Tywardreth is situate in the hundred of Powder, and hath upon the
north Lanlivery and Luxillian, south the British Channel, east Giant
and Fowey Town, west St. Blazey. The name signifieth the house upon
the sand; and by the same name of Tywardrai, it was taxed in the
Domesday Book 1087. In the inquisition of the Bishops of Lincoln and
Winchester into the value of Cornish Benefices 1294, Ecclesia de
Tywardreth, in decanatu de Powdre, was valued at cvi_s._ viii_d._; in
Wolsey’s Inquisition 1521, £9. 6_s._ 8_d._; the patronage formerly in
the abbat of Tywardreth, now Rashleigh; the incumbent ―――― Woolridge;
the rectory in Rashleigh; and the parish rated to the four shillings
per pound Land Tax 1696, for one year £205. This church is wholly
appropriated or impropriated to the prior or abbat of Tywardreth,
before the statute of Richard II.; and the vicar was paid only with
£11 modus or stipend per annum, out of the Duchy Exchequer of
Lestwithiel. It was the chief alien priory in those parts, which name
of alien priors or abbats arose soon after the Norman Conquest, when
certain Englishmen, Normans, and French, gave lands in England to
Monasteries beyond the seas; upon which the monks built convenient
houses for increasing the number of those under their own rule,
and to inspect their revenues and tithes, in which houses they planted
a suitable number of monks, under a superior or steward. This priory
or abbey was therefore accordingly made subject to the Abbey of St.
Sergius and Bacchus of Angiers in France, soon after the Norman
Conquest (to whom also is dedicated their church of Luxillian).
The history of whom is as followeth: These saints were Christians and
Noblemen of the City of Constantinople; the one Primicerius, and the
other Secondicerius; that is to say, Sergius the First, and Bacchus
the Second, Secretaries of State to the Emperor Maximian; who for that
they would not join with him in sacrificing to the Roman gods or
idols, were cruelly tormented by the common hangman, and lastly had
their heads chopped off, 7th October 310. There is pious mention of
those saints in the Second Nicene Council, Martyrologers, and
otherwise; and many churches are dedicated to them in Constantinople,
and other parts of Christendom; and the place in Asia where St.
Sergius suffered, is called Sergiopolis to this day.
This abbey was first founded by William Earl of Morton and Cornwall,
according to the rule of Augustine and Benedict. It was afterwards
re-edified and greatly augmented in its revenues by Robert de
Cardinham, tempore Richard I. 1190, (see the Monasticon Anglicanum of
Dugdale); for which reason he is by some persons taken to be the
founder thereof.
This Robert de Cardinham I take to be the same person mentioned by the
name of Robert de Cardinam, (Survey Cornwall, page 44), who held by
the tenure of knight service seventy-one knight’s fees of Morton in
Cornwall, tempore Richard I.
This abbey or priory house and church of Tywardreth, was dedicated to
St. Andrew the Apostle and Martyr of Christ, whose history followeth.
He was born at Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, elder brother of
St. Peter, and disciple of St. John Baptist, and was present when
he pointed at Jesus, saying, “Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away
the sins of the world;” whereupon he left St. John Baptist and
followed Christ. Who, for that, after our Saviour’s Crucifixion, he
would not sacrifice to the Roman Gods or Idols, at the command of
Egeus Proconsul of Rome, sent governor into the province of Achaia,
was crucified as his Lord and Master was, 30 November, Anno Dom. 60,
in the reign of the Emperor Nero.
His body was afterwards translated to Constantinople, from thence to
Italy, and lastly to Amalphy in Naples, where it still remains.
* * * * *
Now, by reason these alien priories transmitted to their superiors
beyond the seas the news and state of affairs in this land, whereby
the designs and undertakings of our princes were divulged to their
enemies in their French wars; therefore all those sort of religious
houses of this kind were suppressed by Act of Parliament, tempore
Edward III. Richard II. Henry V. and Henry VI.; and amongst them in
Cornwall, Minster, alias Tolcarne, in Trigmajor, and Minster in
Kerryer; St. Neot and St. Bennett’s in Lanyvet in Pider were put down,
and their lands confiscated to the Crown; but this priory of
Tywardreth, for its loyalty or integrity, or for some other reason of
security, stood firm till the general dissolution of all those
religious houses, 26 Henry VIII. when the revenues of this abbey,
according to Dugdale, was £123. 9_s._ 3_d._ Speed £151. 6_s._ 8_d._ as
is set down in their Monasticon Anglicanum.
Mena-belly, alias Mena-billy, in this parish, is the dwelling of
Jonathan Rashleigh, esq. Commissioner for the Peace and Taxes, and
some time Member of Parliament for Fowey, that married Carew of
Anthony, his father Sawle, his grandfather Bonython, his
great-grandfather Lanyon. Originally descended and denominated from
the local place of Rashleigh house, in or about Raneleigh parish in
Chulmleigh Hundred in Devon.
In this parish, towards the sea coast, is that famous camp or treble
intrenchment, called Castle Dore, consisting of a threefold trench
cast up of earth, in which heretofore our ancestors the Britons
fortified themselves against their enemies; out of which, as common
report saith, tempore Charles II. some dreamers of money hid in this
camp or place, upon search made, accordingly found such treasure as
they much enriched themselves thereby.