The Survey of Cornwall Part 28

A farre truer foretoken, touching the Earle of Deuons progeny, I haue seen, at this place of Hall, to wit, a kind of f.a.got, whose age and painting, approueth the credited tradition, that it was carefully preserued by those n.o.ble men: but whether vpon that prescience, or no, there mine author failes me. This f.a.got, being all one peece of wood, and that naturally growen, is wrapped about the middle part with a bond, and parted, at the ends, into foure sticks, one of which, is, againe subdiuided into other twayne. And in semblable maner the last Earles inheritance accrued vnto 4. Cornish Gent. Mohun, Trelawny, Arundell of Taluerne, and Trethurffe: and Trethurffes portion, Courtney of Ladocke, and Viuian, do enioy, as descended from his two daughters and heires.

Sir Reig. Mohun is widdower of two wiues; the one, daughter to Sir Henry Killigrew, the other, to Sergeant Heale: his father, Sir William, married, first, the daughter of Horsey, and one of the heires, by the common law, to Sir Iohn her late brother; and next, the widdowe of Trelawny, who, ouerliuing him, enioyeth this Hall, as part of her ioynture; a Lady, gracing her dignitie, with her vertue, and no lesse expressing, then professing religion.

Reignald, father to Sir William, wedded the daughter of Sir William Treuanion. The armes of the Mohuns are O. a Crosse engrayled Sa.

Powder Hundred.

SOme impute the force of Powder vnto this, that the same is conuerted, at an instant, from his earthy substance, to a fiery, and from the fire, into ayre; euery of which changes, requireth a greater enlargement, one then other: wherefore it finding a barre, ouer, vnder, and on the back and sides, by the pieces strong imprisonment, by consequence breaketh forth with a sudden violence, at the mouth, where the way is least stopped, & driueth before it, the vnsetled obstacle of the bullet, imparting thereunto a portion of his fury.

To which (through want of a probable Etymon) I may, in part, resemble the hundred of Powder, not only for the names sake, but also because this parcel of the Cornish earth extendeth it selfe wider, and compriseth more parishes, then any other Hundred of the shire, as stretching East. and West, from Foy to Falmouth: and South and North, welnere from one sea to the other.

In describing the same, we must begin where we left, to wit, at Foy hauen, in Cornish, Foath. It receyueth this name of the riuer, and bestoweth the same on the town. His entrance is garded with Block-houses, & that on the townes side, as also the towne it selfe, fortified & fenced with ordinance. The commendation of which industry, is princ.i.p.ally due to the prouidence and direction of M.

Wil. Treffry, a Gent. that hath vowed his rare gifts of learning, wisdome, & courage, to the good of his country, & made proofe thereof in many occurrents, & to whose iudicious corrections, these my notes haue bin not a little beholden. His faire & ancient house, Castle-wise builded [135] and sufficiently flanked, ouerlooketh the towne and hauen with a pleasant prospect, and yet is not excluded from the healthfull ayre, and vse of the country, which occasioned his auncestours (though endowed elsewhere, with large reuennues, of their owne and their wiues inheritance) for many descents, to make, here their ordinary residence, as is witnessed by their toombe-stones, which I haue seen in the church. One of them, about 145. yeeres sithence, valiantly defended this his dwelling, against the French, what time they had surprized the rest of the towne.

Hee married one of Tremaynes heires: his father, the heir of Tresithny; his graundfather, the daughter of Killigrew: and beareth S. a Cheuron betweene three Hawthornes A.

But I will returne to the towne. During the warlike raignes of our two valiant Edwards, the first & third, the Foyens addicted themselues to backe their Princes quarrell, by coping with the enemy at sea, and made returne of many prizes: which purchases hauing aduanced them to a good estate of wealth, the same was (when the quieter conditioned times gaue meanes) heedfully and diligently employed, and bettered, by the more ciuill trade of marchandise; and in both these vocations they so fortunately prospered, that it is reported, 60. tall ships did, at one time, belong to the harbour, and that they a.s.sisted the siege of Callais, with 47. saile. Heereon, a full purse begetting a stout stomack, our Foyens tooke heart at gra.s.se, and chauncing about that time (I speake vpon the credit of tradition) to sayle neere Rye, and Winchelsea, they stifly refused to vaile their bonets at the summons of those townes; which contempt (by the better enabled Sea-farers, reckoned intolerable) caused the Ripiers to make out with might and mayne against them; howbeit, with a more hardy onset, then happy issue: for the Foy men gaue them so rough entertaynment at their welcome, that they were glad to forsake patch, without bidding farewell: the merit of which exploit, afterwards ent.i.tled them Gallants of Foy: and (it may bee) they fought to eternize this memorable fact, after the Greeke and Romane maner, by inuesting the towne of Golant with that name: notwithstanding, quaere, whether a causelesse ambition in the posteritie, turned not rather Golant into Gallant, for their greater glory. Once, the townesmen vaunt, that for reskuing certaine ships of Rye from the Normans in Henrie the thirds time, they beare the armes, and enioy part of the priuiledges appertaining to the Cinque ports, whereof there is some memorie in their Chauncell window, with the name of Fisart Bagga, their princ.i.p.all Commaunder in that seruice. Moreouer, the prowesse of one Nicholas, sonne to a widdow, neere Foy, is deskanted vpon, in an old three mans songs, namely, how he fought brauely at sea, with Iohn Dory (a Genowey, as I coniecture) set forth by Iohn the French king, and (after much bloudshed on both sides) tooke, and slew him, in reuenge of the great rauine, and crueltie, which hee had forecommitted, vpon the English mens goods and bodies. Yet their so often good successe, sometimes tasted the sawce of crosser speeding; for Tho. Walsingham telleth vs, that Sir Hugh Calueley, and Sir Th. Percy, deputed to gard the sea, by R. the 2. Anno. 1379. chanced there to meete a Cornish barge, belonging to Foy harbour, which hauing worne out his victuals, and [136] time, limited for the like seruice, was then sayling homewards, neither would be entreated by those knights, to ioyne companie with them: howbeit they bought this refusall verie deare. For no sooner was the English fleete past out of sight, but that a Flemmish man of warre lighted vpon them, and (after a long, and strong resistance) ouermastered them as well, at last in force, as they did at first in number, tooke the Barge, sunk it, and slaughtered all the Saylers, one onely boy, excepted, who in the heate of the bickering, seeing which way the game would goe, secretly stole aboord the Flemming, and closely hid himselfe amongst the ballast. Ouer a while, this Pirate cast Anker in an English harbor, where the boy, hearing his Countrimens voice, that were come aboord, riseth from his new buriall, bewrayeth the fact, & so wrought meanes, for their punishment, and his owne deliuery.

Not long after, our Foy gallants, vnable to beare a low sayle, in their fresh gale of fortune, began to sk.u.m the Seas, with their often piracies, (auowing themselues vpon the Earle of Warwicke, whose ragged staffe is yet to be seene, pourtrayed in many places of their Church Steeple, and in diuers priuate houses) as also to violate their dutie at land, by insolent disobedience, to the Princes Officers, cutting off (amongst other pranckes) a Pursiuants eares: whereat king Edward the fourth conceiued such indignation, as hee sent Commissioners vnto Lostwithiel, (a towne thereby) who, vnder pretence of vsing their seruice, in sea affaires, trained thither the greatest number of the Burgesses; and no sooner come, then laid hold on, and in hold, their goods were confiscated, one Harrington executed, the chaine of their hauen remoued to Dartmouth, & their wonted iolity transformed into a sudden misery: from which they striued a long time, in vaine, to releeue themselues: but now of late yeres doe more and more aspire to a great amendment of their former defeats, though not to an equall height of their first aboundance.

Where I may not pa.s.se in silence, the commendable deserts of Master Rashleigh the elder, descended from a yonger brother of an ancient house in Deuon; for his industrious iudgement and aduenturing, in trade of marchandise, first opened a light and way, to the townesmens newe thriuing, and left his sonne large wealth, and possessions; who (together with a dayly bettering his estate) conuerteth the same to hospitality, and other actions fitting a Gent.

well affected to his G.o.d, Prince, and Countrey. He married the daughter of Bonithon; his father, of Lanyne, and beareth S. a plaine Crosse betweene 2. Croissants A.

Anno 28. H. 6. there was an Act of Parliament made, to restraine the abuses of sea-officers, in wrong exactions at Foy, and some other hauens.

The Lord of Pomier, a Norman, encouraged by the [1457.] ciuill warres, wherewith our Realme was then distressed, furnished a nauy within the riuer of Sayne, and with the same in the night, burned a part of Foy, and other houses confyning: but vpon approch of the countryes forces, raised the next day by the Sherife, he made speed away to his ships, and with his ships to his home.

In a high way neere this towne, there lieth a big and long moore stone, containing the remainder of certaine ingraued letters, purporting some memorable antiquity, as it should seeme, but past ability of reading.

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Not many yeres sithence, a Gentleman, dwelling not farre off, was perswaded, by some information, or imagination, that treasure lay hidden vnder this stone: wherefore, in a faire Moone-shine night, thither with certaine good fellowes hee hyeth to dig it vp; a working they fall, their labour shortneth, their hope increaseth, a pot of Gold is the least of their expectation. But see the chance.

In midst of their toyling, the skie gathereth clouds, the Moone-light is ouer-cast with darkenesse, downe fals a mightie showre, vp riseth a bl.u.s.tering tempest, the thunder cracketh, the lightning flameth: in conclusion, our money-seekers washed, in stead of loden; or loden with water, in stead of yellow earth, and more afraid, then hurt, are forced to abandon their enterprise, and seeke shelter of the next house they could get into. Whether this proceeded from a naturall accident, or a working of the diuell, I will not vndertake to define. It may bee, G.o.d giueth him such power ouer those, who begin a matter, vpon couetousnesse to gaine by extraordinarie meanes, and prosecute it with a wrong, in entring and breaking another mans land, without his leaue, and direct the end thereof, to the princes defrauding, whose prerogatiue challengeth these casualties.

A little beyond Foy, the land openeth a large sandie drab Bay, for the Sea to ouer-flow, which, and the village adioyning, are therethrough aptly termed Trewardreth, in English, The Sandie towne. Elder times, of more deuotion then knowledge, here founded a religious house, which, in King Henrie the eights raigne, vnderwent the common downefall.

I haue receiued credible information, that some three yeeres sithence, certaine hedges deuiding a closse on the seaside hereabouts, chanced, in their digging, vpon a great chest of stone, artificially ioyned, whose couer, they (ouer-greedy for booty) rudely brake, and therewithall a great earthen pot enclosed, which was guilded and graued with letters, defaced by this misaduenture, and ful of a black earth, the ashes (doubtles) as that, the vrna of some famous personage.

Vpon a side of this bay, one M. Peter Beuill first began the experiment of making a salt.w.a.ter pond, induced thereunto, by obseruing that the high Summer tydes brought with them young Ba.s.ses and Millets, whom at their ebbing, they left behinde in little pits of the euen ground, where they would liue for many weekes without any reuisitation of the sea: who, as he bettered this naturall patterne, so did I his artificiall; but yet with a thankefull acknowledgement, by whome I haue profited.

Lostwithiel should seeme to fetch his originall from the Cornish Lostwithiall, which in English, soundeth a Lions tayle: for as the Earle of this prouince gaue the Lyon in armes, and the Lions princ.i.p.all strength (men, say) consisteth in his tayle; so this towne claymeth the precedence, and his Lords chiefest residence, & the place which he entrusted with his Exchequer, and where his wayghtier affaires were managed. Maioralty, markets, faires, and nomination of Burgesses for the parliament, it hath common with the most: Coynage of Tynne, onely with three, others; but the gayle for the whole Stannary, and keeping of the County Courts, it selfe alone.

Yet all this can hardly rayse it to a tolerable condition of wealth and inhabitance. Wherefore I will [138] detayne you no longer, then vntill I haue shewed you a solemne custome in times past here yeerely obserued, and onely of late daies discontinued, which was thus:

Vpon little Easter Sunday, the Freeholders of the towne and mannour, by themselues or their deputies, did there a.s.semble: amongst whom, one (as it fell to his lot by turne) brauely apparelled, gallantly mounted, with a Crowne on his head, a scepter in his hand, a sword borne before him, and dutifully attended by all the rest also on horseback, rode thorow the princ.i.p.all streete to the Church: there the Curate in his best beseene, solemnely receiued him at the Churchyard stile, and conducted him to heare diuine seruice: after which, he repaired with the same pompe, to a house foreprouided for that purpose, made a feast to his attendants, kept the tables end himselfe, and was serued with kneeling, a.s.say, & all other rites due to the estate of a Prince: with which dinner, the ceremony ended, and euery man returned home again. The pedigree of this vsage is deriued from so many descents of ages, that the cause and authour outreach remembrance: howbeit, these circ.u.mstances offer a coniecture, that it should betoken the royalties appertaining to the honour of Cornwall.

M. Wil. Kendals hospitality, while he liued, and here kept house, deserueth a speciall remembrance, because, for store of resort and franknes of entertainment, it exceeded all others of his sort.

This towne anno 11. H. 7, was by act of Parliament a.s.signed, to keepe the publike waights and measures, ordayned for the Countie.

Lostwithiel subiected it selfe to the commaund of Restormel Castle, alias, Lestormel, sometimes the Dukes princ.i.p.al house. It is seated in a park, vpon the plaine neck of a hill, backed to the Westwards, with another, somewhat higher, & falling euery other way, to end in a valley, watered by the fishfull riuer of Foy. His base court is rather to be coniectured, then discerned, by the remnant of some fewe ruines; amongst which, an ouen of 14. foot largenes, through his exceeding proportion, prooueth the like hospitality of those dayes.

The inner court grounded vpon an intrenched rocke, was formed round, had his vtter wall thick, strong, and garretted: his flat roofe couered with lead, and his large windowes taking their light inwards.

It consisted of two stories, beisdes the vaults, and admitted entrance and issue, by one onely gate, fenced with a Portcouliz.

Water was conueyed thither, by a conduit, from the higher ground adioyning. Certes, it may moue compa.s.sion, that a Palace, so healthfull for aire, so delightfull for prospect, so necessary for commodities, so fayre (in regard of those dayes) for building, and so strong for defence, should in time of secure peace, and vnder the protection of his naturall Princes, be wronged with those spoylings, then which, it could endure no greater, at the hands of any forrayne and deadly enemy: for the Parke is disparked, the timber rooted vp, the conduit pipes taken away, the roofe made sale of, the planchings rotten, the wals fallen downe, and the hewed stones of the windowes, dournes & clauels, pluct out to serue priuate buildings: onely there remayneth an vtter defacement, to complayne vpon this vnregarded distresse. It now appertayneth by lease, to Master Samuel, who maried Halse : his father (a wise and pleasant conceited Gent.) matched with Tremayne.

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After wee haue quitted Restormel, Roche becomes our next place of soiourne, though hardly inuiting, with promise of any better entertainement, then the name carieth written in his forehead, to wit, a huge, high and steepe rock, seated in a playne, girded on either side, with (as it were) two subst.i.tutes, and meritorious (no doubt) for the Hermite, who dwelt on the top thereof, were it but in regard of such an vneasie climing to his cell and Chappell, a part of whose naturall wals is wrought out of the rock itselfe.

Neere the foote of Roche, there lyeth a rock, leuell with the ground aboue, and hollow downwards, with a winding depth, which contayneth water, reported by some of the neighbours, to ebbe and flowe as the sea. Of these, as another Cornish wonder.

You neighbour-scorners, holy-prowd, Goe people Roche's cell, Farre from the world, neere to the heau'ns, There, Hermits, may you dwell.

Is't true that Spring in rock hereby, Doth tide-wise ebbe and flow?

Or haue wee fooles with lyers met?

Fame saies it: be it so.

From hence ascending easily the s.p.a.ce of a mile, you shall haue wonne the top of the Cornish Archbeacon Hainborough, which (as little to great) may for prospect compare with Rama in Palestina, Henius in Medica, Collalto in Italy, and Sceafel in the Ile of Man: for if the weathers darkenesse bounde not your eye-sight, within his ordynarie extent, you shall thence plainely discerne, to the Eastwards, a great part of Deuon, to the West, very neere the lands end, to the North and South, the Ocean, and sundrie Ilands scattered therein, wherethrough it pa.s.seth also for a wonder.

Haynboroughs wide prospect, at once, Both feedes, and gluts your eye, With Cornwals whole extent, as it In length and breadth doth lie.

At Ladocke, in this Hundred, dwelleth master Peter Courtney, who doubly fetcheth his pedigree, from that honourable flocke, and embraceth the contentment of a quiet priuate life, before the publike charge in his Countrie, due to his calling, and to which long sithence, he hath bene called. His father maried (as I haue shewed) the daughter & coheir of Trethurffe, himselfe Reskimers, his sonne the daughter of Saintabyn: he beareth O. three Torteaux, and a File with as many Lambeaux, B.

Leo Aser, in the delightfull, and approued description of his Countrie, telleth vs of a blind guide, who would readily and safely conduct straunger trauailers, ouer the huge Deserts, with which that region aboundeth, and that the meanes he vsed, was, in certaine distances, to smell at the sand, which gaue him perfect notice of the places.

Likewise, Lewes Guicciardin, in his booke of Netherland, maketh report of one Martyn Catelyn, borne at Weruicke in Flaunders, who falling blind before he attained two yeeres age, grew, notwithstanding, by his owne industrie, without any teacher, to such a perfection in Timber handy-craft, as he could, not only turne, [140] and make Virginals, Organes, Vyolons, and such like Instruments, with great facilitie, order, and proportion, but also tune, and handsomely play vpon them, and besides, deuised many seruiceable tooles for his science.

These examples I thrust out before me, to make way, for a not much lesse straunge relation, touching one Edward Bone, sometimes seruant to the said master Courtney: which fellow (as by the a.s.sertion of diuers credible persons, I haue beene informed) deafe from his cradle, and consequently dumbe, would yet bee one of the first, to learne, and expresse to his master, any newes that was sturring in the Countrie: especially, if there went speech of a Sermon, within some myles distance, hee would repaire to the place, with the soonest, and setting himselfe directly against the Preacher, looke him stedfastly in the face, while his Sermon lasted: to which religious zeale, his honest life was also answerable. For, as hee shunned all lewd parts himselfe, so, if hee espied any in his fellow seruants, (which hee could and would quickely doe) his master should straightwayes know it, and not rest free from importuning, vntill, either the fellow had put away his fault, or their master his fellow.

And to make his minde knowne, in this, and all other matters, hee vsed verie effectuall signes, being able therethrough, to receiue, and perform any enioyned errand. Besides, hee was afflicted with so firme a memorie, that he would not onely know any partie, whome hee had once seene, for euer after, but also make him knowne to any other, by some speciall obseruation, and difference. Vpon a brother of his, G.o.d laid the like infirmitie, but did not recompence it with the like raritie.

Somewhat neere the place of his birth, there dwelt another, so affected, or rather defected, whose name was Kempe: which two, when they chaunced to meete, would vse such kinde embracements, such strange, often, and earnest tokenings, and such heartie laughters, and other pa.s.sionate gestures, that their want of a tongue, seemed rather an hinderance to others conceiuing them, then to their conceiuing one another.

Gwarnack, in this Hundred, was the Beuils ancient seate, whose two daughters and heires, married Arundel of Trerice, and Greinuile.

Wolueden, alias, Golden, fell vnto Tregian, by match with the Inheritrix thereof. Tregean signifieth the Giants towne: their sonne married in Lanherne house, their Graund-child with the L. Stourtons daughter: hee beareth Erm. on a chiefe S. three Martlets O.

It standeth in Probus Parish, whose high, and faire Church towre, of hewed Moore stone, was builded within compa.s.se of our remembrance, by the well disposed Inhabitants: and here also dwelleth one Williams, a wealthie, and charitable Farmer, Graund-father to sixtie persons, now liuing, and able, lately to ride twelue myles in a morning, for being witnesse to the christening of a child, to whome hee was great great Graundfather.

From hence, drawing towards the South sea, wee will touch at the late Parke of Lanhadron, because there groweth an Oke, bearing his leaues speckled with white, as doth another, called Painters Oke, in the Hundred of East: but whether the former partake any supernaturall propertie, to foretoken the owners sonne insuing death, when his leaues are al of one colour (as I haue [141] heard some report) let those affirme, who better know it: certain it is, that diuers auncient families in England are admonished by such predictions.

Grampond, if it tooke that name from any great Bridge, hath now Nomen sine re: for the Bridge there is supported with onely a few arches, and the Corporation but halfe, replenished with Inhabitants, who may better vaunt of their townes antiquitie, then the towne of their abilitie.

Of Pentuan I haue spoken before. For the present, it harboureth master Dart, who as diuers other Gentlemen, well descended, and accommodated in Deuon, doe yet rather make choyce of a pleasing and retired equalitie in the little Cornish Angle. Hee matched with Roscarrocke.

Penwarne, in the same Parish of Meuagesy, alias, S. Meuie, and Isy (two nothing ambitious Saints, in resting satisfied with the partage of so pettie a limit) is vested in master Otwell Hill, as heire to his mother, the daughter and heire to Cosowarth, to whom it likewise accrued, by matching with the daughter and heire of that name: a seate, through his fruitfulnesse, and other appurtenances, supplying the owner large meanes of hospitalitie, and by him so imployed, who reckoned to receiue most good, when he doth it. He deriueth himselfe from a populous, and well regarded familie in Lancashire, and married the daughter of Denham: and beareth G. a Cheuron, between three Garbes Ermine.

At the adioyning Saint Tue, dwelleth master Richard Tremayn, descended from a yonger brother of Coloc.u.mb house, in Deuon, who being learned in the lawes, is yet to learne, or at least to practise, how he may make other profit thereby, then by hoording vp treasure of grat.i.tude, in the mindfull b.r.e.a.s.t.s of poore and rich, on whom hee, gratis, bestoweth the fruites of his paines and knowledge. He married Coffyn, hee beareth G. three Armes in circle ioyned at the Tronkes 0. with hands proper.

Dudman, a wel-knowne foreland to most Saylers, here shouldreth out the Ocean, to shape the same a large bosome betweene it selfe, and Rame head, which are wel-neere twentie myles in distance.

Amongst sundrie prouerbs, allotting an impossible time of performance, the Cornish men haue this one, When Rame-head and Dudman meet.

Whose possession, yet, though not themselues, met in Sir Peers Edgec.u.mb, as inioyning that, in right of his wife, and this, by descent from his Father.