DAVIES GILBERT, (continued 5)

“When we reached Cheese-wring, we discovered a man and woman on the top of the mount (on the declivity of which Cheese-wring stands), who, we afterwards found, were cutting turfs for fuel. Our guide first led us to the house of the late Daniel Gumb (a stone-cutter), cut by him out of a solid rock of granite (the rocks all around this place are granite, or moorstone as commonly called in Cornwall, and of the finest quality). This artificial 185 cavern may be about twelve feet deep and not quite so broad; the roof consists of one flat stone of many tons weight, supported by the natural rock on one side, and by pillars of small stones on the other. How Gumb formed this last support is not easily conceived. We entered with hesitation lest the covering should be our grave-stone. On the right-hand side of the door is ‘D. Gumb,’ with a date engraved 1735 (or 3). On the upper part of the covering stone, channels are cut to carry off the rain, or probably to cause it to fall into a bucket for his use; there is also engraved on it some geometrical device formed by Gumb, as our guide told us, who also said that Gumb was accounted a pretty sensible man. I have no hesitation in saying he must have been a pretty eccentric character to have fixed on this place for his habitation; but here he dwelt for several years with his wife and children, several of whom were born and died here. His calling was that of a stone-cutter, and he fixed himself on a spot where materials could be met with to employ a thousand men for a thousand years.

“After quitting this house, we ascended a few paces to the pile of rocks called Cheese-wring, the resemblance of which is well expressed by the print in Borlase’s Nat. Hist. We were all struck with astonishment at this wonderful work of nature; we surveyed it over and over again, went round it several times, and viewed it from every part. It is about thirty-two feet high. The uppermost stone I have no doubt has Druidical basons formed in it. One of them shows itself by the edge of the stone having fallen away. After spending some time in viewing this tremendously awful pile of rocks, we ascended to the summit of the mount on the side of which it stands. This summit is surrounded by an artificial rampart of loose stones, not piled up; possibly they might have formed a wall, or have been carried there for building one; for if they were placed as they 186 now are with an intention so to remain, they could not have been very defensive to this mount. Possibly the name of Cheese-wring may be derived from this ring of stones, and not from the vulgar idea of the Cheese-wring rocks being like a cheese-press.

“The area within the rampart may be about half an acre of ground, and has rocks scattered all over it; but in some places verdure even in this rude region makes its appearance. We found a man and a woman within the area cutting turfs between the rocks for fuel. Among other questions, I asked the man to whom the spot belonged; his answer was, ‘he believed to nobody.’

“Several curious piles of rocks, some forming cromlechs, and others of various forms and positions, are here also to be seen, and several of them have Druidical basons on them. The rocks having these basons are the most lofty or most remarkable for shape or situation. On some rocks there are two or three basons; and where there are more basons than one, they generally communicate by a channel. The basons here are of different sizes, though all of them are of the same shape, which is circular. Some of them are about a foot and a half in diameter, and six or eight inches deep; others not so large or deep. Never having seen any Druidical basons before, and having had my doubts till this time, whether they might not be natural productions caused by rain, lightning, &c. I was led to examine other rocks, whether they had (though equally exposed to the weather) similar formations, but could not find a bason on any rock that was not singular either for its shape or situation. I therefore concluded that these basons were the work of art, and not of nature; and I think they were not intended for the purpose of receiving the rain for common uses, for if so, why were they not made on rocks of easy access? It is possible, however, that rain being held in a natural hollow of a rock, may decompose that part of the rock on which it rests, and being whirled about by the wind from time to 187 time, may form these basons which we attribute to art; and if this is the case, they must continue increasing in size and depth. Have such basons ever been seen but on granite rocks? if not, probably water dissolves the feltspar and disunites the quartz and mica; and the winds driving round the water with particles of quartz at the bottom of the bason, must consequently fret away the rock and enlarge the bason. A rock of white marble lies on the sea-beach near Looe, completely covered with hollows like what are termed Druidical basons; these hollows in this rock I have no doubt have been formed by the sea; it lies near an insulated high rock under Sanders Lane, and is every tide covered with the sea, and is very frequently covered with sand. A person fancying the basons on this rock of marble to be an artificial work, might also fancy that it once was placed on top of the elevated rock near it; the contrast of the white marble on top of the elevated rock, which is of a very dark colour, would give a singular appearance. When this high rock is shown to strangers, they are generally told, with a serious face, that when it hears a cock crowing at Hay (which is a farm just above it) it turns round three times!

“SHARPY TORRY.

“After leaving the area before-mentioned, we mounted our horses, and went towards another very considerable rocky eminence, about half a mile north-east; the road to which over the Down is full of rocks and stones, so as to prevent a horse from going other than step and step at times. On our way we passed a small circle of stones, the remains I rather think of an ancient Barrow, whose earth had been washed away by the rains. We shortly after passed another pretty large circle of stones, just about the diameter to appearance of the lesser circle of the Hurlers; at length we arrived at the pile of rocks, called by our guide Sharpy-torry (Sharp-torr, from 188 its conical shape). We alighted from our horses and ascended. On the north or north-west side of it there appears a hollow, more like a large chimney than any other thing I can compare it to; the outside of which seems to have given way, and the steep hill below is strewed with an immense quantity of rocks and large stones, as if carried down or poured out from this hollow. Whether this was caused by the operation of fire or water bursting from this hollow or crater, if I may use the expression, I will not take upon me to say; but that one or other of these agents burst from this mount appears to be extremely probable, for the rocks and stones seem exactly as if they had been tumbled or thrown out of this crater by a current of some kind. We could not, however, discover lava; therefore it is probable water might have burst out, unless the lava has been decomposed. The views from this place are truly sublime. The spot is nearly the centre of the broadest part of the county; from it we saw both seas, north and south, and consequently the intervening land; and I believe it is the only eminence (except perhaps Brownwilly) in the eastern part of Cornwall, from whence both seas may be seen. We also saw in the North Sea a very high land, which we concluded must be Lundy Island; but the horizon to the north being rather hazy, I will not take upon me to say positively that it was that island, though it is probable to have been so. The prospect was equally extensive east and west, and as I took a pocket spying-glass with me, we viewed therewith the vast extent we commanded. We discovered Launceston Castle with the naked eye; through the glass it became very visible. We were much struck with the beautiful and highly-cultivated lands to the east of us, terminated in part by the high land of Dartmoor. To the westward, nothing was to be seen but a vast continuance of moor land, without a hedge, without a tree, for a stretch of many miles. The cultivated land commenced 189 just below our feet to the eastward, and the uncultivated from where we stood westward; the contrast on turning from west to east, or vice versâ, was astonishing. Our station seemed to be amidst the wreck of mountains of granite, rocks piled on rocks were strewed around in awful grandeur. The extreme point of our western view, dimmed by distance, showed us that elevated rock called Roach Rock, and we also saw Dosmerry Pool about four or five miles off; our south view commanded Plymouth Sound, and a long extent of coast and sea; the northward in one part was terminated by the sea. The views brought to my mind the beautiful lines in Ovid:

“Then he ordered the seas to poured abroad, and to swell with furious winds, and to draw a shore quite round the inclosed earth. He likewise added springs, and immense pools and lakes. He ordered likewise plains to be extended, and valleys to sink; the woods to be covered with green leaves, and the rocky mountains to rise.

“From this elevated spot (Sharp Tor) Hingston Hill appeared considerably beneath us. After spending some time on Sharp Tor, we reluctantly descended and went towards another range of rocks, called Killmarth Hill (which signifies the Holy Hill or Land, or perhaps Holy Grove), about three-quarters of a mile off. This range of rocks looks from Sharp Tor, like an immense wall of artificial masonry, with here and there turrets ascending, and it brought to my mind Sir George Staunton’s account of the Chinese wall. When we arrived at its base, we alighted from our horses, and ascended. This natural wall-looking range is composed of granite rocks of, I should suppose some of them, a thousand tons weight. We traversed along the ridge, with some difficulty, towards the first turret, and from 190 that to the next and so on, but the highest, which at a distance looked somewhat like Wringcheese, was yet to be explored; at length we arrived at it, and found it, if possible, more curious than Cheese-wring itself. It consists of immense rocks piled one on the other, to the height of twenty or thirty feet, and it leans so much, that a perpendicular dropped from its top would, I may venture to say, reach the bottom fifteen or more feet from its base; and from where we stood on the ridge, its support at the base appeared so slight as if a man could shove the whole mass over the precipice. Some of the uppermost stones of this pile are, I should think, from fifteen to twenty feet over, and the base of the whole fabric appeared so slight, that I imagined the handle of my whip would have exceeded its thickness. Upon descending to take another view of this astonishing structure, we found that the rocks were considerably thicker on one side than the other; so that the thick parts formed a counterpoise to the overhanging parts; but this not being apparent from the spot on which we first stood, was the cause of our great astonishment. However, though our astonishment was somewhat lessened, yet much remained at this stupendous pile. This is the most western turret.

“From this place one of the party and myself, the others not chusing to accompany us, went to explore the easternmost turret. Upon our arrival at its base we found much difficulty in ascending it; the rocks jutted out, one over the other, in such a manner that, had we slipped but a few inches, we must have dropped over a considerable precipice. I arrived first at the base, and attempted to ascend, but fear pulled me back. Upon my friend’s arrival we thought we would exert ourselves to get up, as we conjectured there might be a Druidical basin at top. My friend got up the first rock by creeping at full length under the overhanging rock; and I was under the necessity of several times desiring him, 191 in the most energetic manner, to keep as close in as possible; for if the body had gone a few inches farther out, it must have slid over the sloping rock which overhung the precipice. It took him a few minutes to drag himself in in this manner. In this creeping state he thought he should have broken his watch to pieces, as he was obliged, as before stated, to crawl at full length, there being no possibility; on account of the overhanging rock, of going on hands and knees. Upon trying to get out his watch, I earnestly entreated him to desist, for fear of losing his centre of gravity; for on the left hand was the precipice, and raising his right side ever so little might have been attended with most serious consequences. He took my advice, and by another exertion got far enough in to raise himself on his hands and knees, and then on his legs. I then followed him in the same manner. We then examined the rocks above us, in order to observe the best mode of ascending them. I first made the ascent, and in the uppermost rock discovered the largest Druidical basin we had met with, and observed it had a lip or channel facing the south. The horrid precipices on each side prevented my getting on the top of this rock, as I felt a slight vertigo. I then got down on a lower rock, and my friend ascended the uppermost one, and not finding himself dizzy, got into the basin itself (where I hope he will never go again), and waved his hat to our companions below. I desired him to measure the circumference of this basin, which he did with his whip, and found it to be about three feet and a half in diameter. We did not take its depth, but I think it must have been about a foot; it was of a circular form. The next thing to be considered was, how we should get down again; which at last, however, we effected nearly in the same manner (only reversing our movements) as we got up; and I believe nothing will ever induce me to pay a second visit to the top of this rock.

192 “We had a very fine day for our excursion; the sun being clouded, it was not over warm; and there was but little wind: had there been more wind, we should not have been able to ascend some of the places we did, particularly the last. The air was somewhat hazy over the North and South seas, which was the only thing we had to regret.

“A finer situation for Druidical[29] residence, rites, and 193 ceremonies, I think, could not be fixed on anywhere; every thing around is awfully magnificent; probably in ancient days these masses of rocks were surrounded with trees. Our guide indeed informed us that on digging the soil trunks of large trees have been there discovered; and Kil-mar, Kill-mark, Kil-marth signify, in Cornish, the Great, the Horse, or the Wonderful Grove.”

Since writing the above, I have been again to see these curiosities (but did not visit the top of the easternmost turret), and went by the way of St. Cleer Churchtown, near which is a curious old well, with a moorstone cross by it, worth seeing; the stone itself is in form of a cross, and it has a cross in relief cut on its cross. About a mile from St. Cleer Church (on the way to Cheese Wring) stands a most magnificent

CROMLECH,

on a barrow in a field near the high road, on the tenement called Trethevye. A friend who was with me took a rough measurement of the upper or covering stone, and calculated it to be about five tons weight. The stones which form this Cromlech are supposed to have 194 been brought some miles from where they stand, as there are none of the same kind near it. That this is a work of art there cannot be a doubt. One can hardly, however, suppose it possible that such immense stones could have been brought from a distance, and erected in the manner they are. What machinery was used baffles all conjecture. The upper or covering stone has a hole in it; for what purpose I have no idea, unless to support a flag-pole. One of the party remarked it might have been made for a chain to drag it by; but I rather thought it too near the edge for that purpose. Mr. Britton, in his “Beauties of England and Wales,” has given a vignette of this Cromlech, which is well executed, and like the original. Speaking of this Cromlech, Mr. B. says, he believes it has not been described by any writer,[30] though it is more curious and of greater magnitude than that of Mona, or any other he was acquainted with. He says “it standeth about one mile and a half east of St. Cleer, on an eminence commanding an extensive tract of country, particularly to the east, south, and south-west; and is provincially denominated Trevethey Stone. On the north the high ground of the Moors exalts its swelling outline above it. It is all of granite, and consists of six upright stones, and one large slab covering them in an inclined position. This impost measures sixteen feet in length and ten broad, and is at a medium about fourteen inches thick. It rests on five of the uprights only; and at its other end is perforated by a small circular hole. No tradition exists as to the 195 time of its erection; but its name at once designates it being a work of the Britons, and sepulchral; the term Trevedi (Trevethi) signifying, in the British language, the place of the Graves.”

King Doniert is said to have been the father of St. Ursula, rendered famous by her unfortunate expedition from Cornwall to the coast of Flanders, but still more famous by the beautiful picture of her embarkation, painted by Claude de Lorraine, where the Saint, accompanied by her eleven thousand virgins, are descending to their ships in a port, decorated with buildings the most superb, and surrounded by a distant landscape, imagined and arranged in the highest style of that celebrated master.

Those ladies, although an exaggeration from eleven to eleven thousand is suspected by some writers, were to have married a Roman emperor and his principal officers; but being attacked on their landing by Pagan Saxons, they defended themselves with a courage worthy of Cornwall, until all were slain with arms in their hands. Yet one hardly sees why these heroic females were honoured among the saints. Their deaths as martyrs are referred to the 20th of October 383, and their tomb is still shown at Cologne, where a monastery has been built to their memory.

THE EDITOR.

Not far from King Doniert’s stone monument is another perpendicular moor-stone, on which is still apparent the figure of a cross; and on another, not far distant, is a cross shaped like a T.

Without doubt I think this our King Doniert lived and died in his town and castle of Leskeard, where it was not lawful to bury the bodies of dead men till the year 700. It is moreover to be noted, with regard to the inscription on his monument of stone, that about this time it was customary to pray for departed souls.

196 Not very distant from the said monument, in the open downs, are to be seen a great number of moor-stones, some artificially squared, and placed in a perpendicular manner about three feet high. These are commonly called the Hurlers: a Druidical monument having been changed, by the fraud and artifice of the priests, into a supposed monument of God’s vengeance against persons for not attending on their masses.

St. Cleer measures 9118 statute acres.

£. s. d.

Annual value of the Real Property, as returned to Parliament in 1815 5448 0 0

Poor Rate in 1831 833 3 0

Population,—

in 1801, 774 in 1811, 780 in 1821, 985 in 1831, 982.

being an increase of about 27 per cent. in 30 years.

GEOLOGY, BY DOCTOR BOASE.

About a mile north of the church the granite hills make their appearance, and run across the parish in a curved line. The only variety which this rock presents are coarse and fine grained masses, and a kind of fluor, near Carraton Hill, containing hornblende. Immediately south of the granite, on the side of a barren moor, masses of compact and quartz ore felspar rock protrude, indicating the same formation as at Trewist in Alternun. Near the church hornblende slate prevails, which is said to contain veins of actynolite and asbestos. A little further south, on the ridge of a barren down, massive hornblende rock projects in tiers; and loose blocks of the same stone lie scattered over the side of the hill, and in the adjacent valley.

The whole of the southern part of the parish is composed of varieties of this same rock, several of which are well displayed in the vicinity of Rosecradock.

197

ST. CLEATHER.

HALS.

St. Cleather is situate in the hundred of Lesnewith, and hath upon the north, Trenegles; east, Egles-kerry and Laneast; south, part of Altarnun; west, Davidstowe. For the name of St. Cleather, it refers to the vicar of the church, and in Cornish, signifies a sacred, or holy fencer or gladiator; a person that exercises a spiritual sword for offence or defence in a holy manner; and as in this place by the holy fencer is to be understood the vicar, so by his sword is signified την μαχαιραν του πνευματος ὅ ’στι ῥῆμα Θεου, gladium spiritus, quod est verbum Dei, i. e. the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God.

In the Inquisition of the Bishops of Lincoln and Winchester aforesaid, 1294, Ecclesia de Sancto Clede, or Cledredi, in Decanatu de Lesnewith, was valued to its first fruits 6l. In Wolsey’s Inquisition, and Valor Beneficiorum, 6l. 11s. 0½d.; the incumbent, Harris; and the parish rated to the 4s. per pound land-tax, 1696, 71l. 4s. 8d. Quere, whether St. Clede, or Clete, mentioned in that Inquisition aforesaid, relate not to St. Clete, or Cletus, Bishop of Rome and martyr, as the tutelar guardian and patron of this church? whose history in short is thus: He was born at Rome, of an old family of gentlemen or noblemen, in the reign of Tiberius; whose father’s name was Emelianus, a Christian, that placed his son Clete a disciple under St. Peter; after which he made him and Linnus coadjutors in the ministry. To Linnus St. Peter gave the charge of affairs within Rome, to Cletus the charge of the churches abroad; and those two holy men had both the succession of the Bishopric of Rome, after St. Peter’s 198 death, (Clement through humility declining that office, who in justice should have had it,) till the time that Domitian, the son of Vespasian, enjoyed the empire, who, degenerating from the morality of his father and brother Titus, raised the second persecution against the Christians; at which time, amongst many others, St. Cletus Bishop of Rome received the crown of martyrdom, after he had held the Bishopric twelve years and seven months and two days, 26th April, anno Dom. 91, tempore Domitian. He lies buried by the body of St. Peter at Rome, and is one of the saints mentioned in the Canon of the Mass, as also in St. Paul’s Epistle to Timothy. He is said, by order of St. Peter, to have divided the City of Rome into twenty-five districts or parishes, and to have set up a priest to rule and govern in spiritual matters over such Christians as were within the same, and attended their predicaments; whose successors afterwards in those churches were called cardinals.

See Peransand for the family of Cleathers.

Bas-ill, in this parish, or Bas-yll, in former ages (at best being but a poor corn country) has been for many ages the seat of the worshipful family of the Trevillians [Trevelyan]; the present possessor, Peter Trevillian, Esq. that married Borlace, his father Arundell.

His ancestor was John Trevillian, Esq. of Nettlecomb in Somerset, who was sheriff of Somerset and Dorset 17 Henry VII.; his grandson John Trevillian, Esq. was sheriff of Cornwall 38 Henry VIII. The arms of which gentlemen are in a field Gules, a demy horse Argent, issuing out of the waves of the sea Azure, grounded upon a tradition that one of their ancestors, at the supposed general inundation or concussion into the sea, of a tract of land called Lyon-ness, extending from St. Sennan to the Scilly Islands, saved himself by sitting on the back of a white horse, whilst he swam from thence through the sea to the insular continent of 199 Cornwall, where he came safe to land; but when I consider that Solinus, who lived 1500 years past, tells us that the Cassiterides, by which he means the Scilly Islands (or the tin islands), in his days were separated from the coast of the Danmonii, by a rough sea of two or three hours’ sail (as it still appears to be), and that hereditary coat armours and surnames in Britain are little above five hundred years old in Britain or Cornwall, there is small credit to be given to this tradition.

In this parish, or part of Davidstowe, is Foye-fenton, the original fountain of the Foys River; which well, in old records, is also called West Fenton, i. e. the west well, to distinguish it from Mark well in Lanick, otherwise east well; from which places the two cantreds (hundreds) of Eastwellshire and Westwellshire are denominated. And to this purpose it is evident, from Carew’s Survey of Cornwall, page 41, that in 3 Henry IV. Reginald de Ferrar held in East Fenton and West Fenton, several knights’ fees of land of the honour of Tremeton, which is now East and West Hundreds. (See also St. Stephen’s by Saltash, of those tenures in 1360.)

TONKIN.

In this parish stands Basil, a word sometimes taken for a herb or vegetable, sometimes for a vein in the human body, sometimes for the basilisk or cockatrice, &c.; but here I take it to signify after the Greek, a basilica or stately building; and although at present this mansion will not answer the etymology in the extreme latitude or longitude thereof, yet in probability it formerly did, at least comparatively so in respect to other houses in the neighbourhood.

This place is the mansion of the ancient, famous, and knightly family of Trevillyans; the present possessor of Basil is Peter Trevillyan, who married a daughter of Mr. Nicholas Borlase of Treludderin. From this Cornish 200 family are descended the Trevillyans of Nettlecomb in Somersetshire.

Although this parish is commonly called and written St. Cleather, yet the right name is St. Eledred, and so it is written in the Taxatio Beneficiorum; which St. Eledred I take to be Ethelred King of the Mercians, who, after he had held the crown for thirty years, and governed with great reputation, and especially with much regard to religion, which (as William of Malmesbury observes) was more to this prince’s inclination than arms, resigned the kingdom to his kinsman Kendred, became a monk, and died soon after in the monastery of Bordeney in Lincolnshire.

There was, however, another St. Ethelred, King of the West Saxons, who is said by Mr. Browne Willis, in his Notitia Parliamentaria, to be buried at Wimborne Minster in Dorsetshire, with the following inscription:

In hoc loco quiescit corpus Sancti Ethelredi Regis West-Saxonum martyris, qui A.D. 872, 23 die Aprilis, per manus Danorum Paganorum occubuit.

Perhaps this latter is the true patron.

THE EDITOR.

Bishop Tanner, in the Notitia Monastica, says of Bordeney Abbey,

“Here was a public monastery before the year 697, to which Ethelred King of Mercia was a great benefactor, if not the original founder; who upon the resignation of his crown retired hither, and became first a monk, and afterwards abbat of this house till his death. It is said to have had three hundred monks, but was destroyed by the Danes A.D. 870.”

The branch or stock of the Trevelyans settled at Basil is now extinct. A Sir John Trevelyan, Knight, of that place, is said to have greatly reduced his fortunes by various law-suits. An anecdote is anciently related of him in the neighbourhood, that having failed 201 in making an appearance to some civil suit, a process issued to the sheriff for attaching his person, who went to Basil accompanied by several horsemen, and riding into the court-yard made proclamation of his authority, and called on the defendant to surrender; but he, on the contrary, threatened the sheriff if he did not depart, with letting loose his spearmen upon him, and then overturned some hives of bees, which effectually routed the whole troop.

Basil now belongs to the family of Mr. Robert Fanshawe, an Out Commissioner of the Navy Board resident at Plymouth, who made the purchase from Mr. Tremayne of Sydenham.

This parish contains 3242 statute acres.

£. s. d.

Annual value of the Real Property, as returned to Parliament in 1815 1998 0 0

Poor Rate in 1831 112 0 0

Population,—

in 1801, 134 in 1811, 165 in 1821, 175 in 1831, 171;

giving an increase of 27½ per cent. in 30 years.

Present Vicar, the Rev. J. P. Carpenter, instituted 1823.

GEOLOGY, BY DR. BOASE.

The western moiety of this parish runs much further south than the eastern, stretching in an irregular form into the granite near Roughton and Brown Walley.

The rocks adjoining this granitic portion are compost and schistose felspar, as at Alternun, and in a similar position. These are succeeded in the vicinity of the church by a peculiar calcareous rock, consisting almost entirely of hornblend and calcareous spar. The northern part makes part of a downs, extending almost to Launceston, and abounding in manganese.

202

ST. CLEMENT^’S.

HALS.

St. Clement’s is situate in the hundred of Powder, and hath upon the north St. Herme and St. Allen; on the west Kenwyn; east the creek of Trevilian River; south and west Truro River, or arm of the sea.

In Domesday Roll, 20 Wm. I. A.D. 1087, it was taxed under the Great Earl of Cornwall’s manor (now Duchy) of Mor-is or Mor-es, id est, the manor or parish of the sea, or a manor situated on the sea, according to the natural circumstances of the place. And I doubt not that before the Norman Conquest this church or chapel was extant; since, at the time of the Inquisition of the Bishops of Lincoln and Winchester (1294), it was valued to the first fruits vil., vicar ejusdem xiiis. iiiid., by no other name than Ecclesia de Mores, which was endowed or founded undoubtedly by the Lords of the Manor of Mores, that is the Earl of Cornwall, whose successors, the Dukes, still possess the lands, and are patrons of the church. In Wolsey’s Inquisition 1525, and Valor Beneficiorum, this church is called Clemens, and valued to first fruits £9.

In this church town is the well-known place of Conor, Condura, id est, the King or Prince’s Water (viz. Cornwall), whose royalty is still over the same, and whose lands cover comparatively the whole parish; from which place in all probability was denominated Cundor or Condor, in Latin Condorus, i. e. Condura, Earl of Cornwall at the time of the Norman Conquest, who perhaps lived, or was born here. And moreover, the inhabitants of this church town and its neighbourhood will tell you, by tradition from age to age, that here once dwelt a great lord and lady called Condura.

This Condurus, as our historians tell us, in 1016 submitted 203 to the Conqueror’s jurisdiction, paid homage for his earldom, and made an oath of his fealty to him; but this report doth not look like a true one, for most certain it is, in the 3rd year of the Conqueror’s reign, he was deprived of his earldom, the same being given to the Conqueror’s half-brother, Robert Earl of Morton in Normandy, whose son William for a long time succeeded him in that dignity after his death. Is it not, therefore, more probable that this Earl Condurus confederated with his countrymen at Exeter, in that insurrection of the people against the Conqueror in the 3rd year of his reign, and for that reason was deprived of his earldom? Be it as it was, certain it is he married and had issue Cad-dock (id est, bear or carry-war), his son and heir, whom some authors call Condor the Second, who is by them taken for and celebrated as Earl of Cornwall.

But what part of the lands or estate thereof he enjoyed (whilst Robert and William, Earls of Morton aforesaid, his contemporaries, for thirty years were alive, and doubtless possessed thereof, as well as his title and dignity) hath not yet appeared to me. His chief dwelling and place of residence was at Jutsworth, near Saltash and Trematon, where he married and had issue one only daughter named Agnes, as some say, others Beatrix, who was married to Reginald Fitz-Harry, base son of King Henry I., by his concubine Anne Corbett, in whose right he was made Earl of Cornwall, after William Earl of Cornwall aforesaid had forfeited the same, by attainder of treason against the Conqueror and his sons, and was deprived thereof.

This Earl Caddock, or Condor the 2nd, departed this life 1120, and lies buried in the chancel of St. Stephen’s Church, by Saltash, and gave for his arms, in a field Sable, 15 bezants palewise, 4, 4, 4, 2, 1. (See St. Stephen’s.)

Lambesso, Lambedo, Lambessa, in this parish, parcel of the Duchy manor of Moris aforesaid, where heretofore 204 was kept the prison, or place of durance and correction, for the prisoners and offenders thereof; which barton for several generations was the dwelling-place of the family surnamed King, duchy tenants, till my kind friend Henry King, gent. temp. Charles II., for want of issue, by his last will and testament settled the same upon John Foote, gent. attorney-at-law, now in possession thereof; who married Avery, daughter-in-law to Mr. King, by his wife, the widow of Avery, and daughter of Lampeer, as I take it.

Query, whether Oliver King, Chaplain in ordinary to King Henry VII., Dean of Winchester, Register of the Noble Order of the Garter, and one of the principal Secretaries of State to that King, created Bishop of Exeter the 9th of February 1492, and from thence translated to Wells 1499, and died 1505, (since Isaac, in his Memorials of Exeter, saith he was a Cornish man), were not of this family? who gave for his arms, in a field Argent, on a chevron Sable, three escallops of the First.

Mr. Foote, as I said, married Avery, and was descended from the Footes of Tregony; and giveth for his arms, Vert, a chevron between three pigeons or doves Argent. His son Henry Foote, attorney-at-law, married Gregor of Cornelly, and is, at the writing hereof, in possession of Lambesso.[31]

Pen-are, alias Pen-ar, in this parish, parcel of the Duchy manor of Moris aforesaid, was heretofore the dwelling of my kind friend James Lance, Esq. a Commissioner of the Peace and Surveyor of the Duchy of Lancaster during the Interregnum, or usurpation of Cromwell. He married —— Blackston of London.

This gentleman sold this barton to Hugh Boscawen, 205 of Tregothnan, Esq. who settled it in marriage with his daughter Bridget, on Hugh Fortescue, of Filley, in Devon, Esq. now in possession thereof.

Since writing the above, Mr. Fortescue departed with those lands to Grenvill Hals, of Truro, gent., who dying without issue, and his unthrift elder brother, James Hals of Merthyr succeeding as his heir to those lands, he hath sold the same to one Mr. Cregoe, for about twelve hundred pounds.[32]

Tre-simple, in this parish, was the lands of I have forgot whom, who sold it to Henry Vincent, gent. attorney-at-law, descended, as Mr. Foote informed me, from the Vincents of St. Allen, who married Kendall of Pelyn; his father, Lampen; and gave for his arms, in a field three cinquefoils.

By Kendall he had issue Walter Vincent, Esq. barrister-at-law, who married —— Nosworthy, and a daughter named Jane, married to Harris, of Park; after by his second wife, daughter of Richard Lance, gent. he had issue Peter Vincent, to whom he gave this Tresimple, who sold it to his brother Walter Vincent aforesaid, and Shadrack Vincent; Edward Vincent, killed by a fall from his horse 1700; and Mary, married to Joseph Halsey, clerk, some time rector of St. Michael, Penkwell.

Park, in this parish (id est, a field, or a park for beasts), is the dwelling of Covin, gent.

Pol-wheele, or Polwhele, in this parish (id est, the head or top), is situate at the top of a hill; from whence was denominated an ancient family of gentlemen surnamed Polwhele, who gave for their arms as underneath: in a field Sable, a saltire engrailed Ermine; and from that 206 time discontinued the arms of Trewoolla (viz. three owls), the Cornish motto of which Polwhele’s arms was, Karenza whelas Karenza, id est, Love or affection seeks, searches, begets, or works love. The present possessor, John Polwhele, esq. barrister-at-law, who married Redinge, of Northamptonshire, his father Baskewill of Dorset, his grandfather one of the daughters of Judge Glanvill in Devon, his great-great-grandfather one of the coheirs of Ten-Creek of Treworgan, which place afterwards he made his dwelling.

Lastly, let the reader observe, that if the true name of this church be St. Clement’s, then its tutelar guardian and patron, to whom it was dedicated, was St. Clement, Pope and martyr of Rome; whose name is derived from Clemens, mild, meek, merciful, gracious. He was born in the region of Calimontana in Italy; his father’s name Faustine. He was contemporary with St. Paul, and was his coadjutor or assistant in preaching the Gospel, as is testified by himself in his epistle to Timothy, wherein he saith, “Help those persons that labour with me in the Gospel, whose names are written in the Book of Life.” He appointed that in the seven regions of Rome should be the notaries, to write the deeds and martyrdoms of the Christians, and commanded that such as were baptized and had learnt the principles of the Christian religion, should receive the sacrament of confirmation, and as some write, he made the Canon of the Apostles and the Apostolic Constitutions now extant. Finally, for preaching the Gospel of Christ in derogation of the Roman religion, he was by command of the Emperor Trajan, with a rope about his neck, and an anchor fastened thereto, cast into the main sea and drowned, uttering those last words, “Eternal Father, receive my soul!” after he had been Pope of Rome nine years, two months, and ten days, the 23rd of November Anno Dom. 102. He gave orders twice in December, and ordered fifteen bishops, ten priests, and twenty-one deacons, as Baronius saith.

207 TONKIN.

The Polwheles of this place are of great antiquity. They flourished before the Conquest, at which time they were so eminent that Drew de Polwhele was chamberlain to the Conqueror’s queen; and the late John Polwhele, Esq. had not long since in his possession, a grant from her to the said Drew of several lands in this county, which deed he having sent to a gentleman to peruse, he could never get it back again. From the time of this Drew or Drogo de Polwhele, the family have lived with much esteem in this their habitation, till the latter part of Queen Elizabeth’s reign, when Degory Polwhele, on his marriage with Catherine the eldest daughter and coheir of Robert Trencreek, Esq. removed to her seat of Treworgan in St. Erme, where the family resided till the sale of that place to Mr. Collins, when they returned to their old dwelling.

The present possessor, Richard Polwhele, Esq. was sheriff of Cornwall 9 George I. 1723.

The family suffered greatly in the civil wars.

Penhellick was once a considerable seat, although now it is divided into several premises, in one of which lately resided Mr. Robert Polwhele, younger brother to John Polwhele, Esq. and in another Captain Thomas Gregor, of Truro.

Trewhythenick formerly belonged to a family of the same name, who gave for their arms, Argent, a chevron within a border engrailed Sable. This manor came afterwards to the Chamonds.

Park also belonged to a family of the same name.

Lambesso belonged to the Tredenhams, but for some time past to the Footes.

THE EDITOR.

Polwhele has descended from the gentleman who 208 served the office of sheriff in 1723, to his grandson, the Rev. Richard Polwhele, author of a history of Cornwall, and so distinguished by his works in every department of literature; by his early poetical effusions, when

“He lisp’d in numbers for the numbers came;”

by those of his maturer age; by sermons equally sound in learning and in diction, and persuasive by their eloquence; that no Cornishman of the present day can presume to place himself, I will not say in competition, but in the same class of literary excellence with Mr. Polwhele.

At Penhellick, about seventy years ago, the Rev. John Collins, rector of Redruth, built a house for his own residence after removing to the village; he is reported to have selected this spot in consequence of several persons residing in it having attained great ages. On his decease, the house and lands were sold to a Colonel Macarmicke, originally a wine merchant at Truro, who much enlarged the house, and endeavoured to affix some fanciful new name on the place. The property has since passed through various hands, and the house has generally been unoccupied.

This parish contains 3156 statute acres.

£. s. d.

The annual value of Real Property, as returned to Parliament in 1815 7027 0 0

The Poor Rate in 1831 1100 3 0

Population,—

in 1801, 1342 in 1811, 1692 in 1821, 2306 in 1831, 2885;

giving an increase of 115 per cent. in 30 years.

GEOLOGY, BY DR. BOASE.

The rocks are not much exposed in this parish.

In the southern part they consist of glossy slates, which break into thick lameller leaves, and they appear to belong to the calcareous series.

209

COLAN, or LITTLE COLAN.

HALS.

Is situate in the hundred of Pider, and hath upon the north, Maugan; east, St. Colomb Major; south, St. Enedor; west, Lower St. Columb.

It is so called from the barton of Little Colon or Golon, contiguous with the church, on part of which ground perhaps the same was founded, and endowed with part of the lands thereof. At the time of the Norman Conquest this district passed in tax under the names of Carneton, or Ryalton; and the church being built and endowed by Walter Brounscomb, Bishop of Exeter, 1250, it was by him appropriated to the canons Augustine of his college of Glasnith, by him founded. For that we read in the Inquisition of the Bishops of Lincoln and Winchester into the value of benefices for the Pope’s Annats in Cornwall, 1294, Ecclesia Sancti Colani, appropriata Canonicis de Penryn, 4l.; Vicar ejusdem 6s. 8d. In Wolsey’s Inquisition, 1521, and Valor Beneficiorum, 6l. 14s. 8d.; the patronage in the Bishop of Exeter for the time being; the sheaf or rectory in possession of Vyvyan; the incumbent, Bagwell; and the parish rated to the 4s. per pound Land Tax 1696, 63l. 16s.

From this barton of Colon was denominated an old family of gentlemen, from thence surnamed De Colon; of which family Roger de Colon was seised of a knight’s fee of land 25th Edward III., which he held by the tenure of knight-service. Carew’s Survey Corn. p. 52. Roger Colon, grandson of the said Roger, having issue only two daughters, Jane and Margaret, the which Jane was married to John Blewet, a younger branch of the 210 Blewets of Holcomb Rogus in Devon, who afterwards was made sheriff of Cornwall the 26th Henry VI. (when Richard Yeard, Esq. was sheriff of Devon); which Jane’s estate was no small advance of the wealth of his house, from whom all the Blewets of Cornwall are since descended, some of whom have erected a monument in this church in memory of those De Colons; and several of them have made Colon a font name in their family to this day, of which I may not in justice forget my late kind friend Major Colon Blewet, a valiant commander under King Charles I. against the Parliament army, who married Elizabeth daughter of Sir William Wrey, Knight, but died without issue; whose brother Robert, that married Arundell, a base son, succeeded to this his estate, who had issue another Robert that married Wood, as I remember, and sold the moiety of this barton of Colon to Robert Hoblyn, of Nanswiddon, clerk, rector of Ludgnan, now in possession thereof; the arms of Blewet were, Or, a chevron between three eagles Vert. The Hampshire Blewets, as Camden saith, gave Or, an eagle displayed with two necks and heads Gules.

Coswarth, also Cosowarth, synonymous words, the far off, or remote wood, which place, as Mr. Carew tells us, at the time of the Norman Conquest, transnominated the French family or name of Escudifer, i. e. shield-bearer or Esquire, to that of Coswarth; in which place those gentlemen flourished in great wealth and tranquillity, till John Cosowarth, Esq. lord of this place, tempore Henry VIII. having issue, by Williams, one only daughter named Katherine, married first to Allen Hill, and afterwards to Arundell of Trerice, suffered the greatest part of his lands and estate to go with his daughter’s children, and then entailed this manor and barton of Coswarth on the heirs male of his family, by virtue of which settlement his uncle, John Cosowarth, succeeded to those lands, who had issue by Sir William 211 Lock’s daughter, Thomas Cosowarth, Esq. that married Seyntaubyn, sheriff of Cornwall 26th Elizabeth, who by her had issue John and Dorothy; and Dorothy was married to Kendall. After the death of John, Edward Cosowarth his uncle succeeded to this inheritance of Cosowarth, and married Arundell of Trerice, who had issue by her Samuel Cosowarth, Esq. afterwards knighted by Charles I. He married Heale of Fleet, and had issue Edward, Samuel, and John, that died before their father; Robert and Nicholas succeeded to this estate successively, but died both without issue. The which Robert, upon some distasteful words given him by his cousin John Coswarth, one of the heirs male in remainder, did by fine and proclamation bar the estate tail, and made it fee simple in himself and his heirs. So that after his decease his brother Nicholas succeeded to the estate, who by an accidental fall from his horse (coming home from St. Colomb, as was reported, somewhat intoxicated with liquor), instantly died, without issue; after whose decease Bridget Cosowarth, his only sister, daughter of Sir Samuel aforesaid, succeeded to his inheritance, who married Henry Minors of St. Enedor, her cousin-german, by whom she had issue one only daughter named Anne, who was married to Captain Francis Vivian of Truan, by whom he had issue one only daughter named Mary, since become wife and lady of Sir Richard Vyvyan, of Trelowarren, Bart. now in possession of Coswarth and Vivian’s estates.

The arms of Cosowarth are, Argent, on a chevron between three falcons’ wings Azure, five Bezants.

This place I suppose is that manor of land in the Domesday roll taxed by the name of Chor, also Chore, and now vulgarly called Cud-chore, or Cud-jore, viz. the wood-play, interlude, show, or diversion; pageants, sights, pastimes, to delight the people. Now choariou in Cornish, hoariou in the Armorican tongue, is as ludi in Latin, and ludo and ludus. And further memorable 212 it is that Sir Samuel Coswarth of this place frequently styled himself Sir Samuel Cudjore for Cudchoariou, for such was the name of the place before the woods about were destroyed. Then it assumed the name of Cosowarth, i. e. the further-off wood, when the woods on the south-west part of it were destroyed.

Tonkin has not any thing of the least importance different from Mr. Hals.

THE EDITOR.

This parish contains 1481 statute acres.

£. s. d.

Annual value of the Real Property, as returned to Parliament in 1815 1685 0 0

Poor Rate in 1831 94 14 0

Population,—

in 1801, 191 in 1811, 221 in 1821, 259 in 1831, 261;

giving an increase of nearly 37 per cent. in 30 years.

GEOLOGY, BY DR. BOASE.

The geological structure in this parish is not very evident; but where the rocks are exposed they very much resemble some varieties of the calcareous series.

St. COLOMB MAJOR.

HALS.

Is situate in the hundred of Pyder, and hath upon the north side Little Pedyrick, St. Ewyn, and St. Issey; on the east, St. Wenn and Roach; west, Maugan; south, St. Enedor, Little Collun, and St. Dennis. At the time of the Norman Conquest the name of this parish or church was not extant, for then it was taxed under the names of Tollscat or Todscad, now the duchy manor of 213 Tollskidy, (that is to say, the shady hole, or pit,) Bodeworgy, and Chiliworgy, places still well known in those parts. At the time of the Inquisition of the Bishops of Lincoln and Winchester, 1294, into the value of Cornish church revenues, Ecclesia de Sancte Colombe Majoris in Decanatu de Pedre was taxed 18l. 13s. 4d. In Wolsey’s Inquisition, and Valor Beneficiorum, it was valued at 53l. 6s. 8d.; the patronage in Arundell of Lanherne, the incumbent Bishop, Pendarves, Collyar, and the parish rated to the 4s. per pound Land Tax, 1696, 306l. 9s. 4d.

This church of St. Colomb was erected about the twelfth century of Christianity; the north and south ailes by the lords of Trenoweth, and Tresuran’s lands, but who the same were is now past ability of finding out, though Tresuran’s lands, ever since, are charged with the payment of 13s. 4d. per annum towards repair of the south aile aforesaid. This church consists of three roofs, and the south-east chancel thereof was built for a peculiar chapel for the Arundells of Trembleth, or Lanherne, who endowed this church, and have ever since been patrons thereof; and in testimony thereof, here is yet extant on one of their gravestones a brass inscription containing words to this purpose, “Here lieth the body of Renphry Arundell, Knight, patron of this church and founder of this chapel, who departed this life the —— Anno Dom. 1340.”[33] His lady, as I remember, was Sir William Lamburn’s heir.

The tutelar patron or guardian of this church is St. Colomb, to whom the same was dedicated, an Irish gentleman by birth; though, contrary to this opinion, at the bottom of Camden’s Britannia, in Cornwall, we are told that this church bears the name of, and is dedicated to one Sancta Colomba, a holy woman who lived in those 214 parts, and that her life was written in the Cornish tongue, and in possession of one Mr. Roscarrock, though now there is no such person or book extant that I can hear of. Only, let it be remembered that I found it written in the Sieur D. T.’s French book of the Saints, as also in Surrius’ and Bosquet’s books, and Baronius (out of them), that there lived at Senns, in Gallia, now France, in the time of the fifth persecution by the emperor Aurelian, anno Dom. 276, a holy Christian Virgin named Colomba, of such exquisite beauty that one of his sons fell passionately in love with her; but because he could not obtain his lustful desire of her, offered her marriage, but he being an idolater she refused his embraces. Whereupon she was much persecuted by Aurelian and cast into prison; where she suffered much hardship, and was comparatively starved to death in that place; so that in great misery she expired there, and was buryed at Senns. At whose grave many supernatural facts, or miracles, being said to be done, she obtained the reputation of a saint and martyr, anno Dom. 300.

The feast of the dedication of this church is in November, near Sancta Colomba Virginis et Martyris day; and the fair depends upon it.

As for the south aile of this church before-mentioned, it was called Jesus Chapel, and therein was founded Trinity chantry; towards building or endowment whereof the Lords of Resurrans tied these lands for ever to pay to the same 13s. 4d. per annum, with power of distress. At the dissolution of this chantry 1 Edward VI. John Chaplin was chief chanter, or sole priest thereof, and seised of the said rent, as his predecessors had been long before; and King Edward being so possessed, by virtue of an Act of Parliament, sold the same, with other things, to Sir Hugh Pomeroy, Knight, and Thos. Pomeroy, Esq. his brother; who the 4th Edward VI. sold it to 215 William Saplyn; and —— Saplyn, in the 1st and 2nd of Philip and Mary, sold it to John Glyn, Esq., John Ganergan, William Prye, John Manifield, Richard Carter, Henry Rouse, John Vivian, and Richard Hancanon, who were trustees for the parish of Sancta Colomba. After which conveyances the Lord of Resurrans refused to pay the said rent. Whereupon the parish distrained those lands, and the owner thereof replevined the goods so taken, which occasioned the parish bringing an action in replevin against the replevers thereof; and for plea, by way of avowry, did allege that those goods they ought to take, for that one John chaplain of Trinity chantry was seised of the said rent in fee, as his predecessors time out of mind had been before, in right of the said chantry, from which it passed to King Edward the Sixth, and the purchasers under him as aforesaid. Whereupon the issue passed for the plaintiff, or parish, against the Lord of Resurrans. (See St. Michael Penkivell, St. Mary Wike; also for Chantry, see St. Cuthbert for prayer for the dead.)

In the year 1676, the greatest part of this church of St. Colomb was casually blown up with gunpowder by three youths of the town, scholars therein, who, in the absence of their master and the rest of their companions, ignorantly set fire to a barrel of gunpowder, the parish stores, laid up in the stone stairs and walls of the rood-loft, which occasioned the destruction of it and themselves together; for the glass-window, roofs, timber, stones, and pillars, thereby made a direful concussion together, especially those shot from the walls of the moorstone stairs aforesaid, to the total defacing the church and many pews thereof.

In this tragical concussion several accidents were strange and unaccountable. As, first, that one Nicholas Jane, a hellyar, was on a ladder mending the healing, or stones on the roof of the church, when it happened, whereby he himself and the ladder under him 216 were blown up also; but both fell to the ground without hurt. Secondly, the church bible and common-prayer book, with their leaves open, in the rector’s pew, scarce two feet from the rood-loft stairs, where the powder took fire and broke out, were neither singed, moved, nor so much as any dust about them, though many thousand stones were cast about the church. Thirdly, there was at least a ton weight of lime and stone cast upon the communion table, which was old and slight, having but one foot or pedestal to stand upon, and yet the same was not broken nor hurt. Fourthly, the pulpit was in like manner preserved from the fury and rage of the fire and stones, when the very walls and pillars near it were shattered to pieces. Let divines and philosophers give a reason for these things, if there was not a supernatural cause or Providence for it!

By this sad accident this church of St. Colomb received damage to the value of about 350l.; yet was, by the liberal contributions of its inhabitants, in nine months time built and repaired as it now stands, and what was wanting in subscriptions to make up that sum, was raised by a small parish rate on the lands thereof. The chief subscribers, Sir John Saint Aubyn, of Trekininge, Baronet, 20l.; his grandmother-in-law, the widow of Peter Jenkin, Esq. 20l.; John Vivian, Esq. of Truan, 20l.; his three sons, Thomas, John, and Francis Vivian, 15l.; Robert Hoblyn, Esq. 10l.; Edward, his son, 5l.; Captain Ralph Keate, 5l.; the writer of this volume 5l.; John Day, Gent. 5l.; Peter Day, Gent. 5l.; Honour Carter, widow, 10l.; John Bligh, Gent. 5l.; Peter Pollard, senior, 10l.; John Beauford, rector, 20l., with several others.

And, as if the fiery element had a particular power over this church, it is further memorable that several times before a stone pinnacle of the tower thereof was cast down with thunder and lightning, and had as often been built up again to no purpose, till at length the 217 workmen were advised, upon their last operation, to inscribe in the stone thereof, “God bless and preserve this work;” since which time it hath stood invincible for about sixty years. But, alas! notwithstanding this pinnacle hath been thus exempted from the raging of the fiery element, yet its next neighbour, the lofty spire or steeple on the said tower, a strong and well-built structure, bound or cramped together with iron and cast lead through the moor-stones thereof, (so that, comparatively, according to man’s judgment, it might last till the final consummation of all things,) yet so it happened on a Thursday in July 1690, that about one of the clock in the afternoon, when the people were at their traffic in the market place contiguous with the churchyard, the said spire or steeple was torn and shattered to pieces with a flash of lightning, and totally thrown to the ground, and the iron bars therein wreathed and wrested asunder as threads, to the great terror and astonishment of the beholders. It was further observable when this concussion happened, only divers flashes of lightning appeared, but no sound or crack of thunder was heard; from whence I infer that when the voice of thunder is heard, the fiery matter in the middle region, perhaps not three miles above our heads, hath spent its force and strength. This spire also was soon after re-edified by the inhabitants of this parish, though much short of its former height and bigness, as it now stands.

Again, contiguous with this church-yard was formerly extant a college of Black Monks or Canons Augustine, consisting of three fellows, for instructing youth in the liberal arts and sciences; which college, when or by whom erected and endowed I know not. However, I take it to be one of those three colleges in this province named in Speed and Dugdale’s Monasticon, whose revenues they do not express, (nor the places where they were extant,) but tell us that they were dedicated to the 218 blessed Virgin Mary, the lady of angels, and were black monks of the Augustines.

In this college, temp. Henry VI., was bred up John Arundell, a younger son of Renfry Arundell, of Lanherne, Esq. sheriff of Cornwall 3 Edward IV. where he had the first taste of the liberal arts and sciences, and was afterwards placed at Exon College in Oxford, where he stayed till he took his degree of Master of Arts, and then was presented by his father to John Booth, Bishop of Exeter, to be consecrated priest, and to have collation, institution, and induct, into his rectory of St. Colomb. Which being accordingly performed, and he resided upon this rectory glebe lands for some time, which gave him opportunity to build the old parsonage house still extant thereon, and moat the same round with rivers and fish-ponds, as Sir John Arundell, Knight, informed me afterwards. In the year 1496, he had by Henry VII. bestowed upon him the bishopric of Lichfield and Coventry, then void upon the translation of William Smith to Lincoln, (the successor of John Hals,) in which see he remained till the year 1501, and then, upon the death or translation of Richard Redman, Bishop of Exeter, he was removed to that diocese by Henry VII. then possessed of great revenues, but died at London, 1504, and was buried at St. Clement’s Danes Church.

Before this church of St. Colomb was erected, within the borders of its now parish were extant four free chapels, wherein God was worshipped in former ages, viz. at Tregoos (i. e. the wood towne), Tre-sithan-y (the weekly town, the town frequented on the Sabbath); Ruth-es (i. e. the multitude is); and Lan-hengye (i. e. the church or temple of sentence, judgment, or deliberating cases). The old cemeteries of which are now all converted to orchards and gardens, or arable ground.

The town of St. Colomb, by the mediation of its lords, the Arundells of Lanherne, is privileged with a weekly market on Thursdays, wherein all things necessary for 219 the life of man are vended at a moderate rate; as also with fairs on Thursday after Midlent Sunday, and on Thursday after Allhallows.

This place was heretofore for a long time notorious for the vice of excessive topling or toping, not only to the damage of many of the inhabitants’ healths and wealth, but also to the loss of too many lives; I mean in the time of Charles II. when the practice of quaffing, toasting, or healthing, debauch and immorality, overspread the land in general.

In this parish stands Castell-an-Dinas. It consists of about six acres of ground, within three circles or intrenchments, upon the top of a pyramidal hill, composed or built of turf and unwrought stones, after the British manner, without lime or mortar, comparatively a hedge; each of those circles or ramparts rising about eight foot above each other towards the centre of the castle, consisting of about an acre and a half of land, in the midst whereof appear the ruins of some old dilapidated houses; near which is a flat vallum, pit, or tank, wherein rain or cloud-water, that falls down from the middle regions, abides more or less in quantity as it falls one half of the year; which, I suppose, heretofore supplied the soldiers’ occasions, as no fountain, spring, or river water is within a thousand paces thereof. There were two gates or portals leading to this fort, the one on the east, the other on the west side thereof, which, on a stony causeway now covered with grass, conducts you up and down the hill towards Tre-kyning, that is to say the king’s, prince, or ruler’s town. Moreover, contiguous with this castle are tenements of land or fields, named Tre-saddarne, that is to say god Saturn’s town, a place where the god Saturn was worshipped by the soldiers, who probably had their temple or chapel here before Christianity.

Near this castle, by the highway, stands the Coyt, a stony tumulus so called, of which sort there are many 220 in Wales and Wiltshire, as is mentioned in the Additions to Camden’s Britannia in those places, commonly called the Devil’s Coyts. It consists of four long stones of great bigness, perpendicularly pitched in the earth contiguous with each other, leaving only a small vacancy downwards, but meeting together at the top; over all which is laid a flat stone of prodigious bulk and magnitude, bending towards the east in way of adoration, (as Mr. Lhuyd concludes of all those Coyts elsewhere,) as the person therein under it interred did, when in the land of the living; but how, or by what art this prodigious flat stone should be placed on the top of the others, amazeth the wisest mathematicians, engineers, or architects, to tell or conjecture. Colt, in Belgic-British, is a cave, vault, or cott-house, of which coyt might possibly be a corruption.

Not far from this coyt, at the edge of the Goss-moor, there is a large stone, wherein is deeply imprinted a mark, as if it were the impress of four horseshoes, and to this day called King Arthur’s Stone; yea, tradition tells us they were made by King Arthur’s horse’s feet, when he resided at Castle Denis, and hunted in the Goss Moor. But this stone is now overturned by some seekers for money.

On another part of this parish, near Retallock Barrow (that is to say, Retallock Grave), is a notable tumulus, wherein some human creature of that place was interred before the 16th century. Retalloch signifies exceeding or too much buckler or target, not far from which is still extant, in the open downs, nine perpendicular stones, called the Nine Maids, in Cornish Naw-voz, alias the nine sisters, in Cornish Naw-whoors, which very name informs us that they were sepulchral stones, erected in memory either of nine natural or spiritual sisters of some religious house, and not so many maids turned into stones for dancing on the Sabbath Day, as the country people will tell you. Those stones are set in 221 order by a line, as is such another monument also called the Nine Maids in Gwendron, by the highway, about twety-five feet distance from each other; or it is rather in Stithian’s parish.

Truan, Truin, Truyn, Trevan, Trewyn, are all synonymous words, signifying a nose, nook, or beak of any matter or thing; here to be construed as a nose, nook, or beak of land, extant or notable amongst others; which place and Trenouth, for four descents, hath been the dwelling of the gentle family of the Vivians, who have flourished here in worshipful degree.

The present possessor of this place is my very kind friend John Vivian, Esq. Sheriff of Cornwall about 20 Charles II. and one of His Majesty’s Justices of the Peace, a gentleman famous for his hospitality and charity. He married three wives; the first, Jane, daughter of Sir John Trelawny, Bart., but had no issue by her that lived; his second was Mary, daughter of John Glanvill, of Killyvor, Esq., in Devon, by whom he had issue Thomas, John, Francis, Anne, and Jane; his last wife was Specott, the relict of —— Nicholls, by whom he had no issue. His father married two wives, —— Buller and —— Cavall; his grandfather married —— Lure; his great-grandfather one of Tresaster’s heirs, as I am informed.

Thomas Vivian, Esq., eldest son of the aforesaid John, married —— Blathwayte, sister to William Blathwayte, Esq. Secretary at War to King James the Second and William the Third, but had no issue by her. His second wife was the daughter of —— Dodson, Esq. but died without issue by her. His second brother, John Vivian, Esq. barrister-at-law, married also two wives: the first Anne, daughter of Matthew Hals, of Efford, Esq., but she also died without issue; on whose death her father-in-law made this epitaph fixed on her hearse, 1682:

His second wife was Mary, daughter of Joseph Sawle, of Penrice, Esq. by whom he hath issue John, Mary, and Thomas.

Francis Vivian, Esq. third son of the aforesaid John, married Anne, daughter of Henry Mynon, gent., sole heir to her mother Bridget, the only surviving child of Sir Samuel Coswarth, Knight (see Colan), by whom he had issue one only daughter named Mary, now wife of Sir Richard Vivian, Baronet. Ann Vivian married Simon Leach, gent. some time her father’s clerk; Jane married James Beaufort, clerk.

The arms of those Vivians are the same as was borne and given by Prior Thomas Vivian, of Bodmin, with some small difference. (See Bodmin.)

In the town of St. Colomb, for three or four descents, lived the gentle family of the Carters (originally descended from the Carters of Staffordshire), where by trade and merchandise they got a great estate, and married with Vivian, Arundell of Solverne, and Moyle of Bake; and lastly, Richard Carter, Esq., a Justice of the Peace, and Member of Parliament for Mitchell, married Elizabeth King, alias Lucas, alias Shepard, of the City of London, spinster, a woman destitute of fame and fortune, whereby he was led into such excess of riot and expence of monies that he was forced to sell all his lands, and 223 reduced himself to about 50l. per annum during life. Part of his lands were sold to his younger brother, John Carter, who married —— Lawry, whose three daughters and heirs were married to William Silly, Esq., Giles Risdon, of Badleigh, Esq., and Thomas Hoblyn, gent. attorney-at-law, now in possession thereof. The arms of Carter were, In a field Argent, two lions combatant Sable, armed and langued Gules.

Trevethick, in this parish, alias Trevidick, i. e. the rustic or farmer’s town, for several descents had been the dwelling of the gentle family of the Arundells, a younger branch of Lanherne stock, particularly Thomas Arundell, who married the daughter of Sir Giles Montpesson, Knight, by whom he had issue Thomas Arundell, Esq. that died without issue, but not without wasting a great part of his estate.

Trekyning aforesaid was for two descents the seat of the Jenkyns, descended from James Jenkyn, gent., attorney-at-law, temp. James I. who (from a mean origin, his father being a miller), by the inferior practice of the law, got a very great estate, and married —— Carter, the relict of —— Brabyn, and had issue Peter Jenkyn, Esq. Sheriff of Cornwall temp. Charles I.

Nans-widdon, Nanc-widd-an, i. e. the valley of trees, or the tree valley, in this parish, for four descents has been the dwelling of the gentle family of the Hoblyns, of Leskeard or Treburge, in St. Pinoch, as I am informed. The present possessor, Robert Hoblyn, Esq., married —— Carew of Penwarne; his father —— Apeley; his grandfather ——; and giveth for his arms, Argent, a fess Gules, between two flanches Ermine. By Carew Mr. Hoblyn had issue, viz. Edward Hoblyn, Esq. his son and heir, who married Avant’s heir, and left issue only a daughter, married to —— Bickford, Esq.; Richard Hoblyn, bred a merchant factor at Smyrna, that married —— Striblehill, but died without issue; Robert Hoblyn, clerk, rector of Ludgvan, and a commissioner of the pence 224 and land taxes, that married the heir of Burgess of Truro, and left issue only Francis Hoblyn, Esq., that married Godolphin, and died leaving issue only a son named Robert, heir; Thomas Hoblyn, attorney-at-law, that married one of Carter’s heirs, and left issue by her John Hoblyn, of Kenwyn, Carew Hoblyn, clerk, and other children, and three daughters; Anne, married to Bishop, rector of St. Colomb Major; Grace, married to Pendarves, rector of Maugan; Mary, married to William Cock, attorney-at-law, of Helston. From this house are descended the Hoblyns of St. Enedor, Bodmin, Egleshayle, Helland, and Gurran.

Bode-worgye, now Bos-worgy (on part of the lands whereof are yet extant the ruins and downfalls of an old chapel or cemetery extant before the Norman Conquest), formerly the voke lands of a man taxed in Domesday Roll, 20 William I. 1087, for four or five descents was the seat of the genteel family of Keates, and was till lately in the possession of my very kind friend Capt. Ralph Keate, who died without marriage or issue, and therefore settled this Bosworgy, and other lands, upon Sir Jonathan Keate, Bart. of the Hoo, in Hertfordshire, patent 478, 12 Chas. II. whose father married the only dau. and heir of W. Hoo, of Hoo, Esq. Sheriff of Hertfordshire 5 Charles I., a younger branch of the Baron Hoo of that place, whose heir was married to the Earl of Huntingdon temp. Henry VIII., and in testimony thereof gave the same arms as those barons, viz. Quarterly, Argent and Sable. Those Keates within the memory of man, as they branched downwards, married with Bear, Hals, Avery, and others, and gave for their arms, Argent, three cats Sable. Keate, Ceate, in British, is fallacy, cheat, or delusion.

Gauer-y-gan, in this parish, id est, the goat’s downs, gave name and original to the genteel family of the Gauerigans, who for several generations lived here in good reputation, till the middle of Queen Elizabeth’s 225 reign, at which time the last two daughters and heirs of this family were married to Godolphin and Trefusis, whose heirs are now in possession of their estate. Which family gave for their arms, in allusion to their names, in a field Vert, a goat passant Argent, as I am informed; the form of which is still extant in their pew or seat, the foremost in one of the middle rows of seats in this church.

At Tre-sugg-an (id est, the town on the Saggor Bog), in this parish, is the dwelling of Peter Day, gentleman, that married —— Brabyn. He left issue only two daughters, that became his heirs, married to Richard Williams, of Trewithan, Esq., and John Williams, of Carmanton, Esq.

Trekyninge Vean, i. e. Trekininge the Less or Lesser, is the dwelling of Joseph Hankey, gent., attorney-at-law, who, by his care and skill in that profession, hath got himself considerable wealth and reputation in those parts. He married two wives, Matthews of Tresangar, and Buroughs of Ward Bridge; but hath issue by neither. His father married Hoblyn of St. Stephen’s.

Upon Bodeworgy lands aforesaid, or contiguous with it as aforesaid, are still extant the ruins of an old chapel, wherein God heretofore was worshipped, before St. Colomb church was erected, called Bes-palf-an.

TONKIN.

Mr. Tonkin has here copied Hals with very little alteration, except by way of abridgment.

THE EDITOR.

Mr. Hals has a very long dissertation on the claims of another person, a male St. Colomb, to be accounted patron saint of this parish.

It is well known that Cornwall received the Christian 226 faith from various individuals who came from Munster, in Ireland, where the learning and the religion of these times certainly flourished: all those persons were held in veneration by their converts, and were distinguished by them as saints. These missionaries were, moreover, so numerous in all parts that Ireland was called the Land of Saints. St. Colomb may possibly be one of those missionaries; but the subject is of little importance, and I am unwilling to bestow the elegant appellation of the Holy Dove, on any other than a female saint.

Nanswhyden, unquestionably the White Vale, is mentioned by Mr. Hals as belonging to the Hoblyns. Mr. Robert Hoblyn, of Nanswhyden, who died in 1756, was a very distinguished person. He was generally a man of letters; but, what is rarely to be found in a country gentleman, he excelled in the recondite learning of the East. He built a magnificent house at Manswhyden, and established there a library so extensive, and so rich in manuscripts, as to be valued at thirty thousand pounds.

This gentleman received a great addition to his fortune from a most productive copper mine, called Herland, or the Mane Mine, in the parish of Gwineat, and he married a daughter of Mr. Coster, an Alderman of Bristol, at that period the most extensive smelter of copper ores. In consequence of this connection, and his deserved reputation, Mr. Hoblyn was chosen one of the representatives of Bristol.

The house was entirely consumed by an accidental fire in 1803. The property has descended to his collateral relation, the Reverend Robert Hoblyn, who inherits also a large portion of his classic taste.

Castle-An-Dinas[34] is situated on one of the highest hills in the hundred of Penwith, commanding an extensive view over the western extremity of Cornwall, from St. Ives to the Land’s End. Borlase gives the following description of its remains: “Castle-An-Dinas consisted of two stone walls, one within the other in a circular form, surrounding the area of the hill. The ruins are now fallen on each side the walls, and show the work to have been of great height and thickness. There was also a third, or outer wall, built more than halfway round. Within the walls are many little inclosures of a circular form, about seven yards diameter, with little walls round them of two or three feet high, they appear to have been so many huts for the shelter of the garrison. The diameter of the whole fort from east to west is four hundred feet, and the principal ditch sixty feet. Towards the south, the sides of the hill are marked by two large green paths, about ten feet wide. Near the middle of the area is a well, almost choked up with its own ruins, and at a little distance a narrow pit, its sides walled round, probably for water also, now filled up.”

It is to be regretted that Borlase did not publish a plan to illustrate his description of this Castle, as it has been much dilapidated since his time. A tower was built on the site of the outer wall about forty years ago, by Mr. Rogers, of Penrose; and subsequent reparations have not contributed towards a restotation of the old walls. Nor are there any perceptible remains of the inclosures.

This parish measures 12,045 statute acres.

£. s. d.

Annual value of the Real Property as returned to Parliament in 1815 10,581 0 0

Poor Rates in 1831 1186 3 0

227

Population,—

in 1801, 1816 in 1811, 2070 in 1821, 2493 in 1831, 2790;

giving somewhat more than an increase of 53½ per cent. in thirty years.

Parish Feast, the nearest Sunday to the 17th of November.

GEOLOGY, BY DR. BOASE.

A small portion of the southern part of this parish, adjoining to St. Dennis, rests on granite, the surface of which abounds in projecting masses of shorl rock. Leaving this granite district about the Indian Queens, on the Great Truro Road, a tin mine, called the Fat Work, presents itself, and displays some interesting phenomena. The basis of the rock is a compact felspar, sometimes almost colourless, at other times dark blue and glossy; but more commonly both these kinds are blended together in stripes or spots like agates. This rock next the lode is much decomposed, the blue parts being changed into a light pink; which shows that the colouring mineral is not hornblend. It is probably shorl, a substance abounding in the quartz veins by which the rock is traversed. The lode of this mine is very curious. It consists of a large massive rock, fifteen fathoms in width, throughout which shorl, and irregular veins of tin ore, are dispersed. The matrix consists of a dark-coloured basis, interspersed by innumerable angular and fragment-like portions of rock.

Near the Indian Queens a manganese mine was formerly worked, and the adjacent moors abound in stream works.

A fine blue fissile slate occurs around the town of St. Colomb, and continues for some distance northwards. Near Trewan it is found to contain beds of compact rocks (not unlike those of the Mount Bay), which inclose veins of actynolite. Still proceeding northward, quartz so much prevails, as to occasion sterility in the 228 land, displayed in open downs like those of Roach, to which they adjoin.229

230 Castle-An-Dinas is composed of a siliceous variety of the rock found at Fat Work mine; and it appears to be one of the sources from whence must have been derived the pebbles and striped shorl rock scattered over Tregoss Moor.

St. COLUMB MINOR

HALS.

Is situate in the hundred of Pedyr, and hath upon the north the Irish sea and St. Mawgan; east, Little Colan; west, Crantock; south, Newland. For the name see St. Columb Major. This church’s revenues being wholly impropriated, or appropriated to the prior of Bodmin before the Inquisitions of the Bishops of Lincoln and Winchester, 1294, or Wolsey’s afterwards, is not named therein; the prior by ancient composition paying the vicar or curate here only six pounds per annum; by which bargain he was a great gainer, at least 250l. per annum, and I take it the present patron and impropriator, Mr. Buller, paya the curate not above 25l. per annum. This parish was rated to the 4s. per pound Land Tax, 1696, 207l. 9s.

This church, according to its bigness, is the finest, best-kept, pewed, or seated, that I know of in Cornwall; the rood-loft, (yet standing, though without a rood on it,) a most curious and costly piece of workmanship, carved and painted with gold, silver, vermillion and bice, is the masterpiece of art in those parts of that kind. The pews or seats are uniform, all made of blackt oak; and to prove their antiquity, there is yet extant an inscription on one of them, containing these words: 231 “These seats were built by the poor’s stock in the year 1525.”

At Tre-loye in this parish (the flowing or abounding town) is still extant a famous chapel, dedicated to St. Pedyr, perhaps of public use before this church of St. Colomb was erected.

This district in Domesday Roll passed under the name and jurisdiction of the great lordship and manor of Ryalton, heretofore pertaining to the prior of Bodmin, which lands are held of the Bishop of Exeter’s manor of Penryn, and pay yearly 10l. high rent to the same; from whence I gather that formerly both pertained to the bishopric of Cornwall, afterwards converted into Kirton and Exeter; and that afterwards, by compact between the said bishop and prior of Bodmin, it was dismembered from that bishopric, and restored to that priory, as parcel of the ancient bishop of Bodmin’s revenues, of which that priory consisted, and was endowed with at its first foundation by the bequests of the ancient earls of Cornwall.

For the name of Rial-ton or Ryal-ton (if it consists of those particles), it signifies the royal, kingly, or princely town, as pertaining heretofore to the king of England or earls of Cornwall; and suitable to this etymology it claimeth the jurisdiction and royalty over the whole hundred of Pider. So that whosoever is now farmer thereof, is by custom its head bailiff, as the prior of St. Pedyr at Bodmin was; from whose font-name the same is still denominated Pider (id est, Peter, as formerly said), the which farmer or bailiff is steward of the Court Baron of the said hundred or decima, and also of the Court Leet held within the jurisdiction or precincts of the manor aforesaid, and his substitutes constantly attend the service of both. To remove an action-at-law depending in the Court Leet of this manor, the writ must thus be directed: Senescallo et Ballivo manerii nostri de Rialton in comitatu de Cornubiæ salutem. To remove 232 an action out of hundred court, whereof as I said the farmer of this manor is lord, the writ must be thus directed: “Senescallo et Ballivo hundredi et libertatis de Peder, in comitatu Cornubiæ, salutem.”

When the priory of St. Peder at Bodmin was dissolved, 26 Henry VIII. and those lands vested in the crown, one John Mundy, barrister-at-law, (son of John Mundy, sheriff of London 6 Henry VIII. afterwards Sir John Mundy, Knight, Lord Mayor of London 14 Henry VIII.) was sent down from London to be seneschal or steward of this manor of Ryalton and hundred of Pider. In which capacity he demeaned himself so well, temp. Elizabeth, that when the set-off of the last prior for ninety-nine years expired, and Mr. Mundy’s son succeeded in the same office as his father, was in this place, at such time as James I. by statute prohibited the granting of church lands at lease for longer than twenty-one years under the old rent, Mr. Mundy took a lease thereof from the Crown for that term, viz. of 60l. per annum, and his posterity renewing or retaking the same as those leases expired, thereby this estate, worth about 1000l. per annum, continued in this family till some time after the restoration of Charles the Second, when Sir Francis Godolphin, Knight, by favour of that King, took a reversion or new set thereof, before Mr. Mundy’s expired, on condition of doubling the rent from 60l. to 120l. per annum, so that Sir William Godolphin, Bart. is now in possession thereof; and the Right Hon. Sidney Lord Godolphin was created Baron Godolphin of Ryalton, 33 Charles II. whereby this family of Mundy are comparatively undone, notwithstanding they were stout Cavaliers and opposers of Cromwell and the Parliament army to their utmost power and strength. Well therefore doth the royal Psalmist advise all men not to put their trust in princes, nor in the sons of men, in whom is no help.

The arms of Mundy are, in a field, three lozenges, on a chief three eagle’s legs erased.

233 The mansion-house at Ryalton wherein Mr. Mundy dwelt, was much beautified and augmented by prior Thomas Vivian, to which belongs a strong prison and dungeon for putting debtors in durance. Query, whether this barton of Ryalton payeth tithes to the impropriator? All priories, monasteries, religious houses, &c. above the yearly value of 200l. per annum, being exempted from it by the statute 31 Henry VIII. chiefly because the same were given for and applied to charitable uses and the maintenance of the poor; and verily, if the name Ryalton be compounded of those syllables ry-all-ton, it signifies give or bestow all town, or a town that gave or bestowed all its revenues to the poor, and pious uses. And that the reader may know in what manner poor men were sent to such religious houses to be fed and maintained during life, as penitentiaries or otherwise, by their superiors, or such as had power to visit the same, I will set down an instance or example, out of Fox’s Acts and Monuments, page 53, temp. Henry VIII. contained in a letter from John Langland, Bishop of Lincoln, 1524, to the Abbot of Ensham, viz. “My loving brother, I recommend me hearty unto you, and whereas I have according to law sent this bearer T. R. to perpetual penance within your monastery of Ensham, there to live as a penitent and not otherwise; I pray you nevertheless, and according to the law command you, to receive him, and see you order him there according to his injunctions, which he will show you if you require the same. As for his lodging, he will bring it with him, and his meat and drink he must have as you give of your alms; and if he can so order himself by his labour within your house in your business, whereby he may deserve meat and drink, so may you order him as you see convenient to his deserts, so that he pass not the precinct of your monastery. And thus, fare you heartily well. From my place, &c.” This injunction of penance was, 1. To fast every Friday during life, taking no other sustenance than bread and ale after it; 234 and every even of Corpus Christi’s day to fast during life, and after fasting to take no other sustenance than bread and water that day, unless prevented by sickness; also in part to say our lady’s Psalter every Sunday during life; he is marked in the cheek, as other penetentiaries, with the letter P. (See Egleshayle and Penuans in Creed.)

At Towan in this parish, is that well-known place called Newquay, a pretty safe road and anchorage place for such ships as trade in St. George’s Channel, and also a convenient place for a fishing trade, were the inhabitants disposed to adventure therein.

At Hendra, also Hendre, in this parish, synonymous words, old, ancient town, is the dwelling of John Tonkyn, Gent. that married Keen of Roach; his father the heir of Cock, by whom he had this place; his grandfather Tregian, originally descended from the Tonkyns of St. Agnes.

Trevedick, also Trevithick, words of one signification, id est, rustic or farmers’ town, is the dwelling of Nicholas Polamonter, Gent. (so called from Polla-monter in Newland.)

TONKIN

has not, again, any thing of the least importance different from Mr. Hals.

THE EDITOR.

Rialton is the object of highest importance in this parish. Its antiquities are not much known; but when Mr. Sidney Godolphin was created Earl of Godolphin, his son, who had married Henrietta Churchill, eldest daughter of the Duke of Marlborough, assumed the appellation of Lord Rialton, and Lady Rialton was one of the ladies of the bedchamber to Queen Anne.

A small print is given of the south entrance gate still 235 remaining, in C. S. Gilbert’s History of Cornwall, vol. ii. p. 673.

The property belonged to the late Mr. Thomas Rawlings of Padstow, having probably been acquired when lands were sold by the duchy to redeem the land-tax, but it was alienated on his decease.

New Quay, mentioned by Mr. Hals as a pretty safe road and anchorage for vessels, and also as a convenient place for establishing a fishery, is become a successful station for sea nets. In Lord Dunstanville’s edition of Carew, p. 357, it is stated, “The place was called New Quay, because in former times the neighbours attempted to supply the defects of nature by art, in making there a quay for the road of shipping, which conceit they still retain, although want of means in themselves or in the plan have left the effect in nubibus. The quay has now been many years constructed, but I apprehend it is not capable of receiving any other than small vessels.”

This parish measures 4759 statute acres.

£. s. d.

Annual value of the Real Property, as returned to Parliament in 1815 6238 0 0

The Poor Rate in 1831 783 3 0

Population,—

in 1801, 999 in 1811, 1126 in 1821, 1297 in 1831, 1406;

giving an increase of about 40¾ per cent. in 30 years.

The parish feast, like that of St. Columb Major, is on the Sunday nearest to the 17th of November.

GEOLOGY, BY DR. BOASE.

On the eastern side adjoining to the Downs, the rocks are quartzose, but the greater part of this parish is composed of slates belonging to the calcareous series, which extend to the sea shore. At Tremper Bridge, and in the islands lying at the entrances of St. Columb Porth, beds of black limestone occur, associated with talc, schist, and blue slates.

The most interesting feature, however, of this parish 236 is the testaceous sandstone at New Quay, and on the shores of Fistral Bay. The land adjacent to the sea at those places is covered with sand, which above high-water mark is lapidified, as is also a bed of pebbles on which the sand sometimes rests. For the particulars of this phenomenon the first and the fourth volumes of the Cornwall Geological Transactions may be consulted.

CONSTANTINE.

HALS.

Is situate in the hundred of Kerrier, and hath upon the north, part of Stithians; west, Gwendron; south, Hayleford channel and Mawnan; east, Mabe and Budock. It is also commonly Cus-ten-ton, i. e. wood-stone town, a place heretofore notable for woods and stones, and I take it an unpleasant strag of moor-stones and rocks are still visible upon a great part of the lands here. Perhaps it is the Crostedeton mentioned in the Domesday Roll. Otherwise it was taxed under Trewardevi or Penwarne. The name Constantine is derived from the Latin Constantia.

In the Inquisition of the Bishops of Lincoln and Winchester, 1294, Ecclesia de Sancto Constantino, was valued to first fruits 10l. Vicar ejusdem 40l. in Decanatu de Kerryer. In Wolsey’s Inquisition, 1521, Constantine Vic. was taxed to first fruits 19l. 8s. 10½d. The patronage in the Dean and Chapter of Exeter; the incumbent Perry; the rectory in Robert Quarme of Creed; and the parish rated to the 4s. per pound Land Tax, 1696, 168l. 16s. 8d. by the old name of Constenton. The titular guardian of this church, St. Constantine, Emperor 237 of Rome, was the first emperor in the world that professed Christianity. He was the son of Constantius Chlorus Emperor of Rome; first an officer of war under the Emperor Aurelian, against Coill or Coillus, King or Duke of Colchester in Britain, (called by some writers Caer-Collyn, Caer-Col-lyn, i. e. the city or castle on the neck of the lake, or bosom of waters, it being situate on the confluence of the Medway river), which Coil, having refused to pay the tribute due to the Senate of Rome, caused that province to revolt; but Constantius forced him into a submission, when soon after he died; and Constantius is said to have married his only daughter and heir Helen, by whom he had all her father’s lands and territories, Anno Dom. 289. By her he had issue Constantine, who followed the wars in his father’s time against Maxentius; and lying on his bed, before a battle, a dream or vision appeared to him in shape of an angel, holding in his hand a shining red cross, and calling to him with a loud voice “Constantine! Εν τουτῳ νικα, in hoc signo vinces, i. e. under this sign or banner thou shalt have victory.” Whereupon he commanded a red cross to be pourtrayed in all his banners, called the labanum, and soon after gave battle to Maxentius at Pont Milvium, in Italy, where his [the latter’s] army was routed, and himself drowned in that river. The success of which battle so wrought upon Constantine that he forthwith turned Christian, and was baptized by Pope Silvester, Bishop of Rome.