The Survey of Cornwall Part 22

Lastly, his authoritie enformeth me, that those souldiers of Cornwall, who vnder their Captaines Iohn Apport and Iohn Cornwall, had defended the Fort of Bercherel in Brittaine, against the power of Fraunce, aboue a yeres s.p.a.ce, in the end, for want of due succours, vpon an honourable composition surrendred the same.

[1471.] Queene Margaret, wife to H. 6. vpon her arriual out of Fraunce, after the losse of Barnet field, receiued great ayd, though to smal purpose, from the Deuon and Cornish men, vnder the conduct of Thomas, Earle of that shire.

[1485.] And so much were those Western people addicted to that name, as they readily followed Sir Edw. Courtney, & his brother Peter, Bishop of Excester, what time the a.s.sisted the Duke of Buckingham, in his reuolt against Richard the third.

[1497.] Neither did his suppressour and successour, H. the 7. finde them more loyall: for the Cornish men repining at a Subsidy lately graunted him by Act of Parliament, were induced to rebellion, by Thomas Flammock, a Gentleman, & Michael Ioseph, a Black-smith, with whom they marched to Taunton, there murdering the prouost of Perin, a Commissioner for the sayd Subsidy, and from thence to Welles, where Iames Touchet, Lord Audely, degenerated to their party, with which encrease they pa.s.sed by Sarisbury to Winchester, and so into Kent. But by this time, Lords & Commons were gathered in strength sufficient, to make head against them, and soone after, black Heath saw the ouerthrow of their forces, in battell, and London, the punishment of their seducers by iustice.

In the same fatall yeere of reuolts, Perkin Warbeck, a counterfeit Prince, landed in Cornwall, went to Bodmyn, a.s.sembled a trayne of rake-hels, a.s.saulted Excester, receyued the repulse, and in the end sped, as is knowne, and as he deserued.

[1549.] The last Cornish rebellion, was first occasioned by one Kilter, and other his a.s.sociats of a Westerne parish, called, S. Keueren, who imbrued their wicked hands in the guiltles blood of one M. Body, as he sate in Commission at Helston for matters of reformation in religion: and the yere following, it grew to a general reuolt, vnder the conduct of Arundel, Wydeslade, Resogan, and others, followed by 6000. with which power they marched into Deuon, besieged and a.s.saulted Excester, & gaue the L. Russell (employed with an army against them) more then one hot encounter, which yet (as euer) quayled in their ouerthrow.

In my particular view, I will make easie iournies from place to place, as they lye in my way, taking the Hundreds for my guydes, vntill I haue accomplished this wearisome voyage.

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My first entrance must be by the hundred of East, so named for his site, and therein, at Plymouth hauen. It borroweth that name of the riuer Plym, which rising in Deuon, and by the way baptizing Plymston, Plymstock, &c. here emptieth it selfe into the sea.

The hauen parteth Deuon and Cornwall welneere euery where, as Tamer riuer runneth: I say welneere, because some few interlaced places are excepted: a matter so sorted at the first part.i.tion, eyther to satisfie the affection of some speciall persons, or to appropriate the soyle to the former Lords, or that (notwithstanding this seuerance) there might stil rest some cause of entercourse between the Inhabitants of both Counties: as I haue heard, a late great man ensued, and expressed the like consideration, in diuision of his lands between two of his sonnes.

Now though this hauen thus bound both shires, yet doth the iurisdiction of the water wholly appertayne to the Duchy of Cornwall, and may therefore bee claymed as a part of that County.

Notwithstanding, I will forbeare what I may, to intrude vpon my good friend M. Hookers limits, and reserue to him the description of the farther sh.o.r.e.

The first promontory of this harbour on the West side, is Rame head, by his proportion, receyuing, and by his possession, giuing, that name and armes to his owner, whose posterity conueyed it by inter-marriages, from Durnford, to Edgec.u.mb: on the toppe thereof riseth a little vaulted Chappell, which serueth for a marke at sea.

From thence trending Penlee poynt, you discouer Kings sand and Causam Bay, an open roade, yet sometimes affoording succour to the woorst sort of Seafarers, as not subiect to comptrolment of Plymouth forts. The sh.o.r.e is peopled with some dwelling houses, and many Cellers, dearely rented for a short vsage, in sauing of Pilcherd. At which time, there flocketh a great concourse of Sayners, and others, depending vpon their labour. I haue heard the Inhabitants thereabouts to report, that the Earle of Richmond (afterwards Henry the seuenth) while hee houered vpon the coast, here by stealth refreshed himselfe; but being aduertised of streight watch, kept for his surprising at Plymouth, he richly rewarded his hoste, hyed speedily a shipboord, and escaped happily to a better fortune.

Here also of late yeeres, part of the Cornish forces twise encamped themselues, planted some Ordinance, and raised a weake kind of fortification, therethrough to contest, if not repulse, the landing of the expected enemie: and a strong watch is continually kept there, euer since one thousand, fiue hundred, ninetie seuen: at which time, a Spaniard riding on the Bay, while most of the able people gaue their attendance at the Countie a.s.sises, sent some closely into the village, in the darke of the night, who hanged vp barrels of matter fit to take fire, vpon certaine doores, which by a traine should haue burned the houses. But one of the Inhabitants, espying these vnwelcome ghests, with the bounce of a Caliuer chaced them aboord, and remoued the barrels, before the traynes came to worke their effect. The Inginer of this practise, (as hath since appeared by some examinations) was a Portugall, who sometimes sayled with Sir Iohn Borowghs, and boasted to haue burned his Ship: for which two honourable exploits, the King of Spaine bestowed on him two hundred duckets.

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In the mouth of the harbour, lyeth S. Nicholas Iland, in fashion, losengy, in quant.i.ty, about 3. acres, strongly fortifyed, carefully garded, and subiect to the Commaunder of Plymmouth fort.

When the Cornish rebels, during Edw. the 6. raigne, turmoyled the quiet of those quarters, it yeelded a safe protection to diuers dutyful subiects, who there shrowded themselues.

From this Iland, a range of rocks reacheth ouer to the Southwest sh.o.r.e, discouered at the low water of Spring tides, and leauing onely a narrow entrance in the midst, called the Yate, for ships to pa.s.se thorow, whereto they are directed by certaine markes at land.

Vpon this South sh.o.r.e, somewhat within the Iland, standeth mount Edgec.u.mb, a house builded and named by Sir Ric. Edgec.u.mb, father to the now possessioner: and if comparisons were as lawfull in the making, as they prooue odious in the matching, I would presume to ranke it, for health, pleasure, and commodities, with any subiects house of his degree in England. It is seated against the North, on the declining of a hill, in the midst of a Deere park, neere a narrow entrance, thorow which the salt water breaketh vp into the country, to shape the greatest part of the hauen. The house is builded square, with a round turret at eche end, garretted on the top, & the hall rising in the mids aboue the rest, which yeeldeth a stately sound, as you enter the same. In Summer, the opened cas.e.m.e.nts admit a refreshing coolenes: in Winter, the two closed doores exclude all offensiue coldnesse: the parlour and dining chamber giue you a large & diuersified prospect of land & sea; to which vnderly S. Nicholas Iland, Plymmouth fort, & the townes of Plymmouth, Stonehouse, Milbrook, & Saltajh. It is supplyed with a neuer-fayling spring of water, and the dwelling stored with wood, timber, fruit, Deere, and Conies. The ground abundantly answereth a housekeepers necessities, for pasture, arable and meadow, and is replenished with a kinde of stone, seruing both for building, lyme, and marle. On the seaclifs groweth great plenty of the best Ore-wood, to satisfie the owners want, and accommodate his neighbours.

A little below the house, in the Summer euenings, Sayne-boates come and draw with their nets for fish; whither the gentry of the house walking downe, take the pleasure of the sight, and sometimes at all aduentures, buy the profit of the draughts. Both sides of the forementioned narrowe entrance, together with the pa.s.sage betweene, (much haunted as the high way to PIymmouth) the whole towne of Stonehouse, and a great circuit of the land adioyning, appertaine to M. Edgec.u.mbs inheritance: these sides are fenced with blockhouses, and that next to Mount Edgec.u.mb, was wont to be planted with ordinance, which at coming & parting, with their base voices greeted such ghests as visited the house, neither hath the opportunity of the harbour wanted occasions to bring them, or the owners a franke mind to inuite them. For proofe whereof, the earst remembred Sir Ric. (a gentleman in whom mildnes & stoutnes, diffidence & wisdome, deliberatenes of vndertaking, & sufficieney of effecting, made a more commendable, then blazing mixture of vertue) during Q. Ma. raigne, entertained at one time, for some good s.p.a.ce, the Admirals of the English, Spanish, & Netherland fleets, with many n.o.ble men besides. But not too much of this, least a partiall affection steale, at vnwares, into my commendation, as one, by my mother, descended from his loynes, and by my birth, a member of the house.

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Certaine olde ruines, yet remaining, confirme the neighbours report, that neere the waters side, there stood once a towne, called West stone house, vntill the French by fire and sword ouerthrew it.

In the yeere one thousand, fiue hundred, ninetie nine, the Spaniards vaunts caused the Cornish forces to aduance there a kind of fortification, and to plot the making of a Bridge on barges ouer that strait, for inhibiting the enemies accesse by boates and Gallies, into the more inward parts of the hauen. But it may be doubted, whether the bridge would haue proued as impossible, as the Sconce fell out vnnecessarie.

Master Peter Edgec.u.mbe (commonly called Peers) married Margaret the daughter of Sir Andrew Lutterel, his father Sir Richard married [blank] the daughter of Tregian: his father Sir Peers married [blank]

the daughter, and heire of Stephan Durnford: and his father Sir Richard, married [blank] the daughter of Tremayn. These names of Peers and Richard, they haue successiuely varied for sixe or seuen descents. Hee beareth for his Armes, Gules on a Bend ermine, betweene two Cotises, Or. 3. Bores heades coped, arg. armed as the third; Langued as the field.

A little inward from Mountedgec.u.mb, lieth a safe and commodious Road for shipping, called Hamose, and compounded of the words Ose, and Ham, according to the nature of the place. Here those vessels cast anchor, which are bound to the Eastwards, as those doe in Cat.w.a.ter, who would fare to the West; because euerie wind that can erue them at Sea, will from thence carrie them out: which commoditie other roads doe not so conueniently affoord. It is reported, that in times past, there was an ordinary pa.s.sage ouer this water, to a place on Deuon side, called Horsecoue, but long since discontinued.

At the higher end of a creek, pa.s.sing vp from hence, Milbrook lurketh between two hilles, a village of some 80. houses, and borrowing his name from a mill and little brook, running therethrough. In my remembrance (which extendeth not to aboue 40. yeeres) this village tooke great encrease of wealth and buildings, through the iust and industrious trade of fishing, and had welneere forty ships and barks at one time belonging therevnto. But our late broyles with Spayne haue let vp a more compendious, though not so honest way of gayning, and begin by little and little, to reduce these plaine dealers, to their former vndeserued plight. Yet do they prescribe, in a suburbiall market (as I may terme it) to Plymmouth, for their reliefe, by intercepting, if not forestalling, such corne and victuals, as pa.s.sing thorow their streights, cannot for want of time or weather, get ouer Crymell pa.s.sage, to the other: and surely they are not unworthy of fauour: for this towne furnisheth more able Mariners at euery prest for her Highnesse seruice, then many others of far greater blaze.

It chanced about twenty yeeres sithence, that one Richaurd, wife to Richard Adams of this towne, was deliuered of two male children, the one ten weekes after the other, who liued vntil baptisme, & the later hitherto: Which might happen, in that the woman bearing twinnes, by some blow, slide, or other extraordinary accident, brought forth the first before his time, and the later in his due season. Now, that a childe borne in the seuenth moneth may liue, both Astrologers and Phisicions [102] doe affirme, but in the 8. they deny it; and these are their reasons: The Astrologers hold, that the child in the mothers wombe, is successiuely gouerned euery moneth, by the seuen Planets, beginning at Saturne: after which reckoning, he returning to his rule the 8, month, by his dreery influence, infortunateth any birth that shal then casually befall: whereas his succeeder Iupiter, by a better disposition worketh a more beneficiall effect. The Phisicions deliuer, that in the seuenth moneth, the childe, by course of nature, turneth it self in the mothers belly; wherefore, at that time, it is readier (as halfe loosed) to take issue by any outward chance. Mary, in the eighth, when it beginneth to settle againe, and as yet retayneth some weakenes of the former sturring, it requireth a more forcible occasion, & that induceth a slaughtering violence. Or if these coniecturall reasons suffice not to warrant a probability of the truth, Plynies authority in a stranger case, shall presse them farther: for hee writeth, that a woman brought a bed of one childe in the seuenth moneth, in the moneths following, was also deliuered of twinnes.

A part of Mount-Edgec.u.mb, and of this Milbrook, though seuered from Deuon, by the generall bound, yet, vpon some of the foreremembred considerations, haue bene annexed thereunto.

Aside of Milbrook, lyeth the Peninsula of Inswork, on whose neckland standeth an ancient house of the Champernons, and descended by his daughters and heires, to Forteskew, Monck, and Treuilian, three Gentlemen of Deuon. The site is naturally both pleasant and profitable; to which, the owner by his ingenious experiments, daily addeth an artificiall surplusage.

Pa.s.sing somewhat farther vp, you meet with the foot of Lyner, where it winneth fellowship with Tamer, that, till then, and this, yet longer, retayning their names, though their ouer-weake streames were long before confounded, by the predominant salt water.

A little within this mouth of Lyner, standeth East-Antony, the poore home of mine ancestours, with which in this maner they were inuested: Sir Iohn Lerchedekne, Knight, and not priest, (for he was so called of his family, and not by his calling, as in Froissard you shall note the like, to be familiar amongst the n.o.bility of Gascoigne) by Cecill, the daughter and heire of Iordan of Hacc.u.mb, had issue 9.

sonnes, Ralph, Waryne, Richard, Otho, Iohn, Robert, Martyn, Reignald, and Michael. Richard married Ione, the daughter of Iohn Bosowr, that bare him Thomas, in whome the heires male of this multiplyed hope tooke an end. Warine, afterwards knighted, tooke to wife Elizabeth, one of the daughters and heires to Iohn Talbot de Castro Ricardi, and on her begat three daughters and heires.

Allenor, wedded to Sir Walter Lucy: Margery, to Sir Thomas Arundel of Taluerne: and Philip, to Sir Hugh Courtney of Bauncton (which I take is now named Boconnock.) From Lucy descended the Lord Faux, and others. Margery dyed childlesse, anno 1419. as is testified by her toomb-stone in West-Antony Church, where shee lyeth buried.

Sir Hugh Courtney was second sonne to Ed. Earle of Deuon, & had 2. wiues: the first, Maud, daughter of the L. Beaumond; to whose children, for want of issue in the elder stock, that Earledome deuolued, & the later, our foreremembred Philip, who left her inheritance to her only daughter Ione: and she taking a patterne from her fathers fortune, espoused likewise 2. husbands, viz.

Sir Nicholas Baron of Carew, and Sir Robert Fere, brother to [103] Iohn Earle of Oxford: to Sir Nicholas, shee bare Thomas, Nicholas, Hugh, Alexander, and William: to Sir Robert, Iohn, and became widdow of both. And, as after the fathers decease, good agreement betweene the mother and eldest sonne hath commonly weake continuance, because both being enfranchised to a sudden absolute iurisdiction, neither of them can easily temper the same with a requisite moderation: so it chaunced, that shee and hers fell at square, which discord (with an vnnaturall extremity) brake forth into a blow, by him no lesse dearly, then vndutifully giuen his mother: for vpon so iust a cause, she disinherited him of all her lands, being seuenteene mannours, and bestowed them on her yonger sonnes.

This I learned by the report of Sir Peter Carew, the elder of that name, and eldest of our stock (a Gentleman, whose rare worth my pen is not able to shaddow, much lesse with his due lineaments to represent) at such time, as being a scholler in Oxford of fourteene yeeres age, and three yeeres standing, vpon a wrong conceyued opinion touching my sufficiency, I was there called to dispute ex tempore (impar congressus Achilli) with the matchles Sir Ph. Sidney, in presence of the Earles, Leycester, Warwick, and diuers other great personages. By the forementioned conueyance, she disposed of her sayd mannours as followeth: Hacc.u.mb, Ringmore, and Milton, shee gaue to Nicholas: Lyham, Manedon, Combhall, and Southtawton, to Hugh: East-Antony, Shoggebroke, and Landegy, to Alexander: Wicheband, Widebridge, Bokeland, and Bledeuagh, to William: and lastly, Roseworthy, Bosewen, and Tregennow, to Iohn: al which she entailed to them, and the issue of their bodies, subst.i.tuting, for want thereof, the one to be heire to the other: and in witnes hereof (sayth she in her conueyance) to each of these deedes fiue times indented, I haue set my seale ; and because my seale is to many vnknowne, haue procured the seale of the Maior of the Citie of Exon, to be also adioyned.

Thomas her eldest sonne, repayred this losse, in part, by matching with one of Carminowes, daughters and heires.

From Nicholas, is descended Carew of Hacc.u.mb, who by vertue of this entayle, succeeded also to Hughs portion, as deceasing issuelesse. From William is come Carew of Croc.u.m in Somerset shire, and from Iohn Vere, the now Earle of Oxford, deriueth his pedigree.

Alexander maried Elizabeth the daughter of Hatch, and begate Iohn, who tooke to wife Thamesin, one of the daughters and heires of Holland: their sonne Sir Wymond, espoused Martha, the daughter of Edmund, and sister to Sir Anthony Denny. Sir Wymond had Thomas, the husband of Elizabeth Edgec.u.mb, and they myselfe, linked in matrimony with Iulian, daughter to Iohn Arundel of Trerice, and one of the heires to her mother Catherine Cosewarth, who hath made me father of Richard, lately wedded to Briget, daughter of Iohn Chudleigh of Ashton in Deuon.

Touching our stock in generall, and my family in particular, being once vainly disposed (I would it had bene but once) I made this idle obseruation.

CArew of ancient Carru was, And Carru is a plowe, Romanes the trade, Frenchmen the word, I doe the name auowe.

The elder stock, and we a braunch, At Phoebes gouerning.

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From fire to sonne, doe waxe and wane, By thrift and lauishing.

The fire, not valuing at due price His wealth, it throwes away: The sonne, by seruice or by match, Repaireth this decay.

The smelling fence we sundry want, But want it without lack: For t'is no sense, to wish a weale, That brings a greater wrack.

Through natures marke, we owne our babes, By tip of th' upper lip; Black-bearded all the race, saue mine, Wrong dide by mothership.

The Barons wife, Arch-deacons heire, Vnto her yonger sonne Gaue Antony, which downe to me, By 4. descents hath runne.

All which, and all their wiues, exprest A Turtles single loue, And neuer did tha'duentrous change, Of double wedding proue.

We are the fist: to swarue herefrom, I will not though I could, As for my wife, G.o.d may dispose, Shee shall not, though she would.

Our family transplants it selfe, To grow in other shires, And Countrey rather makes then takes, As best behoofe appeares.

Children thrice three G.o.d hath vs lent, Two sonnes, and then a mayd, By order borne, of which, one third We in the graue haue layd.

Our eldest daughter widow fell, Before our yongest borne: So doe hard haps vnlooked come, So are our hopes forlorne.

Mine trebled haue in either s.e.xe, Those which my parents got, And yet but halfed them, which G.o.d My graundsire did allot: Whose grace in Court, rarely obtayned, To th'yongst of those eighteene, Three Kings of England G.o.dfathers, For G.o.dmother, our Queene.

The Armes of our family, are Or. 3. Lyons pa.s.sant, sable: armed and Langued Gules.

It exceedeth good maners, to inuite your longer stay at our cold harbour; and yet, for that diuers strangers haue, either vpon cause or kindnesse, pretended to like well of a salt.w.a.ter pond there made; and others, whose dwelling affoordeth a semblable oportunity, may (perhaps) take some light herefrom, to doe the like: if they be so disposed, I will put my selfe to the payne of particularly describing it, and you may (notwithstanding) at your pleasure, saue the labour of perusing it; wherein I will by the way interlace some notes, for the Imitaters better instruction.

There lyeth a creeke of Ose, betweene two hilles, which deliuering a little fresh rillet into the sea, receyueth for recompence, a large ouerflowing of the salt water tides. This place is deepened to a pond, by casting vp part of the Ose to the heades, part to the middle, and part to the sides: the vpper head stoppeth out the fresh water, the lower keepeth in the salt: the middle rayseth an Iland for the Workmens [105] ease, the owners pleasure, and the fishes succour. The Ose thus aduaunced, within short s.p.a.ce, through the sunne and winde, changeth his former softnes, to a firmer hardnesse. Round about the pond, there is pitched a frith of three foote heighth, sloped inwards, to barre any Otter from issuing, if hee there aduenture his naturall theft, as it would foreclose his entrance, but lose the pastime of his hunting, if the same declined outwards. In one of the corners next the sea, standeth a flood-gate, to bee drawne vp and let downe through reigles in the side postes, whose mouth is encompa.s.sed with a double frith, of two foote distance, eche from other, and their middle s.p.a.ce filled vp with small stones: this serueth to let in the salt water, and to keepe in the fish, when the flood-gate is taken vp: and therefore you must not make the frith too close, nor the compa.s.se too little, lest they too much stop the waters pa.s.sage. It riseth of equall heighth with the banks, & they must outreach the highest full sea mark, by two foot at least: neyther ought your flood-gates foote to stand euen with the pondes bottome, lest emptying the water, it wholly abandon the fish, but must leaue about three foot depth within. In the halfe circle enclosed between the flood-gate and the compa.s.se frith, there is digged a round pit, of three foot diameter, and foure foot depth, frithed on the sides, which is continually fedde with the water soaking from the sayd flood-gate, and serueth to keepe any fish aliue, that you haue before taken, and so to saue ouer often drawing. The floodgate will hold water best, if his sides be walled vp with Cob. The pond may not carry one continuall depth, but containe some shallow places, to protect the smaller fish from the greater, and for them all to play in, when the weather is hote. In the higher banke there is also a flood-gate, to let in the fresh water, during Summer season, which the fish then best affecteth; the rest of the yeere it is carryed away by a trench, for auoyding diuers discommodities.

Thus much for the making: now to the vse. Such as haue the meanes, may best benefit themselues, by letting in the salt water euery tyde, which is easily done, in making that place, where the water entreth, lower then the bankes and frith, and so suffering the tyde to take his course forth and back, without stop or attendance: and in this case, you may place your flood-gate euen with the floore of your pond, and neuer take it vp, but when you are disposed to view all your store. But mine lieth so high from the mouth of the hauen, as I am driuen to detayne the last prouision, vntill the comming spring-tyde haue taken two daies encrease; at which time, the flood-gate is hoysed vp, the old water let out, and the new admitted.

At full sea downe goeth the flood-gate againe, and there abideth, vntill the next day minister the like ocasion: and after this maner is opened and closed, for sixe dayes in the whole, continuing from thenceforth other ten dayes vnmedled withall, to wit, 8. daies of the neap, & two of the spring. Neither doth al this require ouer-long, or busie paines or attendance: for if the former water be let out (sauing in extreme cold weather) before any new come in, or stopped somewhat too late, it little skilleth, so as on the last day you keepe the aduantage, which the flood, then at highest, doth giue you.