The church and tower of this parish are handsome objects built of
granite, which abounds throughout all that district.
Mr. Lysons gives, as usual, on account of the ancient manors. The
manor of Kennal, he says, belonged in the reign of Edward the Second
to Matthew Penfern, afterwards to the Carminows, one of whose
coheiresses brought it to the Arundells of Lanherne; by whom, in the
year 1800, it was sold to three brothers of the name of Bath, who are
the present proprietors. The manor of Roseeth is the property of
Thomas Hocker, esq. the devisee of Thomas Reed, esq. The barton of
Tretheage is the residence of Mrs. Curgenven, widow of the late
proprietor, Captain Curgenven, of the Royal Navy. The barton of
Penalurick belongs to Mr. Hocker, and Stephen Ustick, esq. The bartons
of Treweek and Tresavren belonged to the family of Hawes, but now to
Mr. James Brown.
Tretheage, situated near the turnpike road leading from Truro to
Helston, has a very pleasing appearance in the midst of a country
almost bare of trees. About fifty or sixty years ago this place was
the residence of a gentleman called Tincombe, who had been a
practitioner of medicine, but retired to Tretheage, where either he or
his father had built the present house. He married a Miss Kniverton of
Tredreath in Lelant, but died without children.
Trevales has been for many years the residence of the late Mr. Thomas
Reed, and of his ancestors; who having been long what is termed good
livers in the parish, advanced themselves by successful adventures in
mines, and by conducting a tin smelting house in the parish of Perran
Arworthall. Mr. Thomas Reed never married, and devised the greater
part of his property to Mr. Hocker his near relation.
Mr. Lysons says, the church of Stithians was given by Edward the Black
Prince, to the abbey of Rewley near Oxford, in exchange for the manor
of Nettlebed. It appears from the printed documents relative to that
abbey, that Edmund Earl of Cornwall, in pursuance of his father’s
direction, Richard King of the Romans, founded Rewley Abbey in the
year 1280.
His charter, inter alia, has these words:
Sciant præsentes et futuri quod nos Edmundus, claræ memoriæ domini
Ricardi regis Alemanniæ filius, et Comes Cornubiæ, dedimus,
concessimus, et hac præsenti carta nostra confirmavimus Deo et
Ecclesiæ beatæ Mariæ de Regali-loco juxta Oxon. et Abbati inibi
commoranti, et quindecim Monachis capellanis ordinis Cisterciensis
sibi professis, pro anima Ricardi quondam Regis Alemanniæ patris
nostri divina celebrantibus, et eorum successoribus ibidem
commorantibus, Deo servientibus et imperpetuum servituris,
omnes terras et tenementa quæ habuimus in North Oseneye juxta Oxon ――――
cum Advocatione Ecclesiæ de Sancta Wendrona et aliis pertinentiis suis
in hundredo de Kerier in Cornubia. Preterea dedimus ―――― totum nemus quod
habuimus apud Netlebedde ――――
And in the Valor Ecclesiasticus, taken after the dissolution by Henry
the Eighth, is this entry:
Com. Cornub.
Wendrono et Stadyon, Firma Rector’ £22. 0_s._ 0_d._
But nothing appears relative to the exchange of Nettlebed for
Stithians.
The late vicar, the Rev. Edward Nankivell from St. Agnes, had been for
several years Chaplain to the Factory at Smyrna.
Stithians measures 3987 statute acres.
Annual value of the Real Property, as £. _s._ _d._
returned to Parliament in 1815 4110 0 0
Poor Rate in 1831 910 12 0
Population, { in 1801, | in 1811, | in 1821, | in 1831,
{ 1269 | 1394 | 1688 | 1874.
giving an increase of 47½ per cent. in 30 years.
Present Vicar, the Rev. C. W. Woodley, presented by the Earl of
Falmouth in 1829.