Colonel William Helyar

Colonel William Helyar is one of the most Documented Helyar's of old. He was the Grandson of Archdeacon Helyar. His Father was Henry Helyar and Mother was Christine Cary. He was born somewhere around 1637. His brother was the adventurer and planter Cary Helyar.

Colonel William Helyar was the 2nd Helyar to have Lordship over East Coker, including Coker Court. In the Civil War William Helyar raised a body of horse for King Charles I., at his own expense; he had suffered and served as colonel in Charles I's defeated army, he received titles befitting broad acres as well as tested loyalty and was afterwards obliged to compound for his lands by a fine of £1,522. (This is documented in the House of Commons journals that can be seen online @ http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=25457, and other sources include the The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868))

He was also the employer of William Dampier for a time, there is a letter from William Dampier to Colonel William Helyar kept in the Somerset Records Office and copy on this letter can be found at http://www.galapagos.to/TEXTS/HELYAR.HTM. There is some information about Colonel William Helyar in the book "Pirate of Exquisite Mind" The life of William Dampier, Explorer, Naturalist,buccaneerr - Diana Preston (Penguin Publications) ISBN 9780670004436.

William was also said to be one of the first English men with Dampier to walk on Australia. There are some Helyar's in Perth Australia that are thought to be as a result from William's visit to the country.

Colonel William Helyar was also the one of the first Englishman to start a sugar plantation in Jamaica, which he sent his brother Cary Helyar to run for him. It is documented that he was "Exceedingly rare in kind," which said a lot in these days that slaves where used as traded commodities.

Is this thought that William's Naval resources came through family connections of his mothers family the Cary's who were merchants in Bristol. It is thought that these family ties "increased the pull of commerce"in the south west.