There can scarcely be a doubt of this parish, Landewednack, and some
chapels, being dedicated to one of the Missionaries from Ireland.
Towednack, like most of the districts situated on granite, exhibits a
strange and almost unaccountable mixture of cultivated and of
unreclaimed soils. On one side of a fence may be seen land producing
abundance of grass and excellent for daisies, or bearing ample crops
of barley, and of clover hay and on the other side, an inclosed waste,
named throughout Cornwall a croft, producing nothing better than
the species or variety of furze, Ulex Nanus, and some of the most
coarse grasses.
This parish has been productive of much tin near the surface; but a
wide stripe of granite nearly resembling that of St. Stephen’s in
Brannel, extends from the parish of Zennor through Towednack, and
thence into Ludgvan, including Castle-an-Dinas, which Mr. Hals by
mistake places in this parish. Its course is distinctly marked by the
absence of all bolder rocks from the surface, and in some places it
has been wrought for china clay, found quite equal in quality to that
near St. Austell, but occurring in layers of but little breadth, and
therefore expensive to pursue. This soft granite, called by the miners
whetstone, permits the lodes to continue their courses through it from
the hard and crystallized granite, but the tin in a great measure
disappears at a trifling depth.
There is little connected with Towednack of any curiosity, that does
not refer to the Editor and his family.
I am possessed of a manor still extending into five parishes, of which
the vokeland, to use Mr. Hals’s term, was Amellibrea in this parish.
It has descended to me from the Noyes, and particularly from my direct
ancestor William Noye, the Attorney-General. I have the Court Rolls in
complete succession for nearly three centuries. On these Rolls the
names of Godolphin, Grylls, Mahun, Praed, St. Aubyn, Veal, occur with
others as free tenants, and a great number of persons held by copy of
Court Roll.
At Amellibrea are the remains of an extensive foundation said by
tradition to have formerly supported a prison.
But the free tenants have been lost, and the copyholds converted into
leases for life, as indeed has been the case generally over Cornwall,
with the exception of ecclesiastical property; the copyholds not being
renewable on the payment of a fine not exceeding two years’ value, as
is the custom over most parts of England, but dependent wholly on the
pleasure of the lord. The tenures were therefore in themselves much
the same; and as I remember to have heard, the tenants preferred
chattle property, as they termed it, to copyhold, in consequence
probably of the uniform rules of succession and the facility of
disposing by will.
The last copyhold that appears on the Rolls was in the very beginning
of the last century.
The particulars of holding a Court in those days, with the Steward’s
charge, happen to be preserved on the Roll for 1688, and seem to me
sufficiently curious to warrant their insertion.
* * * * *
At a Court of William Davies, esq. Lord of the United Manors of
Amyll and Tillie, holden on Friday the 27th day of April, 1688.
_The Homage._
Sampson Veale, esq. Foreman.
Robert Michell, James Trewhelow, John Curnow,
Francis Quick, John Quick, John Williams,
Oller Vaynfleet, John Baragwanath, John Trewhella,
Anthony Quick, Christopher Trewhella, John Gilbart,
George Beriman, James Quick.
_The Oath._
You shall swear that you, as Foreman of this Homage, with the
rest, shall duly inquire, and true presentment make of all such
copyholds and things as shall be given you in charge; wherein you
shall spare no man, from love, favour, or affection; nor present
any man for malice, hatred, or envy; but according as things are
presentable, shall or may come to your knowledge, by information
or otherwise, so shall you make thereof true presentment without
concealment,
So help you God, and the contents of this book.
_The Charge._
Sirs――You that be sworn!
You know the customs of this court, and what you ought to
present, which is grounded all on these three things, that is to
say, upon truth, judgment, and justice, for this comprehends all
you have to do.
It standeth upon truth, for that you ought to present nothing but
the truth, and likewise not to omit any thing that is true and
presentable being here unpresented.
It standeth upon judgment, that you do not present any thing
rashly, or unadvisedly; but certainly to know the truth thereof
before you do present it.
And it standeth upon justice that you do not for favour,
affection, corruption of money, or other reward, for fear of any
man’s displeasure, or for any private gain or profit, leave any
thing unpresented that is here presentable; neither for malice
present any thing contrary to truth.
These three principal things you ought duly to consider of; and
so hoping that you will have a special care thereof according to
your oaths and duties, and the trust that is reposed in you, I
will cease to trouble you any further about them.
First, you shall inquire whether all such persons as owe suit and
service to this court be here to do the same; and all that make
default you must present.
Also you shall inquire if any tenants be dead since the last
court, or before, and his death not yet presented; and you shall
inquire what lands he held of these manors, and what is due to
the Lord on his death;[4] and also if any copyholder has leased
his copyhold for any longer term than a year and a day, without
the Lord’s license, it is a forfeiture of his copyhold. And also
if any copyholder deny to pay his rent, or deny to come to his
Lord’s Court, or deny to be sworn of the homage, it is a
forfeiture of his copyhold.
And also you are to present all alienations that you may know
among the tenants, who they are, and for what.
You are also to present all such as remove any bounds bounding
the lands of these manors and the lands of any other Lord, or
between tenant and tenant, or elsewhere in those manors.
You are likewise to present any one that has taken any goods out
of the pound wilfully by force, or any pound-breaker by the way,
as they are driven to pound.
You are likewise to present any man that hath fished or fowled in
these manors, or hawked or hunted.
And also you are to present any that doth refuse or neglect to
grind at the mill of those manors; and if you are not well
served, you that are ill dealt with by the miller, he is lyable
to be prosecuted, and make satisfaction.
You are to present all tin broken in these manors that hath not
paid farme nor toll.
You shall swear by the contents of that Book; that you will be
true and faithful to the Lord of those manors, and shall from
henceforth bear, do, and pay to your said Lord, and to his heirs,
at times assigned, all such rents, customs, and services as you
ought to pay, and for all such lands and tenements as you claim
to hold of him; So help you God.
* * * * *
As the Steward’s name in not appended, I am unable to say who was the
author of this perspicuous, eloquent, and argumentative address. It is
probably in a great measure conformable to the approved model of that
day.
* * * * *
Having omitted to insert in its proper place a Petition from my
great-grandmother to King Charles the Second, I shall give it here, as
being in some degree connected with the property.
_To the King’s Most Excellent Majesty._
The humble petition of Hester Noye, widow of Humphrey Noye,
esquire, son and heir of the Attorney-General Noye, and eldest
sister and coheir of Edwyn Lord Sandys, deceased,
Humbly sheweth,
That King Henry the VIII. in the 14th year of his reign, created
your Petitioner’s great-grandfather William Sandys a Peer of this
Realm, by the style of William Lord Sandys, Baron of the Vine,
who granted a Patent of the said honor to him and his heirs,
which hath been ever since enjoyed by his descendants both male
and female accordingly; and last of all by the said Edwyn Lord
Sandys, who is lately deceased, leaving your said Petitioner and
five other sisters his coheirs.
That your Petitioner’s father served your late Royal Father of
glorious memory in the late unhappy wars, and raised a Regiment
of Foot, and another of Horse for that service, and was himself
slain therein.[5]
That your Petitioner’s late husband was likewise active in his
late Majesty’s service, being a Colonel in the Army, and suffered
very much for his loyalty in the late rebellious times, by whom
your Petitioner had issue William Noye, esq. his son and heir,
who is still living.
Now forasmuch as your Petitioner is advised that upon the death
of the said Edwyn Lord Sandys, it is in your Majesty’s power to
dispose of the said honor to which of the said sisters and
coheirs your Majesty pleases,
Your Petitioner therefore humbly prays, that your Majesty would
be graciously pleased to permit your Petitioner and her heirs to
enjoy the said honour and title.
And your Petitioner shall ever pray.
It is almost unnecessary for me to add that this Petition did not
prove successful.
Towednack is now included with Lelant in the borough of St. Ive’s,
sending one member to Parliament.
The great tithes belong to Mr. Praed of Trevethow, who, together with
the heirs of the late Duke of Bolton, possess the remainder of the
parish.
The parish feast is kept on the nearest Sunday to April 28.
This parish measures 2,569 statute acres.
Annual value of the Real Property as £. _s._ _d._
returned to Parliament in 1815 1483 0 0
Poor Rate in 1831 153 8 0
Population,――{ in 1801, | in 1811, | in 1821, | in 1831,
{ 465 | 532 | 582 | 736
giving an increase of 58 per cent. in 30 years.