William Mohun facts for kids
Sir William Mohun (born around 1540 – died April 6, 1588) was an important person from Cornwall, England. He lived at places called Hall and Boconnoc. Sir William was a Member of Parliament, which means he was chosen to represent his area in the English government.
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Who Was Sir William Mohun?
Sir William Mohun was the son of Reginald Mohun and Jone Trevanion. His family, the Mohuns of Hall, were a branch of a very old and important family.
Family History
Sir William's great-grandfather, also named William Mohun, married a wealthy heiress named Elizabeth Courtenay. She was one of the people who inherited a lot of land and property from the famous Courtenay family, who were Earls of Devon. Because of this marriage, the Mohun family gained important places like Boconnoc in Cornwall and Okehampton Castle in Devon. These places were part of a very old land ownership system called a "feudal barony."
The Mohun family of Hall came from an even older branch of the Mohun family. They were related to John Mohun, who lived in the 1300s and was a powerful baron of Dunster Castle in Somerset.
Sir William's Career
Sir William Mohun had a busy and important career in public service.
Early Life and Education
In 1559, he started studying law at Lincoln's Inn, which was a place where people learned to become lawyers.
Serving in Parliament
He was elected to be a Member of Parliament several times. This meant he helped make laws and decisions for the country.
- He represented St Germans from 1563 to 1567.
- He represented Cornwall in 1571.
- He was elected again for Cornwall in 1584 and 1586.
Other Important Roles
Sir William also held other important jobs:
- He was the High Sheriff of Cornwall in 1572 and again in 1578. The Sheriff was a key official who made sure laws were followed in the county.
- He was knighted in 1583, which meant he was given the title "Sir" by the King or Queen for his service.
- From 1586 to 1587, he served as the Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall. This was a very high position, where he represented the King or Queen in the county and was responsible for local defense.
Family Life
Sir William Mohun was married two times and had several children.
First Marriage
His first wife was Elizabeth Horsey. She was the daughter of Sir John Horsey, who was also a Member of Parliament. With Elizabeth, Sir William had two sons and one daughter.
- Their oldest son and heir was named Reginald Mohun. Later, one of Reginald's descendants, John Mohun, was given the special title of "Baron Mohun of Okehampton" by King Charles I in 1628. This was to honor the family's history and how they had inherited Okehampton Castle.
Second Marriage
His second wife was Anne Reskimer. She was the daughter of William Reskimer and had been married before to John Trelawny. Sir William and Anne had three more sons and two daughters. Anne outlived Sir William and later married a third time to Sir William Lower.
Death
Sir William Mohun passed away in 1588.
