William Coryton

William Coryton (1580–1651) of West Newton Ferrers, St Mellion, Cornwall, was a Cornish gentleman who served as MP for Cornwall in 1624, 1626 and 1628, for Liskeard in 1625, for Grampound in 1640 and for Launceston 1640–41. He was expelled from Parliament for falsifying returns.

Origins Coryton was the eldest son of Peter Coryton of Coryton, in Lifton Hundred, Devon and West Newton Ferrers, St Mellion, Cornwall, by his wife Joan Wrey, a daughter of John Wrey (d. 1597) of North Russell, Sourton, Devon and of Trebeigh, St Ive, Cornwall, and sister of Sir William Wrey, 1st Baronet (d. 1636).

Career Coryton was appointed Vice-Warden of the Stannaries in 1603 and High Sheriff of Cornwall for 1613. In 1624 he was elected Member of Parliament for Cornwall. He was elected MP for Liskeard in 1625 and again MP for Cornwall in 1626.

In 1620 he was appointed vice-warden of the Stannaries. In July 1627 Coryton was arrested for refusing to subscribe the forced loan of that year, and imprisoned in the Fleet Prison, where he remained until March 1628. His place of Vice-Warden of the Stannaries was in the meantime given to John Mohun. In view of the opening of parliament in 1628, he was released and was re-elected MP for Cornwall. By his wife Elizabeth, who survived him, Coryton had four sons and seven daughters, including: Sir John Coryton, 1st Baronet (1621–1680), eldest son and heir, created a baronet on 27 February 1662. (See Coryton baronets).

Death and burial Coryton died on 1 May 1651 and was buried in the church of St Mellion, near Plymouth. The tomb was sculpted by Thomas Gaffin almost two centuries later in 1836.

A rhyming inscription on his tomb describes him as Both good and great, and yet beloved; In judgment just, in trusts approved.