Jonathan Rashleigh (1642–1702) of

Menabilly Menabilly (, meaning ''hill-slope of pebbles'') is a historic estate on the south coast of Cornwall, England, situated within the parish of Tywardreath on the Gribben peninsula about west of Fowey. It has been the seat of the Rashleigh fami ...

, near

Fowey Fowey ( ; , meaning ''beech trees'') is a port town and civil parishes in England, civil parish at the mouth of the River Fowey in south Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town has been in existence since well before the Norman invasion, ...

, Cornwall was

Sheriff of Cornwall Sheriffs and high sheriffs of Cornwall: a chronological list: The right to choose high sheriffs each year is vested in the Duchy of Cornwall. The Privy Council of the United Kingdom, Privy Council, chaired by the sovereign, chooses the sheriff ...

in 1686/87, and twice MP for

1675–1681 and 1689–1695. His portrait exists at

Antony House Antony House is an early 18th-century property in the care of the National Trust. It is located between the town of Torpoint and the village of Antony in the county of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is a Grade I listed building. The hou ...

, Torpoint, Cornwall, formerly the home of his second wife Sarah Carew.

Origins

He was the eldest son of John Rashleigh (1621–1651; son and heir apparent of Jonathan Rashleigh (1591–1675) of Menabilly, whom he predeceased), MP for Fowey in 1661. Jonathan's mother was Joan Pollexfen (born 1620), a daughter of John Pollexfen of Kitley,

Yealmpton Yealmpton () is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the England, English county of Devon. It is located in the South Hams on the A379 road, A379 Plymouth to Kingsbridge road and is about from Plymouth. Its name derives fr ...

, Devon, by his wife Cicilia Harris, daughter of John Harris of Radford,

Plymstock Plymstock is a commuter suburb of Plymouth and former civil parish in the English county of Devon. Geography Situated on the east bank of the River Plym, Plymstock is geographically and historically part of the South Hams. It comprises the ...

, Devon.

Career

He served as MP for the family's

pocket borough A rotten or pocket borough, also known as a nomination borough or proprietorial borough, was a parliamentary borough or constituency in England, Great Britain, or the United Kingdom before the Reform Act of 1832, which had a very small electo ...

from 24 May 1675 to March 1681 and again from 1689 to 1695. He increased the burgess votes he controlled in Fowey by purchasing further lands within the borough from his senior but less prominent cousins, the Rashleigh family of Coombe, Fowey.

Marriages and children

Rashleigh married twice. His first marriage was in 1673 to Anne Courtenay (died 1677), daughter of Sir Peter Courtenay (c. 1616 – 1670) of Trethurffe in Cornwall. He remarried in 1681 to Jane Carew (died 1700), a daughter of

Sir John Carew, 3rd Baronet Sir John Carew, 3rd Baronet (6 November 1635 – 1 August 1692) of Antony House, Antony, Cornwall, was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons of England, House of Commons variously between 1660 and 1692. Origins Carew was the thi ...

(1635–1692) of Antony, Cornwall, by whom he had four sons and four daughters including: * Philip Rashleigh (1689–1736), eldest son and heir, MP for

Liskeard Liskeard ( ; ) is an ancient stannary and market town in south-east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated approximately 20 miles (32 km) west of Plymouth, west of the Devon border, and 12 miles (20 km) east of Bodmin. Th ...

1710–1722. He rebuilt and enlarged the mansion house at Menabilly between about 1710–15, but died without children. * Jonathan Rashleigh (1690–1764), fourth son, of Menabilly, MP for Fowey. He was a co-heir (with his great-nephew

Reginald Pole Carew Reginald Pole Carew (28 July 1753 – 3 January 1835) was a British politician. He was born the son of Reginald Pole and Anne Buller of Stoke Damerel, Plymouth, Devon. He was educated at Winchester College and University College, Oxford and en ...

(1753–1835)) of his half first-cousin Sir Coventry Carew, 6th Baronet (died 1748) of Antony, from whom he inherited several manors in Cornwall. RevCarolusPole AntonyHouseCornwall

*Sarah Rashleigh, who married Rev. Carolus Pole (1686–1731), Rector of

St Breock St Breock () is a village and a civil parish in north Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The spelling St Breoke was also formerly in use. Geography St Breock village is 1 mile (1.6 km) west of Wadebridge immediately to the south of the Ro ...

in Cornwall, third son of

Sir John Pole, 3rd Baronet ''Sir'' is a formal honorific address in English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist in French only as part o ...

(1649–1708) of Shute, Devon. His portrait survives at Antony. Her grandson was

(1753–1835).

Death and burial

He died and was later buried on 11 September 1702. He bequeathed funds for the upkeep of eight poor widows in the almshouses built by his grandfather.Cruickshanks, Eveline & Handley,Stuart

References

Sources

*Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry, 15th Edition, ed. Pirie-Gordon, H., London, 1937, pp. 1891–3, Rashleigh of Menabilly
Cruickshanks, Eveline & Handley, Stuart, biography of Rashleigh, Jonathan (1642-1702), of Menabilly, published in History of Parliament, House of Commons 1690-1715, ed. D. Hayton, E. Cruickshanks, S. Handley, 2002
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rashleigh, Jonathan II Jonathan 1642 births 1702 deaths High sheriffs of Cornwall Members of the pre-1707 English Parliament for constituencies in Cornwall English MPs 1661–1679 English MPs 1679 English MPs 1680–1681 English MPs 1689–1690 English MPs 1690–1695