Sir Trevor Corry, Baron of Poland (1724 – 1 September 1780) was a British merchant and diplomat. He spent many years in Danzig, Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (now Gdańsk, Poland), where he acquired a considerable fortune. He acted as consul to Kings George II and George III in Danzig during the Seven Years' War and until his death in 1780.
As consul, he was responsible for sending information to the Secretary of State in London. Many of the reports were concerning the complex political and military developments happening in and around Poland in general and at the port of Danzig in particular. Among many other things, he reported on the trade-in timber intended for the building of warships and on the crippling taxation being imposed on the city of Danzig.
Corry was given the title "Baron to the Throne of Poland" on 20 October 1773 by the King of Poland, Stanisław II Augustus.Bajer, Peter Paul (2012). Scots in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, 16th to 18th Centuries, pp. 311, 461, 498. Brill. Unger, Richard and Basista, Jakub (2008). Britain and Poland-Lithuania: Contact and Comparison from the Middle Ages to 1795, pp. 337, 338, 353. Brill. Uruski, Seweryn; Kosiński, Adam Amilkar; Włodarski, Aleksander (1907/1995). Rodzina, herbarz szlachty polskiej, Volume 4, p. 61. Wydawn Heroldium (reprint 1995, originally published by Gebethner and Wolff). Quote: "FREVORT v. FREVOT Corry, konsul angielski w Gdańsku, zaszczycony został w 1773 r. od Stanisława Augusta tytułem barona tronu królewskiego, z dodaniem do rodzinnego...". Note that in some Polish records Corry's first name was mistakenly recorded as "Frevort" or "Frevot". See Bajer (2012) p. 311 . On 29 March 1776, he was knighted by King George III.
His death triggered a long, drawn-out dispute regarding his estate and wealth.
Family history
Trevor Corry was descended from Walter Garuth Corry who was born in 1620 in Dumfrieshire in Scotland. Shortly after the birth of Walter Garuth Corry's son Walter Corry in 1635,International Genealogical Index the family moved to Ireland as part of the Ulster Plantations.
Walter Corry became a cornet in the Dragoons of the Cromwelliam army. In 1667 the Rockcorry Estate was granted to Walter Corry by King Charles II. He became the High Sheriff of County Monaghan in 1672 and built the town of Newtoncorry (later renamed Rockcorry) and, the now vanished, Rockcorry Castle.Patent Granted by King Charles the Second, Public Record Office of Northern IrelandCroist, Philip. Corry Genealogy. Public Record Office of Northern Ireland.The Corrys of Rockcorry. Dartrey Papers. Public Record Office of Northern Ireland.
Walter's son Isaiah or Isaac was born at Rockcorry, possibly in 1655. There is some evidence to suggest that, in 1689, Isaiah was attainted by the Catholic King Charles II but he seems to have regained his estate shortly afterwards. Isaiah held the post of High Sheriff of County Monaghan, previously held by his father who had died in 1699.Will extract of Walter Corry. Prerogative Wills of Ireland 1536–1810. The National Archives of Ireland.
Isaiah's eldest son Isaac was born in 1690 or 1691 at Abbey Yard in Newry where he became a merchant.Will extract of Isaiah Corry. Prerogative Wills of Ireland 1536–1810. The National Archives of Ireland. He married Cæzarea Smyth.Davison Cowan, J. (1914). An Ancient Irish Parish Past and Present, being the parish of Donaghmore, County Down, pp. 62–63. David Nutt, London.Corry Family Tree. Newry Museum. Isaiah and Cæzarea had seven children, their third and youngest son, born at Newry in 1724, was Trevor Corry.Will extract of Isaac Corry. Prerogative Wills of Ireland 1536–1810. The National Archives of Ireland Cæzarea died when Trevor was three and his father Isaac died in 1752. Trevor Corry's brother, Edward Corry, became MP for Newry. Edward's son, Isaac Corry, succeeded his father as MP for Newry and by 1799 had risen to the post of Irish Chancellor of the Exchequer and High Treasurer of Ireland.Johnston-Liik, E. M. (2004) "Corry, Isaac (1753–1813)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press (online edition, September 2012) .
Consul in Danzig (Gdańsk)
The Seven Years' War: 1754–1763
On 30 March 1754 King George II appointed Trevor Corry "to be his Majesty's Consul to the Republick of Dantzig"The London Gazette. 26 March 1754. in Poland – now known as Gdańsk. He was recommended for the post by the Earl of Hillsborough. He arrived in Danzig in mid-May 1754.Public Advertiser, London. 8 June 1754. His work, which was unpaid, involved making regular reports back to the Secretary of State to the Northern Department at St. James' Palace in London.
The city of Danzig had suffered a slow economic decline during the wars of the early eighteenth century and had been held by the Russians for a short time after the Siege of Danzig in 1734. During Corry's time the city of Danzig remained part of Poland although, for much of the time, it was surrounded by Prussian held territory.
1756 had seen the beginning of the Seven Years' War in which Britain was allied with the Prussians, some German states and, from 1762, the Portuguese. The opposing side was made up of France, Russia, Austria, Sweden, Saxony and, from 1762, Spain. In the summer of 1757, the Russians had invaded Ducal Prussia. On 25 May 1757 Corry wrote to the Secretary of State saying there have been two or three Russian men of war of forty & fifty Guns each, cruising of this Harbour these eight days past – bringing up and searching all Vessels they meet with, (a thing never before known); 'tis imagined they intend making Prizes of Ships sailing under the Prussian Flag.Letter from Trevor Corry to the Secretary of State for the Northern Department, Robert Darcy, 4th Earl of Holderness. Secretaries of State: State Papers Foreign, Poland. The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey.
On 7 September Corry wrote a very hot engagement has happened between the Prussian and Russian Armies ... the Prussians have suffered very severely from the Enemy's Cannon, They having attack'd the Russ in their Entrenchments, which was not attended with the expected success, or indeed was it all together so prudent considering how strongly they had fortified their situation ... we may soon hear of a second Engagement, which will probably decide in whose hands Koningsberg shall remain this Winter.
During the winter of 1757 to 1758, the Russians occupied Ducal Prussia including the area around Danzig, where they remained until 1762. Early in 1758 Corry confirmed that the Russians had taken several towns close to Danzig, and were "about five or six dutch miles from hence which has alarmed the Burghers here not a little". All this had prompted the "raising of another Regiment to consist of one thousand men" to defend Danzig and the ordering of "the Wet Trenches round the City to be open'd and made free of Ice, which is already done, so the Inhabitants are not now afraid of any sudden surprise." By May the Russians were camped about 19 miles (30 km) to the south of Danzig and, having been denied access to enter the city, were "in want of many things, necessary for an Army marching out of their own Dominions".
The first part of 1759 saw several defeats of the Prussians, and France was planning to invade Britain. In September 1759 Corry was in Hamburg reporting the victory of the Anglo-German army under Prince Ferdinand, the Prussian field marshal, over 60,000 French troops, at the Battle of Minden, "I take the liberty to acquaint your Lordship that the Battle agained by Prince Ferdinand the beginning of last Month, has been of vast detriment to the French Army, I having met on my way hither from Amsterdam, at least one thousand Deserters".
In late September 1759 Corry arrived back in Danzig where he had "found Ten Russian Men of War lying in our Road, which brought with them three thousand Troops ..." The Russians were still close by in January 1760 but the general in charge of them had been sent "some Presents, which no doubt were kindly received, and in return he has given Orders that none of his Troops shall come nearer this City than one German Mile". But, in the following July, the Russians had "landed about three thousand fresh Troops [at Danzig], who are soon to be followed by Nine thousand more, to reinforce their Army." The build-up of Russian troops in the area continued all year and towards the end of 1760 Corry was pessimistic about the Prussian situation "unless a good reinforcement of Troops can be dispatched by Prince Ferdinand, to the assistance of His Prussian Majesty ..." In December the Prussians had a victory and "this Country just now swarms with the flying Russians" but the inhabitants of Danzig were still nervous as many Russians remained in the area around the city so "The Magistracy ... have ordered all the Guards to be doubled & the City Gates to be shut at four O'Clock in the Evening".
From around the end of 1760 until the summer of 1761 Corry was in England. The Prussian-held town of Colberg was besieged by Russian forces from August to December 1761. Corry travelled back to Danzig and then on to Berlin where he wrote to the Secretary of State, (the future Prime Minister, John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute), on 4 September 1761, saying that having made it my business on my Journey hither to come as near Colberg as possible, I had an opportunity of not only seeing the position of the Russian Army, but of their Fleet, from whence alone the City has been bombarded ... I do not think they will make themselves Masters of the Place, tho they may in a good measure destroy the BuildingsLetter from Trevor Corry to the Secretary of State for the Northern Department, John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute. Secretaries of State: State Papers Foreign, Poland. The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey. He was wrong, for the town of Colberg, the Prussian's last port on the Baltic Sea, was captured by the Russians soon afterwards. From Berlin he travelled to Amsterdam, via Hanover, from where he wrote, on 22 September, to report on the movements of the French Army.
The Treaty of Saint Petersburg was concluded on 5 May 1762 and ended the fighting between Prussia and Russia. On 3 June Corry wrote "I find the greatest Harmony to Subsist between them [the Russians] & the Prussians, in consequence of the Peace lately concluded ... which indeed saved all the Prussian Territories in this Neighbourhood from desolation".Letter from Trevor Corry to the Secretary of State for the Northern Department, George Grenville. Secretaries of State: State Papers Foreign, Poland. The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey. In November Corry wrote "Since the Russians return'd to their own Country, all has been quiet in these Parts, and the Inhabitants think themselves happily relieved of these unpolish'd People."
In February 1763, the two Treaties of Hubertusburg and Paris brought an end to the Seven Years' War. The Polish King, August III, died in October 1763 and was replaced by the young Polish nobleman, Stanisław II Augustus. On 30 May 1764 Corry predicted that the peace between Prussia and Russia "will certainly be the means of establishing Graff Paniatofsky on the Polish Throne without occasioning any disturbances in that Kingdome & the more sensible Poles must think this a lucky step, in preventing much bloodshed & confusion to their country." Corry said this was "not without opposition from many of the Polish Nobles ... all has been pretty quiet in that Kingdom & those Nobles who have been disgusted 'tis thought will be obliged to acquiesce in what has happened".Letter from Trevor Corry to the Secretary of State for the Northern Department, John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich. Secretaries of State: State Papers Foreign, Poland. The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey.
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