MANATON

Ambrose Manaton commanded the Bark Mannington, 160 tons, in the squadron serving under Sir Francis Drake against the Spanish Armada. Ambrose is depicted in “The Armada in Sight – Plymouth Hoe” (1880) painted by John Seymour Lucas. Drake is the central figure, bowl in one hand about to make his cast. The group to the right of Drake in the foreground includes Raleigh, dressed in black, his profile barely visible, and Ambrose Manaton is identified as one of the several men near to him. Following the defeat of the Armada, Ambrose Manaton married and continued to captain ships such as the Little John out of Plymouth.

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Ambrose “of Lower Manaton” in Cornwall married Anne of the Roane family of Hounslow, Middlesex. Anne’s family is of particular interest. Anne’s father was Anthony Roane, an Auditor to Queen Elizabeth. Anne’s mother was Audrey, the daughter of Thomas Fernely of Cresting, Suffolk. Anne’s aunt Anne Fernely married Sir Thomas Gresham the founder of the Royal Exchange in London and financier to Queen Elizabeth. Another aunt, Jane Fernely, married Sir Nicholas Bacon. As a consequence, Anne could count among her cousins Sir Nathaniel Bacon and Sir Nicholas Bacon, 1st Baron Redgrave. After Jane Fernely died, Sir Nicholas Bacon married Anne Cooke, sister-in-law to William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley, and by his second wife, Sir Nathaniel Bacon had sons Francis Bacon, Lord Chancellor and Anthony Bacon. Anne could also count among her Roane cousins Sergeants of the Scullery and Sergeants of the Poultry to the royal household.

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There may be records of the birth of children to Ambrose Manaton at Plymouth and Stoke Climsland.