John Wrey (d.1597)

John Wrey (died 1597) of North Russell, Sourton, and Bridestowe in Devon and Trebeigh, St Ive, Cornwall, was Sheriff of Cornwall in 1587.

He was the son and heir of Walter Wrey of North Russell by his wife Bridget Shilstone, daughter of Robert Shilstone. A branch of the Shilstone family (which took its name (originally de Shilston) from the manor of Shilston, anciently Shilfeston, in the parish of Drews Teignton, Devon) was seated at this period within the parish of Bridestowe, near North Russell. Elizabeth Shilstone (d.1605), the only daughter and heiress of (another) "Robert Shilstone of Bridestowe", married Sir Peter Courtenay (d.1552) of Ugbrooke, Sheriff of Devon in 1548/9, 2nd son of Sir William III Courtenay (1477–1535) "The Great", of Powderham.Pole also mentions, without context, a certain "Sir Robert Shilston of Woode", who bore the same arms as Shilston of Shilston: Ermine, a saltire azure between four cross-crosslets(/patées) fitchée sable.

The le Wrey family was believed by Betham (1771), due to its unusual prefixed adjunct, to have taken its name from some office of unidentified duties, "the wrey". At least three historic estates, all in South Devon near to Okehampton and Dartmoor, have been suggested by various sources to have been the origin of the Wrey family, later Wrey Baronets:

It has been suggested that the family took its name from the estate of Wray in the parish of Moretonhampstead in Devon, in which case the ancient name would have been de Wrey. However, the Moretonhampstead History Society in its history of the existing "Wray Barton", on the Wray Brook about 1 mile south-east of Moretonhampstead, omits mention of any connection to the Wrey Baronets.

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