A descendant of the family of Lady Mary Killigrew has visited Penryn to see the silver loving cup presented to the town by Lady Jane Killigrew in the 17th century.

Julia Maxlow-Tomlinson, née Wolferstan, is a member of the family that Jane’s mother Mary left to marry Sir John Killigrew in the late 16th century, and decided on a recent visit to Cornwall that she would delve into her relatives’ history.

She said: “I have been to Cornwall lots since childhood but mainly north Cornwall. I had the idea while down here to come to Penryn and visit the museum because I had been told the story of Lady Jane Killigrew and the cup.

“We went to the museum and we found out there that the cup is kept in the vault of the town council and is only brought out for the mayor choosing ceremony each year.”

Julia and her husband Paul arranged to meet the town mayor, Gill Grant, on Friday morning, and in the meantime they visited Falmouth Art Gallery to see a painting by another descendant of the Killigrew family, as well as seeing the monument and Arwenack House, seat of the Killigrews, on Arwenack Street, and were recommended a book with further reading on the subject.

She said: “We ended up doing sort of a ‘Killigrew trail.’”

Julia added: “There were always a lot of jokes in the family that I’d got bad blood, pirate blood, because Mary Killigrew was a well known pirate, and her father was a pirate from Suffolk.

“My brother and I have always been interested in family history and waiting for a chance to come here. When we decided to have this lovely break [at the Budock Vean Hotel] I said ‘Penryn’s not far away.’”

“It’s amazing. I’ve always been told about it but actually to hold it. I’ve never realised it’s so tall and heavy.”

Mary Killigrew was born Mary Wolverston in Suffolk, but married John Killigrew and moved to Falmouth. Her descendant Lady Jane presented the loving cup to the mayor of Penryn in the 1630s as |a token of thanks after the town |took her in when she ran away from her husband.