T H E

of an An c i e n t P a r i sh

WIT H G B REAG E E RMO E ,

M With so me a ccou n t of its

W r n Arm igers , o thies a d

n ers U wo rthies , Sm uggl

a n Wreckers l s d , t

T ra dition s a n d Superstition s

M . A . H . R. CO ULT H ARD, n

1 9 1 3 .

N Y O M P N Y IM I D . T H E CA M B O RN E PR IN TIN G A N D STATIO ER C A , L TE

M B O R N E O RN W LL . CA . C A

CO NTENTS .

CHAPT E R

I . T H E C E L T I C P E R IO D

1 1 . T H E " O SA NS .

I I I . FR O M T H E N O RM AN C O N QUE S T T O T H E

R E FO RM T O A I N .

I V . T H E R E FO R M A T I O N T O T H E E N D O F T H E

C OM M O NWE A L T H

V . R E C E N T T I M E S

V I . T H E G O D O LP H IN S

V I I . T H E A R UN D E L L D E P E N GE RSICK S M IL T O N A ND S , , S

SP A RN ON S 1 15

V I I I WO R TH I E A N D U WO R T H I E . S N S

I" P L C E M E A N D SUP E R ST I T I O N S . A NA S

“784 24 0 IO S LIST O F ILLUSTRAT N .

P AG E .

B r u t s eage Ch rch , Fron i piece

Celtic Cross i n Breage Ch u rchyard

Frescos i n Breage Ch u rch

’ St Germ oe s . Chair

God o l phin Hou se

A Godolphin Helm et i n Breage Church

Pen gersi ck Castle PREFA C E .

H E facts and tho u ghts which com pri se thi s little book

w m of m th e st t r n ere any the , in fir ins ance , ar a ged

for u se in se rm on s o n the S u ndays preceding ou r

a s m m to t t s s i n local Fe t Day , as so e atte pt in eres Pari hioner

r u s the story of ou Ch rch and pari h .

I have to acknowledge wi th gratit u d e m u ch information

t u ru m t given me mos ng dgingly , fro his grea store of anti

T . V of u a ri a n . q learning , by the Reverend Taylor , icar St

J u st ; likewi se my tha n ks are due to Mr . H . Jenner for

kindly help and information upon the etymol ogy o f local

m u d u se h place nam es . I st also acknowle ge the free I ave

t a u t m ad e of. fac s be ring pon the his ory of Breage and Germoe

’ “ - s r taken from Mr . Baring Gould s Hi toric Characte s and w ” m m I Events in Corn all , and at the sa e ti e have to express

to th e . . O f m m y thanks Reverend H J Warner , Vicar Yeal pton ,

f m s u o . th e Reveren d H . G . B rden , Vicar Leo in ter , and Mr

A r f or u n st . . E . Spend e val able i formation and assi ance I

h e a have b ee n greatly helped in m y ex amination Of t P ri sh

t of ts of Regi sters by th e excellent transcrip ion large par

h to . them m ade by Mrs . Jocelyn Barnes Finally I ave

of wh o thank a great n u mber kind friends at Breage , have

n m to im parted to me the fast fading traditio s of other ti es , t whom I vent u re to dedicate this brief record of days tha

D O are more .

B rea e g ,

’

A ll a i n ts D a 1 9 12 . S y , L ST V ICA RS B RE AGE I OF THE OF .

ILLIAM SO N O F RI RD e o I W , CHA Di d r resi gn ed d u ri n g th e n terdic t 1219 WILLIAM SO N O F , 1264 STER R OB E RT D E L A OR E Res n e to b ecom e C an on of Gl a sn e MA M i g d y .

u t m a te arson f e l i ly p o Y ov il . 1264 MASTER ST E PH E N US D E ARB OR SIR PA SCASI S N O f I U a te o n st tu t on . Ol d bl n d i i , i d

a n d n fi rm m 1 1 i 3 0.

SIR D AVI D D E LYSP E IN

N o a te o f In t SIR JO HN YURL D E T RE G E SO U d s i tu ti on . H E NRY CRE TT IE R te f I s on SIR WILL IAM FE LLO UR No d a o n ti tu ti .

re SIR JOHN G OD E D i ed a t B age . ’ e t rea e MASTER WILLIAM I EN SAN S Di d a B g . e a t rea e SIR JOHN PATRY D i d B g .

SIR J O HN PE YT O Di ed a t B rea ge . e rea e SIR WIL LIAM LE H E Di d a t B g .

’ SIR WILLIAM P E R S Re s1gh ed to be c om e Can on Of Gl a sn e y R es n MASTER TH OMAS G OD OLPHIN i g ed . S ER J O KE MA T HN JA S , e a t rea e B a ch el or i n D e crees Di d B g . e t re a B a ge. O B E M . A . Di d J H N RY, e at rea SIR ALE " AND E R DAWE Di d B ge . V a s r h r i i r a l o of St. E t bu e n , F I RV E . . c i d RANC S HA Y, M A rea e Ch u r h a r B g c y d . Son of th e sh o Of Exeter res n ed W M A Bi p ; i g . ILLI C O TTO . . AM N , h older o f m a n y oth er b en efi ces i n

ev n r w D o a n d C o n a ll . WILLIAM OR RD CHA . ” ” rea h e Of th e Wor Of G od R es n e . P c r d . i g d In tru n u r ta n v n JAM E S INN E S (ejected 1661) di g P i Di i e . N D Res n e on e om n V a r Of M a w E T RE \VIN A R . . g b g JAM S , M A i d c i ic a n a t wh h a e h e es b u r e g . ic pl c li i d

e a t rea e es u r e e on H E NRY H UTH N AN CE Di d B g . li b i d b y d h e E st w of th e h an t a a ll c c el .

e t r e a so V r of M w n . a B ea g , l a a ga E T RE WIN N ARD . . JAM S , M A Di d ic

W t e e a so V r o f E h E D D O I e a r a a St. rt AR C LL NS, Di d B g , l ic . a h e or of La w s wh ere h e es u r e B c l li b i d .

A on S I KE B - u r e e H E R U T C , D e a t B rea e l es b b y N Y i d g , i i d d

th e E a st w a ll Of th e ch a n c el .

D RD R D e a t rea e . E W . . A MA SHALL, M A i d B g

s n e . I D G ERV E YS GRYLL S M . A Re g R CHAR . i d RI D G E V E YS G H e a t L u xu an wh h a r sh h e CHAR R YLLS , Di d li , ic p i W th th e ou n er h e i n on ju n t on rea ge . .A. y l i B M , g d c c i E E DWARD MORRIS PRIDMOR .

e a t rea ge . M . A . Di d B

O e a t rea ge . E B E . . 1889 J C LYN ARN S , M A Di d B

1904 HARRY JO HN P E TTY Res1gn ed . U ] 907 H UG H RO B E RT C O LTHARD .

M . A. TH E CELTIC PERIO D .

PTE CH A R I .

w T the da n of history , Cornwall , as i n fact Englan d

r t of gene ally , was inhabi ed by a race small , dark

wh o of peopl e , , for the want a better name , have i co m e to be called I v ern a n s . The blood of this ancient dark

u v - i n u s race chiefly s r ives to day So th Wale and Cornwall ,

y o w w especiall i n u r o n estern Cornwall along th e coast line .

t . u I n Breage , here are contin ally to be met with faces and w w forms which suggest this small dark race , and hich sho to what a large extent the ancient Iv ern i an blood s till sur

vives i n o u r midst . The Iv ern ia u s must have been widely Spread over Corn

u m s m f wall , j udging by the n erou chippings from the anu acture of their flint implements scattered all over the County , which

i n t of the still may be collected large quan ities . In spite continuous mining Operations carried on all over the Parish

of f or h s Breage endless generations , an d the many ploug ing O f th e land which must have taken place in periods w hen the

r w wa s e ca n g o th of grain profitabl , these flint chippings still

t i n th e on b e ga hered man y places in parish , especially the

a o f u b re patches land where the gorse has been b rnt , before

h s th e t e grass begin to spring . In earlier stages of their his tory th e I v ern i an s u sed sharpened f ragments of flint r u dely

s to th e a fa hioned purpose , as knives , xes and scrapers . In

f or of fact , a long period their history they were a people

of living i n and under the conditions the Ston e Age .

of n Long b efore the time written records a other race , 10

called Celts , found their way to Cornwall . This race was t t divided into two dis inc branches , the Goidels an d the

Brythons . The Goidels were much inferior in c u lt u re to the

th e u Brythons ; they were first to enter Britain , an d pon the arrival of the Brythons they were slau ghtered and driven

to m a th e an d t before them the re ote f stnesses of West Nor h , j ust as in a later age the Brytho n s themselves were driven

n before the Saxo s . Un der the circumstan ces it might have

e t of w b en reasonable to conclude tha the peopl e Corn all , in

n ot I v ern i an s m Of so far as they were , were ai nly Goidelic

u ou t b blood . This concl sion is , however , n ot borne ythe Cornish language which h as come down to us in the form of a

m a m w u u few iracle plays an d other fr g ents , hich is ndo btedly

. O u m a Brythoni c in character f co rse , it y have been that , when the Brythons were driven into Cornwall an d Wales and across the Channel into Bri ttany in hordes by th e r e m orsel ess u n , exterminating Saxons , their tong e in these regio s gradually s u pplanted the m ore barbarous Goideli c speech .

t or The Celts , as they advanced wes ward , whether Goidel

t t of Iv ern i an s Bry hon , would extermina e or make slaves the , driving them before them as they advanced i nto th e extrem e

of th e n u m western parts County . We have all heard a ber

of foolish stories of the Cornish folk in th e fish i n g villages being largely descen ded from Spanish soldiers and sailors who

t of were saved from wrecked ba tleships the great Armada .

d an d n ot These fisher folk are ark swarthy , because they are descended from Spaniards but becau se they are descended from the ancient Iv ern ian s wh o took ref u ge in the caves and

n th e to rugged places along the coast , leavi g good land the

conquering Celts .

m w Iv ern i an s The Celts , we i agine , ould find the profess

of t own ing a rude system na ural religion much akin to their ,

e e b u t perhaps not so highly developed ; indeed , a v ry larg proportion of the human race at this far distant time seems

to have practised a religion of n ature worship alike in its 1 1

w w i tu . as ma n fea res Here in Corn all , else here , for instance, t k t t t S - t hey ep a grea fes i val i n the pring ime , when they cele

b ra ted m to a of d t the co ing life ag in the Go Of vege ation , f who se n am e amo n gs t th e Celts was Gwydi an He was s u pposed to come to life again with the comi ng of th e green

th e s th e Of grass , leave an d flowers , and the singing the birds , having die d in th e previo u s au t u mn wi th the withering of

- the leaves and th e i i i gatheri n g Of the harvest . Helston Flora

Day is th e fe stival of his res u rrection continued right down

u th e a thro gh ge s . As i n spring they rej oiced over the resur

t th e Go d of a t n so u u rec ion Of v eget i o , in a tumn they mo rned over hi s d ea th j Most of u s have heard th e ol d Cornish

m th e u t Of rhy e sung by reapers at the c t ing the last sheaf, which is a survival of thi s a ncient c u stom of be wailing the

of w di n death G y a .

“ ’ ’ ’ 11 11 u n u n I ll have , I ll have , I ll have ,

’ ’ ’ y ha v e e h av e e What ha e e , What , What , t w ’ ’ t w ’ Wha ill e , What will e , Wha ill e ,

’ ’ ’ On e On n c ec O ec C u C C . , , , h rro , hurro , hurro

t s wa s t th e t As hi rhyme repea ed , all harves ers stood

th e m t round far er i n a circle , whils he waved a sheaf in the

u t of m u of air . This c s om o rning the d ead God vegetation wa s w th w orl d N o on e very idely spread over e . I who has heard the mournful s train i n which this chant of ou r ancient harvest fields was s u ng can doubt that in its origi n al u se it

o f was a song mourning . The Cel tic Priests or Dru ids knew a good deal of rude

t of astronomy . They used the s on e circles , so many which

t u v m . s ill s rvi e , for purposes of astrono ical Observations By w th e m t of th e su n s n or atching align en at ri i g setting , an d

st th e st on also of certain ars , with centre one and some stone

”‘ See rofes s or Rh s O r n a n d ro w h f C e R 5 2 5 P y i gi t o l ti eli i on . 22 , 236 4 . g c g pp ,

’ " " S ee F ra z er s A tt s A n s n O t o a d s r s. i , d i i i

’ ee F ra z er s A t s A on s a n d O s r s I t . s i , d i i i 12

of th e u the circumference circle , they were able to calc late the seasons of the year and the dat es of their fes tivals . Until a generation ago on e of these ancient circles s tood on

Trewarv as Head ; it was p u lled d own by som e foolish an d ignorant people who tho u ght they m ight find hidden treas u re

th e o f h under the great stones . From top the igh cliff over looking the sea the Dr u id Priests would have a Spl en di d view

of m ob ser the far horizon . We can picture them aking their

v ati on h of m - l it s throug the silent hours so e still star night , with the ceaseles s slumbro u s s well of the sea on the rocks

far beneath them .

O n Mids u mmer Eve th e Dr u ids l i t a great fire on the

m t of th e sum i Tregoning Hill . We know this , because

c of h ustom lighting t e fire survived until very recent tim es. A n Old woman deplored its discontinuance to th e writer

of n f as a sign the prevaili g irreligion o the times . It seems more than probable that at this Midsummer Festival

n human victims w ere sometimes sacrafi eed in honour of th e su .

In the remote Highlands an d Islands of Scotlan d this f esti v al ' was observed d o wn to the early part of the eighteenth

u cent ry , in a way which clearly points to human sacrifice as ” a of f the great centr l act the rite . Numbers o men were in

th e habit of gathering on Midsummer Eve i n these remo te parts of the ki n gdom round the ancient ston e circles m idst

of th e the hills . A fire was lighted in the centre circle pieces of cake or bann oc k were then placed i n som e cavity where

previo u sly a blackened and b u rnt fragment of the cake had

. be en placed . Each person , having first been blindfolded , then

drew from the cavity a piece of the broken cake ; th e man

unfortu nate enough to draw the blackened fragment had to

or leap through the fire and pay a forfeit fine . In the dim past the drawer of the blackened frag m ent do u btless became

i “ f - Accou n t Rev . A exan er H s o M n ster of A r roa th i n Th e T W O a on s. by d l d i l p, i i b B byl 1 3 th e victim Offered to the God to ward off his anger from the

u s t m u comm nity . Thi ancient ri e st have been practised in ou r Parish m ore than a thou sand years before th e coming Of t Chris . A t the very da wn of h u man history we find all over th e w u A th e orld , in E rope , India , China an d merica , ancient

e u t as u a t pe ples keeping fo r great fes ivals a r le , the sum mer an d winter sol stices and the two equinoxe s ; i n fact their religio u s c u lt u re i n cardinal points was one and the same . One part O f th e faith of these ancient Iv ern i an s and Cel ts tha t has lingered on to o u r o wn ti m es is the deeply

s i n cheri hed belief Fairies . How this belief came to be so widely spread and deeply cherished amongst ancient peoples i m u t . is i possible to say It has been s ggested that , i n their wanderings over the world i n search of pasturage an d con

m t v of genial cli ate , hey may ha e encountered in the recesses pri m eval fore sts o r in l onely fastnesses of the mountains rem n t of sl w sh - an s the o ly vani ing pigmy race of neo lithic cave men , and that th ey came to rega rd them with something of super

“ ” sti tou s a we th a tthe m of tt , and me ory these li le people became

u of s a race memory , i n the co rse generation becoming ethe

of u realised and woven into the woof their religio s beliefs . On the o ther hand we have the possible v i e w that ou r no m adic

t h a d fitf u l of forefa hers may have glimpses , as some their

t of of d escendants aver hey have , orders beings beyond the

m s n of t u ken Of nor al human vi io , beings exis ing pon another

l an e s t n p . Taking into con idera ion the exceeding aboundi g

ss of u m t th e u ou r ne h an life wi hin radi s of poor faculties , I

o f ss t V to c n e tha this iew seems present n o inherent difficulty . Possi b ly in the way i n which th e people or each Corn ish

s d m t m Pari h possesse i n for er genera ions a nickna e , we have

st of t t a ve ige s ill more ancient righ s , which carry us back to

O f u m u n a the very dawn h an c lture . We have Wendro go ts ,

u St. w Mullion g lls , Madron bulls , Agnes cuckoos , Ma gan 1 4

w t b u cas m h s . S . c owls , Keverne Tand an y ot er The follo ing Ol d rhym e perpetuates th e fading m e m ory of th e c u stom

Ca mb ou rn e u s men are b ll dog ,

m en Breage are brags ,

’ n t Germoe m en can sea t u all o rags . An analogo u s cu stom to this Cornish system of nick m h w names prevails amongst pri i tive people all t e orld over . i

t t t i ts m m Each ribe or sec ion of the ribe has Tote , an ani al ,

or i t u to bird plant , with which is s pposed be i n close an d

t m w th e t o r t intimate rela ionship , and fro hich ribe sec ion

i m t m m a v of a tri be receives ts na e . Possibly To e ism y ha e had its origin i n cr u de atte m p ts of prim i tive men to preven t too m e n m s s th e close intermarriage , as and wo en po ses ing

m w st on same Tote were n ot allowed to marry , hil the other hand i t has been s u ggested that the c u stom w as bo u nd u p with the V ie w Of primi tive men wi th regard to sacrifice and

- w inter communion ith their Gods . The Ti n Mines of Corn wall had been known to the

Greeks and possibly the Ph oenicians from th e earlies t ti m es . I Di odoru s Si cu l u s gi ves a frag m ent fro m th e wri tings of th e Greek traveller Posei d o n i u s wh o visited Corn wall pos sibly in

3 B C w m a t t w : the rd century , hich y be ransla ed as follo s

“ m t of u or r and sta ping the tin in o shapes c bes dice , they car y i t i n great qua n ti ties i n waggons in to an island called Icti s

ofi t th e t s th e lying Bri ain , when parts be ween the I lan d an d ” th e th e t main land became dry land by ebbing of ide .

’ u st t Icti s t u t It has been s gge ed tha was S . Michael s Mo n

h o e a wa s i n S ot an d m ean s d i se m tB u cca con n ected with Sc otti s B ogl e . B gl l y c l a w th B o e sa to b e a n to Scl a v on i c B o G od We o e s r t . u a b di d pi i B cc i gl id ki g , “ i n cli n e to th i n k Corn i sh bu cc a a n d Sc otti sh bogle m a y b e ta k en a s e qu i v a l en t ” 1 4 a n d 1 5 z F r F th Of e o r s . 6 S e en t a a C t C u n t e 6 . i n m ean i n g. e W i y i l ic i pp " “ T h e ea ea r f An L n S re f th e otem . A re or t o ISee drew a g ec t o T l so W . G g y D d H ” A s r u t a li a pp. 188 to 195 .

’ ' ' ' “ ' ait ’ w oxet ev v 8 (it rro 8 t i; da r pa y ai AwV 5311 051 »s Koi u gov a w e i ; vfiO ov p u n m

' ” ’ - ' ) ‘ ov c cr a l b o a o i év v 83 I'm w . K a d rtb r et dv a a w o ev n f m x u a r a. u g B pe rr a fig, u g i n y p i gnp u

’ ' ” “ ' - 6 “ra t cit s a a s T a v r v xo u f ov o wT bv Ka a cn r e ov Sa f 1 7rov , s / g n i g p t f

D i odor us S i cu l zzs. 1 5

and al so th e Isle of Wight . It is impossible to accept the t w latter con ention , unless we take the view hich has been put for ward that great chan ges have taken place in the depths of the channel separati n g the Isle of Wight from the main

w or land , for hich we have no evidence i n history tradition . Also th e Isle of Wight is n ot less than on e h u ndred and fifty m of iles from the tin mines Cornwall , and at the period to which we are referring th e only roads that existed between th e tw o m f or of were ere tracks , much the distance no dou bt i m passable to waggons . If it had been necessary to

n s s of t n se d Corni h ti n to the I le Wigh for tra sport abroad , it wo u ld naturally have been taken to on e or other of the many harbours along the Corni sh southern coast and tran m h shipped by sea in the su mer time . T e conten tion in

’ c favour Of St . Mi hael s Mount is almost equally difficult to

It ffi t u accept . is di cult to see wha advantage co ld have been gained by carting th e ti n from the mainland to that

s I land , when the contiguous coast possessed several ex cel l en t nat u ral harbo u rs . The most probable solution to the writer seem s to be that th e Island of Icti s was the

u entire Penwi th Penins la . A walk from Marazion Station

o S t rt th e - m t . E h along low lying belt Of arsh land makes it clear that the ocean a t n o very di stant date must at high

th u tide have en circled e Penwith Pen ins la . In a later age i t is pos si ble that the first seeds of Christi a n ity may have come to Britain by way of Cornwall along the trade ro u te created by the exportation of the products of the Corni sh T i n Mines to Marseilles . Foreign merchants

u t f or Of wo ld visi Cornwall the purpose purchasing tin , an d n u m bers of foreign sailors wo u ld come to these shores i n the

th e th e galleys that conveyed tin to coast of Gaul . Under th e circum stances i t does n o t seem unreasonable to suppose that th e first seeds of Chris tianity were i n this way brought n i to Britai n through Cornwall . It see m s in every way possible that a fair proportion of 1 6

the d of Icti s to the tin exported from Islan Greece , Italy and

s n ow of the Ea t came from what is the Parish Breage . We have be en t old by those competent to speak on such matters that there are tin workings in the neighbourhood of Wheal

V r o e n m . of which evinc a very great antiqui ty . The a e

’ V or t Wheal itself means i n the Cel ic tongue great work , but we cannot build m uch as to the an tiquity of the mine t merely upon its Celtic name , as the Cornish or Cel i c lang u age continued to be spoken in this part of Cornwall even

of or until the reign Queen Anne later .

At what date the Romans penetrated into Cornwall it is impossible to say . It has been usual to regard their occupa tion of Cornwall as of a somewhat shadowy and u ncertain

ou t character , but this is not altogether borne by facts . Their

of camps , possibly a not very permanent character , are scatter

v ou ed all o er r most western part of the County , amongst other

n e of places there is o at St . Erth an d another in the parish

n - f ou n da Constanti e . The Roman Mile stone , found in the

of . tions St Hilary Church , at the restoration , an d now pre

to served there , attests the fact that a Roman road the extreme

West passed near St . Hilary Church , probably following the sam e lines that the mai n road betwe en Penzance and Helston

- follows to day . A long this road it is probabl e would come the first real light and culture to Breage with the steady

of r h tramp the marching legiona ies . It may well ave been

i n RO that Christianity first travelled this way their train . man coins and Roman pottery have been from time to time

177 u rn n found all over the County . In 9 an containi g copper coi ns weighing eight pounds was foun d on Godolphin

u n wh o t Farm by a plo ghma sold hem to a Jew , and so all

of trace them was lost .

In whatever way Christianity was first brought to the re

f r r B r o ce ta i n l n ot St. eaca mote Parish B eage , it was y brought by ,

an d s of n wh o e St . Germo e the re t their companio s , only mad 1 7 their appearance a t th e end Of the fifth or beginning of th e sixth cent u ry .

as th e t tu two t As early hird cen ry great Chris ian writers ,

tu O of th e t Ter llian and rigen , speak Bri ons as having been f w on to o . over the religion Christ , and St Chrysostom

m m t. in th e next cent u ry m ake s a Si il ar state en St . Jerome also Speaks of th e Briti sh Pilgrims he h ad seen i n the Holy Land i n th e fourth century Briti sh Bishops were present at th e u s of u t Co ncil Arles an d Rimin i in the fo rth cen ury ,

to th e ( u N i ceea and were i nvited Ec menical Council Of , but co u ld n ot go on account of their poverty . Pieces of Roman pottery wi th the sac red monogram b u rn t u pon it were fo u nd m t a t t . u s se t Pads ow Pelagi a Welsh an , i n the four h century , the whole worl d in a blaze with his teachings about original

s t m u sin . The e an d man y o her facts ake it q ite clear that Chris tianity m u st ha v e been recei ved by the Celts Of Corn wall long befo re th e coming of the so - called Irish Mission a to tw o w t ts of ries Cornwall , to of hom the dis ric Breage and Germ oe owe their names .

’ The l agan Saxons land ed on th e east coas t Of England i n th e fifth cen tury an d drove th e Chri stian Bry thons before

u tt al l to w t them , p ing the s ord who fell in o their hands .

s w h o s u t Tho e e caped took ref ge ei her i n Cornwall , Wales or h . t e t t t a tron a Brittany It is from Cel s , herefore , wi h s g dn i i x tu of I v e rn i a n r t a n re blood , that the p esen inhabitants , at y t of s t a d u ra e We ern Cornw ll , are descen ed . As a res lt of the Saxon invasion of Bri tain i t cam e about that Wales an d Corn w w u s w s t th e t r t all ere f lly Chri tian , hil res Of B i ain became

t - . A n prac ically Pagan The Venerable Bede , the glo Saxon

t n m J w so f a r a s o m his oria onk of arro , goes t bla e the Cel ts o f Corn wall a n d Wales for altoge ther n eglecting the conver s o f - t t ions the Anglo Saxons to Chris iani y . Considering the

tu th e s t was m u na re Of ca e , his a os t nreasonable com plain t to m a s th e s a t ake , Saxon once killed o r en slaved any Celts u u to t unl cky eno gh fall into heir hands . If further proof were ne ed ed that Wal es and Co rnwall were Chri stian at this 1 8

’* u w t n a n d time , we have only to t rn to the ri i gs of Gildas th e s u L l warch - n Welsh Bard , Taliesin , Ane rin and H e . The

mem orials of these wri ters date from th e sixth centu ry an d

depict inciden tally Christianity i n a highly organi sed condi

of t tion among the Celts the Wes .

u t w Leland the antiq arian , who visi ed Corn all and con

VIII m st sequently Breage in the reign Of Henry , a ong other thi n gs of interest in the Parishes of Breage and Germ oe

th e of th e t which he noticed , speaks of ruins ancien Castle or t nt u m of S on e Fort o he s mit Tregoning Hill . He says

“ of t on P en cai r et The Castle Conan s ood the hill Of , there y

two m a on appeareth ditches , so e say that Con n had a s called

T ri ram e C st . The life of the hieftain Conan and all that he did hav e l ong since faded into Oblivion all that s u rvives of h i m are the m ou nds of s tones that mark the site of his rude w stronghold , an d his name hich has escaped oblivi on in the n m th e on v a n d u — n a e Of hill which he li ed r led Trego ing ,

“ P en ca i r Tre Conan the abode or settlement of Conan . ,

n the ame which Lelan d gives to Tregoning Hill , merely

h e or means t Hill of the Castle Camp .

The two ro u nd cam ps on the eastern face of Tregoning

m u of of Hill , for ed by the casting p high banks earth with

on u of a deep ditch the o ter side , are the work Brythons or a t any rate of people who had adopted their method Of forti

fi cati on and defence ; th e Goidels m ade the breastwork of their camp s of ston e . In those lawless days all communities had to fortify them selves against th e s u dden attacks of

m u t on - w ene ies , j s as , the n orth estern frontier of India , all the villages at the present day are fortified against attack by

u d c m or high walls of m . The two a ps settlements on Tre gon i n g are w ell chosen n ear an excellent water supply and on th e sid e of the hill sheltered from the blustering gales

n d S See Ha ddo a n tu bb s .

20

Ireland n ot more than a hundred years before th e arrival of the se v e n h u ndred a n d s e v e n ty s ev e n S aints i n th e Hayle

v w t as w e s n w h a d u d Ri er , hils , have ee , Corn all been n er

s u s s v tu w Chri tian infl ence for e eral cen ries . A candid vie O f

Christiani ty i n Irelan d at this tim e can only lead to th e con cl u i o n wa s t f s that it more han half Pagan . The tons u re o th e or of u t h th Priests , mode c tting heir air , was exactly e h * t same as that of t e Dr u id Priests . I was n ot till the year

804: that Monk s and Clergy i n Ireland were exem pt from bearing that is three hundred years a fter the "? m i O f m co ng these Saints to Cornwall . Wo en were n ot m t t exempt fro figh ing in the ranks ill 5 00. In 6 72 a battle was fo u ght betwee n th e ri v al Monasteries of

l on m a cn oi s w 1 6 u u C and Durro . In 8 fo r h ndred Monks

i “ an d N u n s w ere slai n in a pitched battle between two rival

>I< l e r n Monasteries . I n 700 the Irish C gy atte ded th ei r

w an d u w t wh o Syn ods s ord in hand , fo ght ith hose differed

t m on t t u w from he doc rinal poin s , l eaving the gro nd stre n

r u t w the with corpses . The I ish , no do b ith wild unreasoni ng

st u t enthusiasm so characteri ic of the race , fl ng hemselves

n e w m t th e fi into the move en , and Monasteries were soon lled wi th Monks and N u ns wi th b u t a va gue realisation of what

Chri stianity was ; m any n o d o u bt wo u ld quickly weary Of

' th e n ew u f or on e t t life of r le , and yearn Of grea er varie y ; hence possibly the swar m ing Off to other lands i n search Of spiri tual advent u res The theory h as been su gges ted that ou r army of Iri sh

t u t s w s t s t Sain s were f gi ive , or ted in bat le , e caping from heir

as at was t t t t enemies , Ireland this period devas a ed wi h pet y

t th e t m w . s t tribal ars This heory , to say leas , see mos plausi ble . Vagu e t ra di ti on s h ave come down to u s o f incidents i n the lives of th e Sain ts of this period wh ich reveal som ething of th e m oral atmosphere in which they lived and m oved and

” ’ “ ’ See S to es C e t Ch ur h a n d a r n G o u s L v es of th e Sa ts k l ic c B i g ld i i n . 21

th e e had their being . At end of Germoe Lan there used to be

of t a cairn grea stones , which an ignorant local administration

of was has long since cleared away . The legend these stones

S t u t u that . Kevern e possessed a bea if l eucharistic chalice an d

paten . St . Just the holy visited his frien d an d stol e these t sacred vessel s . S . Keverne discovered the loss and pelted

t th e the flying St . Just wi h the great stones that fell at en d

i n St. of Germoe Lane . The same story appears the life of

Patrick wh e re th e annali st reveals his bias in the words 0

u O t t o f t u O f th e wonderf l deed the hef a reas re holy things , ” plunder of th e mo st holy places o f th e world I S traws show

th e wa w th e t y in hich wind blows , and his fable and the com ments of the I rish annalist re v eal th e vie w of his age

on the q u estion o f theft .

O s we u m t t the f cour e , f lly ad i hat Irish Monasteries did beco m e f or a ti me the home of the learning of th e age such as

was n it . We do not forget their great foundatio s in Germany

of an d Northern Italy , and their exquisite skill i n the work illumination as in the books of Durrow and Kells what we contend is that the Irish Saints i n coming to Cornwall were c oming to a land which possessed a Christian ity older an d

t t o wn s purer han heir . That the Iri h Saints were sincere

t d o n ot according to hei r lights we doubt , and being true to

th e light they possessed they are worthy of bei n g held i n

honour . I t has been suggested a s a solution f or the reason of the

s of of Inva ion the Irish Saints , that at the close the fifth and the beginning o f the sixth century Cornwall was only

a th a partially christi nized , at P gans and Christians were living

s s m t ide by ide in a i y , and that the Irish Saints came to d evote

to th e of themselves conversion the Pagans . Whether this

u t o f th e fi t or n o sol ion dif cul y be true , at any rate it is opposed

to al l that w e can gather from the testimo n y of ancien t

h a i o Ta h e rs a n d w e we m u st writers and g g p , , if accept it , rej ect w their testimon y as utterly false and orthless . 22

O u u t m tw th e f co rse , a distinction m s be ad e be een Hibernian Saints and th e m any S a in ts wh o cam e over from tt w t Bri any and settled in Corn all . The people Of Bri tany were o n e i n lang u age and character with the Cornish to

n t th e th e a far greater exte than Irish and , like Cornish , th e people of Bri ttan y had been u nder Christian infl u ences

tu th h d several cen ri es before e Irish a .

Amongst th e Sain ts wh o cam e f rom Irelan d with B rea ca

m was w t n to th an d Ger oe G i hia , said have been killed in e

t t T eu d or o r Cr u en n a k w figh ing wi h Theodore , illed at Cro an

W h i s tt m . wh o endron , who made se le ent at Wen dron Moran ,

M Ia w h tt t n t o a . St s . a et led at adron , se led St I ves ; Leva , s id

’ v B rea ca s t t h m to h s t St . t e a e been bro her , e led at Levan na es of others also ha v e come down to u s whom we need n ot m m to h of a ention . Ger oe is supposed ave been roy l descent , which m ea n s that he was related to th e petty ki n g or chief of his sep t or tribe ; B rea ca is said in the vag u e tradi tions that

w u s have come do n to , originally to have pursued the calling of w u Of of a mid ife ; Leland , the great antiq ary the reign

V III . w w sa w m Henry hen he visited Corn all , any legendary

of m m lives the Cornish Saints fro which he ad e extracts . Most O f these lives were destroyed with m u ch else that was m bea u tiful and val u able at th e time of th e Refor ation .

The last book of th e li ves of ou r local Saints was i n th e library Of Si r William Howard of N aw orth Castle in Cu m

th e n of u . berland , in reig Q een Elizabeth It was carried w t thither by a Cornish Roman Priest , who took refuge i h him

a s hi u u and acted s Chaplain . This val able vol me has been * of long lost sight . Am ongst other things Leland tells us that when he visited

’ rm oe v ou t him . Ge s Germoe , St gra e was pointed to : of the site of the grave even tradition is now altogether silent ; he

’ See or a se s A e of h B l g t e Sa i n ts. 28

’ “ n t n er i n oe w t also m e ions havi g seen St . G s well a little i hout ” u th e ch rch y ard . m m m At Breage Lelan d ade so e extracts fro a life Of St . B rea ca that wa s shown to him do u btless by th e then Vicar of Breage ; th e life i n those days wo u ld be a very precious

of r t possession ou Church . From Leland we ga her that B rea ca had begun her religio u s life in a Monastery fou n ded

v m f b . t s o the fa ous St Bridge , Abbe s Kildare ; as to the exact si te of thi s Monastery th e statem ent m ad e by Leland is som e what vag u e an d He goes on to tell u s that after

h e u t T eu dor hi s B reaca t str ggle of the Sain s with and defeat ,

u Pe n cai r first took p her abode at , that is Tregoning Hill , an d b u ilt a Ch u rch somewhere n ear Chyn oweth and T ol m en a

u on th e south eastern slopes of the hill . Of co rse it is now q u i te impossible to locate th e si te of this ancient Church ;T a t th e best it woul d be s mall and poor and the materials Of i ts t o f u m con struc ion no d rable character . Fro this spot

Lelan d tells u s that B reaca m igrated to the site o n which o u r s ta n s t w pre ent Church s d , a spo hich has been hallowed to

v w th e ser ice of G od by fifteen h u nd red years Of orship . Generation after generation thro u gh th e whole co u rse of

s s t t u to God a n d Engli h hi tory have here lif ed p their hearts , genera tion after gen eration have been laid to rest under the shadow of i ts sacred wa lls o n the edge of the hill overlook

th e t B r ing sea . Tha eaca set tled at Chynoweth is strangely

o u t borne by facts . The two fortified camps previously

u th e n referred to are contig ous to spot , and the surroun di g

“ Le l a n d sa y s C a mpu s B rea c a e i n H ib e rn i a i n (11 10 B ri gi d a o ra tori u m con stru x i t e t ' os te a on a s te r i n u o t e S B I t w b e n o t e h h e m e t M u t t . rea c a t a t t s sta t n p , q i . ill ic d i oes n t su t th e v h e o or ew of t R e v . S a r n G ou th t B r c i s t n se d pp i d . B i g ld a ea a a l a i i d orm o f u e t i n h i s L v e o f r s S P o f so r f s t h a n ts. r es G w n n of u n n form s B dg , i B i i i y D bli i ” th e wr ter : B rea c a o u n o t o ss b e a form o f r e t In su ort o f th s i c ld p ibly B id g . pp i “ v e w h e u otes ro Loth i n L e t R v u e C e u e ol . 9 3 r e a n t f . a S v 2 on St. a C 2 . 7 i q P l iq , p B i c i est on n e om m e r a n a se c e m Il t d c i l d i q u c se bl era i t con fi rm e r 1a term i n a i son . a u t su ppo ser u n e fori i i e i rl a n d a i se

“ tLel an d B rea ca a ed i fi ca v i t eccl eS i a m i n T ren e wi th et Ta l m en eth u t l egi tu r i n ” V t E l i a St. wi n i . 24

d l es e a fiel s on the p of Tregoning hill , b ar abund nt evidences of having bee n th e si te o f a conside rable settlem ent in Cel tic times ; h u ge s tones that once no do u bt did d u ty i n stone aven u es an d circl es have been pi l ed by farmers Of a latter

t u of w st th e age in o bo ndary walls cyclopean character , hil c u rio u s m a y stil l find ancien t q u erns an d stones fa shioned to

u t th e r u de ses of a forgot en age . In an cient deeds the Chu rch Of Breage bears th e n ame

l o P em r e u o n B Of E s b oc i reaca . g . . the Ch rch the Hill of

m s t on th e m m e The na e ill lives in na e Pe br Farm , standing

h a m l on t e s e hil . When B reaca a n d those wh o followed her settled on the edge of th e hill on which o u r Ch urch stand s and when a m i cable relationships had been established w i th those d well i ng around , the first thing the Sain t would attempt would b e

of the erection a small Church , built of wattle work , mud

Th e O f a t a n d s tone . only relic th t ancient period that s ill remains is the red s and stone Celtic Cross by the Church

h a rd T he Ce lti c Cross i n B rea ge Ch u rc y . 25

a o ou r door , unearthed a few years g i n churchyard ; this

s r u ancient cro s must have been b o ght from a distance , as

“ there i s n o red san d stone at all near . It is interesting to specu late why i t was bro u ght to Breage from som e di stant

was u B reaca place ; perhaps it bro ght from Ireland , and to l was frau ght with memories of a greater and o der foundation .

The site which B reaca selected f or the b u ilding of her Church had been probably the site of ancient heathen worship

u It cu s thro gh many centuries . seems to have been the tom w s f or th e O f s , herever pos ible , early founders Chri tian 3? h o u on C urches t select ancient heathen sites . Their b ilding these ancient sites was at once symbolical of the victory of ‘

th e s the Cross over heathendom , and evidence that Demon which were supposed to hau nt their ancient sanctuaries were

to powerless against the Saints either to harm or hinder . The to wer of Breage Church from its positi on is visible far o u t to sea , and for miles over the surrounding country from

h o w every point of t e compass but the West . The hill n hich

t u t it stands , herefore , dominating alike land and sea , is j s

“ th e spot that the Priests of a creed outworn wo u ld hav e s at e t f or m elected , once exc llen astrono i cal Observations and f o r tt th e s t rive ing di ant gaze of the votaries of their faith .

s e e h u t When this it had b en finally selected , a little

t s u would be erected on the spo , i n which Bre ca wo ld take up her abode an d continue all alone in fasting and prayer f or a period of forty days durin g the whole o f this time she

ea t would nothing from sunrise to sunset , except on Sundays ,

e e when possibly she might partake of an egg , a mors l of br ad t tt m w wi h a li le ilk mixed with ater . When the forty days were accom pli shed all had been done i n the way of con se

r c ati o n . T

” — See B e wa s Of r s A r h aeo o h n s n mb i d e U i rei st P s t h . o o Ca r n t res y y B i i c l gy by W J g y .

“ See e e 1 B d . 26

The Churches thus built were natu rally called after their

u b u t as t ou t i t fo nders , Professor Rhys poin s , remained for a s u bseq u ent generation to give them th e inform al title Of

t u t Sain . It is well for s to r ealise tha these Cornish Saints m were n ever for ally canonized . We m u st bear i n mind also that i n Celtic ti m es there

s l of were no Pari hes and no Dioceses . The little co onies the

Saints were independent communities ; they kept their own

wh o t Bishops , held qui e a subordinate position ; at Kildare ,

. u s St Bridget had a number of Bishops nder her order , so had

Ni n n ock u n Ou r e in Brittany and Col mba in Io a . conc ption ” of a diocese was altogether foreign to th e Celtic mind . t Bishops were kep as a species of ecclesiastical Queen Bee .

or s of th e u The Saintship head hip comm nity was hereditary ,

m of th e descending from father to son . The anner of life

t t w e re Sain s was rude and barbarous in the ex reme . They a

t of or of thick outer garmen wool skin , with an inn er gar

ment of lighter texture ; on their feet they w ore sandal s

t s t on w of stra w hey lep hides ith a pillow . T With the foundation Of Churches at Breage an d Germoe

B reaca m t th e by and Ger oe , hick mist closes in again over f m history of the Parish o r several hundred years . The co m u n i ti es these two Sai n ts founded wo u ld con tin u e to li v e peacefully i n all probabili ty u nder th e rule Of their s u ccessors u n til the coming of th e tim e of th e Saxo n settlemen t N o doubt a t some time d u ring this period of da rkne ss th e Church l ife and adm inistration wo u ld com e to be organi sed more

m r and m ore . on the plan w i th which we are fa ilia . As a line of Cornish Bishops in com m u nion wi th Canter b u ry and the rest of th e Ch u rch grad u ally asserted their

t th e ol d u s t authori y , r le of the Saints over eparate and distinc

u u u Christian comm nities wo ld grad ally pass away , and thus

' “ h Stokes C el tic Ch u rc .

“ n st t t on s o f C o um a I Co i u i l b .

T H E SA O NS " .

CH A PTE R I I .

The oldest written documents dealing wi th th e life of the people of Breage in th e past are contained in William the Con

’ q u eror s Domesday Book . The Domesday Book contains a

of i n w m th e general survey all the land England , hich Willia Con q ueror cau sed to be made afte r his u surpation of the English thron e in 1 06 6 This book contains the description of

of or as four manors in the Parish Breage , Metela , Rentis , , we

M ethl ei h B two call them , g and insey , and the smaller manors

T re w T rescowe w t w e con of ge and . The following is ha read m w cerning them . The Bishop has one anor hich is called ”* Metela (M e thl ei gh ) which Bishop Leofric held i n the ti me

of f or on e b u t King Edward , and it rendered tribute hide ,

t t u t . yet th ere is a hide an d a half . Fif een eams can plo gh his Thereof the Bishop has hal f a hide and one plo u gh in

u s demesne , and the villeins one hide and eight plo gh . There th e Bishop has fifteen villein s and fo u r bordars and three serfs and three co ws and twen ty sheep and sixty acres of

w tu m under ood and forty acres of pas re . Of this anor the

of t m t Count Mor ain has a y early arke , which Bishop Leofric

“ l ward th e held in the time of King Edward . U holds of

u on e m w i s Co nt anor , hich is called Rentis , an d therein one

f w v n u t l wa rd o ca . hide land . T el e teams plo gh his U and his

o n e u on e cow s e villeins have there plo gh , and thi rty he p , and

eight col i b erts and fo u r ser fs and of pas tu re half a league t t m in leng h and the same in bread h . Attached to the anor

t i Th i s an ci en t Man or of M ethl ei gh wa s m u ch bi gger th an th e presen t esta te of i h It m ost ro a om r se a r e ort on of th e resen t str t of M eth l e g . p b bly c p i d l a g p i p di ic i e h s on u s on fi n s n terest n su ort f rom th e n a m es of two fi e s Ken n egg . T i c cl i d i i g pp ld “ " " It m a h S n r r r h e . i n Ken n e i e v i z . t e e t o Sa n tu a r F e a n d Ch u F gg , y c y i ld c i ld y b e a dded th a t th e Man or of M eth l e i gh pa ssed f rom th e Bi sh ops of Exeter to th e

Dean a n d Ch a ter of E xeter an d th em w s n ate f rom the C h ur h . p , by a ali e d c 29

of Rentis or B i nsey th e Co u nt of Mor tain had in demesne a

q u ar ter of a hide of land ; this portion was probably tilled

’ th e t or bv Count s s eward agent . The Count has a manor

w i s T resco we Al n od m hich called , which held in the ti e of

w t of u King Ed ard and s ill holds the Count , and it paid trib te 1 f - or th e . 1 5 of a hide Three teams can plough this . Thereof 1 A h e l d has 4 g part of a hide in demesne , and the villeins the

m on e u A l n od re aining lan d and plo gh . There has three bordars and one serf and three acre s of wood and 100 acres of ” s u on e Tre ew pa t re . The Count has manor which is called g ,

w B ri m h m w hich s ar held i n t e ti e of King Ed ard . There is l o t of n e q u ar er a hide of land and it paid tribute for T g of a

ri . m s u H el d c of hide Three tea can plo gh this . holds this 1 th e h as of on e u Earl , and in d emesn e 3 9 a hide and plo gh , and

th e m on u villeins have the re aining lan d and e plo gh . There H el d ri c has si x bordars and two serfs and forty sheep and ” t of u for y acres past re . The m anors were g rants o f land made by the king to h or t t . noblemen , as they were hen called anes As a return for this gift of land the thane had to go to the wars with the

f or d king and fight him when the king esired his services , and also he had to give assistance i n the building of the

’ s s king ca tles and strongholds . The land on a Saxon manor was dealt with in two ways ; part of it was held and c u lti v ated by the thane himself, this was called demesne land ,

’ and the other portion of it was cultivated by the thane s tenants , who were called villeins . The villein would usually h e l d s of u a trip land called a virgate , possibly eq al to about

e w two thirty acr s . The thane provided him ith oxen and on e cow and seed suffi cient f or seven acres of land for each

f or o the thirty acres or virgates that he held . The villein tenant was not a free man and could not leave the manor

of of without the consent his lord , and in transfers manors

u the villeins passed with the land . They paid trib te to their lord both in mon ey and i n the produce of the land they 30

on to cultivated ; also certain days in each week , according the season they had to give their labour free on the lan d c u l ti w vated by the lord or thane . Belo these larger villein

col i b erts or wh o holders came a class called , cottars bordars ,

n held abo u t five acres of land each . These inferior tena ts had to work for their lord without wage on each Monday thro u gho u t the year and three days each week d uri n g the

th e s wh o period of harvest . Below these again were erfs

’ worked on their lord s demesne ; the y were slav es bo u ght and sold i n the marke t and often exported from E n glish ports across the sea as part of the comm ercial prod u ce of

h t t of w t of t e co u n ry . Mos us are familiar ith the s ory

th e m sl Pope Gregory the Great , who , walking in Ro an ave

saw of - market , a number fair haired Saxon slave boys exposed

wh o e s for sale , and , seeing thes children , vowed to do his be t t for the conversion of their country to Christiani y . On the Breage manors it is more than probable that the slaves wo u ld n ot be Saxons b u t Celts . Many of the manor slaves were

m bu t to h slaves fro birth , it also seems not ave been an uncom mon prac tice for free men to sell themselves into

u slavery under the press re of want . The cultivated land round each ancient Saxon m anor village was m arked o ff a ccording to the c u stom of the time

u into three en ormous nfenced fields . Each householder in the village above the rank of slave had a greater or less n u m

or of ber of strips shares in each these three fields . When

t f or u m the ime plo ghing ca e round , as no villager possessed a team of eight oxen — the n u m ber req u ired to draw the primi tive Saxon plo u gh— the team f or the gen eral ploughing was

u of contrib ted j ointly by the villagers . The advantage this

u u e system will therefore be Obvio s . C stom decre d further that each year on e of these great Open fields held i n strips by th e villagers should lie fallow ; that anoth er of them sho u ld be sewn with oats or rye and a third sho u ld b e sown down

of f or ea wi th barley . Some this last crop would be used br d , 3 1

b u t h r at o f i t we fear t at a g e deal would be devoted to drink , f or th e Saxons were men wh o lov ed to drink them selv es

u of th e dr nk , probably ascribing the ill effects beer , enhanced n o m doubt by the relaxing cli ate , to anything but the right

. N ot e cause cont nt with a large supply of beer , the Saxons h impressed the honey bee into the service of Bacc us , and

of manufactured from honey great quantities mead . It is

t d fish probable hat in a seaboar parish like Breage , would be a staple article of die t ; from the smallness of the number of live stock on the manors , flesh can only have been a rare

of u of article diet , possibly enj oyed by the bo nty the lord of th e manor on th e gr eat festivals of the

t of The vas mass the country at this period was wild ,

u w u uncultivated and ninhabited . Such o ld be the condit i on of t a of the grea er p rt the Parish of Breage i n Saxon times .

u w The valleys wo ld be filled ith a thick undergrowth , their w beds forming impassable s amps , whilst the higher groun d

or would be more less covered with furze and scrub , i n which m wolves would ake their lairs , preying upon the flocks and from time to time carrying off a child that had strayed too m h f far fro t e parental b u t o clay . The lan d meas u re called a hide made u se of i n the

Domesday record is supposed to have contained 1 20 acres ;T a virgate was the term u sed f or a quarter of a hide or thirty

. was acres The virgate again divided i nto quarters , called f l i n f 7 t n ot er s o s . g , } acre each We mus confound this word

“ ” ou r t u n ferling with presen word f rlong , which origi ally meant the longest f u rrow which it was deemed possible a

e u u n . 220 t am of oxen co ld plough witho t stoppi g , viz , yards . Unfortunately Domesday i s silent with regard to mining

w e n to matters , and consequently can gather nothi g as the nature of the mining carried on in ou r Parish i n Saxon

ai ’ “ For th e c on di ti on s of life on An glo - Sa xon Man or see Seeb oh m s V illa ge

Comm u n i ti e s. TTh e e xa t s z e of th e an en t Corn sh a re i s u n n own c i ci i c k . 32

n times . There can be no doubt that mini g of an elemen

was of n th tary character carried on , but its exte t an d e

t n w number of hose e gaged i n it , it oul d be rash to theorise .

Knowing nothing ther efore of the number of th e pop u lation engaged in m ining we can form no approximate esti m ate of

u n at u the local pop latio , but an y rate we may concl de that it cannot have been great . The bordars and slaves mentioned on the four m anors only com e to twenty - eight ; on the largest of th e o r M ethl ei h t manors , Metela g , here were fifteen villeins ; the num ber of villein s on th e o ther three manors is not stated — simply the fact that there were villeins ; b u t as M ethl eigh was about the size of th e other thr e e manors pu t together we may conclud e these m anors also posses sed in all

u w u d u s t t - abo t fifteen villeins . This o l give a to al of six y one

u w e m t t villeins , bordars an d serfs en merated ; if ul iply his n u mber by five f or the wom en and children of th eir respec

u u u tive families , it gives us a total agric lt ral pop lation for the

of m u parishes Breage and Ger oe of three h ndred and five ,

m of u s . with eighteen tea s oxen , fo r cow , and ninety sheep It is interesting to notice that th e l i v e stock were en u m erated

w th e m before the slaves , presumably because they ere ore valuable .

or u n The houses h ts in which the Cornish villei s , bordars and serfs lived on the Saxon manors would be com

of w i n th e ou t posed clay , ith a hole roof to let the smoke their inhabi tants from co n stantly sitti n g i n th e smoke suffered greatly from di seases of the eyes ; of sanitation there was none , an d human life was exceedingly short . This condition of things practically continued in Cornwall to the end of th e T u dor period as we gather from the picture of Cornish life ” given to us by Carew in hi s S u rvey of Cornwall written

of in the reign Elizabeth . Compelled by law to live on the manor on which they w ere born and to give a great par t of their labo u r fre e to t the of of heir lord , lives the ancient inhabitants Breage , 33

u ou r j dged at any rate by stan dards , must have been dull

and hard indeed . Each manor had i ts own co u rt for th e trial of cases which concern e d only persons living on the m anor this court w a s

th e under presidency of the baron or thane , assisted by ten

n ot d as freemen . Where the freemen were to be foun , i n

ou r w u of Breage man ors , cases ere tried by the Co rt the

Th e u t of Hundred in which th e m anor was si tuated . Co r th e Hundred a lso tried suits in th e case of the larger m anors f which in v olved people living in tw o o r more different m an orsf

From the legal view of thin gs we natu rally pass to mat

h w th e ters ecclesiastical . In approaching t is vie of life of our parish i n Saxon ti m es it is interesting in the first place to note that the Manor o f Ri n sey formed par t of the great

o f Man or and Hundred Winnington , which comprised a large

of th e u . portion Lizard district , including Cury an d G nwalloe

th e wh We have here a hi nt as to reason y Breage , Cury an d Gunwalloe have al ways been ecclesias tically on e until recent

a s u of H u n times , ro ghly they formed a considerabl e part the t dred o f Winnington . It was natural hat this large Man or

s hould be regarded as an ecclesiastical unit . We find this

- l s m n unity complete in the earliest extant ecc esia tical docu e t ,

1 21 9 i t s m dated , given in the Patent Rolls , and ee s natural to concl u de that this unity dates from the foundation

“ ” of eccl esi a u the Saxon Manor . Breage was an T , C ry and

“ ” Gunwalloe were Capel l ae i n the I n qu i si ti o N on a r u m of

1346 ; i n o ther words there was only on e parish with

several chapelries . Most probably in the Saxon period the

of collegiate system prevailed i n our part Cornwall , an d

i t ’ ’ In d erwi ck s Th e Ki n g s Pea c e . — “ I t i s fa r to a dd th a t th e R T Ta o r n for m s m e A n ex a m n a t on o f th e Cou rt i ev . . yl i i i R o s v en M a t a n m a es i t e v en t th a t wh ere th ere w e re fe w f ree m en th e ll gi by i l d k id , V ill e n s were su tors a t th e Cou rt a n d th a t i t i s m oss ble to sa th a t th e a bsen e i i , i p i y c ” o f th e o rm er r h s t h e r f d o v e t e V ille i n o t e H u n d r d Cou t.

“ tIn th e I n q u i si ti o N on a ru m of 1346 th e ph ra se e ccl esi a Sa n cta e B ry a ca c cu m ca pell i s ” Sa n or W rs ct u m Corren ti y n y a n ton i e t G y rm o u gh occ u . 34

Breage may have performed f or the western half of the

di f r h Meneage Peninsula what St . Keverne d o t e e astern

f t of of hal . We find men ion the Canons St . Keverne , but

th e there is no record of Canons of Breage . The Bish op Leofric referred to in the account of th e Manor of M ethl eigh became first Bishop of Cornwall and

Credi ton i n 1046 ; i n th e same year the title of the See was n d B s of cha ge , and Leofric became the first i hop Exeter .

th e M ethl ei h wh to Possibly Manor of g , ich thus passed the

t of See of Exe er , had originally been a portion the settle m ent of B rea ca which had passed to the Bishops of Bodmin

m n of or St . Ger a s on the reorganization the Church in

n t n Saxon tim es o continen al li es . There had been Cornish Bishops in full commun ion with th e See of Canterbury

865 t or from , governing heir Sees from either Bodmin

n St. Germa s . The Earl or C ount mentioned in the extracts from Dom es

w as t w u of day Rober , Earl of Corn all , an d Co nt Mortain in

- of Normandy . He was the bastard half brother William

u of al l the Conq eror . The Earls Cornwall to intents and purposes within the bounds of the earldom were reigning

was n ot t princes . The earldom heredi ary a Special creation

th e a of took place at death of each E rl , or in case the earldom having been forfei ted thro u gh rebellion . Earl Robert obtained enormo u s spoils from hi s half - brother William on hi s con quest of England ; some idea of the plunder thus obtained may be gathered from th e fact that i n Domesday we find him

‘ u possessed of 79 7 manors in v ario s counties . After this brief record of ou r Parish and its Manors to be found in Domesday , its history is again utterly lost in

m e t u t f or 250 o m es eci i p ne rable obsc ri y years , when d cu ents , p

of t ally an ecclesiastical na ure , became more frequent , and

of m the main outlin e its story beco es much cl earer .

36

w b t e ere uilt bo h at Breag and Germoe , possibly about the year 1 100 f . The building o thes e Ch u rches was no doubt

th e s of w t at expen e of the Earls Cornwall , in accordance i h

th e u m h u u prevailing c sto . Whet er Saxon Ch rches s cceeded

th e n t m s ancie Celtic Churches it is i pos ible to say . If the Saxons did find the humble Celtic C hu rches inadequate an d

e or of built new ones , at any rate no vestig record them sur

m i f h vives . The re a ns O t e Norman Church built on th e site

of the present Church at Breage con sist only of a co u ple of

m b u t m u m frag ents , yet these two frag ents are s fficient to ake it clear that the presen t Ch u rch was preceded by a Norm an t f l . o u u et Church A proj ecting s one bl ish grey colo r , i nto

r the northern wall by the door of the p esent vestry , bears

of w distinct marks N orman workmanship , and some t enty years ago more than a fragment of a Norman font was fou n d

th of ou r c outside e north door Chur h . This i nteresting relic

i n was incorporated into the new font at present use , which was fash ioned on the model of the ancient Norman font at

Cury .

on th e th e f At Germoe , other hand , remains o a Norman

u Church are altogethe r more abund ant . Here the fo ndations and lower portions of th e east and south walls are evidently

m a of of Norman work anship , as lso the east and south walls

u r 1 9 1 the south transept . D ing the restoration of 8 the head of a Norman window wa s discovered built into the wall t t o f the south transep . This lit le window has been carefully restored by the a dditmn of two new j ambs and a ston e sill on examination it will be discovered that this Norman window arch is slightly chamfered . Oth er discoveries made at the

n ow t restoration were the Norman corbel heads , buil into the

of of t s e th e o u tside face the east wall the n or h ai l , and bowl of a Norman stoup , which has been built into the south wall

f n f n ew . ou da o the nave , with a arch placed over it I n the tions of th e Church was also discovered th e bowl of a muti

n n ow n on a n ew - e n lated Norma font , which sta ds rough h w 37

of stem in the n orth transept . The date this font is placed

“ ” Seddi n m u s i n o w by Mr . g, in his Nor an Ch rche C rn all , at

u 1 100 we t of 1 100 t abo t . If regard his date as correc , it will serve as some cl u e to the date of the b u ilding of

m s u m t s th e Norman Ch u rches at Breage and Ger oe . A s ing hi

t th e u t date to be approxima ely correct , churches were b il by t t t William Fi z Rober or William de Mor ain , Earl Of Cornwall ,

u n son of Earl Rober t de Mortain o f Dom esday Book . This for tu nate n obleman j oined h i s cousin Robert de B el esm e in

w d u s u . rebellion against Henry I . ith isastro conseq ences He was taken pri soner at the battle o f T e n ch e b rai and deprived

t a n d u s h i s w u t ou t of his es ates hono r , and eyes ere p by the

s of th e t r s h e hand execu ione . In his blindne s and misery

th e m o f th e of i t m s sought peace in boso Church , which see a t least probabl e tha t he wa s a ben efactor in the days of h i s

t u prosperi y , and died a Cl niac Monk i n the Monastery of

Bermondsey .

The q u estion Of patron a g e i s one Of ex treme diffi culty ; it seem s m ore than probable that th e patronage we n t to the builders of the Ch u rches ; in this case the pa tronage of B reage would natu rally pa ss at the building of the Norman

h e m o f Chu rches to t Earldo Cornwall . At any rate we find th e pa tronage of th e b en e fice at tached to the Earldo m at the

O begin ning f the thirteenth century . m Leland s tates tha t Ger oe was originally a cell of St .

’

t t t m t . Michael s Mo u n . In his sta e en he is followed by Hals It seems probable that on thi s point Leland wa s m isled by

m s t m t m to as so e ta e en ad e locally him , there is no shred of

v u t t s m th e exi sting e idence to s ppor hi view . Do esday an d M on asti co n are alike Silen t u pon the subj ect and lend no

i It i tru t u t e t. s e coun enanc to Hals , apparen ly i n s pport

t t t u s s of of his conten ion , evolved a ficti io Inqui ition the Bi shops of Winchester and Glo u ce ster from th e depths of h i s u u t u s u s t s bliminal conscio sness . In his precio Inq i i ion

’ “ an cto s t th e S Gordon , as Germoe is yled in Deanery of 38

K rri r e e u £8. , is val ed at More to the point is the fact that 1246 w m i n Richard , Earl of Corn all , ade over the living

r h u u rm of B eage with the C apels of C ry , G nwalloe and Ge oe

to th e Abbey of Hayles . ’ t f In Lysons Cornwall it is stated hat the Chapel o St .

to Germoe was given by William , Earl of Gloucester , the t of St s . Priory . James , Bri ol The learned authors have here

falle n into a mistake f or which there is reasonable excu se ;

x’ ‘ u O f B r k they have confo nded the church St. eo e i n North

m o . Ger t Cornwall with St Breage and a Church of , possibly

th e n of l of u t on Norman la ds the Ear Glo ces er , with Germoe .

of u i n t The Earl Glo cester never held any lands his district . This statement of the Lysons h as also be e n freely used by f subseq u ent writers o county histories . It seems clear that at no period of its history was Germoe ever ecclesiastically

independent of Breage ; it is probable that i n early times it was served like Cury an d Gunwal loe by clergy living together

I n u under the collegiate system at Breage . In the q i si ti o

“ N on a r u m of 1 346 w e read ecclesia Sanctae B ryacae ” cu m a el l i s Coren ti W n an ton i et G rm ou h C p Sanctorum , y y y g , which makes it quite clear that at that date Germoe was f i n cluded in the parish o Breage .

’ With the com ing of th e Norm ans the val u e of Cornwall s m ineral wealth seems to have been quickly grasped . The

successive Earls were greedy foreigners , who valued their

Fief mainly f or what it wo u l d prod u ce ; it was n ot so much

’ a Cornwall they wanted s Cornwall s wealth . By the tim e

of o f of Richard , Earl Cornwall , King the Romans , the mines

m s of Co rn wall had beco e a source of immen e wealth ,

1 224- 72 Possibly the building of Churches both at Breage and Germoe in N orm an times may have been du e

if “ i fi C m er su u s d ed era t h ar o l c est ca n te u o R . t R m G ou t o . a C o . Ca rta W . q d p ic d Cler o su o O in n es e l esi a s ter ra e su a e d e C orn u b a cu m c a pel l i s et perti n en ti s su i s ic cc i o l b rec e l s1a m m m eccl es1a m d e E l osh i el ec cl eSi am V i z : eccl esi a m d e E g os . cc e Co a rt, g ,

E l osv an t eccl esi a m d e E l osccra v en et ca el l a m San t G ermot etc . etc . See d e g , g p c i , ’ l e s M on a sti co Du gd a n . 0 39

f to th e large infl u x of population owing to the opening up o local m ines . A t th e beginning of the Norman pe riod th e people of

’ B reage were living u nder the ordinary Manorial and King s

u r b u t th e m n Co ts , very soon all this was changed by Nor a

of th e u o f Earls in their policy mine development , and r le

w th e 1 201 the S tannary Co u rts as ad ded . By Charter of ,

Stannary Co u r ts were se t u p which held civil and

as t c rim inal j urisdiction over the Miners or Tinners , hey

t m n s t of were called . A S annary Parlia e t , con is ing twenty

t s m et st n t four Sena or , at Hing on Down , ear Cals ock , and chose a Speaker o f its own ; s u bseq u ently thi s Parliamen t f or the governmen t of th e Miners a n d the reg u lation of

a t u mining affairs seem s to have met Tr ro . The Stannaries

fi v e t of wh w Kerri er were divid ed into distric s , ich Pen ith an d

a to formed one . The Cornish Miners thus c me be formed in to a li ttle State by them selves ; they paid no taxes to the

t s n ot King but to the S annarie , and these they paid as English m en b u t as Miners , Their Parliament was the mine Parlia

t w th e . n of men , their Courts ere min e Courts The i fluence this state of things was in the main bad ; it gave op portu nity

a n d of for the oppression consequent debasement the Miners , and tended to make the people la wless and i m patient of all

L o n t a s h a d s restraint . g af er this ncient sy tem pas ed awa y its evil fruits remained in a certain lawlessn ess of disposition .

w w t th e of t Care , ri ing i n days Queen Elizabeth , remarks tha i t was a matter of n otorie ty i n his day tha t the mining dis tri cts of Cornwall were farthest behind the gen eral level of

u c lture . The reason of this we take to be due , to a large d extent , to the lawlessness , abuses and evils engendere by the

on e Stannary Courts , which at an d the same time placed the mi n ing popula tion above the l aw an d beyond the arm of i ts

r p otection .

of 1 21 9 The following letter King Henry I I I . , written in to m n of er Si o de Apulia , an Ital i an Bishop Exeter , ref 40

of e ring to the living Breage , which is given in the Pat nt Rolls ,

wo is of interest . The t Vicars of Breage men tioned i n this

u m th e. doc ent are earliest of whom we have any record .

of t The King to Simon , Bishop Exeter , gree ing ; be it

at on of th e known th the resignation William son of Richard ,

o the u of E l os en b roc E l oscu re Pars n of Ch rches g p , g and

i th e o Wi n i ton n ow s . e . f u decea ed , Churches Breage . C ry and

u O a G nwalloe , ur Lord King John conferred the s id Churches on ou r of beloved Clerk , William , the son Humphrey , the t aforesaid Churches being in his appointmen . But since the same William was prevented from following hi s claim on

u th e s n o w acco nt of disturbed tate of the time , we send him

u ou t n o on e to to yo r fatherly care , asking y to admi else those Churches contrary to the gift already made by the King ou r a t b u t F her , to kindly institute the said William , showing yourself kindly disposed in this matter f or love of u s . This docu ment under the specious phrase dist u rbed state of ” th e times evidently refers to th e period of the In terdict which had only come to a close some five years previo u sly a period when by the insen sate wickedness of King and Pope the whole apparat u s of the religio u s life of the country

o u t of u was thrown gear and ceased to perform its f nctions , to th e infinite sorrow and misery of m any tho u san ds of the people .

1 246 a of of In Rich rd , Earl Cornwall , King the

of e w Romans , made over the Church Breag ith the Chapelries

a r f t at C o S . of y , Gunwalloe and Germoe to the Abbey Mary ,

i o f Hayles in Worcestersh re . The story this Pri nce reads

of th e more like a romance than a record sober fact . He was

n of 1 . n 209 seco d son King John Bor i n , Richard was made a Knight and Earl of Cornwall at th e early age of sixteen . Before his seventeenth birthday he had shewn him

i n of self to be a fearless soldier the wars Gascony . Three

a yea rs later he took the field again ag inst the French King ,

i n th t of Th e this time e Nor h France . campaign was barren 41

of u ts b u t m f or t l u of all res l , emorable the errib e sla ghter its ba ttles and th e r u i n and m isery wro u gh t u pon the poor

s of i t w wh o w pea ants the country in which was aged , kne less

than nothing a t all as to what i t was all abo u t. In this terrible

n st t of campaig Richard lo his friend Gilber D e Clare , Earl

m th e of Glouce ster . Richard consoled hi self for loss his f w w t riend by marrying his ido , whose beau y and golden

u tres se s th e ol d chronicler delights to d well pon . This warlike brother of an un warl ike king bitterly i nveighed against th e royal fa v ourites wh o battened upon th e

“ w th e t w eal th of na ion . England has become a vineyard ith ” o u t a wh o u off s wall , wherei n all pass by pl ck her grape ,

he exclaimed . In 1 21 1 w e find Richard a t Rom e endeavo u ring to

w " - i n mediate bet een Pope Gregory I . and his mighty brother

l a w th e tu u m Emperor Frederi ck IL , S por M ndi , the ost

t of hi s n o t gif ed sovereign age , if of any age . The Pope

’ wa s th e r s at t a n d practically Empero s pri oner Gro to Ferrata ,

u th e u u st h t wa s m d ring terri ble A g ea , which acco panied

s to tw n by pestilence , Richard pas ed and fro be ee Pope and

t t u t Emperor . At length the n ego ia ions ere p an end to by

death clai ming the aged Pontiff . His beautiful wife Isabella d e Clare died a t an early age

t sad t n t off th e u and Richard wi h a hear we to Cr sad es , where

ss ru the o f fi e fs n o by liberal large , w ng from serfs his doubt

t t th e s w d we was to ra her han by or , read he able Open the

ga tes of Jer u salem and raise th e banner of th e Cross o v er t t m Nazare h and Be hl ehe .

tu m w Re rning fro the Holy Land , the ship in hich he

m u of sailed was beset by a terrible sto r . I n the ho r extreme

d v o w the anger Earl Richard made a to Vi rgin that , if by the

m of God th e m m u ercy ship was saved fro the stor , he wo ld

u w b ild a great abbey to her hono u r and richly endo it .

O hi s tu to h i s v ow th e n re rn , in obedien ce , he set about f o u nding of Hayles Abbey in Worcestershire on a princely 42

to h h e th e f scale , w ich we have seen made over Church o

of t Breage with its three Chapelries . The Church his Abbey was of the same dimensions as those of Gloucester Cathedral ; it was consecrated in 1 25 1 amidst a scene of the greatest

S th e n th e of plendour , King and Quee with maj ority the

n N ow Bishops and many Barons bei g present . only a heap

f - of d o grass grown ruins marks the site this great foun ation . It was i n the days of Earl Richard that the ti n min es of

to on Cornwall came be developed a large scale , an d they

hi m u of h— i n became to a so rce immense wealt fact , a golden key by which he was able to unl o ck the doors of attain t ment both in Palestine and Germany . We gather tha this w Earl was most kindly disposed towards the Je ish race , which assertion lends colo u r to the statement of Carew that the ti n trade of Cornwall in ancient times was largely in the han ds w h t h of w o s t e . Je s , grievou ly ex ploi ed Cornish Tinners I n 1 25 7 Richard was chosen King of the Romans a fte r the payment o f im mense bribes to a n u mber of th e

u two o f electing Princes . He ret rned to England after years

l m fruitless war to m ai n ta i n his shadowy kingdo . He com m a n d ed a wing of the Royal Army at the battles of Lewes ; on u of th e W i m the ro t royal forces he hid himself in a nd ill , from which he was ignominio u sly dragged and sen t a prisoner

w f 1 5 7 a nd to o . 2 the To er London He was released in , on hi s death in 1 265 his body was laid i n the great

Abbey which he had founded .

son as . of His , Edmund , succeeded him Earl Cornwall ; this Prince presented to the Abbey of Hayles on e of the

of u t of most famous relics the Middle Ages , a rep ed phial the

of l v of Blood Christ . This e ered relic was kept in a shrine

re n n g at mag ifice ce . A c u rious and interesting report was

’ mad e on the na ture of this supposed relic by the King s “ Commission ers at the time of the Ref orm ati on fi

i t ’ G a s u et s Hen r V III a d h e M n a st r S . t s ee q y n o e i e .

44 degree in those days entailed a longer period of resid ence at

v n ow t the Uni ersities than . We may conclude hat Sir Pas

n casi u s was a Cornishman and a m ember of the cla Pascoe .

His nam e survives in the archives of the Bishops of Exeter .

m u 1 310 embal ed i n a document dated J ly , which gives a lurid picture of the br u tal m ethods of the age . The Chapel ’ w of . as o u t Buryan was the King s Peculiar , and , as such

h It was sid e the j u risdiction of the Bis op . held by Dean and

u Canons of its own . A disp te had long been simmering between the Dean and the Bishop of Exeter as to the appoint

t on e é of u th e men of John de Beaupr as Canon B ryan , Dean

u i n u m ref sing to admit him . As a step this long d isp te it see s that Bishop Walter de S tapleton m u st have issued a co m mis

s f or th e u of sion to certain clergy , po sibly p rpose i nstituting John de Beaupré to the vacant canonry in the Chapel of

s of Buryan . The commission was composed , among t others , ‘

Pascasi u s of s St. Sir , the vicar Breage , the vicar of Keverne w Constantine , St . Erth , Sithn ey , Grade and Lande ednack .

’ t n s u n u t Dean Mat hew , in seeki g redre s thro gh the Ki g s Co r , complai ned tha t when this pos se of Clergy arrived at B u ryan

of and found the doors the Church barred , they proceeded

of t w t to heap abuse upon him the mos unto ard charac er , and

t w ra m then , having retired , hey returned ith a battering an d

th e u broke in doors of the Church , proceeding most n merei

th e n of th e of t fully to beat defe ders the door in hour vic ory ,

’ of on e s ts to and , in the case of the Dean s ervan , have danced t f upon his prostrate body so hat his life was despaired o .

Having th u s celebrated their victory they proceeded to ex er l “ e u ri sdi c ti on w cis j in the Chap el , For this ild assertion , pre su m ab l h y of episcopal aut ority , they were all heavily fined .

Shortly after this event Bi shop Stapleton pronounced

Pascasi u s ol d and m to be , blind infir , and appointed Master

* ’ See re en d a r H i n eston - Ran o h s R e sters of sh o Sta eton E t i n ea P b y g d lp gi Bi p pl . ju ri sd i cci on em ordi n a ri am exercere et a li a di v ersa i n h a c pa rte a ttempta re - pre ” sumpseru nt. 45

A ru n del l e of coad u Benedict de , Professor Can on Law , his j

r u of of to . This coadj tor was a scion the an cient family

Arundell of L a n h er n e ; he afterwards became Provost of

Gl asn e f e u re y , which o fic he ltimately resigned whilst still maining on e of the Canons of that Fo u ndation till th e time

l n of. G as e of his death . In addition to his Canonry y , he

t o f also held the Rec ory Phillack , the patronage of which was

of then vested i n the Arundell family . Whilst speaking

l asn e of G y we may add that a third Vicar Breage , Sir William

146 6 i . Pers , became a Canon of that anc ent house The first Vicar of Breage appointed by the Abbo t and

of w ei n 13 13 Convent Hayles as Davi d de Lysp i n . The

n ame of this man makes it clear that he was a foreigner , most probably a Gascon pos sibly a more correct rendering of his

’ name would have been Davi d de L E Spagn e or Davi d of Spain . Froi ssart i n his Chronicles has a good deal to say of a gallant

’ n t r d E s ai n f or t Gasco Knigh , Roge p g , famous his s rength and

th e u t of valour , who dwelt at Co r the Count de Foix . Though these two names are spelt somewhat di ff erently t hey are prac

m i n e tically one and the sa e , as the fourte nth century it was

o r usual t find prope names continually spelt i n different ways .

wa s fief n ou r At this time Gascony a of the E glish Crown , and

s e Kings , Bishops and Nobles were continually pas ing betwe n

n on of or the two la ds missions government , diplomacy war , a n d numbers of Gascon Clergy foun d their way in their

u r n trains to o shores . It may well have bee that David de

L ei n was on e of ysp these .

Pascasi u s Sir , whatever else he may have been , was a

to Pascoe , and a Cornishman . It was one thing pay tithes to a Cornishman who was moreover the actual P er son a of the

parish , and another thing to pay tithes to the Abbot an d

of of m Convent Hayles , who no Cornishman knew anything ,

or f s and whose representative vicar was a oreigner , pos ibly

u th e s barely able to speak the English lang age , let alone Corni h

of or of tongue , and knowing nothing the ways habits the 46

. n at n e people Engla d this period was overru with Fr nch ,

of ou r Italian and Spanish Clergy , and the whole Western diocese was in a state of ferment at having foreign clergy thrust n e n i to the parishes . At Yealmpton , i n S . D vo , the French

u n on of vicar thrust po the people , the day his institution , had to fly from the church with th e Archdeacon and his

“ ” e e of n r tinu , in momentary danger being detru cated . At Tavistock and Pl y mouth similar assaults were p erpetrate d

n upon foreig clergy forced upon the people . In 1 339 a brief was issued by the King to Bishop

Gran di sson wh o on , himself was a Swiss noble , born the

e of a n hi m r f w Lak Genev , commandi g to ce ti y hat digniti es , prebends and other ecclesiastical b en efi ces were held by

e i n f for igners the Diocese o Exeter . Taking all these circumstances into consideration it wou ld hav e b een surprising if David d e Lyspei n had had a good time t amongst his Cornish parishioners . The few documents hat have com e down to us all accentuate the fact that they gave

of him a rather poor time . In the registers Bishop Gran di sson we gather from a docum ent bearing date 1 335 that

u w at some time previo s , he , together ith Brother Thomas , a

of t Monk Hayle , and Proc or of his Convent , had been

P en er i ck of t s . grievously wounded by Henry d e g , a man posi ion N o doubt the affray had occ u rred i n a n attempt to collect tith e o r other dues . I n proceeding to forcible resistance Henry de

Pen ersi cik f g was but carrying into ef ect the popular sentiment , so strong at this time practically throughout th e whol e of

England . It is i nteresting to n ote that this armed resistance

n e of P en er i ck of l aw came from an ow r g s . A tradition the lessness an d wild deeds of the owners of P en gersi ck has b een handed down to the present time amongst the country

e of t on p ople the district , and like most raditions seems based

on L s ei n truth . Judging from the fierce attack David de y p ,

or of om wh o David Spain , and Brother Th as , the Militons ,

e a i n e re n i n th e cam fter , th ir wild deeds we but followi g foot 47

ex mm n i ca steps of those wh o had gone before . The greater co u

Pen ersi ck s tion was placed upon Henry de g , but as the wound inflicted did n ot permanen tly prevent the two cl ergy from

‘ of fi on performing the duties their of ce , it was removed the

of H n ot to payment due damages . owever , matters do seem have mended much ; in 1 337 a decree was grant

of wh o ing protection to the Abbot and Convent Hayles , were f grievo u sly h indered in receiving the fruits an d profits o St . B reaca in Kerri er by persons who threaten and assault th eir ” servants and carry away the goods of the Abbey . The peopl e were evidently of opinion that paying tithes to a

Worcestershire Convent and a foreigner Vicar was beyon d

on all reason . We see going i n this remote Cornish Parish that

wa s t n u th e which aki g place all over the co ntry , alienating

m of th e n Church fro the hearts people , and prepari g the way

u o f th e f or the great pheaval Reformation . No doubt the hear t of poor David d e LySpei n in the gloom of the Cornish m sts t t w i and rain , as the Atlan ic empests ho led round his

d t f or th e - the u ru e tenemen , yearned forest clad hills of s nny

s of th e th e of - off South , the cent pines an d view the far ran ges capped with etern al snow that separated his land from

o u d u w Spain . C rnwall was then r e , barbaro s and remote , hilst Gascony was softened and humanized with Provencal cu lt u re and light . In 1 340 an event occ u rred which showed that in

of u Spite strained relationships , clergy and people co ld at times make common cau se in a com mon enterprise . A tradi tion of the eighteenth century still lingers at Germoe of a clergyman rushing from the pulpit demanding fair play to participate in the spoil of the wreck which the sea was b ear

n t Praa . o ing in upon Sands If this tale be mythical , this clergyman had at any rate fourteenth century prec edent f or

In 1 340 his action . an Irish ship came ashore at Porth

‘4‘ Paten t Roll s. 48

“ - n u leven , when sixty one persons , i cl ding several religious , i f e . o h . u t e persons in orders religion , broke p vessel into * pieces and carried away the cargo . It is not fair to j udge the whole life of th e commu nity

th e u b u t by cases coming before Co rts , still these cases are sufficiently frequent to bring hom e to u s the u tter lawlessness

of m m u and violence the ti es . When we co pare the religio s life of the fourteenth cen tury as revealed in the State Papers and the Episcopal and Chapter Records with the outlook and

to - of condition of the Church day , in spite dark streaks across

of u u of the horizon the f ture , we cannot but be conscio s a

of u m won derful progress , and an exchanging cr de materialis

f o an d superstition r high and noble ideals . The greatest event in i ts consequ ences and at the same ti m e the m ost terrible in the story of th e period between th e Norman Conquest and the Reform ation is the visitation of the Plague or Black Death . The Plague seems to have reached England in 1 348 it spread from Dorsetshire

m f th e r to London in the Nove ber o that year . I n Easte n Co u nties whol e districts were depop u lated by this terri ble scou rge ; and magni ficent Churches in remote and lonely parishes still attest the large pop u lations that dwelt arou nd them and gathered i n them for worship before th e com ing of the Black Death .

own t n i u In our immedia e e ghbo rhood , at Bodmin alone

th e persons died i n terri b le vi sitation . The Clergy

sn flerers of seem to have been the greatest all , partly no do u bt due to their offi ce bringing them i n close contact with

n o u d u e u w the dying , and partly do bt to the conf sion bet een

t ss t u s s -ed th a dir and holine hat s b i t i n e medi eval mind . To realise th e awful m ortality in the Wes t amongst th e Clergy at thi s peri od it is only necessary to go over the endless lists of ins ti tu tion s in the Regis ters of Bishop Gran

Sta te a ers 14 E III wa r . P p , d d 49 di sson n ot seldom three in stitutions to on e pari sh occ u r in

u t th e course of a single year . As a co n ry engaged in a long and desperate war is glad al m ost to accept recr u i ts of

s a th e u w u any kind in its clo ing st ges , so Ch rch , as this a f l

i t u ts th e of God epidem c proceeded , accep ed recr i for army

n u t of sh e wo u ld have scor ed i n its beginning . The res l this a cceptatl on wa s altogether bad ; her influence began to

t u h w t th e of . wan e , and she lost o c i h life the people Slowly but grad u ally the bl ack shadow mo v ed west w d t f u t t ar s ex ending itsel over the Co n y , leaving in its rack half - peopled villages and th e s u rvivors dwelling u nd er the w m shadow of an a ful and na eless dread . In the extreme West of the Co u nty the ravage s of the pestilence seem to have

1 3 It s been specially terrible i n 62. seem more than prob

Pe l l o u r on e of ou r of able that Sir William , Vicars Breage ,

of i t t r r m s s o f died in hi s yea . Be eft in any ca e the maj ority of t v w t h those hey lo ed , and i h a vision of deat an d mortality

i ts m st m u in o horrible for s graven pon their minds , the view

th e m o f of life of ass the people became utterly changed , and thi s naturally reflected itself u pon the whole religio u s o u tl ook of the time . A nother s u btle and deep infl u ence was beginning to stir

a t t of . O this period , even in the remo e wilds Cornwall n the

t v u Continent , in I aly especially , the human mind in the pre io s centu ry had beg u n to awake from th e torpor an d l etharg of

u tu u a tho sand years . The thirteenth cen ry was a glorio s

of u springtime the h man soul , when art , philosophy and the

m m d t of to u . desire to know , came back the h an in This ide n ew life and light in the fo u r teen th century began to throb

m s and move , even in the re ote backwater of English life , filling th e m ind s of the people with vagu e yearnings after better

u of u di ssati s things , and prod cing a condition deep spirit al

m e faction . Thi s spirit fo u nd some expression i n th e great nu b r

O u n d of ratories i n the leading private ho ses , that were lice se ,

i n all over the Western Diocese . At this time here Breage , we 50

e on n d D 1 R n 2 ec . 398 s of Godol han r ad that , John y y g an d E li n ora hi s e e t f d , wif , obtained a licenc from Bishop S af or , f or O r R n s God ol han t atories both at y y and g , with the s ipula tio n that on Sundays and other Feasts th e y should resort to t n heir Parish Church , whe ever it was conveniently possible f or d 1 4 to o so. on 6 th e 00 n them Again Septemb r , Joh

P en ersi ck ff g and Joan , his wife , obtained from Bishop Sta ord , a lic ence f or a third Oratory in the Parish at their mansion of P en r i k ge s c . Whilst the gentry were making pro v isio n f or regular

i n own u n ew e worship their ho ses , Parish Churches w re being

t i n t - of th e buil almost every parish . Prac ically nine tenths Parish Chu rches i n De v on and Corn wall are the prod u ct of

The e i n e this age . peopl were seeking to express ston the n ew n a n d i deal that was moving i n their mi ds , which was d esti n ed to fi n d fuller and d eepe r expressio n i n the Reforma tion . Ou r Churches of Breage and Germoe we owe to this wonderful q u ickening of religious life i n the four teenth and

t h ol d n a t e fif eent centuries . The Norma Church Breag was pulled do wn i n the fi ftee n th cen tu ry as inadequa te and u n

t th e i ts w s wor hy , and present cruciform Church , with to er ixty

e t i n of e m u ro six f e height , b autiful work anship and restf l p

t n i - e n e . por io s , r ared its plac The Church outwardly to day is very much as the fifteenth ce n tury builders lef t it . The tiny

se e th e a u h r tran pts , which , lik be utif l sout po ch , externally s e s a em en r e e ugg st m ll battl ted towe s , w re vi dently originally

e e e e of us d as sid chap ls . The frescos with which the whol th e n e s n e i t rior wall s w ere once covered , were doubtle s pai t d shortly after th e building of “ the Church .

e n e of th e s i ts e Fr sco pai ting is the ol d st art , crud begin n i n gs reaching back to th e days when pal aeolithic man sought

n e to exercise i t upon th e walls of th e caverns of the Dordog . In Egypt th e ancien t monum en ts bear witness to i ts existenc e

om the re e t an ti u Th e a ee to e fr mot s q ity . Etrusc ns s m hav

52 wooden and p u rel y conventional fig u res of the other frescos entirely lack . It seems eviden t there fore that th e former o we t r n d hei origi to a ifferent hand than the latter .

T h s s m d e fresco of St. Chri topher arre ts the eye i me iately on u t u th e u t entering the Ch rch hro gh so h door . This was

ss th e of of doubtle intention the d esigner the fresco , as to

n t u . r o t see St Christophe en ering a Ch rch , according o medi aev al u s t o f u s per ti ion was a harbinger good l ck . This may

u f or th e u st t t partly acco nt s per i ion that s ill lingers , that to

n th e i s e e ter Church by the west d oor , which n ev r used ,

ou t of u save for the bearing the dead at f nerals , foreshadows u m nti ely d eath .

T he w o w of u a i nd s the Ch rch , before the pill ge and van dal i sm l e t i t of a loose upon by the Reformation , were all st ined

ss u u e w to gla , of which several bea tif l fragments have com do n u s th e th e of , as the head of St . Veronica in chapel at end the

t th e two n the nor h aisle , an d the heads of a gels in south h h h of t e t e of . T e window chapel , on south side the Church

m u b en eficen t Refor ation , like all great pheavals , in themselves ,

o f led to the unchaining of the spirit fanaticism and rapine . Th e spirit of liber ty was fanned into a fla m e i n France b efore th e Revol u tion by th e noblest a n d pure st Spi rits i n the coun try y e t who could blame the m for th e frenzied orgies of the T erro r ? The f e w f rag ments of fifteenth cent u ry glass were discovered wi th th e bones and skulls of two almos t complete

- u skeletons in the walled p staircase leading to the Rood Loft ,

t of t in the nor h wall of the Church , at the ti me the res oration 1 e m m i n 1 89 . The probabl solution seems that the Co is s 22n d 1549 to ioners , who visited Breage April , , ascertain

t w u u tha the inj unctions of Ed ard VI . were d ly f lfilled , ordered th e of th e a s u of th e destruction windows . containing fig res s of t s Saint and emblems idola ry . Pos ibly also stone tombs

t t d t i n S r of were des royed and desecra e , par ly a pi it iconoclasm , m and partly fro the spirit of plunder . We can imagine at this j unct u re some on e more pio u s or su perstitious than his w e fello s gath ring the fragments of beautiful glass , an d bones 53

m u h an d n m torn from their to bs within the Ch rc , placi g the in th e cavi ty of the broken stair way in proce ss of being “ walled u pf The g ranite Su ppor t o f the Credence T a ble and th e

Pi scina in th e chancel we re exh u med f ro m th e fo u ndations

of the C h u rch during the restora tion and placed i n th ei r

original situation ; al so th e rose Piscina and th e pede stal on

i a t t t w u t s t m which t presen s ands ere near hed at thi i e . The

t u s t m a t pedes al in q e ion , it y be stated , has no hing whatever

to the h st b do with Piscina , the date of whic is mo pro ably

t u b u t i s t th e of coeval wi h the Ch rch , eviden ly base of a font

r t m s u Jacobean origin . The g an i e bowl a q eradi ng as a s to u p

i n th e porch is n o t of ecclesiastical origin a t all i ts o riginal

was f o r use evidently grinding corn i n primitive times . It

may be in teres ting to menti on th e discovery d u ring the restora

t t th e f o f u th e ion , benea h loor the Ch rch , near where pulpi t

n o w t s o f s u n colfi n e d s and , six keletons lying side by side , the sk u ll s of all o f the m being perforated with b u lle t wo u nd s

th e t i n c s m t u eeth ea h kull were al ost perfec , s ggestive of

violent and un ti m ely d eath s . The story of this tragedy h as

long since fad ed i nto oblivion ; possibly these skeletons b e

longed to v icti m s of some fierce act of m ilitary di scipline or t t m re alia ion i n the Parlia entary Wars . The restorati o n of Germ oe Ch u rch was taken in han d a

u t of r s cent ry earlier than hat B eage , for what rea on i t is

m s A t s th e i pos ible to say . thi period mining operation s of

r m T re the Parish we e ainly centred round Germoe , from war

a to Lase v e t th e two of vas He d , and be ween hills Tregoning It w and Godol phin . may ell have been that the restoration of Germoe Church was beg u n a t an earlier date because i t st u o f m ood in the m o st populo s portion the parish . So e time i n th e fo u rteenth centu ry a n o rth ai sle was add ed to th e s m all

m u u t tt u t Nor an cr ciform Ch rch , and hen a li le later a f r her enlarge m ent and em belli sh m en t wa s m ad e by th e addi tion of

rf It i s poss i b l e th a t ti n s v a n d a li sm m a y h a v e b een c om m i tted d u ri n g th e ti m e of n s n n In d epen de t a ce d a c y . 54

the se the n to north tran pt , an d present cha cel som e extent

r N eared upon orman foundations the south transept, as we

e o f For hav previously stated , was Norman origin . som e

or to e e a n reason other , the work seems hav be n rrested whe

half carried through ; th e b u ild ers had gon e as far a s to replace the Norman arch in the south transept by a twi n

* the n f archway, atural development o which would hav e

e th e of a e of th e be n addition south arcad . Instead this

to n present south doorway was added the Church , supersedi g

n an earlier entra ce . The porch built ov er this door was n ot

e th e th e of add d until next century , possibly about time the

of e Th e e r of rebuilding Breag Church . grotesqu ca vings monkeys on the corb el stones supporting th e ends of th e copi n gs of th e porch have evidently bee n take n from th e

e n of th e the old r buildi g . A feature e chancel at Germo is

e e canopied arch ov r the present sedilia and piscina . I tak it that this b eautiful arched aperture originally contained a

of Pen ersi ck or e ee u tomb , possibly a de g , it may hav b n sed as a sepulchre in connection with th e Easter Festival ; at any

e of th e rate , its true significanc has long been lost sight under f hand o the spoiler and the restorer . The most interesting feature f or the eccl esiastical an ti

u ari an n ot e e q is the Church itself , but the curious dific in

’

t Germ oe . S . s the Churchyard , known as Chair Tradition says

e e e of de Pen er i ck this was r ct d by a member the g s family .

e e n th e e n i n Wh n L la d , great antiquary , visit d Cor wall the

’ re n of V n n Germ oe s o ig Henry III . , he me tio s both St . T mb ,

’ ’ m o r an d G rm oe Th e w er s l Ger e s e s . St . Chai St . Well at til

e an d e th e rl n the s e f m gurgl s bubbl s from Sp g by road id , ro when ce th e Saint Slak ed hi s thirst and su ppl i ed ' hi s simpl e

an e of n o en the w ts, but the very sit his tomb is lo g forg tt , crude an d vulgar bigotry of an interveni n g age havi n g n o

’ erm oe has place in its system f or such memori es . G s Chair be e n the fruitful sourc e of many curious sp eculation s an d

’ “ d n r n See Se d i g s N orman Arch itectu e i Corn wall . 55

to e ingeniou s th eories as its origin . Th re can be but little

u i ts t do bt , however , that original use was in connection wi h

m u t of th e a It the Pal S nday celebra ions medi eval Church . seems to have been c u stomary o n Pa l m S u ndays f or some of

or ffl at the Clergy , bearing a cross which was covered mu ed

s u h some point in the service , to i sue from the Ch rc , followed by a portion of th e congregation in procession bearing palms o r u t r thei sub stit tes in their hands . A boo h was erected in the Churchyard ; sometimes this was of ston e and of a per

’ r v m anent cha acter like Germ oe s Chair . Arri ed at this erec

' m s i St. Ger oe Cha r. tion th e officiating Priest read the Gospel f or th e d ay at this

t s h point ano her proces ion issued from the Churc , headed by a

an d of w n Priest bearing the Host , a number children follo i g

of a cross , decorated with wreaths green leaves and singing “ ” ss t of Ble ed is He tha cometh in the name the Lord . The two u t th c gro ps hen mingled together , e muffled ross was m re oved , and a distribution of bread or al ms was mad e from

or or f the booth pavilion , , as i n the case o Germoe , from 56

’ w n w r o u s hat is o called Ge m e s Chair . The nited proces ions

t w t tu r to th e u w th e hen , follo ing the Pries s , re ned Ch rch , here

v u ser ice was con tin ed to i ts close . C ornwall f rom i ts po si tion e scaped th e t u rmoil of the

r u n t s u w Wa s of th e Roses . D ri g hi o t ardly brutal and sordid

w t th e s w t period , hils Baron ere hacking hemselves in pieces ,

“ ” and su cce ssive Kings were m erely landlords of Engl and

f or th e t m th e u e a of th e t was i e being , tr e h rt na ion beginning

w t th e u of n e w u to throb slo ly wi h p lses a life . I do bt much if Master William P e n san s and his s u cce ssors on ward to Sir

m r t a t a m t Willia Pe s , and heir flocks Bre ge an d Ger oe , roubled them sel v es ve ry m u ch abo u t th e b a ttles and reb ellions and

j u dicial m u rders that m ade u p th e history of En glan d d u r i n g

1 t u m u o f th e ti m es 11 which hey lived . R o rs the se t errible

stir rings wo u ld be bro u gh t to th em from ti m e to time by wandering Friars o r th e Pilgrim s pa ssing thro u gh th e Pari sh

’ to M c u t wa t of n S t. s o their way i hael s Mo n , which hen on e

l s of m a u t th e m ost popular p ace pilgri age in Engl nd . Do b

less m a n y of the Pilgri m s wo u ld m ake Breage th e last hal ting

’ h t m v on to S t u n t e . o place for nigh , and o e Michael s Mo nt

w n s w u the f ollo ing morni g . The e Pilgrims o ld be a motley

w s m u t cre of every cla s an d grade , so e seeking n o do b for the forgivene ss of heino u s d eed s and cri m es thro ugh th e m edia

f M t s t t fi n o o . t i n St ichael , o her seeking heal h an d of en ndi g

i t n ot th e th e b u t t u , by help of Saint hro gh change of air

’ ss a ts of t n t m and scene . Childle p ren grea possessio s of en ad e

r m s to s s r s i n s of pilg i age di tant h in e earch an heir , and still o thers were pilgri m s beca u se they lo v ed change and to live

tu t u h close to Na re , ho g perhaps they never kn ew it . In 147 1 after th e Battle of Barnet a s trange band of

’

m t St. s u t. o O Pilgri s visi ed Michael Mo n J hn , Earl of xford , wh o h a d r m th e of t t t t escaped f o slaughter ha erri ble bat le , came by sea to th e Mo u n t wi th a band of f o llowers di sg u ised

‘ ’ at 421 2 D h r A . 4 3 A so r. o s of S e a o tt s Sa re r h aeo o . R h C u r h ou e W lc c d c l gy pp , l c c "

Fath ers. e tc . “ 5 7

. u as Pilgrims They landed , sim lating deep devotion , and obtaining admittance to the Castle , drew arms from beneath

’ their Pilgrim s cloaks and rushed u pon and overpowered the

. of Lan h ern e small garrison Sir John Arundell , who was

t to was on sen retake the Castle , slain in the attempt the sands

th e S — i n between Mount and the hore his death , it is said , f u lfilling a curse of former years . After a Siege of six months the Earl of Oxford and his men surrendered upon w terms , the Earl being allo ed to retire to France , from whence

u he ret rned with Henry of Richmond , to share in the victory of Bosworth Field .

Pilgrims , wandering , preaching Friars and merchants ,

W f or th e u of ti n racti who came to the est p rchase , would p cally at this ti m e be the sole sources of news and connecting

n link s with th e outer world . Men the led isolated lives , less dependent upon their fellows for daily needs and wants . The phrase “ we are all members on e of another has a fuller m and d eepe r m eaning for u s than it had for the .

We cannot concl u de the account of this period witho u t a

m th e t b rief a ll u sio n to the names of the inc u m bents fro ime

u s of t of David de L yspei n onwards . The partic lar heir lives

n t d h a ve l ong since faded into o blivio ; whe her goo or bad , t t m v u . wise or foolish , heir me ories ha e tterly faded The fac

t of of u i i n of the nationali y , however , many them s rv ves

Creti er 1362 thei r nam es . Henry ( ) from his name we take to have been one o f th e s warm of French Priests that at this of ti m e were spread over th e co u ntry . The great maj ority m Yu rl th e others seem to have been Corni sh en Sir John bears t a nam e co m mo n eno u gh a mongst th e Cornish Clergy at his

the u u i m e Sir Willi a m P el l o u r of co u rse was one of n mero s t .

u Corni sh fa mil y of Pellar and Sir William Pers wo ld now Si r be kno wn as Willia m Pearce . John Gode or Ude bears

th e . al so a nam e comm on in th e Cornish Priesthood of period 445 m w Sir William Leh e (1 ) was , we fancy , fro the Pen ith m th e m of Peninsula f ro m th e similarity of his na e to na e a , 58

a of n 1403 manor in that district . M ster William Pe zance ( ) an d 1 505 of u u n Master Thomas Godolphin ( ) were , co rse ,

u th e t u do btedly Cornishmen , la ter , we are led to concl de ,

of h of being a son Sir John Godolphin , S eriff Cornwall in

1 504 th e d of o u m . O , foun er the f rt nes of his fa ily f

of t m en n the lives hese , alas we can know othing , beyond the fact that in varying degrees they testified to the unseen an d S u of w pirit al , and , in spite imperfections and eakn esses , held up the torch of a Divine light f or the ill u mination of a dark and degraded age .

60

1 549 e of s . The Cornish , lik the people Wale , were bitterly

to opposed the Reformation in all its works and ways , an d

f of would have non e o it . As an instance West Country

i n u methods dealing with the new innovati ons , we may q ote

e of of u the cas the parishioners Sampford Co rtenay , on the

m u t S of of . O nor hern kirts the great waste Dart oor n S n day ,

9th 1 549 n ew u f or June , , the service in English was sed th e e of th e first tim in place the Mass , in compliance with royal

n of on inj unctio s . The people would have none it , and the

u of following day compelled the Parish Priest , nder threats

do to to what they would him , resume his vestments and say

of Mass as usual . In the April this same year the storm had

n of brok en in all its violence in ou r ow part Cornwall . Commi ssioners had been sent throughout the County to examine the Churches and have all images found in them

e n remov d and destroyed , and also , in plai language , to plund er

of the Churches their valuable plate , j ewels an d vestments , in th e of Specious name religion . The Commissioners were required to inquire into the d octrinal character of the preach

e ing in the various Church s , and to ascertain that the services

n u were o longer held in Latin but in the English tong e . A Commission er named Body was making his official exam i n a t — of ion at Helston Church bent , no doubt , like the maj ority his

on i con ocl asm_wh en fellows , spoil as well as he was s tabbed to e wh o e s d ath by an enraged Priest , had att nded the vi itation

of on e e of in the company Kilt r St . Keverne . This spark set t the county , already smouldering with disconten , in a

of . u n of blaze rebellion The people , under the infl e ce the

of Clergy , flocked together from various parts the County ,

u committing many barbarous outrages . Humphrey Ar ndell

’ of of St . Michael s Mount placed himself at the head this

- n e of of rapidly growi g rabbl peasantry , an d with many the

Clergy the march upon Exeter was begun . J ob Mil i ton of P en gersi ck Castle was at the time Sheriff

h h o e of t e County , but he was powerless in t e face f a forc 6 1

that by the time Bodmi n was reached had grown to six thou It sand strong . is curiou s to note that this enthusiastic but

to undisciplined host , marching its doom , under th e walls of

n e of Exeter , contained within itself a stro g l aven socialism .

e It seems to have been generally agre d , at any rate amongst

the rank and file , that all land should in future be held in

S b e common , and that all enclosing fences hould obliterated . A few years previously Germany had been throbbing with

S s to the same pirit , and the German Peasant had been moved

e throw off the yoke of the oppressing nobl s , their minds full

of e dreams of a sixteenth century millennium . Both thes

t of h ad th e effor s , due to Opposite trains events , their origin in

S of pirit the age striving vaguely after dim ideals , and both were trampled on and exting u ished with ruthless force and

u u on cr elty . Humphrey Ar ndell perished the scaffold , and

the b e - s tho u sands of his deluded followers i n fields and y way ,

cut down by a merciless soldiery . John Bery Seems to have pr eferred monotony and safety

e th e an e he at Breage to a life of adventur in field ; at y rat , 1 lived on as Vicar of Breage till the day of his d eath in 558.

n ot to He doubtlessly conformed outwardly , if in his heart ,

n th e new order of things , and i n the reign of Quee Mary

e conformed back again to the ol d order . Death absolv d him in 1 558 from a further change of opinions on the accession

of Elizabeth in that year . The terrible mem ories of 1549 would long linger in the

of e . n o minds of John Bery and th e p eople Breag Some ,

- m er doubt , from Breage , had j oined the ill fated arch to Exet

to return n o more . e T h e reports of the Commissioners who visited Germo 1 549 as a n d th e 22n d , , on the 1 8th April , Breage on April are “ m e of follows Ger oe , Minister , Henry Nicol , a C pe blue m on e , , damask , set of very coarse vest ents a copper gilt cross

- on e e , two chalices , gilt the other parc l gilt , two small bells

‘ n r a e a e o of a fair brass ce se , lin n stre m r with a cross up n it 6 2

’ h th n o red silk . The inventory closes wit the remark at thing has been sold for a year Th e list at Breage re v eals vessels and vestments of a

s t richer and m ore valuable character . The list compri es hree

of of w two t w chalices silver , hich were gilt , three linen o els

t of m of u o n e upon the al ar , one pair vest ents bl e velvet ,

of tm ts purple , broidered with gold work , a pair ves en of

of w s t t ol dsa white satin , a pair ta ny a in , an o her pair of y , a

e u ol d cope of M rys velvet, p rple broidered in gold work , an co e of two of tt on th e t p blue velvet , candlesticks la en al ar ,

of ol d tt n r m upon the font a yard linen cloth , an ro e st ea er

d n n h of of t e t . silk , and four bells large bur en ha gi g in ower Such was the i n ventory of Spoils i n this rem o te pari sh at the time of the Great Pillage . The Ch u rch must have had a deep hold on the hearts of

of m t or th e Cornish people at the time the Refor a ion , they wo u ld never have risen in her defence in the way they di d i n 1 549 u t l t of h er s . The m i a ion an d desecration shrine

h e of e s stirred t hearts the p ople to the v ery depth . The same spirit of devotion to the Church was manifest al so in a

u th e m t th e marked degree in Wal es indeed , ntil Refor a ion Welsh were of al l the inhabi tants of th e Bri ti sh Isles the most d evoted to the ca u se of the Ch u rch : where she was once

st - m t m s tronge she is now weakest . In pre Refor ation i es the Feasts and Festival s of th e Ch u rch in Cornwall were bound u of p with the social life the people , and its ritual , paradoxical

m a through it y seem in the present age , satisfied the deep e t of mo ional cravings the Cornish character , whilst its teach

of ing was in unison with the needs their hearts . As an — instance of the deep hold of the Church u pon the pre - B efor

of th e eo l e mation life p p , we have in Breage the curiou s a nomaly that the chief fete da y of ou r Nonconformists is

’ th e of t St . Stephen s Day , which is Feast the Dedica ion of the

f Ka en a r o Sta te a ers. om est Ser es l d P p D ic i . 63

e Parish Church , whilst at G rmoe the Festival of the patron

o f t Saint is kept by them as a day eas and rej oicing .

Under the n ew order of things brought in by the Refe r

t f or of ma ion there was no room the play emotions , the

of a f or services the Church were cold and b re , adapted

b u t religious philosophers , not for peasants ; the change came , too th e of of a , in guise an exotic planted by men high st tion , whom the people regarded as their natural Oppressors and the

t of t w des royers of the Church heir fathers . What follo ed was that which might hav e been expected — a gradual lapsing

th e n was to of people i to what , all intents and purposes , a

m of d e of crude for paganism , which laste , with the xception some stirrings of the dry bones during the Commonwealth ,

m of s wh o until the co ing John We ley , with the warm glow of emotional fervo u r re - converted the Cornish peasantry in th e to main Christianity . If proof Of this assertion were

to m the needed , it is only necessary co pare religious aspect of

t th e things in Cornwall and Brit any at present day . Both

m of c people belong to the sa e division the Celtic ra e , yet both now i n the main stand at Opposite poles in politics and

to religion . The reason seems lie in the fact that the Cornish t w t were deprived of a fai h hich hey loved , and which satis

fi ed m of the e otional and materialistic cravings their hearts ,

t th e of the and hat new Clergy, creatures and toadies great , utterly failed to app eal to their sympathi es and to wi n their affections . “ the of In 1 558 Sir Alexander Dawe , last the Sirs ,

e t becam e Vicar of Breage , and continu d as such un il the day

u n of his death in 1 595 . The record Of his b rial is still exta t

to of i n the Parish Registers . He was presented the living

e wh o e e Breage by on e Richard Hyd , had becom , by purchas ,

Th e patron of th e B e n efice f or on e turn only . Abbot and

Conve nt of Hayles had followed the policy of the other

h e u n of the an d r eligious houses at t dissol tio Monasteries , saved what prop erty they could from th e impendin g catas 64

trO h e of A p by granting , where possible , long leases the bbey lands and selling the next prese n tations to their ecclesiastical

patronage . A dark and terrible shadow passed over the life of th e f parish during the time o Alexander Dawe . Breage was

i n 1 5 78 t visited by a pestilence , which we have li tle doubt was

th e terri b l e m Black Death or Plague , which at this ti e was

m wh o clai ing endless victims all over the land . We live in these days of practical security from such awf u l visitations can have n o idea of the horror an d dismay which they t inspired , and the misery and desola ion which they Spread

f u . o broadcast over the land To realise the horror the Plag e ,

l et us imagine an epidemic as contagio u s and as i n f ecti on s as

n f e w S v w i fluenza was some years ago preading e ery here , the

great maj ority of its victims dying in the m ost terrible s u ffer

u u ings . The epidemic of plag e in q estion had first appeared in London in the autumn of 1 5 63 about a tho u sand persons dying each week d u ring the latter part o f 1 563 and th e earlier 4 1 5 70 4 part of 156 . In Newcastle an d i n 1 5 7 Edinb u rgh

of u u endured terrible visitations this sco rge . D ring the last months of 1 578 and the earlier mon ths of 1 5 79 the Breage

burial regis ter contains th e record of se v en ty - Si x burials in

N o c Breage churchyard . omment is made upon the nat u re

of u w e the disease , but there can be but little do bt have here

m of the gri records a visit of the terrible Black Death , whose dark shadow at this time h u ng in awful m enace over the

" “ w of . u whole land The ords the Litany , from plag e , pesti

m u u l ence and famin e , fro battle an d m rder and from s dden ” e of d ath , good Lord deliver us , had a fulness meaning for

t w wh o ou r fa hers hich we live in a brighter , cleaner an d

more peaceful time can only dimly realise . l With the death Of Sir A exander Dawe , the last link with

th e ol d pre - Reformation life was severed henceforward the stream of parochial life was to run in channels more closely

to of ou r own approximating those age , and succeeding 65

of Vicars were men different antecedents and ways . The

of patronage the Living , though nomi n a lly in the hands of the Crown , came practically to be in the gift of the Godolphin w family , hich had risen to a position of power and infl u ence

u in the preceding h ndred years .

s v wh o A n Franci Har ey , succeeded lexa der Dawe , was th e son t K t. u of w a Of Sir An hony Harvey , , and L cy Lister S arl nd ,

u n ear Felton , in North mberland . The family of Harvey was

m t w th e h u re otely connec ed ith Godolphin family , t ro gh th e

2n d 1 Francis Harvey was born March , 562. He

u was ed cated at Corpus Christi College , Cambridge , but

o m m r t B A . t mig ated , af er taking his degree , E anuel College , w ha d t v hich been recen ly founded by his relati e , William

m as m of Mild ay , the ho e a mild and aristocratic form of It P u ri tani sm . is interesting to note that Sir William Godol

wh o 1 6 1 3 was m m m phin , died in , at E anuel College at the sa e

n ot too ti m e as Francis Harvey . Perhaps it may be fanciful to conclud e that an i ntimacy between William Godolphin and

Franci s Harvey ripened into close frien dship in the quiet

Cam bri dge home of Puritan learning , and that thus the son of a Northumberlan d squ ire came to settle in the remote

of West . Francis Harvey married Mary Yorke , a lady a ncient

m u 1 5 95 fa ily , in Phillack Ch rch , in ; their descendants were long settled at Maen in this County .

Soon after obtaining the living of Breage , Francis Harvey h of . was preferred to th e living St Ert , which he continued to hold j ointly with Breage until th e day of his death .

u Whilst the Reformation had str ck at many evils , it had left on e of th e greatest o f the abuses of the Ch u rch practically O i n untouched . ne of the chief factors in prepar g the popular

e m ind f or the Reformation was the abuse Of Church patronag ; S th e Fren ch and Italian Priests , in many cases not peaking e n , English language , had been foisted upon the E glish peopl

- on arv e . "4“ e ossessmn ol F eet Su rge H M S . i n th p l y 6 6

o th of ow n t e exclusion their kith and kin . This evil system had beg u n with the Conq u est an d had continued right down

th e u th e to Reformation , accent ated and intensified by fact that a single person wa s capable of hol ding n u mero u s bene

fi ce s w i n m s n th e , hich any ca es he had ever seen , to exclusion

m It t on of others worthier an d holier than hi self . was his c

t of m s di ion things that alone rendered the Refor ation po sible .

t m u b u t w u The s orm of the Refor ation b rst , s ept in vai n ro nd t w a t th e th e of his cro ning buse . Af er Reformation abuse p r s t t i n m s th e at onage pre en ed i self even ore odious form , and be st life of th e Ch u rch withered and died under its poi sono u s

was s u t shadow . Francis Harvey not an exce sive pl ralis he

two s u n m t wh held only living , tho gh his cousi , Willia Co ton , o

’ u hi m or s cceeded , enj oyed a good baker s dozen more .

An e v ent happened in the first few months of the i n cu m b en cy Of Francis Harvey which would long linger in the

f o r minds of his flock , and which years to come would be

m fi re i de spoken of by the cottage and far house evening s s.

’ 23rd u 1 5 9 5 The J ly , was a hot summer s day ; a thick haze w i d lay over the sea , hich gradually l fte , disclosing fo u r

S of Off Spanish hips war lying the coast , over against Mouse t w hole . Their hostile in entions ere soon evident boatloads of m u t S ar ed men began to p off from the hips . A force of over two hundred Spaniards was q u ickly landed without

s t . t of u oppo i ion The lit le town Mo sehole was soon in flames , and a handf u l of brave m en who scorned flight perished at their own The Spanish force streamed up the hil l T their course

- marked by blazing roof trees . The old grey village Ch u rch of

u on th e of Pa l the ridge soon became special obj ect their fury , and its stones to this day bear grim witness to the devouring t m flames hat once enveloped the . The inhabitants of Mouse

i h t hole fled a terrified mob owards Penzance , the roar of

if P a u l C h u r h u r a Re s ters c B i l gi . ’ t r W s Su rv e of o rn w Ca e y C a ll .

68

m the Lizard early i n the forenoon , and was aking its way u w p Channel , follo ed by the English Fleet .

For s wift to E ast and swif t to West th e ghastly wa r fla m e

spread ,

’ High on St . Michael s Mount it shone it shone on Beachy

Head . Francis Harvey died whilst still practically a yo u ng 1 m a n 2n d h 607 . O o u r u the , Marc , We opy from b rial register

m i u al ost pathet c entry recording his death and b rial , so different i s it by contrast to the endless laconic entries of t i t t death hat precede and follow . Evidently the en ry was m w ade by the hand of one who kne and loved him . It is i wr tten in a clear an d elegant hand , and the entry carries wi th it something of truthf u lness and sincerity that brings

ou t m of the image of Francis Harvey up of the ists the past , as that of a true and good m an of a mild an d gentle type of

F r a n z H r u . c su s a v e P ritan piety The entry is as follows y , theol ogu s huju sga e pa r ochi ce Vi ca r i u s ca m ja m gu a dr a gesi

n n a m ceta ti s v i a: a tti esse S ecu n do i e ma m qu a r tu m a g t. d

' ma m di em cl a a si t et a t er totu m tem is i Ma rci t ex tr e , p por cu r

’ ’ u m tr a n se i t v i ta m m i m me n on i n hon esta m si c obi i t r i cu l g ,

i n u s la n e i a m S e a l ta s a e a i t di e u a r to mor tem n on m p p . p g f q

e n e A n n D m n 1 6 0 ta n c pr oxi mu m i n s qu e t . o o i i 7 .

w as u Francis Harvey s cceeded by his cousin , William

“ d th e Cotton , M . A . , escribed in Exeter Registers as the

h of beloved son of the Bis op . He resigned the living

b u Breage after holding it t little over a year . Walker, in his

u i n S u fferings of the Clergy , incl des William Cotton his

H ow list of suffering Clergy d u ring the Comm onwealth . ever deeply the s u fferings of William Cotton may have

h e of h n ot to to u ched t feelings a former age , t ey are likely

u wn A e V of move the sympathies of o r o . S well as b ing icar

h e an d e n of Breage , was also Precentor a resid ntiary Cano

“ th e of Exeter Cathedral , and held livings Silverton , Whimple m D oe s on e an d th e e e. an d ul , and po sibly others at sam ti His 6 9

n u brother , Edward Cotto , was eq ally well provided for by his father . It was outrageous pl u ralism of this kind that alie n ated

th e people from the Church and prepared th e way f or th e wild outpouri n gs of religio u s bigotry and fren zy under th e

t . n th e u Commonweal h William Cotto , with fail re of the royal

u t n ca se , was compelled to resign the mass of pa ro age which

t B ottr x he held . He died at his sea of eu Castle in 1 649 or 1 t “ 6 50. Walker informs us hat in his veins flo wed the blood

of c t Of crowned heads England , S o land and Ireland , and

” “ t s of other grea per onages the highest rank , and that he

S t Of was a person of a meek and humble piri , a grave and

t t . sober conversa ion , of exemplary piety , chari y and learning Ed ward Cotton was s u cceeded by William Orchard in

1 6 I n th e u t 08. record of his instit ion in the Episcopal

“ ” Registers h e i s d escribed as Preacher of the Word of God

this phrase will perhaps ser v e to disclose the bias Of his

hi s m ind and th e theological bent of the times . Unlike t predece ssors Harvey and Cot on , he had graduated at no

own Un iversity . M ost possibly in his mind he regarded

such instit u ti ons as unnecessary for one who was led by the

i s t m t Spirit o f God . It possible hat he owed his appoint en

n to the living of Breage to Sir William Godolphin , the the

d th e , Squire of Godolphin , and frien of statesman Cecil who ,

u t i t seems more than probable , acq ired a Puri an bias when

of a s tudent a t Emmanuel College , the Cambridge home

P u ritanism . I ra ther conclude from the freq u ent mention of the n ame

i n of Orchard in the Breage Regis te rs abo u t the time of his

s c u mb en c that his family had been settled in the pari h at the y , d m s time of h i s appoint m ent. A George Orchar arried a Dorca i h w O m Coode of M ethl e g , and an Ed ard rchard arried a Jane t m Coo d es an d S arn on s at , Spa rn on of Sparn on . The p his ti e od ol hi n s with th e exception of the G p , were the chief families m f . f con siderably above the rank o yeo an o the parish , ranking r 161 9 . William O rchard became a wi dower i n The reco d in 70 the ' Breage Register of th e death and burial of his wife is as

“ : A n n a Or cha rd u xor Wi lhelmi Or cha rd V follows ,

’

hu h l u o t e 9 h, F eb a n d wa s u s a r ac ute li a J o s Ye en di d t . f p , fi , g ,

b 1 1 F eb 1 6 1 9 u r i d th . e . His daughter Mary married John

Coode of M ethl eigh ; their descendant owns th e estate of i Methl e gh at the present time . Whilst Sir William Godolphin and Parson Orchard were

u both Puritans , they were both loyalists . They wo ld have shuddered with horror “ at those days which were coming

th e t w upon ear h , and which to a great extent ere the logical o u tcome of the Puritanism which they and others professed acting u pon the pop u lar mind they were putting new wine

t t u in o old bot les , regardless of the inevitable res lt , as good

v m en will do in e ery age . Though Sir William Godolphi n was not destined to see the day that his king perished on the

of O scaffold , it was the lot William rchard to see it forty

t f or to e years la er , and ultimately conscience sake be ej cted

m h u u th e fro his home and office . Rather t an be ntr e to light

n t m O withi him , like so many of his bre hren , Willia rchard

It l ot v to elected to go into the wilderness . was his n e er

t to b en efice a t th e re urn his , though his son Restoration pe titioned Parliam ent on his behalf for revenues from th e m t living of Breage , of which he dee ed his fa her to have been

u defra ded . It was during William Orchard ’ s incumbency that Breage for the first and last time was favo u red with a royal visit in t the person of Charles , Prince of Wales , af erwards Charles I I .

e fled to When the royal cause was irretri vably lost , Charles

on hi . w i n the Cornwall s ay to seek refuge Scilly Islands .

e n u For some days he rest d at Godolphi Ho se , and what remains of the Suite of rooms he occupied is still shewn

n w h o w there . It would be interesting to k o Charles spent

th e f e w o f u h ow days his soj o rn in Breage , and he wiled

t m w t th e u m of the i e a ay , and whe her , after good c sto those

i n S t th e th e days , pi e of danger of his position , he j oi ned i n 7 1

Sunday worship at Breage Church . It is possible to picture

w u u w h v the s arthy yo thf l face , it the thick hea y red lips and

t en n u i w t u wi h ri ten pon it , looking wearily from the Godol

u O h h u u - as h e phin aisle pon William rc ard , as an d pon ho r gl s

u u t of t n t unfolded P ritan tr h from a maze conflic i g fac s .

B u t th e evil days dre w on apace ; Prince and Parson had

to t m e n of alike go before the s or . Soon after the sw ari g the

u v a m t 1 644 th e Solemn Leag e and Co enant by Parli en in , ti thes o f Breage were seq u estrated or con fiscated by th e f m t Wi l l i am O r w t A n t u t Govern en rcha d i h ony Randall , c ra e

t u of u w t u re of Germoe , and Robert Smi h , c rate C ry , ere h s d u ced t u t to dire poverty . Their parishion ers , o ched by heir

s t u t t u trial , and regarding hem n o do bt as hones and fai hf l m en on 8th Ma 1 649 t th , the y , , petitioned Parliamen at a yearly gran t might be mad e to th em of £40 each ou t of the con fis

v n sw b u t ca te d ti thes Of St . Ke erne . Their prayer was a ered ,

r w s m a fte fo u r years of weary aiting , the tried cleric co plained to Parlia m ent that their grants had been withheld by the

“ o m t u m u st t th e ts m a County C mi tee , and h bly req e ed hat ren y

’ ” O n th e 1 7th A u u s 16 53 th e remai n in th e Tenants hands . g t , ,

to t t County Com m ittee m ade an swer Parliamen , tha by f M P . o u . inform ation of Colonel Ro s , , the Vicarage Breage

w t th e s i s sufficiently endo ed , and hat Minister thereof are

u a n d t u s of t malignant an d scandalo s , hat Antony Ro Wot on ,

T rel ask t a John Bawden of , an d three o hers are ppointed m tr u stees f or disposing of th e gran t made by Parlia ent to four such able and godly m ini sters as they shall j u dge meet ” st th e t t to place i n their room . Whil hypocri ical can Of this

th e m t m i t u declara tion provoke s a smile , at sa e i e aro ses t t m o u rnf ul refl ections on th e v iole n ce and bigo try ha is ever won t to dog th e steps of h u m an effort after political and religious re form ation . “ The able and godly minister chosen to s u pplant

'* f C om ou n n . Re ports o f th e C o m nn ttee o p di g 72

was on e William Orchard at Breage James Innes . Doubtless

m an t he was a of extreme Opinions bo h in politics and religion , b u t like William Orchard i n the hour of darkness he was able

u to play the tr e man , and rather than conform at th e Res torati on to tenets in which he did not believe , he vacated f ’ 24th his of ice even before Black Bartholomew s Day , August ,

1 6 62. He found an asylum in Scotland in the household of

of u the Earl La derdale , where he performed the office of

t u se chaplain i n conformi y with the Presbyterian . The se eds of Puritanism sown by men like Orchard and

n ot Innes did die , but lay germinating in the hearts of the

n w Cornish people , ren deri g possible the great ork of John

m e Wesley a hundred years later . Such n succeeded in a g reat measure in destroying the pre - Reformation mechanical ideals

of of salvation i n the hearts the people , which prepared the

r of th e s u way f o the stirring dry bone in f ture years .

’ Carew s u of 1 60 Richard S rvey Cornwall , published in 2, gi v es a vivid picture of the conditions of life in Cornwall prevailing during the period we have been considering in

t . u h e his chapter The condition of the mining pop lation ,

of u tu o u l a tells us , was much worse than that the agric l ral p p We gath er from his pages that the wages of the miners were so inadequate that sooner or later indigence

m wh o compelled them to have recourse to their e ployers , supplied them with food and clothi n g in advance of their w . u e i n wages at usurious prices The Stannary Co rts , are

e tt S of formed , wer u erly corrupt and saturated with the pirit ”? u e of perj u ry and inj stic The houses the working people ,

of n we gather at this period , were made clay , possessi g f neither windows n or any attempt at ceiling or pl asteri n g a hole i n th e wall being considered suffici ent to do duty f or a

a i chimney . The miner and l bour ng people generally, we

t of an d gath er , were alike des itute shoes and stockings , we

of of . may add , course , of any rudiments education

t - 4 5 wa . 9 9 1 83 et of or . om ewe Su rv e y C n ll pp , , , c 73

a w t Lel nd , hen he visi ed the parish , found large mining

m T re war v a e to works along the coast fro s H ad Praa Sands . Sir F rancis Godolphin a generation later d eveloped the ancien t min es of Grea t Work and Wh eal V or u pon Sci entific principles

of m . of and a scale vastness hitherto undrea t .

e t u t to The mines , it is viden , bro ght riches and prosperi y th e w s of t u o ner the soil , but not to the people who dwel pon

to w t i t ; them , as Care makes clear , they mean too often

r w n deg adation and Oppression . The harvest of this evil so i g

s d too is still being reaped at the pre ent ay . It is but true that with th e Reformation the people lost a powerf u l pro

t u — t tec tor i n the Church . Wi h all her fa lts and hey were many until the Reformation th e Church had been con

st th e of th e si ently friend poor her clergy until that period ,

m s u had been the me bers of a great corporation , an d as ch

“ of th e t t of s stood in n o dread pet y yrant the field . h With t e coming Of the Reformation all was changed , and th e Pa rish Priest becam e too Often the creature an d parasite

m b u t of the weal thy , oved too frequently by fear and policy to

f or neglect the claims of his flock , with three centuries , di sastrous results alike f or Ch u rch and people . The people at

to to f o r th e Reformatio n were ready rise and die the Church , as we have seen i n ou r own neighbourhood three centuries later F w they rega rded her with utter s u spicion and disfavour . e with any acquaintance w ith the facts of the case will deny

t of u that the material and moral condi ion the people , nder

t f or s m u ch cr u el inj ustice and exploi ation , grew worse ome

m t n u e generations after the Refor a io , beca s there were none t to hold the balance of j u stice between class and class and s ay

at o f the hand of the oppressor , an y rate in the remote places th e co u n try . In the western part Of th e Co u nty the m ines tended to

th e t of w produce an utter neglect of agriculture , effec s hich were

of bad i n every way . They also led to the reckless destruction 74

f or u of much valuable timber the p rpose making min e props .

' Corn wal l n ow u of trees i n e Western , so den ded and bare , anci nt day s was thickly wooded ro u nd Ashton n ow n ot a tree is to

m t s th e of the be seen , yet the na e perpetua e memory time when Ashton was th e Down where th e ash trees

grew . Carew tells us that there were f e w sh eep i n Cornwall i n

th ose th er e w tt his days , an d that ere had li le bodies and fleeces t so coarse that heir wool went by the name of Cornish hair . w The horses , he says , ere small and hardy and quick ” o u u on to travellers over r gh and hilly co ntry , but he goes say that by hard treatme n t and overwork they were soo n

u t r f or v e m to worn o and rende ed unfit ser ic . g the

’ Of Carew s t h practical absence roads till long after ime , ve icular traffic was practically impossible ho rses were there fore

ed as i u of of d u s pack an mals , and a reg lar system transit goo s

u u n t of Th e prevailed thro gh the Co y by means pack horses . * tracks that passed by th e n a me of roads f or the six rainy

of t of months the year , were prac ically impassable quagmires

u s mud , making interco rse , ave of the most urgent character,

I t wa o practically im possible . s n acc ount of the extreme difficulty of com m u nication thro u gh the long win ter m o n ths that the gentry of th e district e stablished f or themselves to wn

u i n t m ho ses in Helston , which hey ight exchange the isola tion of th e country f or som e measu re of friendly and agree

u able interco rse . Th e land us ed for tillage seems to have be en chiefly manured with sea sand and sea weed ; th e little plo u ghing

of u n n a t there was would , co rse , be do e by oxe , a method which an y rate had the m eri t of prod ucing a strong and vigoro u s breed

f s w u t v r b o cattle , which in ize o ld perhaps more han fa ou a ly com pare with some of th e animals to be seen at the present time .

i i a re w sa s Th ere a re n ot an roa s i n th e wh o e n om worse th an o u rs C y y d l ki gd , ” wh so m re m ss th a w i n h i s o h a stily repa i red on ly en e g at an pa es t a y c a ch .

76

of some appointed holiday Would gather as their respective

Su pporters , as far as possible , the male inhabitants of two

or three neighbouring parishes . Each squire headed the m ob

he had thus raised to the appointed rendezvo u s ; When the

of m en m m W two masses , under their respective co an ders , er e

to r brought face face , at an appointed signal , a silve ball was

n : throw into the air . The obj ect of the game was f or each

side to endeavour to capt u re the ball and carry it to their o wn

S of f of goal some miles distant , i n pite the e forts their oppo n en ts to hinder them in their purpose: The struggle would

u to be waged over miles Of co ntry , the right side or to the

and b e s left , through rivers , ditches , woods g , the ball being n ew on e on t on e on n o t passed from foo to horseback , effor being spared to drag the possessor Of the ball to the earth by the Opposing Side . Little wonder that such a game Often

u resulted in deaths and serio s maimings .

A Cornish amu sement of a milder character that came to an en d with the seventeenth centu ry was the performance of of the ancient Miracle Plays . A vestige the custom still survives in some places in the bands of children wh o at

t m u m e Chris mas time go fro ho se to house , dressed to i personat

t of a medley of characters , repeating garbled sna ches doggerel , which are in reali ty fragm ents of th e ancien t pl ays i n the last t h s age of evol u tion and disintegration . In their earliest form t e Miracle Plays were performed by the Clergy in their Ch u rch es

u t u an d th e to ill stra e to an ignorant age , alike without literat re

u e faculty of using it , the tr ths Of the Christian religion . Thes plays continued to be performed in Churches to a greater or

f f rm i on l ess extent d own to the time o the Re o at . T The Reform ation endeavoured to draw an unreal lin e of demarca

w to tion bet een sacred and profane , and the drama thus came

the be placed beyond the pale as worthless and sinful , with natural disastro u s resu lt that it became quickly degrad ed

t Ar t e r m i n E i M r A W Wa r ee h e a a n c aed a r ta n n a . . . S icl D l p B i ic by d . 77

” m e and debased , like any other harmless , h althful and

e - u pl asure giving instit tions an d pastimes . The Miracle Plays that have com e down to us in the " Cornish lang u age are fi rst the Ordinalia this is a trilogy

n of co sisting of the Plays Of the Beginning the World , the

u Passion and the Res rrection , with an interlude on the death of Pilate ; this work is based on a French original of the

of fourteenth century . Secondly , we have the Play the Life

f i k of o St. Mer ase , Breton parentage ; and lastly, a work based on O a m the rdinali , containing any more English words ,

t a s n 1 6 1 1 writ en by William Jord n , Of Hel to , i n ; the work

of th e deals with the Creation Worl d and the Deluge . The Corni sh language was Spoken i n the West of Cornwall until the beg i nn i ng of the eighteenth cen tu ryl ; by the close of

’ Car that century it had entirely disappeared . In ew s time th e s w m Corni h Miracle Plays ere perfor ed in the open fields , and were resorted to by th e co u n try people with great delight ;

u s w v he tells ho ever , by his time they had become ulgarized

to b and depraved no small extent , possibly y the i ntroduction of s bucolic gag of a Rabelai ian character .

u m of e J dging fro the pages Carew , i n the sev nteenth t t cen ury , wi h all its grossness and barbarism , there was much real friendship and happy intercourse amongst the people ,

s m n ow. pos ibly ore than there is The Harvest Homes , the

u s D e di cati on wi th Church Ales and the Ch rch Fe tivals Of ,

u o r m u the G ary Miracle Plays , all led to ch friendly t intercourse and hospitality . Carew says on hese occasions ,

“ ” the neighbo u r parishes lo v ingly visit one another ;

e friends came from a distance , and were hospitably nter

The tai n ed with res u ltant kindliness and good fellowship . Church Ales seem to have been ru n on much the same lines

h th e as t e present Harvest Teas , with exception that instead of tea th e of , beer and cider were drunk , and that venue the

f ” ae a r ta n n M r K Su v a n . See th e A rticle i n En cyclop di B i ica by . W . lli “ ”

E A rc h aeol o i a r ta n n a 1 0 u ote M r. en n er i n h i f D r. wa r Lh u d g B i 7 7 , q by J s d d y , i c d “ H a n d b ook of th e C orn i sh La n gua ge . 78

' u Of th e feasting was laid at the P blic House , instead village

r u School o Instit te . Perhaps we shall obtai n the most accurate glim pse of

' e Of o f Western the charact r the people , and the state Cornwall

m t r ‘ generally at this period , fro the S ate Papers . He e are a

' m u l 5 6 a few gleaning s c u lled at rando from this so rce . In 2 Port u g u ese ship was wrecked at Gunwalloe and mu ch c a rgo

wa s of Mi l iton of saved . It seized by the servants John ,

m m a nd Pen ersi ck . g , Tho as St Aubyn and Willia Godolphin , when the owner appealed to the Justices he was told it was

u the custom of the co ntry , and that n o redress was possible . l com m i ssi o n of u u e A enq iry ens ed , followed by Star Chamb r

on e f or proceedings , an d the defence was the usual , which

u of u t any n mber witnesses co ld always be Obtained , hat the owner had sold his proper ty on the sea Shore l In 1 5 75 an information of fifteen Articles was laid against

Arwe n ack Sir William Godolphin and the Killigrews , of ;

of s thirteen the e concerned piracy .

In 1 582 a Spanish ship pu t into Fal mo u th ; she wa s

n of m en wh o boarded by a ga g , after removing the cargo as

to A rwen ack t th e booty , ook the ship to Ireland , throwing

w the u t cre overboard on voyage . A Cornish J ry af erwards fo u nd there was n o evi de n ce to Sho w by whom the deed was h done . The Privy Council came to t e concl u sion very quickly th at th e plo t originated wi th and was carried ou t by

of w A rwen ack the orders Lady Killigre , Of . In 1 603 a Marseilles ship was pl u ndered and the cargo

r Th e O to Sir ca ried to the Scilly Islands . wner appealed

wh o m to n t e Francis Godolphin , ade an order his son Joh , h n

"

of . Governor those Islands , to restore the cargo John Godolphin expelled the unfortu nate owner from th e Islands t and he could obtain n o fur her redress . 1 m In 626 a Fle ish privateer , which had been hovering

u th e - like a bird of prey aro nd South Western coast , was

e u e driven ashore and wrecked . The country peopl m st hav 79

enj oyed the wrecking of this hostile ship with even more u than their sual zest .

1 79 5 o . f Dr Borlase , writing in , describes the methods the mining population near the coast in hi s day in dealing

H i s w with vessels in distress . description ould n o doubt do

f r H equally well o the period we are considering . e says

“ w S The reckers were mostly Tinners , who as soon as a hip wa s seen sailing n ear the coast left their work and equipped

n themselves with axes , and followed the ship alo g the coast ,

two u often to the number of thousand men . They wo ld

to cut a large trading vessel pieces i n one tide . They strip half - dead men of their clothing and cut down all who resist ” them . The following is a pleasing picture o f the people of

t of h 1 71 Germoe taken from a le ter t e year 0. The people

m a d w u of of Germoe , called Tinners , are a people , itho t fear ” od or th e w G of world . I cannot say a good ord for them . Here is another extract from a letter of the p eriod bearing

“ 30th O 1 6 71 . on date ctober , The Speedwell was cast away

Pe n er i ck u the rocks at g s . The r de people plundered her of h all t at was between decks , but the matter being noised

u about Sir William Godolphin , Mr . H gh Boscawen and m Mr . John St . Aubyn ca e to the wreck , and by their care preserved m ost of th e goods from the violence of the ” country people .

’ e l It may well have been said of th Miners of Cornwal ,

rn as far as wrecking was conce ed , Wheresoever the ”

th e t . carcase is , there will vultures be gathered ogether

i n u m of Mr . Hunt , his Pop lar Ro an ces Of the West ” r of m i d - u England , nar ates a story the eighteenth cent ry ,

of which still lingers i n the popular mind , a terrible fight that took place between Miners from Breage and Wendron ,

m A e t r r m h F om h h e r t sh M u seu . t e f o J o n s n r t e G wa v a s M S . i n t o o of B i i l B ,

- n w tte i th e C orn sh a n u a e A N ewlyn a Corn sh s ea k n Corn sh m a , r n n l g g . o y , i p i g i i i c p w or en r en n er E s of th s etter a s v en to th e A u th H . i l gi by yJ , q 80

l over the spoils of a shi p cast upon the rocks near th e

ol d m n t e u Lizard . In times , it see s , a giga ic ash tre sed to stand u pon the Downs near Cury from its grea t size and the i ts u of loneliness Of sit ation , it had in the course time cOm e th e of th e to be a popular landmark . In case wreck

h ad t in question , the Wendron Tinners the advan age over

e of t h their Breage brethr n in the matter dis ance , an d t us w ere able more quickly to fall upon th e spoil , break up the

u n of unfort ate ship , and rifle the unhappy castaways their

of belongings . Like the true artists they were in the art

n of th t appropriati g the property o ers , hey worked quickly , and ere m u ch time had elapsed they had reached the great ash tree of Cury on their j ourn ey home laden with spoil . Under this histori c tree they enco u ntered the band of Tinners from B reage , who soon realised from the rich booty i n the

of t n n hands of the men Wendron hat othi g more ~ was to be done that day i n the way of wrecking on the Lizard rocks .

of of Baffled their prey , and frantic with fury , the horde men and women from Breage rushed upon their Wendron

u u compatriots , and the tide of br tal fight raged for ho rs

a r . u s t round the C y ash tree . Mr Hunt tells hat a Wendron man named Gl u yas having bee n disabled was born e ou t of

to of the fight by his friends , and placed upon the p a hedge .

u t n - A Breage woman named Pr dy , seeing his paladi l ying

on th e e “ E f disabled hedg , rushed upon him exclaiming ,

’ ’ ” a rt n t hi m n th e thee ded , I ll make thee , and smote upo

t u n t head wi h the iron pon her pato ill he expired . Mr .

h th e u Hunt concludes t is story by stating that fiend Pr dy , as

u a v t t was t far as j dici l in es iga ion was concerned , allowed o go u t u u fi t a t n o ched , beca se gh s this period between parishes were matters of such com mon occ u rrence as to excite but

tt m t u to li le co men , and fatal cas alties so frequent as be

m tt n o m t t m w . t e regarded as a ers of mo en In his sta e ent , as

ou t u have seen , he is born e by Carew writing in a previo s t genera ion . Down to fifty years ago the brutal system of 81

Parochial rivalry and violence contin ued , at an y rate in a

m t to u : SO as mitigated for . A friend wro e Mr . H nt late thirty years ago (circa 1 850) it was u n safe to ven ture alo n e thro u gh the streets of the lower part of Helston after n ight

on m n s of fall a arket day owi g to the fray the Breage ,

’ t m u Wendron and Si hney men . This state ent was f lly borne ou t of n ow wh o by an aged frien d the writer , dead , told him that in his yo u th even f u neral proces sions of Min ers brought to Breage from other parishes w ere assailed with w o t sh o ers of st nes , and an a tack whi ch either ended i n hasty

t or r . retrea a prolonged f ee fight It may be added , however ,

wa s of that Sunday kept as a truce God , an d on that day a dead Miner from o u tside the parish might be borne to his rest without an assa u l t being delivered on his friends as

o th they followed him t e grave . This aged friend also in formed the writer that to s u ch an exten t did this br u tal sys tem of savagery prevail that no Miner could pass from his own parish to another wi tho u t being assailed a n d m w altreated . In deed , hen ever Miners crossed the borders Of th own f or u eir parishes , they di d so in bodies m tual f t . o t protec ion Well on into the first half the las century , fighting see ms to have been on e of the chief topics of

t n ot u in erest , if the chief amusement of the n eighbo rhood , and fights for wage rs were of con stant occurrence i n Breage

s on n . pari h , Trew Gree and elsewhere To conclude this

s on e l brief summary of pa t conditions , cannot help fee i n g th at there wa s something to be sai d f or the Old Roman view as to the res u l ts of the occ u pation of m ini n g on h u man t It m u t u t charac er . is a dis al pict re , r ly , his of p ast

n t th e of w b u t co di ions in West Corn all , when we contras t it

t th e w u n wi h present it fills the mind ith hopef lness , a d reveal s th e vast latent possibilities i n human nature f or i m pro v em en t and progess . If ou t of this dark and barbaro u s

' ast w e m w s p have so recently e erged , hat bright pos ibilities may n o t lie in the com ing time seems b u t a reasonable thought RECE NT TIMES .

CHAPTER V .

u u On the accession of Charles I I . the intr ding P ritan

n divi e James Innes was quickly ej ected . He found refuge f or the remaind er of his life in th e household Of the Earl of

u w u s m m of La derdale . It o ld ee that at the ti e the ej ection of m Orch ard e m too ol d Innes , Willia had beco e and infirm to

u fi m u res me his of ce as vicar of Breage , an d thus it ca e abo t

T rewi n n ard m of n that James , a me ber the ancie t family long

t a t T rewi n n ard t c se tled , in the Parish of St . Er h , suc eeded to

' th e b en e fice i n 1 6 6 1 l of n . He also he d the living Mawga

n to c u m co j ointly with that of Breage , according the lax sto of ; On w the times his death , which took place at Ma gan , the

i n had at parish which he chosen to reside , he was succeeded

H h n a n e d n e Breage by Henry u t c . Ju ging by his am Henry

H u th n an ce of e was local origin , and at any rate was a conn c

of of of N a n sl oe tion the family Robinson , ; he lies buried

u e en d of th e w in Breage ch rchyard at the ast Chancel all , e F betw en his predecessor , the learned and sai ntly rancis

on e of hi s u E u sti cke of Harvey , and s ccessors , William ,

. O of H u th n an ce i n whom more anon n the death Henry ,

1 720 T rewi n n ard sOn of th e e of , James , former incumb nt

a v t th t name , became icar like his father , he held j oin ly the two b en efices of e of Breage and Mawgan . He was a graduat m 1 722 Pe broke College , Cambridge . He was succeeded in w f o . by Ed ard Collins , bachelor laws This incumbent , like

of hi s w l i v m several predecessors , was also do ered with the g

h on of of . t t e s St Er h . Edward Collins was the Reveren d

of an d e John Collins , vicar Redruth , was closely connect d

of th m m a with many e local county fa ilies . Indeed , it y be said of practically all th e incumbents onwards from th e Reformation to the middle of th e last century that weighty

84

n m n Mi ister told them fro the pulpit , Seve years before I

resign ed my fellowship Joh n Wesley was expelled from th e College f or a base child and had been q u it e mazed ever

3 t s s since , hat all th e Methodi t in their private Societies put t d . f ou t . o e the lights , etc , etc , wi h abun ance more the sam

B u t or two S n kind . a year i ce it was observed he grew

u u h a o thoughtf l an d melancholy, an d abo t nine mont s g

went i nto his house and hanged himself . m f t o . E u sti cke After reading this indict en p oor Mr , a

e on e u F llow of his College and a learned man , nat rally asks

t n wh o of oneself the ques io , were the informants John Wesley as to thi s wild tirade from the pulpit The writer was on ce informed i n all good faith by an ol d woman that a

to on clerical neighbour in a former parish , given preaching

u t Christian evidences , had stated from the p lpi his beli ef

That there was no God at all , and that he would n ever ge t ” o r her t hold such a belief . The write is inclined to put

two these statements in the same category, whilst att ributing

s of them perhap to a very different attitude min d . With all

e m to e his saintly enthusiasm , John W sley see s have been , lik

t m en of u many o her saintly , a somewhat cred lous disposi

E u ti ck to h tion and his at tributing the death of Mr . s e t e fa ct

hi m to t u that he Opposed himself to , say the leas , s ggests a f somewhat unbalanced condition o mind .

O u hi l OSO hi c n the other hand , to the latit dinarian an d p p

E u sti cke n o H enry , John Wesley would doubt appear as a

h wh o ou t of lawless and erratic High C urch Clergyman , pure

- n e of of en self will , i n defia c the orders his Bishop , w t about

e n o obtr u ding himself into parishes wher he had j urisdiction ,

n u d d and ge erally t rning the world upsi e own . It was

t u s w n ot t t en h iasm , ho ever , and cold morali ies , coupled wi h

Pan l os u w tu a a Dr . g attit de to ards all consti ted things , s

n th e of t was n to maki g for best all possible worlds , tha goi g

th e of th e o it i change hearts people . The pity f all s that th e mutual prej udices betwe en Joh n Wesley an d his brother 85

clergy ended in on e more cruel rent in th e seamless garb of th e Church— i n making the holiest aspiration s of the hum an

wh th e cl i i ef e t heart , ich should have been s strength Of th e

u of d Ch rch , into a source iscord and division .

In speaking of John Wesley on e is n a turally rem inded o f t another saintly charac er , the tenderest episodes in whose

u of career are closely bound p with the parish Breage . John Wesley confined his labours to people of his own race and lang u age Henry Martyn so u ght to become the Apostle of India an d Persia . The connecti on of Henry Martyn with

was to th e Breage due Lydia Grenfell , lady to whom he was

engaged , having made her home to a large extent with her

l i er - i n - l w W l l i am s f or n b rot a . , a Mr y , who ma y years acted as

t - i n - of - cura e charge Breage , for a n on resid ent pluralist

r t u incumbent . Hen y Martyn h s came to pass many

w ol d happy days in hat is now the Vicarage at Breage ,

u to f o r I n a h et previo s his departure India . his diary he p t i cally tells u s h o w he pr e posed spending th e last Sunday in d England at St . Hilary with Ly ia Grenfell , but early in the morning of that day a messenge r arrived from Falm outh with the ne ws that th e t roopship in which he was sailing

t u t w t S d was abou to p to sea i h all possible pee . He imme

i l . u r d a te y started from St Hilary by road , passing thro gh B eage

n o his way . There is a touching pathos in the statement in his diary tha t he anxio u sly waited on deck till the ship in h h which h e sailed passed the Lizard Poin t , t at he mig t search the twilight coast f or the familiar landmarks linked with the tenderest associations of his life— one of the most prom inent of which would b e th e Ol d grey tower of Breage

‘ — h u e v s b o n cl e tI a s fa r o u t sea b u t i the C r h , i i le d y to , alas as

sh ip ro u n ded th e Lizard th e whole coa st lay embedded in

' th i ck b a n ks o f d as the da s e S clou , and rkne s f ll and the hip forged ou t to sea thi s lon ely pionee r O f the fai th descended

hi s o u e ou t u r to cabin , and p r d his so l in p ayer , that in the

s s wa s n di tant Ea t , to which he voyagi g , he might win 86

f or o kingdoms Christ . This fi rst f the great modern English Missionaries was neve r fated to see the home of his youth

was n ot w i n m f or t again ; his lot to kingdo s Chris , but to

’ r v i find a martyr s g a e i n Pers a . Lydia Grenfell rests at Breage u nder the shado w of the old grey Church on the hill

v o erlooking the sea . With th e d eath of the second Earl of Godolphin i n the

of c u middle the eighteenth ent ry , rank an d fashion took

of th e leave the parish of Breage , an d chief events i n its

u u annals became in the f ture minin g spec lations , with

a of n o cc sional wrecks an d alarms i vasion .

D u ri n th e t m of g summer months , in the i e Sidney

- n Godolphin , Godolphin House had been the co stant rendez

y e of u ous f the leading families the Co nty , and a great t centre of social life . The great Minis er whil st in residence

ha d s n u on at Godolphin relays of mes e gers , who bro ght his despatches from Exeter— as far as that to wn they seem to

u t da s . i t have been entr s ed to the ordinary post ; i n those y ,

may be added , no regular post linked Cornwall with London ,

E x eten b ei n th e m st of T o g extre e po al limit the West .

’ n th e resi den ces of Godolphi House , therefore , during short

s of m n r of the Lord High Trea urer England , came e in sea ch

’ of m or the crumbs patronage that fell fro the Minister s table , to h ear s of t of t new the ou er world , or what transpired at Cour

’ was ‘ l ikel u on and who y to s cceed the Queen s demise , and

t u reat war n o how it fared wi h Marlboro gh in the g , many

doubt of th e varied throng - having relatives ser v ing under h im .

During the Napoleonic wars a Si gn al l i n g Stati on was

' on ~ u established Tregoning Hill , and anxio s watch kept over

h f or e h i n the s eaward orizon Fr n ch Fleets which never ove .

t of to sight , whilst tradi ion says rumours invasion from time time stirred the public m ind to fear But the real events in the seq u estered life of the

e e u tu » of district , beyond the m r fl c ations in the prosperity 87

th ti n h th e of c t e trade , w ich stirred pulses publi in erest were the har v est of ship wrecks which th e winter s torm s t m y ielded each year to the inhabi ants . The eri ts and values of th e cargoes of th e di ff e rent wre cks were ne v er - failing topics

t t the fi resi des m of st of i n eres round , me ories which ill linger

n Of in the minds of the aged . The inve tion steam told sadly against the value of this ann u al winter harvest : now it is steam and steam trawlers that ruin the local fishing u t ind stry, hen it was steam striking a d eath blow at the local

of m en ind ustry wrecking . Old have told the writer a

to o f legend , told them by men of a still Older generation , o n e the m r th i n h ab i of first stea e s to appear on e coast . The

ts to i t th t tan concluded with regard a it was a ship on fire , and consequently follo wed it in ever increasi n g n u mb e rs

the t along coas , anxious to participate in the good things i n th e hold o f the shi p when h e r crew beaten by the

s r on T he st of flame d ove her shore . e ablishment the Wolf

t u t t v th e fi tf u l Ligh ho se wi hin compara i ely recent years , gleam of whose red eye is clearly vi si b le from ou r shores

o u t to r sm far sea , has practically b ought to an end the di al t o f wr r w o u ale ecks and d o ned sailors that each year pr d ced . Un til well o n into the last cent u ry i t was th e c u sto m to bury d ro wned sailo rs i n trenches al o ng th e shore th e place where a number o f these u n fo rtunate m arine rs lie heaped toge the r i n m m u w t u t u m one co on b rial , i ho religio s rites , is still arked

f h e m the by the broken confo rm ation o t ground . Fro fac t tha t drowned mariners and voyagers received this u nhono u red

u o u r h u s of a sep lture , C urch B rial Regi ters are no av il as a guide to the history o f th e innu m e rable wrecks on our S i x

‘ o 1 50 miles strip of coas t. N t till after 8 d o we find any record of the bu rial of those cast u p by the sea in the

u Ch rchyard . The C hurch Registers f o r the year 1 86 7 record on e of

S m w those tragedies of the sea , hrouded in ystery hich can

of of never be unravelled . In the failing light the evening 88

7th u O f of a the Jan ary that year, i n the midst a heavy gale , la rge sailing ship was seen off the coast at Ri n sey by several people th e gathering darkness soon shro u ded her f rom th e

o f the w t She was eyes few a chers . never seen again , n ext

r th e r was s t w mo ning sho e trewn wi h reckage and with dead ,

b u t n o fragment bearing the nam e of the ill - fated ship was

r f eve found . She had evidently str u ck on a reef o rocks a

- m or r m t to S Off u the ile so f o the coas , only lip them d ring wild , tempes tu o u s night and to disappear in the depths of the sea .

t on e o f th e This ship was eviden ly a foreign , as most d ro wned were of dark and s war thy appearance .

t u f y e Af er a val ed incumbency of nearly ort y ars, th e Reverend Ma u rice Pridm ore was s u cceeded in 1 889

B wh o - by the Reverend Jocelyn arnes , , with self deny ing

s t u th e t genero i y , set abo t res oration Of Breage and

was Germoe Churches . The work taken i n hand almost ’ i mm e t t . r s to t i dia ely af er Mr Ba ne arrival , and was carried s

to h m t . a t t co ple i on by Mr Barnes great personal cos imself .

In this labo u r of love h e wa s greatly assisted by th e eighth

u of s th e of th e u n D ke Leed , h eir ancient Ho se of Godolphi , t t an d the Right Honourable W . H . Smi h , hrough whose

t u m th e w ins r entality he had been appointed to livi ng , hilst th e Pari shion ers and Landowners assisted in the good work

to th n according eir several abilities . Dilapidatio s in the

of u e w u fabrics both Ch rch s ere caref lly, ren ovated , and

the bea u tifu lly - carved oak screen and reredos placed in

u w th e w of Breage Ch rch . The reredos as ork Belgian

t th e n of oak artis s , and like scree is composed , whilst the

u w f t ca rved fig res hich adorn it are o lime wood . The cen ral group o f fi g u res represents the adoration Of the Magi in this

u r f B rea t r S . r u o . ca S e g o p appea the fig res St , , Ge mo and t

oren ti n e of wh o to C , the patron Saint Cury , is said have been

the firs t Bishop of Cornwall ; th e carved figures on ei ther

f . . o . Side this main group represent St Peter , St Paul , St

a t e e . t e Ans lm and St John the Bap ist , ch wi h their appropriat 89

n t e emblem ; be eath hese figures , each in its s parate niche ,

th e u t u th e f Ou r E s are bea if lly carved figures of vangeli ts ,

two t . O th e s n m u m s on ei her side n cree , a ongst n erou

m m s u t u s th e e ble of a religio s charac er , occ r Godolphin crest , ” w t s m m Fr a n k 11a "ea l etto e i h the Corni h otto of the fa ily , g ,

t of n linked wi h the motto the saintly Margaret Godolphi , ” n D i eu u n a m U y .

m of as u The frag ents ancient glass , which , previo sly

w u - u a stated , ere fo nd in the walled p st ircase leading to the

o t w m th e rood l f , ere once ore placed in windows after havin g

a r u t t wa s a n been c ef lly pieced oge her . It lso duri g the re storati o n that th e fre scos ado rning th e walls ( ‘ f th e Ch u rch w d s of ere iscovered , hidden beneath succe sive layers white wash that had accumulated u pon th e m d uring the co u rse of

s u s n d th e centurie . The fig re represe te i n frescos are St .

t hi s u Christopher, bearing the infan Christ upon sho lder , a

u o f ou r w t th e w large fig re Lord i h cro n Of thorns , whilst the drops of blood ca u sed b y i t are falli n g u pon the instru men ts

f a a n d d t t o daily vill ge life husban ry , hus symbolising tha the busin e ss and tasks of ou r daily live s are blessed an d

’ i ou r s t u sanc tif ed by Lord sacrifice , an d hat no h man work i s too lo wly to be recognised by the Savio u r. of th e world the two foregoing fig u res are in a w onderf u l state of preser

st t fi u h vation , whil the o her g res , w ich practically cover the

f h o f th e or walls o t e body Church , and are in a more less

t t n faded and obliterated condi ion , consist of representa io s of t n i n . S s . Core t e . St. Hilary , St . Ambro e , St , St Michael , Giles ,

t . . S . Germoe and St Thomas Of Canterbury

m th e n eces At the ti e of restoration , i n making certain

t n s u m sary excava io , large n bers of human bones in extremely shallow graves were disco v ered al l over the interior of the

th e e e . O u Church ne large va lt was foun d in nav , a littl i n

th e t u u m front of the Site Of presen p lpit , q ite e pty save for a

u of . handf l bones . This vault was about seven feet deep All the remains found beneath the flooring o f the Ch u rch were 90

r n carefully bu ied under the superi tendence of Mr . Barnes in this empty vault beneath a large cross of flowers the vault

w s was then carefully covered over ith concrete . Among t the bones deposited in thi s receptacle were the six skeletons

w u mention ed in a former chapter , which ere fo nd lying Side

s t w w u u u s . by ide , their sk lls perfora ed ith b llet o nd

1 9 10 . t of h a A In Mrs Cornelia Car er , Philadelp i , U S placed a clock in the Church tower to th e m emory of her

. n husband , Mr William Thornton Carter , who , leavi g m Breage as a co paratively poor lad , rose to a position of great wealth in America . In his latter years his memory often turned with affection to the far - off Cornish home of his

of ol d v youth , an d he used to speak fondly the illage Church

th e w of with its far reaching view over aters the Atlantic , under th e shadow of whose grey tower h e passed as a little

n hi way o h lad each morning o s t sc ool . At the same time were placed in the Church three windows to differen t

m r f h me be s o t e Carter family . The gifts of the Carter family to th e Ch u rch stirred th e

u n i n of u parishioners to the p tti g order the h ge single bell , th e s n u t large t i n Cornwall , which had long hu g m e in the

Com l u res o u lo su etzft u n a belfry . The quai nt motto p p p , pp ” D eo n s of t of , ru roun d the base the bell , with the da e its

1 7 1 n casting in 7 . This motto may be roughly tra slated ” on e ffi The people desire many bells , but su ces God . This curious m otto supplies a hint at the cause of the casting of this bell th e event happened duri n g the incu mbe n cy of th e h Reverend Edward Marshall . It seems t at it was the custom of those days f or the bell ringers of the neighbouring village

v Churches to exchange visits of friendly ri alry . On these occasion s quantities of strong waters foun d their way into th e of belfries , and their fumes i nto the brains the ringers , with th e result that the bells

92

O f the wishes his parishioners , as the motto roun d the base of the bell more than hints . The proces s of recasting took

u place in the large field on the so th sid e of the Ch u rch . This drastic Operation only seems to have m ade matters

’ N ew u t of worse , as on the following Year s Eve , a l s y ban d

“ ” s s ss of th e and u m Tinn er took pos e ion belfry , the awf l boo ,

th e i n s i terati on sou n ded o u t ; boom of big bell , ceasele s ,

n over land and sea , banishing sleep through the livelong ight

n of Ch u rch w from all withi easy distance Breage To er . We may rem ark that Ed ward Marshall was a Fellow of

O of m Exeter College , xford , and son the Reverend Willia

of Marshall , Ashprington , Devonshire . His wife was a

of La n arth member the Sandys family , of , an d his grandson

a i n m t long represented T unton Parlia en . The Germ oe bells w ere p u rchased by public subscription m u 1 753 . and placed in Ger oe Ch rch i n The tenor bell , weigh w l 7 c t. of ing , merely records the names Edward Col ins ,

u w vicar , and Sam el Lemon an d Simon Harry , Church ardens ;

th e s w n 5 . econd bell eighs % cwt , and has e graved upon it ” ri t o t h i 4 s t s . Pro pe y hi paris The treble bell , we ghing 5 “ dh l l ” cwt records th e fact that Abraham Ru a cas te u s all . The Comm u nion plate both at Breage and Germoe was the ’ t f . of St u t o . gif Dr Godolphin , Dean Pa l s he was the bro her

of t f the grea Sidney Godolphin . The plate in all consists o

t - fla on s tw o on e r s v hree very large silver gilt g , cups , la ge il er

w m th e t 1 6 paten and t o s all ones ; these bear da e 9 2. The

entry recordi n g th e gift which appears in the Church l “ registers ru n s as follows The gift of plate to ou r parish

n th e n by Dr . He ry Godolphin and Communio table railed in ,

a of ou r 1 6 93 . in the ye r Lord Christ , , Richard Carleen

1 55 9 b u t t u of The registers date from , con ain a n mber

s of w n tu t th e att break , the largest hich a rally begins wi h l er

of f or m u years the Protectorate , and so e nexplained reason

u st contin es well on into th e reign of Charles II . The regi ers make it clear that at th e time of their comm e n cement 9 3

there were still a number of people living in this remote corner of the West witho u t any surnam e at all such en tries

“ ” “ sWi l h el m u s h Pol k n h orn e J oh es as servus Wil elmi y ,

” “ u Ste en i Trew orl i s a fil i a serv s p , and M rgareta Thoms m Robert , are all culled fro the first page of the burial

t of register . Gradually at his period the Christian names

the fathers were being adopted by the sons as s u rnames . m T h e m s . surna es Richard Edwards , Ja es , Thomas , Johns ,

or Williams , Stephens were thus evolved Richards Williams being in the first ins tance mer e abbreviations of the possessive

or son u form , son of Richard of William ; q ite ninety th . e per cent of surnames in the parish fall under this head . The great maj ority of the surnames in the parish which have n ot be e n formed in the foregoing way were i n

“ n r J oh e their original form local place ames . The ent y s ” Ste h en i Treworl i s v servus p , gi en i n the preceding paragraph ,

gi ves u s a n exam ple of the method of their ad eption ; the

t T reworl i s n descendan s of Stephen in succeedin g generatio s ,

t S m as the regis ers how , being grouped under the na es of

T reworl i s a or Stephens or , no doubt s chance fancy had

decided . The following extrac ts from the registers recordi n g e i ther the marriage or deaths of the persons men tioned bring o u t n r i n o m a othe curious factor the formati n of local surna es ,

“ ” “ m ma s m n Jo Brown , alias Uninfor ed , Tho Sa pso , alias

” “ ” u t l a C nning Boy , John Ar hu r, alias P in Dealing ; these

en tries all occur prev io u s to 1 6 9 6 ; at later dates we have

“ ” “ t of m u th e T od - stool e Jane the daugh er Ed nd , Thomas ,

P h m t u alias unc of Ger oe . Sca tered thro gh the registers ” s T wo u we also find the elegant alia es S ppers ,

“ ” “ ” “ ” “ ’ i t On wi e n s s . S ink , Gi ger , Di sembler , A series of

t t n m s en ri es da i g from 1 71- 3 Show us how these nickna e in

th e n n co u rse of time crystallized in to ac tu al s u r am es . I

“ ” 1 713 t s r s s we have the en ry Nichola Co ni h , alia Cold Pye ,

i n th e following year he is mentioned as Ni c holas Corn i sh 94

Col d w s t py , hil t in la er years he figures i n the registers m si ply as Nicholas Colpy . It is interesti n g to speculate upon th e attempts a t derivation that an antiquary or genealogist n ot knowi n g th e true facts might devise as an ” of u m explanation the s rna e Colpy .

A further curio u s instance of the method of th e forma tion of local surnam es is vo u chsafed i n ou r rather com mon

’ 3 M a o r surname e g . The earlies t form of this nam e in the

“ ’ “ s M en ea e r fil i a Men ea er register is g , Avis Thoms g ,

“ o r of f i n plain English , Avis the daughter Thomas o t ” the M eneage Dis rict . T h e ea rlier Breage registers con tain here and there

w of surnames that are not of local origin , and hich savour romance and adventure in lives long sin ce folded i n utter

I n 1 5 11 I fi n d oblivion . the death of Hugh Grymm e de

1 600 of a Godolphin recorded , i n the marriage Edmun d s

on on e Del are etto Erasmus , and a little later William g is

c laid to rest at Breage , whilst the name of Angus Ma donald t appears in the Germoe regis ers after the Forty Five .

The s tory of Hugh Grymm e or Graeme is not. difficult to

i n t piece together its main ou lines without being too fanciful . T h e wanderings of this northern Ulysses from the home of his clan o n the shores of the Sol way would make an i n teresting

O s t r of . O dyssey , could they be di illed f om the mists the past n e

th e u u of i t fi tf u l l e sees vag e o tline all y . His fellow Border rs at

— the A th e this time , rmstrongs , Elliots , the Ridleys and a hundred o thers — were sadly realizing that times had chan ged since Flodden Field , that ceaseless Border strife was coming

l a w i n to r to an end , that was beg nni g grow stronge in its

- t grasp , an d that raids an d forays and cattle lif ing expeditions were each year becoming accompanied more and more with s u ch u n pleasant an d u n dign i fied incidents as han gings at

Jedburgh and Carlisle . For such roystering blades it was

m w f or i possible to hang spear, s ord , helmet an d breastplate

w to of ever to rust upon the all , and sink down into the life 95

d ull tillers of the soil . There was nothing else f or th em to d o to 0 0 off to w than tr p the Irish ars , where they could raid

’ a n d harry and slaughter the Irish to their hearts content ,

th e of u of all in name good Q een Bess , and n ot in defiance her Wardens of the Marches . Many of these riders of the

to own Borders founded families in Ireland , and came broad

e e H acr s , and many no doubt found nameless grav s . ugh

on e of Graeme , i t would seem probable , was these Border

wh o adventurers found neither wealth nor a grave in Ireland , b u t service with Sir William Godolphin , who had spent his

s youth fighting under E sex in Irelan d . No doubt Hugh

Graeme had ridden behi nd Si r William in his campaigns ,

on n often with death his saddle bow , and whe fighting days were over came with his master to Godolphin , where Death ,

h a d i n who passed him by the wars , found him and claimed him .

u th e The name Erasmus twice occ rs i n Breage registers , and in the next. generation makes its appearance in the guise

’ of 16 6 E dm u n d u Rasmus . In 0 the marriage of s Erasmus

v is recorded with Johanna Cara er . I cannot think that i n this case Erasmus is a mere second Christian name , because shortly ” an d after we have the baptism entry Thomas Erasmus , in

“ ” 1 6 J oi sea 87 we have the marriage entry Rasmus . N or d o I think it probable that the surname Erasmus , as it

ou t occurs i n the Breage registers , grew of a Christian name given in the first insta n ce on account of its popularity with

th e Reformers , because in this case registers would have

n of shew some trace Erasmus used as a Christian name ,

d n which they o ot. The appearance of this name i n the registers tal lies with the great activity of Sir Francis Godolphin in developing th e

the tin mines upon his estates . Under circumstances it seems probable that E dm u n d u s Erasmus was on e of the

Continental experts whom we know that he employed i n

d of s n s improving the local metho s mining ; thi co clu ion , 9 6

u m n however , i n no way el cidates the ystery that cli gs roun d

h e t . u n of E dm u n du s name The great h manist amesake .

wh o 1 536 m o f n died i n , was , like any the Cor ish tinners ,

u u m n th e born witho t a s rna e , his father only possessi g

of of w u m Christian name Gerhard , hich Erasm s is eant to be th m a w u e Greek rendering . We y therefore very ell concl d e

n o t m m u w that o her surna e of Eras s existed in the orld , save

t t th e u m t t t m u u ha of great h anis , and ha it st have beg n and

n hi m u n o e ded with , because as a priest he co ld have had

m t u t th t s . O legi i a e i s e n the o her hand , I cannot think at anyone wo u ld adopt Erasm u s as a s u rnam e having absol u tely “ h n o co n nection i n bloo d with the g reat D u tch sc olar . Here we have on e of tho se strange an d often fasci n ati n g m ys teries wi th which th e regi sters o f ou r pari shes ab ound . Their

w of te n 1ik e w t l ea v es su est th e yello pages so , i hered rose , gg j oy , th e u t th e u t yo h , s nlight an d the tragedy of forgo ten

u m s m ers . In 1 686 we find the marriage entry of William

D el l a re etto 1 730 of th e m " g , and in the entry arriage of enobia

“ T he n m D el l are etto t u th e D el l aregetto . a e g cer ainly s ggests

u of t u c on u res u s nny skies I aly , whilst Ang s Macdonald J p a

i n P ossi b l th e t D el lare etto v s i on of the Sco tti sh Highla ds . y firs g

m a y have been som e I talian sailor cast away u po n ou r

r m s n t of t sho es . Fro a de ce dan Angus Macdonald , s ill livin g

' th e a ri sh m s in p , I have been able to obtain a fleeting gli p e

m n a i on o f th e story of thi s a . He arrived (I im g ne board

u on e u t y so m e s m u ggling craft) abo t h ndred and fif y ears ago ,

and se ttled f or a year or two a t Ri n sey and went thro u gh th e

m o f m i w t w m n cere ony arr age i h a Breage o a , after having

t o . m been a resident a t Ri n sey f or Som e little ti e . Tradi i n says

m y a n d m a n of that he was a person with plenty of one , a

high s tati o n in hi s o wn co u ntr y and that a t th e clo se of th e

wa rs a p rice wa s se t u pon his head by th e Governm e n t.

f tr t o s a k s t u i t s m s con s1 d e ri n th e t I adi i n pe r e ee probable , g da e

of m i t t t was m an of m m t his co ng , ha his Macdonald a so e i por 9 7

ou t — ance , who had been in the Forty Five , possibly some f minor chief o the clan Macdonald . He disappeared as

u w t to n s ddenly as he came , he her his ative land on h a ving

w h or made his peace it the Government , , as is more probable ,

x to com a tri ots i n or n j oin his exiled p France Spai , where life ? was less dull , who can say At any rate , his Cornish wife

sa w of d and children and heard him n o more . His escen dants are s till living i n the parish . Perhaps th e follo wing curious entry from the registers

o f t to th e E sl e i of may be in erest reader Thomas p y , sen or ,

hil cha m to n S um m ersi t heer C p , parish of Bath and Wells , s s ; he wa s th e m a n wh o brought here the rare invention of w m 1 6 89 shooting the rocks , hich ca e here in J une , , and he

wa s B rea 1 6 th of died at the Bal an d bu ried at g, the day f 1 m th e eare o O 689 . Su b se Dece ber , in y ur Lord Christ ,

“ quent entries i n the burial register make it clear that the ” th t e v s e . rare in ention of hooting rocks . blasting , was anything but an u nmixed bles sing to those who had to apply

t s i to the rock . I find in th e regi s ters th e record of a great snowstorm

m 1 630 i n w n i n Dece ber , , hich four perso s perished , and ano ther at th e end of Jan u ary and the beginni n g of

1 t m a 6 92. February , To hese great snowstorms y well be

of h 189 1 s added that Marc , , which not only i olated the

m he t b u t th e pari sh fro t res of the world , householders from

he h m f or d t i n t . each o her , save village and a lets , s everal ays This terrible s torm al s o levied from th e p arish its toll of h u m an life . m The following gri entry from the burial register ,

d i u 1 6 9 3 u the m d bea ring ate 2 Febr ary , , ill strates etho s

o f ou t an d views a former age , which seem strangely of

u t o u r own : m u r of a a to ch wi h Sa el Roge s , Cr v , being ex ” w th e t u a t m m u t as . co nica e , laid in ear h in the Ch rch night

t th e of b u t f e w . I find in th e regisers , records briefs At Germoe in 1 6 82 five shilli n gs was collected f or the 98

st n i n s m n di ressed Protestants of Fra ce , and the a e year te shilli n gs for th e sufferers i n th e great fire at the town of

u n C llompto in Devonshire . At Breage I only find record s of briefs in the year 1 712 ; they were for the restoration of

’ t t n d S a t. u h Bat le Bridge , Wes Tilbury Clement s Ch rc , m presu ably of this diocese . It is to be regre tted that the churchward ens ’ accounts

u d a n have long since , thro gh mp an d eglect , passed b eyond

s to Th e the stage when it is po sible examine them . Parish Co u ncils A ct wi th all its benefits committed a terrible mistake i n consig n i n g th e a n cie n t records of the Church

V n f or of to estries , i n many cases goi g back hundreds years ,

of l - m en the custody simp e , well meaning but unlettered , with

of t d m T oo f n o realisation the value of an cien ocu ents . o ten they have been j umbled in to an ol d wooden b ox i n a

t m to damp ves ry roo , and left grow green with mould and d isin tegrate into an evil - smelling past e ; at least s u ch is

’

t r . an instance in the wri er s expe ience In another case , the fountain of village wisdom informed a learned antiquary that he co u ld n ot be allo wed to inspect their docum ents ; whil st in a thi rd case th e clerk to a Pari sh Con n oi l pa rted

an c1 e n t t t m u with an documen , hat had co e down thro gh

t w t th e V to the genera ions i h Church estry papers , an ol d gentleman wh o was in the habit of sh ewi n g it to his friends

t e of ol d as a curiosi y . On the d ath the gentleman in question

of u t m a friend the writer , in the hope that the doc men ight

of to to prove interest , and that he might be able return it the vicar of the parish from whence it had been originally

to m th e w taken , endeavoured purchase it fro heir , hen it

u ha d w transpired that the doc ment been burn t as aste paper .

’ The followi n g items from the Breage churchwardens

accounts I have been able to cull f rom a note - book of the

of n o Reverend Jocelyn Barnes . Whilst paramount import

of - - ance , they serve as vivi d illustrations the dead and gone

a l ife of th e vill ge .

TH E O DO LPH INS G .

CHAPTE R V I .

The family of Godolphin is by far the greatest and most

m r i portant that has issued from ou parish . Their original

to of L el an d was abode , according the statement . , a fortified

t or on n of s ronghold tower Godolphin Hill , the remai s which were in existence i n hi s time . The orl gi n of the family is

u lost in obscurity , but the curio s tenure under which the Manor of Godolphi n is still hel d from the owner of th e

’ Manor of Lambourne m akes it clear that they were n ot

- i n - of tenants chief from the Earls Cornwall . A passing

th e allusion to curious nature of this tenure may be pardon ed .

’ n w Each Candlemas morning at six o clock , be eath the t inkling

or m of stars , ore probably i n the black darkness rain and

' Reev e of u s t tempest , the Lambo rn e still pay his yearly visi

e of to Godolphin House . Beating on the out r oaken doors

Godolphi n Hou se. r e n . O the ancient mansio , he pe emptorily d mands admission n

t ut w f or h e the doors being opened , wi ho aiting i nvitation enters the house and m o unting upon the table of th e hall he exclai m s 0 Yes O Yes I 0 Yes I am the Reeve of Lam

P erran sa n d th e ol d bourne in , come here to deman d rent , d u ties and customs due to the lord s of the said m anor from ” the lands of Godolphin . In response to the sum mons of d 2s. 8 . ren t a a ck t the Reeve there is brought him in , j of s rong h t o f . O u beer , a loaf bread and a c eese of the fact of this

ancient tenure the incorrigible Hal s h as woven on e o f hi s

n ot innumerable romances , for which one iota of evidence

n st s s s worthy of consideratio exi s . Hal po ses ed the ar t of evol vi n g history of a libellous and d efamatory character from hi s ow n inner consciousness i n a way that has been seldom

equalled .

After a n umber of generations the ancient race of

r who m Godolphin centred i n an heiress Elino or Elian ora , arried

Ri n se of Ri n se a of i John y y , thus j oining the est tes R n sey

l . O 2n d D 139 8 Ri n se of and Godo phin n ecember , , John y Godolphin and Ri n sey and Elianora his wife recei v ed a licence from Bishop Staff o rd for oratories o n th ei r m an ors of Godolphin

i n and R sey . The arms of this worthy pair are s till to be seen

u 1 5 of h q artered on the th century screen Buryan Churc .

’ Hals story abo u t the Godolphin estates passi n g by

' P erra n san d marriage to the Arundells of , an d being sold to on e

or Kn av a on - Stephens , the above mentioned tenure, rests

upon n o proof save that the name of Kn a v a happened to be

m n o com on i n Breage i n his time , and it finds support from

of th e v the descent family given by Vi ian .

i f John Godolphin of Godolphin , Sher f o f Cornwall

i n 1 504 t a th e of H a , mus be reg rded as real John psb ou rg th ’ of his race . I am led to conclude that e Master Thomas Godolphin who became vicar of Breage i n 1 505 was

u of of e the yo nger son this founder the family gr atn ess .

- of B n w The south east corner reage Church , o called the 102

the u r - e of an Godolphin Chapel , was b ying plac this cient

r of to s n o family from the pe iod its rise greatne s , though monument of a n y kind preser v es the memory of those wh os e

t n t l n o ear hly remai s res there . It seems incredib e that monu ments to the m emory of departed Godol phi n s ever m arked th e of r - Si r site thei last resting place . Francis Godolphin , wh o l the of was m a n of th ived in time Elizabeth , a vast weal , a a e of was s well as vast influence . The g Elizabeth an age of ornate and magnificent tombs th ey still survive in g reat

m ou r t of nu bers in coun ry churches , elaborate character with rows of kneeling figures and inscriptions that will su ggest the li n es

’ The sculptor s art exhausts the pomp of woe And storied u rns record who rests below When all is done upon the tomb is seen

N ot w t was u v b e t . ha he , but wha he sho ld ha e en Th e conclusio n is forced upon us that at some period the

of od l hi n e e ra t-ed A tombs the G o p s were removed and d s c . s to the pe riod there can be li ttle doubt it can only be placed

of r th e i n the time the I ndepend ent ascendancy , du ing

odol hi n t v s Protectorate . The G p s had distinguished hemsel e by

' to a n d e their fearless loyalty the exiled house , had r ndered themselves a target f or the an l m os1ty of the Government and

a an d e e er e e e e u s local f natics s ctari s . Th i laborat tombs w r th perhaps conv eniently confused with th e embl ems of sup er

sti ti on e e fle i n ear of . , and th ir r cesses ri d s ch sacrilegious booty The h elmets of three Godolphi n s still hang in th e south

of the e east corner the church , silken bann rs that once hung

n ed with them having long si ce m oulder into dust . At the restoratio n of the church i n 1892 two large marb le slabs

e e the f of r h w re remov d from loor the chu c , which marked w t to th e . n the s air ay leading Godolphin vault Joh Evelyn ,

i n hi s of of S e of account the burial Margaret Godolphin , p aks ” this qui et corn er as the dorm itori e of her family .

104

o c t th e William God lphin , who overed himself wi h glory i n ,

wa ed ' b st s I w . short war g y Henry VII I , again Franci , hich terminated in the defeat of the French at the Battle of the

“ w of e n u Spurs . Care says this brav K ight that he added l stre ” of a to his fame at the expense his f ce . This statement has reference to a charge made by Si r William and his bro ther

a t th e u er hi s m d Thomas , the head of force nd com an , which resulted in th e route of the French opposed to the m and the f ’ u o . grievo s shortening Sir William s nose by . a sword cut This warrior at home seems to have practised th e robust

t 15 75 th e methods of his fa her . I n we find pre

n of f or ferring fifteen charges against him , thirtee which were

i n w of A r we n n i k piracy conj unction with the Killigre s c . He

u w lies buried in Finchley Churchyard , and some faithf l follo er who had wandered over the fields of Picardy with him i n search o f military glory placed the following epitaph upon his tomb

ru n Godolphin his race to rest hath , Where grace aff ords felicity h His death is gone , his life hat wone

Eternal perpetuity . Though Will iam his corpse here doth li e

’ v Barnes faith in him shall ne er die .

” n His wife Dame Blanche God olphi lies at Breage . As Sir William left no son his estates devolved on his nephew Sir

s on of Francis , Thomas Godolphin , who had , as we have

i n t e already seen , distinguished himself the war wi h Franc . O " f Sir Francis Godolphin , Carew says , eal in religion ,

uprightness in government and plentifulness i n house - keeping ” had given him a great reputation . As well as having dis tingu ished himself i n the dreary wars

had of Ireland , Sir Francis applied his mind to the problems w f e on o n t . o sci ntific mining his estates , to his grea profit

9 " e ers Sta t Pa p . 1 05

v th e of the was er In looking o er pages Church registers , I p

l ex e d fr u of m p to find the eq ent recurrence the na e Erasmus .

b u t tt u t t e There can be li le do b that the firs Erasmus , whos name appears i n the regis te rs was a D u tchman bro u ght to

B reage by Sir Franci s Godolphi n in connec tion with his g reat

t t n Si r proj ec s of scien ific mi ing . Francis was Governor of

s u t the Scilly I lands . As Governor he reb il the ruined fortress

f n o . a r i t St Mary , d made it so st ong that successf u lly resisted all the as sa u l ts of th e Parliamentary forces u n til th e clo se of

r of the Civil War . The he oic attempt Sir Francis Godolphi n to de fend Penz ance again st th e a ttacking Spaniards has w been dealt ith in another place .

Sir Francis corresponded with Cecil Lord Burleigh , and m u . u we th s get fro the Hatfield M S a fai nt , blurred pict re

th e s u of s s l of o l this brave Corni h squire . I n his la t etter

l 8th O 1 601 o f to Ceci , dated Tavistock , ctober , he speaks his

a s u s m f proj ect to ching the war i n Ireland . He arried irs t

u w A r we n a ck Margaret, da ghter of John Killigre , of , and

u o f n t w w of secondly Alice , da ghter Joh Skerri , and ido

of u of . O John Glanville , Judge the Co rt Com mon Pleas f on e of these ladies th e following q u aint story still s u rvi v es Sir Francis had taken into his confidence an attorney of l O . ma ttery St Mary , named John Cole , and ulti tely emp oyed

m s ecu him as his agent . This person e barked in mining p l a i on on w t s his own account with disastrous results , hich

’ t s soon hurried him i nto the pa hs of fraud . John Cole blocks of tin bore for purposes of identification the figure o f a t u m w of er ore a c stamped pon the , hilst those his mast b

m of m n u ecu i th e i press a dolphin . E bolde ed by s ccessful p l i on of i n - a t s, the sign the cat appeared ever increasing num bers where th e sign of the dolphin should have b een

of displayed . The suspicions Lady Godolphin , more shrewd

u A ccom in this respect than her h sband , were aroused .

See Th e f S n e o o h n th e H o h o L fe o G n . H u E t i id y d lp i , by g li . 106

an i ed n u p by a maid , she repaired to the Godolphin Blowi g Ho se on w u u of u foot , here she fo nd n merous blocks tin unlawf lly i th stamped w th e sign of the cat . On her return to Godolphin

she u d House , fo nd Sir Francis and a number of fri en s

at th e wondering her absence , prolonged long past appointed

r t u hour of dinne . She explained hat d ring her absence she

’ T h e had been watching a cat eating a dolphin . Breage registers record the b u rial of Sir Francis Godolphin on 23rd

1 60 . April , 8

wa s u m Sir Francis s cceeded by his son , Sir Willia

u m u Godolphin , ed cated at Em an el College , Cambridge , the

d f i home in those ays o Puritan learn ng . Sir William also had disting u i sh ed himself u n der Essex in Ireland ere h e

s u cceeded hi s father ; tradition say s th a t he had be e n

f or of t 1 606 knighted his bravery on the field bat le . In he

w as m th e m t on to a e ployed by Govern en a mission P ris , the ’f 1 s u n l< u own t Cecil obj ect of which . In an ex ant letter to . he co mplains that his m ean s were inadeq u ate to meet the h m s of t e s . ex pen es i sion He represented Cornwall once , if

r m n o t tw i n P . ice , arliament He mar ied Tho asina the

t of u . da gh er Thomas Sidney , of Wrighton , in Norfolk It was th u s that th e Christia n n a m e of Si dn ey was introduced

r in to the Godolphin family . The B eage registers record hi s

h 1 6 1 3 t on W m on 5t . s burial September , His eldes illia died

u t whilst still a yo th , when on a visi to Bruton Abbey , i n

Somersetshire ; he was thus s u cceeded by his second son

’ of u of Francis , a boy fo rteen at the time his father s death . It was d u ring the lifeti m e of this Sir Francis that

of u Charles I I . , then Prin ce Wales , took ref ge at Godolphin

u on t o n Ho se , his fligh to the Scilly Islands the complete

collapse of the Royal cause . Charles remembered the services

of u s h i s hi m his faithf l Corni h squire , and at accession made

th e an d u to the t t a Knight of Bath , entr sted , his charge S a e

“ e Th e e o S i h n b t S f f n e G o o h H n . H u E e L l e o h l ot. i d y d p i , y g i

108

h i l os0 h i c m Godol phin was before his age , an d his p p ind

v t n of an d re olted at the miserable a gle religion and politics , the degrading spirit of religio u s in tolerance and persec u ti o n m a t hi m m t sa d nifested by all par ies . Of it igh have been well i

’ u i Wa s a s l es r i t de son d e de son a tou t 76 ma l Q p p y ,

’ heu r m n t l n . On his to b are inscri bed the followi g pathe ic i es by his friend Hobbs

’ u art l ov dst t u Tho dead , Godolphin , who reason r e ,

’ ” l ov d u b e . Justice and peace soldier , adie

s s t The following entry in the Breage regi ters , which ca s

on th e of m a sidelight story the Godolphi n fa ily , has a pathos

“ o wn : fil i u s all its Franciscus Berkeley , Carol i Berkeley

i t m ri 1 Th e m t m i l i t s se u l tu s 27 Se e b 6 35 . , p fuit p , o her of w t u the child hose death is h s record ed was Penelope ,

’ t of m n a n d daugh er Sir Willia Godolphi , th e sister of Sir

n h a d Francis and Sidney Godolphin . Penelope Godolphi

to u been married Sir Charles Berkeley i n Breage Ch rch ,

th e h t 1 627 . s Sep ember , Po sibly rapid rise of the Godolp in fam ily was d u e to som e exten t to this marriage into th e

m of r r po werful fa ily Berkeley . Sir Charles Be keley afte

s m m of ward beca e Viscount Hardinge , and ulti ately Earl

m u i s s th e m to Fal o th , and aid in ain have been responsible f or the fail u re of the negotiations bet-ween Crom well and

h th e on on e . o n Ireton the hand , and Charles I the ot er , for

a h s m to u res tor tion of C arle once ore , a peacef l , if a more hi lim ited au thori ty over s people . The child whose d eath th e en try records had do u btless ’ m come wi th his paren ts to his m o ther s ances tral ho e . Penelope Berkeley n o do u bt re tu rned to th e ol d hom e o f her childhood f u ll of dream s of th e renewal of the life of her It u t m . girlhood , pro d of her firs born , heir to a great na e all

I th e of th e o l d ended , alas in the laying of body her babe i n

’ on th e sea m st th e grey Church the hill , overlooking , id

m t st d u st of his a ernal ance ors . The parish has prod u ced o n l y on e great m an of“ th e fi rst 1 09

o f n of rank , Sidney Godolphin , Earl Godolphi , third son the

u a 1 Ou r u Sir Francis hono red by Ch rles 1 . Ch rch registers record th e baptis m of Sidney Godolphin in the followi n g w : th e of r s ords Sidoni , son F anci Godol phin and Dorothy hi wa t 1 5 th u 1644 s s . wife , bap ized day of J ne , Sidney Godolphi n alm os t i m m ediately a fter the Res toration became a

u h i t wa s n o t n page in the Royal ho se old , an d lo g before the King conceived a s trong personal liking for the son of the

Cornish sq u ire with whom h e ha d foun d a refuge in the

T h e th e m darkest hour of his fortu nes . regard of erry Monarch m ade smooth the path o f rapid advancement for Sidney

of Godolphin . Like his u ncle th e same name , at an early

m a s m m age he entered Parlia ent e ber for Hel ston . It is s m s of aid that he very seldo spoke i n the Hou e Commons , b u t q u ickly earned a rep u tation as a m a n o f keen financial

r s n s on of g a p and i ight , and that his Opinion matters finance

m a s o f r 1 soo n ca e to be regarded g ea t weight . In 6 79 he was

r m n ft rw rl of p o oted with Viscou t Hyde , a e ards Ea Rochester,

an d th e Earl of S u nd erland to the chief m an agemen t of

t m 1 6 84 wa s t affairs . In Sep e ber , , he crea ed Baron Godolphin

of Ri a l ton th e of t , and succeeded Earl Roches er as First

Lord of the Treasury . James I I . extended to hi m the sam e

u n h d favo r and confid ence that Ki g Charles a given to him . He was o n e of the Council of Fi v e to whom Jam es left the ma n agem ent of affairs when h e lef t London to meet the

a n cm of of a d v g forces the Prince Orange . On the utter

h u of m h e was on o collap se of t e ca se Ja es I I . e f the Com m i ssion ers app ointed to n e go tiate wi th William Prince of ff O r . u u . ange He contin ed in o ice nder William II I , whilst

a t th e m t m f th e u of a u sa e i e , like his riend D ke M rlboro gh , he

on t carried a secret correspondence wi h James at St . Germans .

No doubt all hi s real sym pathies were with the cau se of the

exiled Monarch . In the reign of Anne he was largely i n stru

mental i h bringing abo u t the A c t o f Union wi th Scotland ; and by his great abili ty as a M ini ster of Finance he alone 1 10 rend ered possible the v ictorious prosecution of the war with wa f 1 0 . s o 7 6 France He created Earl Godolphin in . His position as a Minister of Finance in a venal age gave him

for d unlimited opportunities peculation , which others woul

l u have unblushing y seized , but he remained incorr ptible , and a t his death i n 1 71 2 was found to be w orth on ly

u He was b ried i n Westminster Abbey . The life of Sidney Godolphin was early clo u ded by a

a e of ha d great sorrow . At the g thirty he married Margaret

f of orn m h h u o H s eat . Blague , da ghter Colonel Blague , g Three

’ m 1 6 78 God ol hi n s years after their arriage , i n , Margaret p

n h a e e saintly life came to a end . John Evelyn s r nder d the story of her short life in a sense the comm on heritage of all

English men and women . By her purity an d simpl e goodness of character she cam e to exercise an influence upon

l i cen tibu s ou an evil and Court , and for posterity she stands t

n as one of its brightest or aments . I extract the following

’ fragment from E v el yn e s memoir of her : She died i n the

eare of ffl t of 26 y age , to the in expressible a ic ion her deare husband . She was for beauty and good nature , wit , fidelity

n n u and discretio the most i comparable person . Her h sband ,

c w u n s f t stru k ith the peakable af lic ion , fell down as dead . The

m th e u t r w T King hi self and all Co r expressed thei sorro . o

was f or t the poore and miserable her loss irreparable , here was

b u t m t m n o degree had so e obliga ion to her me orei . She

’ desired to be b u ried in the d orm i tori e of her h u sband s

n eere 00 l 3 . fami y , miles from all her other friends So afflicted was her h u sband at this severe loss that th e entire

f u m t m e d care o her f neral was com it ed to . Having close

ro u ch eeke of m her eyes , and d pped a teare pon the y deare

d l u th e s to departed frien , ovely even in death , I ca sed corp e be

m w w s em bal ed and rapped in lead , ith a plate of bra s soldered

s thereon . with an in cription and other circumstances d ue to

n h her worth , with as much dilige ce and care t at my grieved

u m Sh e n to heart wo ld per it me . was accordi gly carried

1 1 2

* m wh o u s of D . of from the father r Borlase , antiquarian fa e ,

i n his youth was present on one of these o ccasions . He says

a t n o s or e of s t t that this time regular po t m ans tran i , ei her f or or b ut persons things , were to be found beyon d Exeter , when masses of letters had acc u mulated at Exe ter they were

o on m from time t time sent to Cornwall , as occasion ight

serve , by a system which was called the post . When the Lord w High Treasurer, however , visited Godolphin , he had a eekly

messenger from Exeter bringing letters , despatches and a

’ ne wspaper ; and on the fixed day of the m esse n ger s arrival all th e gentlemen f or many miles round assem bled a t Godolphi n House to hear the newspaper read i n the great

hall . A number of letters addressed to Sidney Godolphin by his mother an d o ther members of his family still survi ve m the British M u se u m Talso letters of Sidney and his sisters to

s v s their mother . The e letters gi e a deeply intere ting picture m f of th e family life as lived at Godolphin . So e o the letters of his sisters to thei r mother deal wi th the things they saw

on m and did their visits to London . Mon ey see s to have

n ot th e m been too abundant at this period in Godolphin fa ily ,

and considerations of ways and means co n stantly obtr u d e

m v on e t the sel es in the letters . I n le ter the f u ture Lord High Treasurer is com missioned by his mother to purchase the wedding trousseau of on e of his sisters to th is letter o f his mother the f uture Finance Minister replies that he has

“ u u t h a d - p rchased the dresses that a Mrs . St ar had ou t of

th e u m u France j ust before Co rt went i nto o rning . This

e w ngagement bet een his sister Catherine an d a Mr . Dryden

a ultim tely came to naught . Catherine re m ained u n m arried

and was the last of her line to be laid in the d ormi tori e

f h er i n o u . 7 th 1 7 O 6 8. race Breage Ch rch She died ctober ,

’ See G ert s H stor of C orn w ilb i y a ll .

‘ L fe of S n e Go o h n th e H on H E u h o t. i i id y d lp i by . g li 1 1 3

u was fitf u l l a n 2u d Godolphin Ho se y inh bited by Fra cis ,

God ol h i n th e Earl of p , only son of the Lord High Treasurer , for

m m v a fe w s u mer m on ths . He see s to ha e som ewha t enlarg e d the house and b u il t th e front portico and colonnade o f

n granite from Tregoni g Hill . Since his death in 1 76 6 thi s

u of ancient ho se has never been inhabited by its owners , and i t m a y be said i n the words of Hafiz “ The spider has woven her web in the palace and the ” o wl u hath s ng her watch song on the towers .

u of of i t In concl ding the account the family Godolphin ,

m of is fitting to make some ention of Sir William Godolphin ,

T v n ea of wa s r re e . of g, i n the parish Mabe He the g andson that Sir Francis Godolphin wh o so gallantly attem pted to

th e J defend Penzance against Spaniards , his father being ohn h of th e . t e Godol phin , Captai n Scilly Isles Sir William in days of th e Comm on weal th had e u logised the Protecto r i n

u s m x t : f l o e verses still e ant when the Protector was dead , a n d u s or on co ld n o longer puni h reward , we find him the oth er

a ss hi s m hand ailing me ory with virulent abuse . It is only

t to of j us add that whilst singing the praises the Protector , h e wa s in f u ll comm unication with the spies an d agents of

f or Charles . Having so carefully prepared the future , at the

s t 1 6 6 1 h e e Re tora ion his advance was rapid . In becam

m r o f f or me be Parliament Camelford , and spoke vehemently

u of th e of n ot in favo r sanctity the Royal prerogative , going

u without s bs tantial reward f or hi s exuberan t loyalty . Mr .

“ Pepys describes h i m a s a very pretty and able person ; a

9 , m a n o f t t t very fine par s . He affec ed scien ce as hen under st m of th e - m ood , and beca e a Fellow newly for ed Royal

o u o f u Society , and on acc n t o f th e s u nshine the Royal favo r

’ i n c f de re e o . s n o ra r . whi h he ba ked received th e h o y g D C L .

th e s t u t m from Univer i y of Oxfo rd . He l i ately became

m ss r u t of b u t A ba ad o Extraordinary to the Co r Spain , was su m m oned ho m e d u ring the frenzy of th e Popish Plot on a

t m u th e m charge of high reason . Sir Willia nder circu stances 1 14 thought it more prudent to disregard the command an d m re ain at Madri d as a private person , which he continued to do until the day of his death i n 1 6 9 6 . At his death he left t considerable property in Madrid , Rome , Venice and Ams er dam , which continued for a number of years to be the source of m uch litigation . A portion of the property was ultimately

’ i n w h employed , accordance it the provisions of Sir William s

i n n c n u . will , fo ding the Godolphi S hool at Hammersmith

u was The Godolphin School at Salisb ry, it may be added ,

u b n . fo nded y his niece , Elizabeth Godolphi

1 16

flowery paths of successf u l match - m aking ; they moved forward rather to th e m u sic of weddi n g bells than to th e

f m u n h a It brazen blast o the tru pet so ndi g the c rge . was to the former m u sic that their broad lands i n Breage cam e to them . In the thirteenth ce n t u ry Ralph Arundell ha d risen to influence and the possession of the manors of Trem bath and Trel oy throu gh marriage wi th the heiress of the

Trem b ath s ; and i n th e following cent u ry his descendant

acq u ired the manor of Lan h ern e by m arriage with the

h eiress of the ancient house of Pincerna . The manor of P en gwed n a in Breage was held by th e

of o f Lan h ern e senior branch the family , the Arund ells ; whilst the manors of T rewo rl as and M ethl e igh were h eld by

of T ol v ern e on e of u of the Arundells , the j nior

T ol v ern e m u s of u d i n the family . had co e to the ho e Ar n ell

of . the usual way in the reign Richard I I , Sir John Arundell

of Lan h ern e of having married the heiress the manor , the l daughter of Ralph e Sore . Sir John Arundell bequeathed

hi s son this estate to secon d , Thomas , whose descendants held

ol v n it until the time of Charles I . It was at T er e that Henry V II I . was entertained with great magnificence by his

u of kinsman the Sir John Ar ndell that day .

The story of the com ing of the Arundells of T ol v ern e

to t m m of T ru th u al of heir s all anor , in the parish Sithney, is

h u o f a m wa h m f u ll of t e flavo r ncien t ro ance . It s at t e ti e

t t was n of ha the world still dreami g the land of El Dorado . The Spoils of Mexi co and Peru bro u ght home by the Spaniards had profo u ndly m o v ed th e i m agination s of all h m v t u S u . as u T ol v ern e ad en uro s o ls Sir T o Ar ndell , of , had

f - listened to th e tale s of hom e com i n gT adventurers of a

O th er powerfu l bran h es of th e A ru n ell fa m ly were settle a t T reri ce c d i d , Man d arv a an d T rem od eret i n th e a r sh of D u oe , P i l .

“L ’ “ See s n s r l I Ly o Co n wa l . 1 1 7

m u on as O arvello s island the co t of America , called ld Brazil ,

where u n told we a l th lay ready as spoil f or th e brav e. a n d

- w t hi s u f or sto u t hea rted . He as ed s bstance in vain search

u t w — th e of thi s island of bea y and ealth pearl American seas .

Where he sea rched we do n ot know ; only that his search was

n an d h u n to h i s own an n i n tu vai , t at he ret r ed l d broke for ne

a a h a n d h and prob bly also in spirit and in he lt , t at he was comp elled to part wi th hi s a n cestra l acres of T ol v ern e a n d to

on sm a ta th a n d ea make his home his ller es te i n Si ney Br ge ,

i h o r u which s till remain ed to h m from t e wreck f his fo t n es .

wa s u so n u d wh o a s He s cceeded by his , John Ar n ell , served a Col o nel o f Horse in th e a rm y of th e King d u ring th e Civil

Wa r wa s the n of . This gallant soldier buried in orth aisle

Si tl i n e u ch th e to w a s y Ch r , and tablet his memory , hich t ke the

m o f d l w t a ws i s the n for a ston e shiel , b azoned i h sw llo , o ly m m a n o w r m o f t w u f m e ori l e aining his once po e rf l a ily . The m ale line of thi s branch o f the fa mily becam e ex tinct on the

t of 1 776 r ta of dea h J ohn Arundell , in India , i n . Thei es te

M e thl ei gh wa s so ld to the Oc od e family in th e eighteenth

tu r a n d s l t u s t T he m cen y , til con in e i n heir possession . anor o f T re wo rl a s which they had previo u sly h eld i n the parish had p as sed i n m a rriage to th e J a go fam ily i n th e seventeen th

t r u t s ou r cen u y . The Ar ndells are s ill repre ented i n midst i n th e m i n ss rs a fe ale line Me . John Arundell and Willi m

ru of w P e n wed n a t u A ndell Pryor , Lo er an d Higher g , hro gh

r u l m R n , Ma garet Ar nde l , who arried ichard Pryor , of Sith ey , 1 704 in .

T h e m anor of P e n gwed n a rem ained in th e family of

u d of L a n h ern e u t i t wa s s Ar n ell , , n il old in the eighteenth

tu b v u of u cen ry Lord Ar ndell Wardo r , who had inherited

t t o f h i m the e s a e s s Corni sh kins en .

th to th e of M ethl ei h m a Wi regard manor g , it y be wor thy o f men ti o n that an ancient chapel seem s to have

m rn e i s o n s to T re ea . ex ted this manor , clo e Farm A carved

e s a l n ow u s as a pillar of cclesia tic l design sti l survives , ed 1 18

a - g te post , and from time to time carved stones have been

u d unearthed ro nd the spot , on e , I am tol , containing a

a of u re listic representation the Cr cifixion . Roun d the pre sumed site of this chapel human bones have from time to m ti e been laid bare . I have been unable to find any record of t A s th e m m d his forgotten chapel . spot co ands a wi e

w th e u i ts vie of sea , which beats pon the rocks below , erection may have been d u e to the v ow of som e voyager who

of an d t had escaped from the fury the waves , the bones res ing rou nd it m ay be those of drowned m ariners or it m ay be that we have h ere the si te of the oratory of the ancient home of th e N an sl adon s Ch am on ds at or the ; any rate , all record of

’ this ancient house o f God and God s acre have long s ince faded into oblivion . From th e ancient fam ily of A ru ndell we nat u ra lly pass

t - Pen er i ck to the owners of the radition haunted manor of g s . An ancient race bearing th e name of th e manor long

m t i n flo u rished there , their first co ing being long since los

P e n er i cks r t the mists o f the past . The g s are c edi ed still

m i o f n o s w s in the nds the peopl e as having bee rem rsele s recker , l u ring ships to th eir doom on th e Sands of P raa by fa l se

n h e t of lights displayed o t shore . In a persistent radition this kind there is as a r u le a s u bstrat u m o f fact ; tradi tion has been prove d ti m e after ti m e to rest u pon a solid basis

h a n u v of trut , preserving for future gener tio s a bl rred ision

m n - Pen ersi cks of events fro a lo g forgotten past . That the g

of of were men wild deeds , the assault by a member the race ,

n ersi ck on L s ei n of Henry d e Pe g , David de y p , Vicar Breage ,

5 u of i n 1 33 , whilst collecting the ecclesiastical d es the parish ,

h u lends more t an a suggestion ;the assa lt , as we have seen

of in a former chapter , being such a grievous and heinous nature as to lead to Henry Pen gersi ck being placed under the b an of excommunication .

“ u of Mr . Robert H nt , in his Popular Romances the

f E d e on e of he l Pen ersi ck W est o nglan , has preserv d t wi d g

120 po tions that she co u ld brew we r e powerless to m elt the

f P en i k e t o u ers c . of S h ar yo ng g Love i n the heart the pinster ,

u to u f s bj ected constant reb f s and coldness , began to change

t of to hate , an d his father , finding that the hear his son was

n n u to obdurate , and his ature most obsti ate , made s it the

of m m N spinster high degree hi self , an d was s iled upon . ow i t happened that the witch of Fra dda m h a d a n iece called

t ha d w f Bi ha , who assisted her aunt in the bre ing o her

— unholy potions . Bitha too , like the elderly spinster now spinster n o longer— had al so fallen u nder the spell of the manly

u of u n Pen ersi ck hi s bea ty y o g g , an d in order to win affections determined to take service with his stepmother, n ow duly

i n Pen ersi ck ou t u ensconced g Castle . It fell i n the co rse of

’ m P e er i k ti e as Bitha had hoped , and she won young n g s c s

t u was d v h ear , but unfort nately their love isco ered by the ha rridan step m other ; this discovery served only to deepen h e r hatred for o n e whom previously she had so passionately t loved . She herefore determined once more without delay to

m of h of Fra ddam m h e e ploy the services the black witc , who s

d u h a previo sly discarded as an incapable physician . But here

i n n ot to Bitha s tepped . She had served an apprenticeship her

u th e h of Fra dda m a nt , witc , in vain she had kept her eyes Open a l l th e while she had helped i n filling the caldron on d d m Fra a Down with horrible brews , and the knowledge thus obtained enabled her now to foil all the Spells of her aunt u pon the life of her beloved with more powerful

- ol d of Pen ersi ck counter spells . At last the wicked beldam g ,

n of of n despairi g once more the weapons sorcery, determi ed to arm hersel f wi th the m ore powerf ul ones of cal u mny and

e e i n d slander . She succe d d persuading the foolish old lor ,

son n ow her husband , that his was manifesting the deepest

h too m f or aff ectio n towards er. This tale was altogether uch

to n the dotard bear, and it stung him to ungover able

'

n th e caref u l l - m fury . He at o ce fell in with y prepared pro pt

of hi w an d son ings s ife , had his unfortunate seized by a 121

r ff wh o ff l a gang of u ian sailors , carried him o to a ship that y

th e i n to riding in bay , which he was taken Morocco an d

a s sold a slave . After this we gather that the poor ol d lord had little pea ce of mind both mistres s and maid were at one

si in de ring his dissolution . It was n ot long , till sad and weary

a - b ed he lay dying, when Bitha came and stood by hi s , and with pleasing candour divested herself of the mask of kindly

t She aha affec ion behin d which had hitherto hidden herself , i n hard staccato tones told hi m of the vil e machinations of

n ow r m th e ff o f his wife , and that he was dying f o e ects slow

s w re poi ons , hich she herself had administered to him . The w as n ow n othing more left f or the poor ol d lord of Penger sick to do than to wearily turn his face to the wall and die, like many before and after hi m to whom knowledge had m co e too late .

th e of of P en ersi ck After lapse long years , the heir g

to n suddenly returned his home , bringi g with him a dusky d w as . Eastern bri e , whose beauty like a d ream He and his

two s bride were accompanied by swarthy ervants , with whom

of they con v ersed in a strange language . The lord Penger sick u sed to ride forth from the castle m ounted upon a coal black charger so obedient an d d ocile in all its ways was this s tee d t o its mas te r that it soon came to (be universally rega rded as u ndoubtedly of satanic origin. The new lord on his return found his wicked and foolish old s tepmother shut

i n m d t e up her cha ber , with her skin covere wi h scales lik a

m of m of - serpent , fro the effect the fu es the hell broth that she had been constantly brewing with the witch of Fra ddam fo r his u ndoing and th e infatuatio n of the fooli sh ol d l ord

t at of his fa her . I n her pain and misery she last ridded him

s u t t n i n i her pre ence , and so gh relief i n dea h by plu g g nto

’ w v o f m of we the a es the sea . The fu es the witch s caldron ,

too f or an d gather, had also been much Bitha , her once

n of . on beautifu l face had taken o the hue a toad She lived ,

u ol d cot on . a D w . an gly and miserable crone , in a St Hil ry o n 1 22

The Eastern bride of th e lord of Pen gersi ck was kind

to w Sh e to and gentle all with hom had d o , an d the lord

to himself , it was said , was generous and h elpful all around but he made no friendships n or held i n tercourse wi th those

own of . his degree The returned lord was , in fact , a lonely t and soli ary man , riding forth alone and spending long hours

a poring over strange books . His chamber , it is s id , was full of as strange instruments , liquids and retorts , and he laboured with these in solitude the castle would be filled with stra n ge odours , which suggested the bottomless pit . At times as the night wind howled roun d the turrets of the castle h i s v 0 1ce might be heard in the inte rvals of the blast summoning

n m u spirits from the u seen world , and as they ca e in clo ds obedient to his bidding their voices were heard above the beati n g of the waves on the rocks ben eath an d the howli n g

h wa s of t e blast in the turrets . He regarded by the people

th e t of Fraddam as a white witch , whilst wi ch was a black

h i s S witch and antithesis . His pells were more powerful t o f han hers , and he at last drove her t sea in a cof in from

Germoe Churchyard , in which , as in a canoe , she could be seen on stormy nights riding over the waves round Pen gersi ck

of Head , her wild , shrill shrieks unholy laughter being

n h e - d carried o t storm win . The b eautiful lady of Pen gersi ck rarely ventured from

a n d u sh e the castle in s mmer time, it was said , would sit f or to hours with her casement open the sea , like a true

to of Eastern lady , singing the accompaniment her harp the

t of u softest , sweetes songs . At times fits nutterable gloom

on of would settle down the soul her lord , and as David

f r u of u so with his harp li ted the da kness from the so l Sa l , this fair lady would soothe to rest the weary spirit of her

‘ t on i n i n h on e lord . Years drif ed , br g g but little c ange , till day there came a swarth y stranger of gloomy and forbidding

to n fish er mie n Marazio , where he took up his abode . The m en woul d see hi m sometimes as th e ni ght closed i n sitti n g

1 24

We may well ascribe the ski n di sease of his wicked step

mother to leprosy— then very comm on — rather than to the h ’ t f u mes of t e witch s caldron . Adopting this ra ionalised

t n o f d b u t u to o interpreta io the legen , it is nat ral c nclude that on e who could thus readily exchange the c ree d f or

“ ” th a teheh n o e f had deep i nward convictions , and men without dee p convictions are ever pro n e to embark upon the

f u m sea o Speculation , and purs e such philosophic phanto s as

’ the elixir of life and the philosopher s ston e hence perhaps the stra n ge instruments and the odo u rs of the bottomless pit

with which his name i n tradition is associ a ted .

“ t t of Mr . Botterell , i n his Traditions and Hear h S ories ” of s ce i ou s u of the West Cornwall , give a more p acco nt this

P n i k on e d legen d of e gers c than the here followe . He states that he heard th e legend from the lips of an elderly m an at

wh o t i n th e hi s Gwi near , had often heard it rela ed days of

a of t s r th e youth . The main fe tures his tory are , howeve ,

’ w v i B otterel l s same ; e ha e the addi tional statement n Mr . legen d that the ol d lord of Pen gersi ck had himself in his

e o f u u youth b en a soldier fort ne , and that the wander l st fromtime immemorial had been effer v escent in the blood of

th e u t ol d race . The legend r ns hat the lord in the begin

n of ni g his days , as there were no wars at home , had betaken

“ himself in search of loot and glory to o u tlandi sh count ries

to far away in the East , a land inhabited by a people little

t a of t th e u or better han sav ges , who instead illing gro nd

d i d m igg ng for tin , passe the time i n roving fro place to

of t t a place as they had need fresh pas urage for heir c ttl e , and that th ey lived i n tents covered with the ski n s of their

t t n of th e m r a flocks , and hat heir raime t was made sa e mate i l ,

a n d of t yet they had rich stores jewels and gold , which hey had obtained by th e plunder o f their m ore set tl ed and

u i n dus trious neighbo rs .

Soen a i Se r es a e 251 i . p g . 1 25

’ s r w Germ oe It is aid , most p obably ith truth , that St . s

was t d of P en ersi ck Chair erec e by some member the g family ,

possibly as a peace - off eri n g to Mother Church after some

w i n more than usually wild and la less deed . The recess the

w of south chancel wall of Germoe Church , ith its canopy

n ow to a carved stone meant be used as sedili , most probably

th e of of t was tomb some member his restless race . This brief account of the P en gersi ck family may be closed with th e prosaic statement that on e of them represented Helston 139 7 14 6 in Parliament i n and agai n in 0 .

P n rsi ck th e of V The manor of e ge in reign Henry III .

m of u passed by purchase to the fa ily Milito . The Militons * descended from a daughter of the Pen gersi cks it is interest t ing to note . Accord ing to Leland , Job Mili ou , the purchaser ,

Pen e rsi ck came fro m Devonshire . On his arrival at g he set abou t building the present crumbling grey tower , which tho u gh sadly shor u of i ts former Splendours domi n ates the

s t to valley . Hals , who e veraci y is much open doubt , states that Militou had fled to this remote corner of the world to

u n hide his head and avoid avenging j stice , havi g imbrued

- t his hands i n the blood of a fellow man . Whether his d eed

o r was done by accid ent with intent Hals does not say . It

i t e is more than probable that was n ver done at all . The reason f or the fortifying of the hou se of the Militons is n ot

n to far to seek : it sta ds close the sea , and the sea in those days was the Open highway of all lawless spirits . Often from

of Pen ersi ck the summit of the grey Keep g , in the years

of that followed its erection , might have been seen the sails

Barbary corsairs on the bosom of the sea . The crew of the merchantmen and the lonely fisherman in his littl e boat were a like eagerly snapped u p by these marauders to swell

t of s i n the growing popula ion laves Tripoli and Algiers .

n Th e ev es of D ren n i c k n d Wo l st n Re v . T T a or o a o a th e . See a pa per by yl B ill ,

f th e Ro a In st tu t on of Corn wa . LrV. ou rn a o No. J l y l i i ll 1 26

w of w was al m Under the shado night , hen the sea c and the

' landing good , these rovers of the sea would steal inshore i n

n open boats and surround some sleepi g hamlet or farmhouse . Th e strong men were carried off to labour as slaves under the h ot su n of Africa till death liberated them from their .

t to misery , whilst the por ion that fell the fair daughter was

f v n ot the listless ennui o the harem . The sea ro ers were the only danger that would menace the dwellers in Pen gersi ck

Castle i n thos e days ; the constant wars in which this d country was embroiled woul bring danger also from privateers ,

. D the licensed robbers of the sea Spanish , French and utch — - of a n d i n men war privateers , each turn would appear in the

h on to bay as t e centuries drifted . From generation gen era

’ n to t of tio , down the firs fifteen years this century , Mount s

to of Bay echoed the hoarse rumbl e guns , and the cannon smoke of ships e n gaged in deadly conflict drifted over its

n of waters whilst umbers lawless men , smugglers by repute “

e t . and pirates wh n occasion served , dwel upon its shores Well might the first Militou ensconce himself within the

e of of Pen ersi ck n n fortifi d walls his Keep g , co sideri g the

n of th e t e h e conditio im s in which lived .

An extract from the Stat-e Papers f or the year 1526 makes it clear th at the ancient spirit of the wild Pe n gersi cks

n o th e of th e was by means absent from souls Militons . A Portuguese ship had been wrecked at Gun walloe and much f J cargo sav ed . The cargo was seized by the servants o ob

u of Pen er i ck . Milito , second the name at g s , Thomas St

A u byn and William Godolphin ; when the unfortunate own er applied to the j ustices f or redress he was told that s m of n o of uch was the custo the country , and that redress any kind was possible . It may b e here mentioned that J ob

’

u e . f Milito was ultimatel y mad Governor o St . Michael s

- o Mount after the ill starred rebellion f Humphrey Arun dell .

Sta te a ers P p .

128

A feature of Pen gersi ck Tower i s the n u merou s loop

f or of u n holes the discharge arrows po besiegers , and also the elaborate arrangement f or pouri ng boili n g pitch or lead upon assailants attacking the doors . The race of Militou d id n ot long contin u e owners of

i k J ob u of P en gers c . Milito , son the purchaser , was succeeded

on Mi l iton wh o u by his s William , died without iss e , leaving his inheritance to be divided amon gst his six sisters ; th e estate thus ultimately passed through the female li n e to th e

Godo l phi n s and the Bullers . Another ancient family own ing considerable estates in

S a rn on s of S arn on the parish were the p , p an d Pengelly . They seem to have held their estates at a n y rate from the

t n ot m th e fifteen h century , if earlier . We find fro Church regi sters that at the meridian of their prosperi ty they mad e

w Godol hi n u alliances both ith the p s and the Ar ndells . The

of th e t S arn on s S a rn on outlines ancien home of the p at p ,

th e m a under shadow of the eastern en d of Tregoning Hill , y

r S arn on s t t m still be t aced , The p ultimately buil he selves a

on of larger house higher ground at Pengelly , part which

ou r still exists , serving as a farm h ouse . I n Church and churchyard severa l of th e memorials of the Sparn on s still u st n s rvive . Their e ates were purchased in the eightee th

u t century by Mr J s ice Buller , and are still held by his

th e s n descendant , pre ent Lord Chursto . The Carter family

m wh o i n n settled in A erica , recent years have bee such

u s s to on genero ben efactor Breage Church , descend the

th e S a rn on s to h o w female side from p . It is pleasant realise frequently the offshoots of ol d families renew them selves in

t on ol d new lands , sending forth vigorous shoo s to carry

of u traditions and ideals service and usef lness . ies and Un ort i Worth w h es.

“ ’ “ H a r r Ca r ter J ohn Ca r ter Ki n ( P 'r u ssi rW Smu l i n y , , g y gg g

Wa s a n d - D a s Wi l li a m Lemon Ca ta i n Tobi a s M a r ti n g y , p ,

P oet J ose h B oa cl cn i ll a tli ema ti cicm p , .

CHAPTER VI II .

m u t s w Harry Carter , s ggler , priva eer an d revivali t , as

r n Pen er i ck 1 749 o s . bo n a small farm at g in His father , wh o

ou t was a min er by trad e , eked a livelihood , with th e

t n assistance of his sons and daugh ers , in farmi g a small plot t i of ground . Harry Carter ells us i n h s that he was one of a family of eight sons and two da u ghters ; that his eldest and youngest brothers received some scanty

u h t h e ed cation at Germoe Sc ool , but hat and the rest of hi s fam ily received no ed u cation beyon d some crude hom e

s n u of lesson in readi g , given thro gh the medium the Bible . The problem of daily bread in th e hou sehold of his parents was of much too pressing a nature to allow m ore than this

w n i n a of u . m th the y ed cation As soon as stre gth per itted , e

to w or or children had go forth to k in the fields the mines , that each might bri n g hi s share of daily bread to the common

t u wa s t s o s ore . Tho gh life hu hard , the principles f religion

n o t n n were eglected in the home , the children bei g taught to

“ recite som e prayers after they were in bed a n d to attend

w th e G u hen p ossible services at ermoe Church . His yo th coin ci ded with th e stran ge stirri n gs in the religio u s life of the people brought about by the n o t infrequent peregrina h tions of John Wesley throu gh t e di strict . When Harry was eight y ears of age th e soul of his brother Francis was touched

“ ” A ra h of a Sm u er u sh e Messrs. o a r of Tru ro 1 89 4 Th e u tob o y l bli by P ll , , . i g p gg , p d d 130

of as th e at one of those wild scenes religious revivalism , an d

w t a t o bro hers slept together , the little lad of eight bec me stran gely i mpressed and awed by th e chan ge in the

of . u s h d emeanour his brother He tells , however , t at these impressions of aw e gradu a lly faded ou t of hi s youthful

A t was on mind . ten he sent to work at the min es the

a n d f or surface , he continued there seven years , when he went to j oin hi s elder brothers in a more adventuro u s and

Porthl eah stirring life upon which they had entered at ,

to soon to change its name Prussia Cove . Before we proceed further with the story of Harry

i t m a n Por hl eah Carter , y be well to say somethi g about t , so

’ to u soon become famous as a sm gglers haun t . Between Cudden Point on the west and E n ys Point on the south lie

to u three little coves . The one nearest C dden Poin t is called

’ to Pixies Cove . This cove is too rocky and exposed be used

u b u t as a harbo r , its precipitous sides are riddled with caves

’ f r s u itable o the smugglers trade . Next to Pixies Cove

’ come s Bessie s Cove , called after a wild character, Bessie

u Ki ddl ewi n k B rrows , who there kept the Inn , a famous

rendezvous of th e smugglers plyi n g thei r. lawless trade along

’ r m w th e coast . Bessie s Cove is altogether hidden f o vie till the edge of th e cliff s are reached Which form i ts precipitous

th e of th e cl iflf sides . A rugged road leads up face from

’ Bessie s Cove , and at certain points in the ascent caves Open

’ f o into the recesses o the rocks . T o the east f Bessie s Cove h w P orthl ea n o . n lies , known as Prussia Cove The ame

to th e Prussia Cove came to be given it from John Carter ,

of wh o elder brother Harry , soon came to be the acknow

d - of t n ledge head all the smuggling fraterni y alo g the coast . I n his youth John Carter had been the lead er o f his fellows

l b o i sh t of i n al y games , and s ories the great Frederick , King

u i a h av i n to e of of Pr ss , g penetrated the r mote West Cornwall , ‘ had so fascinated th e mind of this adve n turous lad that he

e of r s a n e n ot s d u bb ed hims lf Kin g P u si . This am only tuck

132

Off th e e hi long year . Fr nch coast s bowsprit was carried

w f o . r tt a ay , and he put into St Malo repairs , li le recking of the momentous tran spi ri n gs since he had sailed from Penzance Bay f or France had e n tered into alliance with the

n n o w revolted America colonies , and was at war with

- England . Carter thus sailed his heavily armed cutter i n to

o u t of e n o a trap , which th re was escape . He an d his men w sh e t ere made prisoners , and his ship and all that con ain ed ” of n s wh o became a French prize war The Ki g of Pru sia ,

“ happened to be on busin ess at this time in the Ch a nnel

h t to Islands , as ened to his rescue , and attempted explai n

to m d m t . on e an at ers his captors The atte pt was a foolish , he soon found himself locked up with his brothe r Ha rry and

f n the crew o the cutter in a Fren ch priso . Their captivity

on e of proved a hard and tedious , but like the men resource and

t t at to purpose tha hey were , they once set to work make the

of u nn n u a best their sit ation by lear i g the French la g ge ,

s n of whil t Harry , in addition , beguiled the en ui his captivity

of t s by the study naviga ion , which in after year served him

two s did n ot t i n good stead . The brother obtain heir liberty

t t of two m e to un il af er a captivity years , when freedo cam

of them i n an exchange prisoners . Harry Carter on his ret u rn home refi tted hi s old fifty

u u n ton cutter and made several successf l sm g gling ru s . One

e n u of these runs was attended with unpl asant co seq ences ,

u which nearly proved disastro s . He had sailed to deliver a contraband cargo in South Wales ; on reachi n g th e Welsh coast he left his cutter lying off the Mumbles whilst he

n n landed to make fi nal arrangements about run i g the cargo . — In his absence the cutter was mistake n by a cr u iser for on e

h w n of t e Dunkirk privateers , which at this time ere haunti g

e of th e W lsh coast like birds prey , snapping up vessels

t e f or engaged i n the coas ing trade . These privateers w re

n e u s the most part comma d d and manned , Carter tells , by

f h u n . e o t e er ee u se ea Irishme The cr w c tt , s ing the cr i r b ring 1 33

w u ou t v of do n pon them , put to sea to sa e their cargo

t d i n u u s con raband , and soon succee ed el ding the cr i er by

u u s u perio r speed . On giving p the chase the cr iser sent a

o on t as o f th e b at shore , and Carter was arres ed the captain

d n a on Iri sh pira te . The matter en ed in his bei g det ined

w w h i s u t su spicion for t elve eeks , and ltima e liberation was

only bro u ght about by the representations of hi s Cornish

th e o f h frien ds to th e A d m iralty . With excepti on this slig t

u d o f n t n t u overclo ing his horizo , hi gs still con in ed for some

’ hi m h e m s ti m e to prosper with . On his return home infor

“ u s that he rode about th e co u ntry getting freights and

‘ ”

m . e collecting mon ey for the co pany Ind ed , things

continued for some ti m e to prospe r so well with th e

“ company that soon ano ther large cutter of one h u ndred

l l l d t u six y tons , and carrying nineteen guns , was p rchased by

t st s th e of u hem , whil they gave order for building a l gger

two t mounting twen ty guns . These vessels when fi ted ou t

u r th e r m on sailed , nde sup eme com and of Harry Carter ,

s . voyages of illicit merchandi e No wonder , under the

st s r m n circum ance , Harry Carte began to fancy hi self agai ,

s u s i n h i s m b u t t wa s I as he tell emoirs here , alas a fly in the

tm the hi s s t - t s oin ent . In pride of pro peri y and self sa i faction

swear w o rd s began contin u ally to slip o u t of his lips ; this weighed a t times heavily on h i s soul and plu n ged hi m i n

u o It w deep spiri t al glo m . was evidently ord s and n ot deed s

’ u that co nted in this man s creed . His relations wi th the collector of C ustoms and preven

t s em to of d t ive officers e have been the most frien ly charac er , an d herein l ay m o st probably the secret of his success as a

m of w t s uggler i ndeed , the friendship Carter i h these officials helps u s to u nderstand the cause of th e ex trem e prosperity

of the s m u ggling industry alon g th e Corni sh coast at this

r m 1 780 w . a n pe iod In Dece ber , , Harry Carter s lyi g in w w th Ne lyn Road aboard his cutter, i her consort the l u gger

a alongside , when a messenger c me from his frien d the 1 34

of h collector Customs , saying t at a Dunkirk privateer , called th e P r u t o off Black rince , and bearing a te rible rep ta i n , was

m n d u n l St. I ves , co mitting ma y epredations po the ocal

T he n u ' shipping . collector co cl ded his message by asking him to capture the privateer an d so end the reign of terror

’ h u was al l to along t e coast . This d ty not at Harry Carter s

b u t u n liking ; , considering his b siness , it was a da gerous thing

of u t m t n ot. f e w to displease the collector C s o s , an d so wi h a q ualms he set ou t upon the dangerous enterprise of

H e u t to actual warfare . p roun d St . Ives with his two

t t . O vessels , and anchored off ha town n Christmas Day , in

n the morni g , the redoubtable Black Prince hove in sight , and

ou t of w t two n Carter sailed St . Ives Bay i h his ships to e gage

m u a n d m f or her . The Black Prince i mediately put abo t ade

‘ h n u t e open sea , a runni g fight ens ing between pursuers

u i n u v and pursued . The l gger the purs it soon recei ed a

t to S wi th ' al l fatal sho , which caused her rapidly fill an d ink

m a hands on board . In the meanti e C rter , having had his j ib carried away by a shot and another planted in his hull , tho u ght it high time to abandon the pursuit of the Black Prince he was th u s able to bear up and rescue seventeen of

’ u - on e b u t th e s th e l gger s crew of thirty , re t found a watery

m th e grave . Carter tells us Before we ca e up with

i n to e oh " privateer , expecting come to an engagem nt , what horror was on m y mind for fea r of death as I knew I must

‘ ’ come to j u dgment sure and sartin . I feared if I died I

f or t t should be lost ever . Notwi hs anding all this I made the

t u w grea est o tward sho of bravery , and through pride and

i n o presu mpt o exposed myself t the greatest danger . I stood

’ on the com panion until the wa d of the en emy s shot flew i n

u of fire abo t me , and I suppose the wind the shot struck me

' / on sh ot took t m am sail t i n down the deck , as the in he righ a line wi th me . One of my officers helped me up and thought

d f ‘ to o n o I was wounde , and he would suf er me g there ” more .

1 36 m orbi dity and intense practicaln ess ; much time seem s to

e of hav been profitably spent in the study navigation , an d m u ch wasted u pon hypochondriacal m aunderings u pon th e

t of u h i s s t f or w condi ion his so l , occa i onal proclivi y s ear

w an d of u of t ords lack ass rance as to his state salva ion .

- Whe n hi s wo u n ds healed he u sed to steal out of his lair at h to u t e . O on e n ight Pr ssia Cove , returning ere dawn n of t s on he e occasions , as he returned he moralised the singing

“ of the bird s in the dawn answering the end f or which

l d t t s they were sent i nto the wor , so ha I wi hed I had

or or so t n o been a toad a serpent anything , tha I had

u t u s h n to so l . Likewise there was a grey hr h w ich sa g

w to a me night and morning, hich have preached me m ny ” a sermon .

of m The sermons this bird , like many other sermons , see

’ to n o ff have produced practical e ect upon Carter s life . His m i nd was ut terly untroubled so far as the lawlessness of his

i f was e u s s of m of l e conc rned , or the q e tionablene s any his

d u r t f o r con ti n u an ce deeds i n eed , he made caref l p epara ion i n

f n lawless co u rses by the study o avigation . In the autum n his wife was seized wi th rapid cons u mp

ti on a n d a i w t h e r u , he p id a pathet c fare ell visi to nder the

t s he shadow of night at Helford , whi her had gone with her

little girl to be with her parents . He returned lonely

and broken - hearted to his refuge at Acton Castle a little

w w t t before the dawn , over helmed ith the hought hat he would see his wife n o more and that he was a ruined an d

broken man .

O th e 24th O 1 788 to n ctober , , he was able obtain a

to o n passage Leghorn board the George , a ship sailing from

u t n Penzance . From Leghorn he s cceeded in ob aini g a

e m to passage to New York , where he b ca e reduced a condition

of t v tt to extreme pover y , ha ing for a bare pi ance work sid e

v t by side i n th e fields with neg ro sla es . Af er many hard

’ ships he de termined to brave the terrors of the law and ( ‘ En w e his wa venture b ack once more to gland . He ork d y

un d er ~ th e e th e back American flag , and narrowly escap d t On atten ions of the Press Gang in the English Channel . hisarrival in England he soon found that his n ati v e soil was

too t h e still hot for his feet . Under circumstances he crossed i l th over to Roscoff , on the French coast , the then cap ta of e

u a e w th e Channel sm ggling tr d , here he became local agent

of - his brothers . But events moved rapidly in France under

the Revolution . D uring the Terror , with many other English , he was arrested and remained under detenti on f or ov er two

years . With the fall of Robespierre he and his other E n glish

- l T sm fellow prisoners were set at iberty . his uggling Ulysses

hi s on n d u 1 brought wanderings to an en d the 22 Aug st, 79 5 .

m on l u s He dise barked that day at Fa mouth , he tells , at ’ w m three o clock i n th e afternoon , here I met y dear little

' ” B i n e ea r ol d s n s . e sie , then between eight and y The follow

he earl v u ing day happened to be Sunday , and at an ho r set

f orhi s n r t out ati ve place , eaching Breage a lit le before eleven

’ on o clock , and meeting his brother Frank his way to church .

r r B n m m r Ha ry Carte settled at i sey , beca e a far e , and

c th e of i n A ril ontinued to reside there unti l day his death p ,

1 829 .

“ of u John Carter , known as The King Pr ssia , plays a

’ tra diti on th an much larger part in local his brother Harry,

though on Harry fell th e more onerous and dangerous part of facing th e perils of the sea and of hostile shores in p u rsuit of

’ “ th e sm u ggler s calling . In those days an d for long

“ after the wild doings of Pr u ssia Cove would be on

’ everyon e s lips the doings on the lonely d eep had no

' m th e chronicler to magnify the . Many are legends that ” f of u s e Of cling ro u nd th e nam e o The King Pr s ia som .

- on b these Mr . Baring Gould has placed record in his ook

” ' on e n Cornish Characters and Strange Events . On occasio

‘ ffi s wh o John Carter received a visit from the Revenue o cer ,

On e demanded to make a search of his entire premises . door 138

re on n mained padlocked , an d this they insisted having ope ed ;

n ot t n w h ofi the key being for hcomi g they renc ed the locks , but the cellar thus closed proved to be q u ite innocent of ,

O n th e contraband . the following day Carter complained to Revenu e authorities that his u n locked premises had been r f or ifled during the night , an d demanded restitution his s tolen goods , as the Revenue officers by their violent action

hi m of t h e of had deprived means securing hi s doors . The story runs that Carter himself had removed his property

we to during the night , and are asked believe the somewhat difficult statement that th e Revenue offi cers under the circumstances paid him the value of the property hehad

e e n v r lost . On another occasion we are told that the Reve n u e authorities seized in the cellars of Carter a val u able cargo of

S d n contraband pirits , which Carter had already ma e arra ge ments to supply to his customers amongst the surroun ding

t on n gen ry , an d that the following night Carter and his ga g

e of broke into the Custom warehouses , seiz d the contraband

d to d which they had been deprive , and proceeded eliver it to f or had t those whom it been originally in ended . t w His crowning exploi , ho ever , was open ing fire with a

of u h ad on battery g ns which he erected at Prussia Cove , the boats of the Government cutter Faery . The Faery was in h ot of n to pursuit a smuggli g craft , which in order elude her pursuer sailed through a narrow channel between the E n ys

th b affled of e . rocks and shore The Faery , her prey , lowered

t u her boats in pursuit , and as hese drew into Pr ssia Cove ,

t off Carter Opened fire upon them and beat hem . This

n seems to have been towards dusk . Next morni g the Faery

’ on opened fire from the sea Carter s shore battery , whilst mou n ted troops from Penzance took up their posi tion o n to th e of n the shore rear his battery , and in tur opened

n w w to fire upo it . The smugglers thereupon ithdre Bessi e

’ - u f or i ts re Burrow s public ho se and prepared defence , but

140

" g w s w round spades ere brought and excavation made , hich

e to - e end d i n bringing light a fair sized subterran an cellar ,

n e whose gruesome co tents were a larg knife Of foreign make , m t a skull , a few hu an bones , some disintegra ed p a tches Of clothing and a small handf u l Of silver and copper coins, one

h i th e n ow on the Of whic , a sh lling Of reign Of George II . , lies table Of the writer .

From the Carters we t u rn to a man Of a very differen t type , who made his way to wealth by sterling integrity and

e w m i n honesty Of purpos . William Lemon as born at Ger oe

1 6 9 6 u n 1 th , an d baptized in Breage Ch rch o the 5 November

a a t th e fv i l l a e Of the s me year . He received his education g

a nd m th e school , being a lad Of quick i ntelligence , he beca e in

to t t th e first instance a clerk a Mr . Coster, connec ed wi h

u r u m w a local mining ind st y . He disting ished hi self hen mere boy on the occasio n Of a Ship being dri v en on P raa

th e rt v Sands in midst Of a terrific gale . He and a pa y Of bra e

’ O f men , who arrived on the scene the disaster as the ship was h a quickly breaking to pieces , formed themselves wit gre t n galla try into a living chain , extending from the shore . into

to the raging , angry surf , and so were able grasp and save the shipwrecked sailors as they were carried On the wa v es to

B u t f or t u s ras i n th em the shore . these heroic men h g p g they would ha v e b een sucked back into th e sea and d rowned i n

u was the receding waters . Yo ng William Lemon a lad Of

u u u t of thoughtf l and st dio s disposi ion , and availed himself every Opport u nity to learn what there w a s to be learnt Of d m a assaying and m ine engi neeri n g in th e istrict . Presu bly

‘ men of education and prac ti cal ability were very scarce in ' the

u t m neighbo rhood at his ti e at an y rate , whilst little more than a boy he was appoin ted th e m anager Of considerable ti n smelti n g works i n the neighbourhood Of Penzance . At

n ’ ’ th e w t - he M i ss l sab el l a V age Of t en y eight married a ibart , Of

’ T l v r l n l v l i i " o e Gu a a d m . , , _ la y Of so e property Will am Len on

" ” was endowed with breadth Of mind and g raspof detail i n Ta 141

m th e u arked degree , and means which his wife bro ght him enab led him to bring these facul ties into play with th e most

on u - successful results . He embarked pr dent and far sighted

u e mining speculations , which q ickly made him a man Of gr at

on wealth . He con ceived the idea Of working the tin mines

n o t t or a large scale , and as hi herto by small bands companies

“ u Of advent rers , as had been the custom for some generations .

w a m m Though great e lth ca e to him co paratively early , h i s h u c aracter contin ed u nchanged and unspoilt , and i n the midst Of his succes ses he continued to utilize his l ei su re i n the s O f i n - to n o tudy Latin , an d his middle age he had attained m ean knowledge Of that tongue . In the present age the

u u Of s ccessf l developer Of min es and floater mining companies ,

S s i n pending his leisure in the study Of the clas ics , would be ” ma wr s a u tr es tem s a u tr es . deed regarded as strange , but p ,

u When s ccess came William Lemon settled i n Truro . The kindline ss Of his character 1 s well ill u s trated by an inciden t at this period Of his life . He had trained a pet Cornish chough

a t so well , and so fond had the bird become of him , that his all i t wo u ld leave its fellows and come and settle on hi s hand

n u or his head as he walked alo g . A lad Of the Tr ro Grammar

wh o d School , named John Thomas , afterwar s became Warden

n to Of the Sta naries , accidentally killed this tame bird so dear

n to th e heart Of its owner . I n fear and trembli g he went the f m ’ O . . house Mr Lemon , and confessed his cri e The lad s

~ straightfor wardness disarmed all resentment i n the heart Of

' s t this kindly man , who di missed him wi h frien dly words , after praising hi s Openness and m anliness Of character in con fessing his delinquency .

an d William Lemon served as High Sheriff Of the county , might have represented it in Parliament had he so

t Carcl ew to He ultimately bought the es ate Of , which place he

“ ’ Se r a r n - G ou s C orn sh Ch a ra te rs a n d S tra n e E v en ts f or m an of th e e M . B i g ld i c g y

fa ctors a s gi v en a bov e . 142 w 1 4 7 9 . on ent to reside in His s was created a baronet , and f or some years represented Cornwall in Parliament . This

n baronetcy became extinc t i n th e su cceedm g generatio . A friend h as shewn the writer some letters Of William

u son Lemon , which reveal him as an affectionate and dutif l to his aged mother , and kindly an d solicitous for the welfare

al l n on e Of the members Of his family . I venture to tra scribe

t wh o Of these letters , writ en to his brother at Germoe , had

f r been ailing o some time . It reveals a touching faith in the efficacy Of alcohol as a restorer Of the vigour Of the human

w n ow u system , hich the world has lost , and also gives a q aint

Of n picture a bygone age and generatio , The letter is as follows Truro h 1 4 t e 7 . 28 Sept mber , 8

Dear Brother , I was much concerned to hear of the illness Of y ou and

n u i n your family, an d co seq ently had great satisfaction hear

T O ou ing Of your being recovered . comfort an d recruit y , I have ordered to b e brought you by this bearer four dozen ’ on bottles Of wine , Of different sorts , as mentioned the other

ou side , whi ch I hope y will make use Of with moderation . I cannot omit again pressing y ou to hav e particular attention to t h the educa ion Of your children . It will be surprising s ould

ou e seel n to so y negl ct this , g I have Offered contribute much

o towards it . My good wishes attend y u and your whole family , and I am

Your affectionate brother ,

William Lemon . Bo ttles — 4 Tent 4 Canary 1 2 Mountain 28 Port

48 Bottles .

1 44

’ i B rea Of n e . , g Churchyard The later years his life were c b n d u n f or louded y false accusations a j ust claims , which led

’ a time to his confinement in the Sheriff s Ward at Bodmi n . His character was ultimately com pletely v indicated by the f ef orts Of Mr . Richard Tyacke , Of Godolphin . Hard upon this troubl e f ollowed the brutal murder Of his eldest son i n

d n America , which arken ed the few remaini g years Of the Old

’ man s life . The poems Of Tobias Martin were fi rst publ ished in

n i 1 31 1 856 a n d Helsto n 8 ; a second edition followed i n , a

1 u u 5 . third in 88 - The poems s ggest the mental attit de Of an eighteenth ce n tury Cornish Piers Plough m an running n " the throu gh them there is a vein O f d eep resen tme t at .

a a n n a t tyr nny d Oppression Of the ruli g cl sses , and the le hargy ,

”

- an d cl er i s to . pride , hard heartedn ess laxity Of the gy uched w t n O . upon i h light hand , His verses as poetry are utterly

l l s b ut as h d va ue es , garis pi ctures Of , a day that is passe they

w i f w n . will al ays be interesting , some hat painful readi g

h u Martin by i s contemporari es was called an atheist . J dging b t t y his, poems , I imagine that he had hough perhaps a little

r wh o v mo e than his accusers , most probably had ne er thought a t all on th e deeper things Of life ; his soul no dou bt was

' ’ in rev olt against the dead s hibboleths an d f orm al i sm of the

f or a e w - m en to m g , ith which were attempting co pound

v ‘ the brutality and coarseness Of their li es . One looks in

’ n f or on e e vain through Marti s poems thought Of poetic b auty,

‘ ‘ di rn m n t or sce e .

’ “ . Perhaps the following story Of Martin , given by Mr

‘ Baring will suggest a pict ure O f fithe m an ' an d his

1 to wn communi cations . It is fa r add that whilst the follo i g

stor rev eal s . y him as a merry fellow , many Of his poems reveal

‘ i n n e l him a strain Of plai tiv me ancholy .

Captain Toby was having his pint Of al e at a tavern ,

“ Corn sh h a ra ter n en S i C c s a n d Stra ge E V t ~ 145

’ when in comes a mi n er wh o was won t tO be called Old ” w n ot t n a. Blo hard , and was esteemed rusty or dilige t as w orkman .

’ ’ H ow ee Ca n are , pp ? Clever , how art thee “ b u o . P rty well for health , says Bill , but I want a j

’ Can ee give us waun ovver to y u r new bal

’ ” N O d C . , we re full , replie aptain Toby

’ H ow m any men have ee goat o v v er th eere asked Old w Bill Blo hard . P ’ H o w many Why we ve two sinki n g a air - sh aft through

’ ’ flocka n taa ckl e a n d w th eere the , and two to , that s fo er ; and s

the Oddi t a n d two men in , and a booay to car tools an d that , ” t r r s . that makes three moo e , and hat altogethe es eben

“ ’ ca u n s . ee And how many pp have goat said Bill . H ow many Why ten

° What Ten ca ppu n s to watch Ovver seben m en P I

’

. d oa n t b l i ev e ou . t . th e v y can maake hat out , for enturers ’ i t ” wouldn t stand .

’ ’ z a ckl n ou t ee Tes y so the , and I ll make it to in a

’ m m u ca u n u l . oa a t t o ent Wa n pp es no gh we knaw , but the las

’ m i tti n u Of the vent rers purposed to have . waun the

’ u m ca u n to n an d vent rers sons aade a pp , and lar , t h ey said ’ d raa er s son u t w m so a p called Sems , was p eth me fro school , at six pounds a month an d a shaare of wh at we h ad in the

’ ”

- count house .

’ h ow can ee ou an d Well , but maake ten Of y he

’ ’ l d rt e B Why I ll tel ee how , and you min n othe im ill ,

’ ’ ’ n u See h I’ f or th eere s som ethi n Of sch ol ari in t. Now t is .

b aen t P myself am waun , I ” Iss sure , said Bill .

th eest to w t u Sem s i s Well , an d aught kna tha yo ng

' ’ ‘ to chool so l On a n awthi n well when th eest ben s g as I h ve ,

th eest knaw th at waun with a nou ght attached to u n do maake

’ ” o z ackl . ten , and s tes y like that 146

’ on e n I venture to give specime Of Tobias Martin s poetry .

I a Awake , my soul the night is p st ,

to The day begins dawn , With eager footsteps let m e haste

T o meet the rising sun .

’ “ But first to hea v en s exalted thron e

A tribute let me pay ,

T O H i m wh o wn hath His mercies she , t And sent ano her day .

To h onest labour then inclined

’ I ll hasten to the spot , With cheerful an d contented mind

Where heav en hath cast my lot .

And there l et me my daily task

n With busy ha ds pursue ,

’ And God s assistanc e humbly ask

In e to do all I hav .

t t Though some despise my mean es a e , I would n ot have it said h t I spend my time i n sloth and a e ,

r N o earn my daily bread .

While idle wretches pl u e an d s tarve

d o And nothing good will ,

’ I ll labo u r on and try to serve ” God o and my neighbour t .

It would b e unj ust n ot to make mention i n concluding

B oaden wh o this chapter Of Joseph , lived his whole life as a

v th e h wh o to small culti ator i n paris Of Breage , and was laid

i n - re i n e e 1 858. st Br ag Churchyard December, Self taught , through his life h e pursued the study Of higher mathematics

r an d astronomy , and was rega ded as a valued corresp ondent

n d f e s a O a . by Prof s ors Airy Adams , C mbridge Under modern

n n e n e m e e difi u sed we co ditio s ducatio has b co mor , but look

Local Place Na mes an d Su erstitio p n s.

" CHAPTER I .

Ithas been said that the history O f England is wrl tten i n th e m . m na es Of her fields and enclosures Certain it is that in al ost ,

s m d every pari h , if the na es Of the fiel s be gon e over , some

m Of e u u w na e exceeding inter st or c rio sness ill be discovered ,

m m l n - n e bal ming so e o g forgotten fact or traditio . There are in the parish Of Breage tw o fields called The Sentry this

n am e is Of co u rse Obvio u sly a corr u ption Of the word

“ u two tu a t sanct ary . These sanc ary fields are opposite ends

of the parish on e forms the si te of the m ain shaft O f Wh ea l

Ke n n e i e r Vor Mine , and the other is i n the gg dist ict . Their situ ation th u s lends force to a suggestion tha t th ey m a y i n

’i u u a sa n ctu ar1 e remote times have been act ally sed as loc l s. The probability Of this seem s to be increased by the fact that

Ke n n e i e u e a fiel d contiguous to the gg sanct ary fi ld , is called

i n th th e Church Close . Possibly ancient days i n e Ch u rch

tu Close there stood a sanc ary chapel , whose story has long since faded into the mists Of Oblivion . Originally every

tu m ch u rch and ch u rchyard was a sanc ary for cri inals . The

sanct u ary seats at Hexham Abbey an d Bev erley Minster a n d the sanct u ary knocker in Durham Cathedral are still in

wh o m m tt m u or existence . A person had co i ed rd er other heinous crim e was safe if he could reach a sanct u ary before

an d u he was waylaid arrested once within the san ct ary , if in forty days he confessed his crime an d took a solem n oath before the coron er to depart from th e co u ntry an d n ever

“f I a m a ware th at th e term Sa n tu a ry a m e t o b e a l e v er y l oosely a n d c c pp i d , m n som et m es tt e m ore t h a n Ch u r h a n o r e v en a T th e a rn Th e c a m e to ea i li l c l d i B . S t su ests W t h re a r to th e Ken n e i e T m s Ta or Of t . u s Ch u r h Re v . h o a yl , J , gg i g d gg c ” C lose a n d San ctu a r y th a t th ese fi eld s m a y h a v e been f ra gm en ts o f th e a n ci en t sse rom th e S f eter to th e ea n n Ma n or Of M eth l ei h wh h a f ee O , Ex a d Ch a ter g , ic p d D p r Of Exeter wh o a li en a te i t f rom th e Ch u h . , d c 1 49

" u n h e wa n Ol t d n s O u in es e t . ret rn agai , allowed to g i o exil e Possibly our tw o loca l san c tu aries m ay h ave been th u s u sed

h n i n Cel tic times . Had t ey co tin u ed to b e u sed a s s u ch in

t m i t r ha m u se w u la er ti es , is p obable t t so e record Of this o ld

u have s rvived . T wo fields in the pari sh possess the gru esome n ame Of ” u a s h r th e Park Blood . Certai n local antiq rie ave d awn concl u s i on that th e n u mero u s fields of Blood d otted over West Corm ' a l l com mem o rate th e sites Of desperate triba l s ti u or It u l an d a a ggles . seems m ch more probab e re son ble , ” w t t m th e u t o f ho ever , ha Park Blood is erely corr p ion

“ f o w d s r . the ancient Corni h Field of Flo ers This eri vation , i t s n w e n u mb er is fair to add , seem in keepi g ith a Of other

” “ ” ds a s E y e i t d d local names of fi el , e Br gh Fiel , Bramble Fiel , ” d to Furzy Croft Fiel ,

fl “ An other field Of som ewhat gr u esom e n am e i s Ven ton ” o u t h a Gh s t. M r . Jenner s gges s t at this n me may be a corr u p ” t o f o f d t ma ion W ell Bloo , a itle which y well have been f d u e to th e red waters o a chalybeate spring .

Fro m a field whose nam e naturally s u ggests a t a first sight

h st n s n u to wh a s g o s an d haun ti gs , we pa s at rally a field ich be r

’ m a O f th e por tentous n a e Of Wizard s Plot las . all memory the w wh o r w t o n t s t an d izard once p obabl y d el his po ,

t s h i s s m n has l n s prac i ed pells and necro a cy there , o g ince

n faded in to Oblivio . It would be interesting to know how a field on M ethl eigh ' ’ 3 7 to Farm Obtained th e nam e Of The Martyr s Close . As who

‘ It i s s these m ar ty rs were tradition can give no light. po sible tha t th e nam e m ay commem orate on e of th e many acts Of f e i oci ty co mm i tted i n th e name of i el i gi on in the days of

“ ” th é n t wh ht i el i i O u s wei e m Sai s , en slig g differences a ple

“ a r oo m h t b e a r B lo d th e fi e Of flo we rs i n th e P k Bl d i g P k . ld “ ” ” ” In e h 1 2th en tu r v o a u a r i s F o s a n d B ot i s th e sa m e a s fa r n a . s c y c b l y l , l i W l ” “ “ ” ” “ b l wd i s flo u r a n d b l od n fl w In a ter Co rn s h ez i s flou r a n d a o o er. l i bl ”

h n i s flo w r h ere s su r v es a a e t wo r b l ou th . b l ed z a e . T till v i di l c d M J r. H . en n er 150

f or or had justification any form Of homicide , it may have , as

e to i t seems more probabl the writer , some conn ect on with he

th e n story Of unfortunate men whose skeletons , beari g upon t hem the unmistakable traces Of violent death , were discovered lying in a shallo w grave b eneath the site Of the pulpit in Breage h Churc . If this latter theory be accepted it seems probable that the field earned its present name through some act Of t mili ary reprisal during the Parliamentary Wars . In the Germoe district there i s a field called Ba rgest ” t t r Croft . At firs sigh Bargest suggests a co ruption Of ” B ar h ei st n n g , the Teutonic an d Scandi avian a imal spectre , whos e apparitio n s play such a large part in the folklore Of the

a i n North Of England . The resembl nce the words , however , ” t n is only superficial , Barges evidently bei g a corruption Of

“ ” o or Bargas , a kite , which is a m re less common form in compound l ocal place names .

Turning from place n ames which have been culled i n th e mai n from the tithe map to the parish tithe itself . Probably

‘ ou r tith-e with oth er Corn i sh tithe came first to be paid in

n ot l aw Cel tic times , through any force Of , but gradually by

e n custom , each own r Of lan d making what was deemed a fitti g payment f or the mainte n ance Of the bishop an d clergy Of th e

Of diocese and possibly to some extent f or th e relief the poor . As i n so man y other instances long custom cam e gradually to Obtain th e force Of legal enactment and the payment Of tithe

e c to become legally binding . Wh n Chur hes were built at

ou r n n to Breage and Germoe , local tithe i stead Of goi g the

e to support Of the clergy Of the dioces generally , would pass the special use Of the clergy Of Breage an d Germoe the right

t n a m Of appoin i g such clergy p ss g also by custom , it seems

to th e more than probable , builders Of the Churches and their heirs . Whe n we deal with the fast fadi n g superstitio n s Of th e

’7‘ r . H . en n er M J .

1 52

l n th e u f m a ash upo gro nd , whilst repeating certain or ul e an d .’ prayers Havingplaced himself within the circle , he was safe

m o f m S was u to fro the anger alignant pirits , an d th s able su mm o n the troubled Spi rit an d banish it from th e 11 ei gb ou r h O O d u to m witho t danger hi self .

i , M “ r . t t s Wen z , in his Faery Faith Of Cel ic Countrie ,

n s Of an a e gives the followi g story , taken from the lip g d m an— Of n — n John Wilmet , Co stantin e havi g reference to

Parson Jago an d the traditions Of ghost - lay i n g th at s till

“ linger roun d his n ame A farmer wh o once lived n ear the

' G week River called Parson Jago to his hou se to have him

i h n n f or P qu et the ghosts and spirits regularly au ti g it , arson ll a O u d l a en g co l a ways put s uch things to rest . The p rson w t

’ to th e m u i om c c on far er s ho se , an d with his wh p f r ed a ir le the floor , and demanded the spirit , which made its appearance on th e a l o t on th e t b e , to come down int the circle . Whils ta th e S v b u t ble pi rit was isible to all the family , as soon as it got into th e ring it disappeared and th e house was never tro u b led after wards —

‘ u t W b the John Wilmet had also m ch o tell Mr . entz a out

i s s or ob ol v . r at p kie p ean that he hea d , but did not see ,

" u th e i Bosahn . It is ro nd piskies, ndeed , that the great mass

O f n or Se t e a o Cornish folk beliefs cli g . Sixty ven y y ars g this belief seems to have been all but uni versal amo n gst the

an d n ow n n o m an country people , though fast dyi g , is by e s

x u n n e tinct . Indeed , a ch rchwarden Of many years sta di g recen tl y dated a certai n event by the winter in which he had

“ ” b een i ski e It s m on n p led . ee s this occasio when leaving the market town he ha d taken the e n g turn i n g and walked

“ ra pi dly till in the end he fou n d himself m ore than twelve

’ m h n r t m iles from ho e . Anot er Cor ishman info med the wri er

' t on e thi hki n mt u Of h is hat night , g so e hing was dist rbing some

i t ou t see was th e m ca tle , he went into his field to what atter

owm when he endeavo u red to return to the house , g to the

n ot n to piskies he could find the gate agai , and had spen d 1 5 3

se v eral weary ho u rs wandering ro u nd and round the hedges in

a a on e a v in and ex sperating search i n rain and darkness , at

u i n h an d time flo ndering a nettle bed , at anot er in mud

of b water over the tops his oots .

An aged woman , Mrs . Harriet Christoper , informed Mr .

v u fi n e Wentz , that a woman who li ed near Breage Ch rch had a

a baby , and she thought the piskies came an d took it and put

withered child in its place . The withered child lived to be

t ol d twen y years , an d was n o larger when it died than when t h the piskies brough it . The parents believed t at the piskies often u sed to come and look over the wall by the house to

Sh e h th e see the child , and had heard her grandmother say t at fam ily once pu t the child ou t of doors at nigh t to see if th e

piskies woul d take it back again . The piskies are said to be m ou u . u very s all , and y co ld never see them by day She sed to

hear her grandmother , who had been dead fifty years , say

that the piskies used to hold a fair i n the fields n ear Breage ,

th e m m an d that people saw them dancing . She also re e bered her grandmother saying that it was customary to set ou t food

for the piskies at night .

u of th e s of Mr . Hunt , i n his pop lar Romances We t

u s as u s England , tells that Bal Lane in Germoe w a famo

ol d s n haunt of the fairies in time , and that at certain sea o s

of the year they h el d a great fair there . The fairy folk i n local s u perstitio n s seem to have been

t —“ th e s m divided into hree species pi kies , fairies of the oors ,

dells and su rface of the ear th generally ; the kn ockers or

of w m th e m n knackers . fairi es the mines , ho i ers heard

o th e h of r kn cking in dept s the earth , indicating by thei

s th e of n of ore or of m a t knock presence rich vei s , if a align n disposi tion l u ring the miners by their knockings to vai n

fi - m h r e orts after non exi stent ineral wealt . The third orde of of B u ccas m u S to fairies was that the , an a phibio s pecies ,

m of m who dow n to recent times offerings fish were ade .

“ It i s plea sant to gather from the learned a u thor of Th e 1 54

Faery Faith i n Celtic Countrie s that the s u perstitions of the Cornish are of a much brighter character than those of

‘ the other branches of the Celtic race ; the s u perstitious

of m n of beliefs their near kins en , the Bretons , bei g a

ob ol e specially gloomy character . The p vean , it se ms , are

of much more cheery folk , in spite all their pranks , than m gloo y Ankou , king of the dead , an d his attendant ghosts . Having said that the Cornish folklore is n ot of a gloom y

of i t character is to say p erhaps all that can be said in praise . I have all u ded to th e foregoin g tales an d beliefs because in the course of a generation or so they will have completely

u to faded from the pop lar mind . Our people seem eager

to u have don e with the past , and to reach forward the fut re , fraught with new conditions and new thought . When we compare the present with the past , we can only be thankful f or all that change has brought withi n recent generations i n physical Su rroundings and moral o u tlook . Let us hope that

u of her f ture gifts , which give promise being p rodigal , will

b en efi en t f or e b e as c as those of the recent past , we still requir

n to much at her hands . The da ger seems lie in wandering

“ f or too Man into a materialistic desert , it is but true that ” v can not live b bread alone .

h u a T e 15 3 . B cc , , 12 u e r M r. J u st e 8. B ll , ic , u r a s b N ht 9 B i l y i g , 7.

u r a n ha e o f 44 . B y , C p l ,

- l hi n s 102 u n a e of G o do . B ryi g pl c p ,

f t e v a n on s o S . e rn e 34. C K ,

r M rs . o r a te n e a 90. C r , C li , a t r H a r 12 1 e 9 to 3 . C r , r y , 7 a rt r J ohn n f ru ss a 13 to 13 e o 7 9 . C , , Ki g P i , r e r a t Fa m of 128. C , ily , a rte a m Th rn ton o 9 0. C r , Willi ,

a tt e o n sh i n 1 th e n tu 5 . C l , C r i , 7 C ry . 7 e L ord u h 1 1 c e 05 06 . C il , B rl i g , , l s 2 e t c sho 6 . C i Bi p , C el tic Chu rches a t B rea ge a n d G e rm o e 24 t o 26 ros i n e hu r h a rd 24 Ce t c s r a e . l i C B g C c y ,

e tho of on e r n u r c h e s 5 26 e t M d s a t h 2 , . C l ic C c i g C , t ha es II . a rea e 70 7 1 106 100. C rl B g , , , ,

m n d s a m o f Cha m o F l l 5 . , ily , h st a n t i n I re a n d a t the E n d o f th e 5 th Ce n t u n l 9 C ri i i y l , hu r h A es C c l , 77 h e sters 2 t hu c R 9 o 9 9 . C r gi , u r hwa r e n s h d 9 8 9 9 . C c , ,

hu r hes u t on S te s o f He a then 25 . C c , B il i 1 hu rsto n Lo d 28. C , r ,

h n o we th 23 . C y , o r o f a ren d n . E a 107. Cl l , e The h e Su fe rers rom a u e 48 Cl rgy , C i f f f Pl g ,

l es R a we a ksm th a n d h s a n 75 . C y , , Bl c i P y ici , o J o hn 1 5 e 0 . C l , , ol e a te S s te m i n Sa o n T m es 33 C l g i y x i , rt Col ib e s , 33 .

n s v E ° o R e d . . c a of ea e 82 9 C lli , , Vi r Br g , , f th a o on es o e S n ts 26 . C l i i ,

m s on rs o f I T o r o n th h u r h es o f r a om s e Ed wa rd . he r Re t e B e g e C i i V , i p C c a n d G rm oe e 1 2. , 6 , 6 2 o mm u n on a te re a e a n d G erm oe 9 . C i Pl , B g , The t o n a n a s e of 18. C , C l ,

r a Good e D o s of M ethl ei h 6 9 . , c , g , e m Good F a of , 69 . , ily

Co od e J o hn of M ethl ei h 0. , , g , 7 h o rn sh s o s 26 . C i Bi p ,

orn sh La n u a e 10. C i g g , 6 6 8 o tton a m a r o f e a e 6 6 9 . C , Willi , Vic Br g , , ,

ou n o f A r es 17 . C cil l ,

ou n of N aea 17 . C cil ic ,

e H e n r c a r o B i a e 5 Cre tti r f e . , y , Vi g , 7

ro wa n 1 C , 9 .

u r 33 38 C y, , . D

r 4 D a we Si r A e a n d e r a r o f ea e 6 3 6 . , l x , Vic B g , ,

D e a n M a tthe w o f B i n a n 44 . , , y , D el la r tto VVm . e e , 9 6 . g ,

Diod o ru i u l u s 1 4 s c . , S ,

o m D esd a oo 28. 3 1 . y B k , D w o 1 urro o k of 2 . , B ,

a o m o E d of rn wa 35 . rl C ll , a r f rn E s o o wa 34 . l C ll ,

m u n a r Ed d E of o rn wa 42. , l C ll ,

b e rt a o n E S n 27. g , x Ki g,

E l s P n b ro c a e o e re 24. g (B g ) ,

mm a n u l e E e o e C a m b r d e 6 5 106 . C ll g , i g , ,

E sl e T ho m a s T he I n v e n to r o f Sho o t n the R o s 9 7. p y , , i g ck ra s m u s m u n 1 E Ed d a s 9 5 9 6 05 . , , , ,

sse a o f E E 106 . x , rl , E u s ti ck e a m V a o f rea e 82 to 84. , Willi , ic r B g ,

1 1 2 1 4 F a e s 3 5 to 5 . iri , , r n F g h t e twe e n re e rs ro m re a e a n d e n d o 80. i B W ck f B g W ,

n F n t I m e m e ts 9 . li pl ,

h o f 1 to 122 Fra dd a m t 20 . , Wi c , “ ” F ed er I I . S t u o r u n d 48. r ick p i , h u h es os i n re a e C r . 5 0 to 5 2 89 . Fr c B g c .

rs F res os i n Pe n e i ck a st e 127 . c g C l ,

e G m oe hu h 26 5 0 5 3 5 4 . r C rc , , , ,

e o G m oe e e of , 79 r , P pl o u G b e rt d e a re E a r o f G es te r 4 1 . il Cl , l l c ,

G d a s 18. il , G i a ld u s r 35 . ,

v n o f h e f o on ea s G a n e . J oh J u d e t o u 1 t o m m l ill , g C C Pl ,

e e 11 u 1 c l 1 f 45 ( la s n e o a t C o . x y , C ll gi ,

(11:1515 M ed aev a 1 11 1 e 1 e 11 11 1 1 5 2 89 , i l B g C cl , , a r o f B re a C ode Si r J oh n V e , , , ic g

G o d e s The 10 18. i l , , , G d n Da m e A e 105 o o h . l p i , lic , n 4 God o h n D a m e l a he 10 . l p i , B c , a h r n e 1 1 G od o h n t e 2. lp i , C i , h G d o h n D a m e D o ro t 10 . o lp i , y , 7

G od o h n E n 0 1 a 101 . l p i , li , n 1 G od o h n Si r F ra s I . 6 7 73 9 5 104 to 06 . l p i , ci , , , ,

G od ol h n Si r F a n s I I . 106 107 108. p i , r ci , , ,

G od o h n F ra n s Se o n d E a r o f 1 13 . l p i , ci , c l , ’

e r ea n of t. P a u G od o hi n Dr. H n D S s 9 3 107. l p , y , l , ,

G od o h n S i r J oh n 5 8 101 103 . l p i , , , ,

G od o h n John 78. lp i , , G od o h n M a a e t 1 10 1 1 1 . lp i , rg r , , G odo h n S d n e F st E a 1 l o f 86 109 to lp i , i y , ir , , G od o h n d n e a v a r 1 1 8 S e 0 0 . l p i , i y , C li , 7 , o o G d h n en e o e 108. lp i , P l p , h n i m 1 4 2 G od o r a I . 1 3 0 1 S 0 6 . lp i , Willi , , , o h m G do n Si r a Il . 6 5 6 9 70 78 9 5 106 . lp i , Willi , , , , , ,

G od o h n Si r a m I I I . 106 . lp i , Willi ,

G odo h n Si r a m IV . 107 108. l p i , Willi , ,

G odo h n Si r a m of T re v en ea 1 13 . lp i , Willi g, o n e ho m G do hi M a st r T a s 5 8. l p , , m h 4 G a e e H u 9 9 5 . r , g , , ho 4 G ra n disson s 6 . , Bi p, e G rea t o r M n 73 . W k i , G ee s The A n e n t 14 r k , ci ,

G re o the G rea t 30. g ry , , e 41 G re or I" . o . g y , P p ,

G ren e L d a 85 86 . f ll , y i , , a 2 G rotto F er ta 4 . , r ,

G u a r a s . y , Pl y , 77

G u n wa oe 33 38. ll , , d o ta n 1 1 Gw di a n e t Go f Ve e t o . y , C l ic g i ,

H a s ou n t H sto a n 37 101 125 . l , C y i ri , , , m Ha rvest u sto s 1 1 . C , e Ha v e F ra n c s V a r o f r a e 6 5 6 6 6 8 82. r y, i , ic B g , , , ,

Ha es Ab b e 38 41 42 43 47 5 9 6 3 . yl y , , , , , , ,

H a e R v er 19 . yl i ,

H m ets i n ea e hu rch 102. el Br g C , 4 He ston . l , 7

H e ston F ora 1 1 . l l , He ston O d hu ch omm ss on e r od M u de ed i n l l C r , C i i B y r r w H n ston D o n 2 39 . i g , 7 , h 1 H The h o so er 10 08. ob b s . , P il p , 7

H o ses C orn sh i n 17th en t u r 74 . r , i , C y , m a n s or otte n a e H u m a n Re A F T d , 5 3 89 90. i g r g y , ,

H u r i n G a m e of 75 . l g, , a e H u thn a n ce H e n r V ca r of re 82. , y , i B g ,

I ot s I s a n d of 1 4. i , l , I s J a mes I n tru d n u ta n M n ster a t r a 2 2 n n e e e 8 . , , i g P ri i i B g , 7 ,

I e d i t T he 40. n t r c , ,

I r ton G en e a 107 . e , r l ,

I i n ts The 1 19 22. ri sh Sa , , 7 , ,

I b a d e a re 4 1 . sa ell Cl ,

The 9 1 . I v ern i a n s, , , 7

O

O ra to r e s a t Ri n s a n d G od o h n 5 0 i y l p i , O r h a rd i a m i a r o f rea e 6 9 to 72 c , W lli , V c B g , , O rd n a a T he i li , , 77 O r e n 1 i g , 7

P .

P a m S u n a R tes i n e aev a hu r h 5 6 l d y i M di l C c , Pa s a s a s V a of ea e 43 44 45 c i , ic r Br g , , , a tro n a e of rea e a n d Ge rm o e 37 P g B g , P e a u s 1 l gi , 7 P e l l o u r Si r a m 49 5 , Willi , , 7 P en c a i r H o f 1 8 23 , ill , ,

Pe n e rs i c k a st e 50 g C l , Pe n e rsi ck H en r d e 46 g , y ,

Pe n e rsi ck J ohn 5 0 g , ,

e n w th e n n s u a 15 P i P i l , Pe mb ro Fa m 24 r , e rs Si r i a m V a r of rea e 45 to 5 7 P , Will , ic B g , hi a Re u ted to on ta n ood of hr s t a t Ha e s A b b e v P l p C i Bl C i , yl , hoen i a n s 14 P ci , ’ rim s to St. M ha e s M ou n t 5 6 Pilg ic l , o u a t o n o f rea e a n d G e rm oe i n Sa on T m es 32 P p l i B g x i , o rth e v e n Sh w e a t 4 P l , i p r ck , 7 d i u s 14 Posei on ,

r o a n d a n on s of m ton 35 P i r C Ply p ,

m a ti o n f Re o , E ects o f 73 76 f r f , , Re i on of e ts 10 14 li g C l , , Res tora ti on o f B rea ge a n d G e rm oe Chu rc hes i n 1 89 ] 88 r a r o R cha d , E f orn wa n of the R oma n s 40 41 i l C ll , Ki g , , , Ri n se J ohn 5 y , , 0, 101 Ri n e s , M a n o r o f 28 29 y , ,

R oa d s o rn sh i n 17th e n t u 4 , C i , C ry , 7 R ob e rt d e B eles me , 37

R ob e t de l a M o re ca r of re a e 4 r , Vi B g , 3 b er r R o t, E a of orn wa 34 3 l C ll , , 7 Roma n s i n orn wa 1 C ll , 6

Rood Sta i wa i n ea e hu r h 5 2 r y Br g C c ,

u b n ho m t. A T a s S y , , 78, 126 b t. A u n John S y , , 79

t r d et 2 S . 3 B i g , t B rea ca 16 1 9 2 S . , , , 2, 24

B r o k 8 St. e e , 3 h t h St. s o er 5 2 C ri p , ru e n n a 1 22 St. C , 9 ,

h s m S t. r os to 1 C y , 7

St . G erm oe 1 19 22 23 4 , 7, , , , 6 ’ S t . Ge rm oe s ha r 5 4 to 5 6 125 C i , , ’ t e rm o e S . G s l V e l l 4 , 5

St . G w th a n 22 i i ,

S t. H a r u n h 16 il y Cl c , 22 St . Ia ,

S t J u t 21 . s ,

St. L v a n 22 e , ’ St. M ha e s M o u n t 14 15 3 ic l , 7

S t . M o ra n 22 ,

t N n a n 1 S . 9 i i , t a t r 1 S . 9 P ick ,

o n St. en d r 22 W , S a n tua r F e d s 148 c y i l , S a o n s 1 x , 7 S a on hu r hes a t rea e a n d G e rm o e x C c B g , Sa o n L a n d T e n u e 29 30 3 1 x r , , , Sa on M a n o r o u rts 33 x C , S I s a n d s 106 cilly l ,

S re e n i n re a e h u r h 89 c B g C c , Shee o rn s h i n l 7 l b Ce n tm 74 p, C i , y , ’ Shee l ha n to m 15 1 p, , S e r t A e 105 k ri , lic , S e rr t J o hn 105 k i , , S d n e T ho ma s 106 i y , , S m o n d e A u a s ho o f E xe te r 3 9 i p li , Bi p , S m th R ob e t u a te o f e rm o e 7 1 , G i , r C r , ht H o n o u b e 88 Sm th R a . i , i g r l W S m u n \Va s 139 140 ggli g y , , S n ow s to rm s G rea t 9 7 , ,

S a n sh A m a d a 10 p i r , S a rn o n Fa m o f 6 9 128 p , ily , , S ta fo d sho o f E e te r 5 0 f r , Bi p x ,

ta n n a Co m ts 39 S ry ,

to n e r e s 1 1 S Ci cl ,

u rn a m es Lo a 9 3 9 4 S , c l , ,

Ta es n 1 8 li i ,

T a x o n 20 ha n es , S ,

T e n u re o f the M a n o o f G od o h n 100 r l p i , ,

Te rtu a n 17 lli , T e u d o r o rn s h h e 19 23 , C i C i f , ,

T h rtee n th e n tu r S r t of 49 i C y , pi i , i n o rn wa i n 1 th e n tu r 74 C ll 7 C y ,

T i n M n es 14 42 3 i , , , 7

T n n e rs The r L o v e o f F ht n 81 i , i i g i g, T thes o f re a e 1 15 0 i B g , 7 , 2 To l me n a , 3

T o tem sm 13 1 4 i , , on su e I sh 2 T r , ri , 0 owe of ea e hu ch 25 T r Br g C r , T re e w M a n or of 2S g , , T re on n H 18 23 24 86 g i g ill , , , , T remea rn e Fa rm A n e n t ha e a t 1 16 , ci C p l , T rescowe M a n o r of 28 29 , , , a H a d 12 3 T re w rv a s e , , 7

r a e 82 T re wi n n ard Ja mes the e d er a r of e , , , l , Vic B g

re n n a rd J a m es the ou n e r a r o f rea e T wi , , y g , Vic B g , T reworl a s Ma n or o f 1 15 to 1 17 , ,

Va ne Sir H a r 107 , r y , ” Ve n t on Ghost F e d 149 i l , ei n s 29 Vill ,

\ a e a v a e oet 107 V ll r, C li r P , r 4 a te r d e S ta eton s ho of E e te , 4 W l pl , Bi p x e sh a t Re orm a t on d e v oted to the Chm ch 62 W l f i , e sh a d s 18 W l B r , es e J oh n 6 3 2 83 to 85 W l y , , , 7 , estern o n wa O n e T h c ood ed 74 W C r ll , c i kly W , hea V or M n e 16 73 W l i , , i am de M orta n E a r of o rn wa 37 W lli i , l C ll , a m F tz R ob e rt E a r of o n wa 37 Willi i , l C r ll ,

' Wil l i a m E a rl of G ou es ter 38 , l c , i i a m Son of H um h re Pa rso n o f re a e 40 43 W ll , p y , B g , , a m Son of R ha rd a so n of re a e 40 43 Willi , ic , P r B g , , a m the on u e or 28 Willi C q r , m et John 152 Wil , , n n i n ton H u n d red of 33 Wi g , , ’ i z a rd s ot 149 W Pl , re i n a n d W e ers 4 48 78 to 80 8 88 1 1 8 W ck g r ck , 7, , , 7 , , rest n 5 W li g, 7

i

Yeal m ton 46 p , Yor e Ma r 65 k , y , ' Ya r Si r John V ca r of rea e 5 7 l , , i B g ,