The Vyvyans are a prominent Cornish family who were members of Parliament, baronets, and landowners in Penwith and Kerrier since the 15th century. The Vyvyan family have held the large Trelowarren Estate in the parish of Mawgan-in-Meneage in west
Cornwall for nearly 600 years. They moved to Trelowarren in 1427 from Trevegean, St. Buryan when they acquired Trelowarren through marriage to the daughter of Honora Ferrers, heiress to the estate of the previous owner, Richard Ferrers. Trelowarren's first garden is recorded in 1428. In the English Civil War (1642–1651) the Vyvyans were royalist supporters. Sir Richard Vyvyan (1613–1724), 1st Baronet, was given a large equestrian portrait of King Charles I (1600–1649), a copy of the famous painting by Anthony van Dyck, by King Charles II (1630–1685) in recognition of his support.
Trelowarren manor house is the seat of the Vyvyan family; life here was described by C. C. Vyvyan in her book The Helford River.
Great Cornish Families: A History of the People and Their Houses is a book by Crispin Gill, published in 1995. A second edition was published in 2011 (ISBN 978-0-85704-083-1). Crispin Gill, at the time of the book's publication, lived in Plymouth and was assistant editor of the Western Morning News. The book names many notable families that have featured prominently in Cornwall's history.
Great Cornish Families