale’s blog, “The Cornish Bird” sheds a little more light on Jane in a post, The Notorious Women of the Killigrew Family. Her report details a loveless marriage to a man with huge debts and a reputation for piracy; an affair on Jane’s part with the governor of Pendennis Castle which enraged her husband into lengthy divorce proceedings resulting in her departure to Penryn. Jane’s gift to Penryn, bought when she received money on John Killigrew’s death, is engraved:

“From Mayor to Mayor to the town of Penryn where they received me that was in great misery. J K 1633”

The first “mayor” is by all accounts a play on the word “Mare”, the one that carried her to Penryn…

penrynhistory.co.uk