Veryan is situate in the hundred of Powder, and hath upon the north
Tregony and Ruan Lanyhorne, east Caryhayes, west Philley, south the
British Channel.
Sure I am that in the Domesday Book 1087, this church or district
was taxed under the name and jurisdiction of Elerchy, situate
upon the lands of the Bishop of Bodman, now the Bishop of Exeter’s
manor of Elerchy; and by the same name it was taxed in the inquisition
of the Bishops of Lincoln and Winchester 1294, where we read Ecclesia
de Elerky in decanatu de Powdre £10. vicar’ ejusdem 40_s._; and in
Wolsey’s Inquisition 1521, alias St. Verian as aforesaid, £19; the
patronage in the Bishop of Exeter; the incumbent ――――; the rectory
in possession of ――――; and the parish rated to the four shillings
per pound Land Tax 1696, for one year, £216. 9_s._ by the name of
Verian.
Note further, that Cæsar in his Commentaries mentions several places
in Gallia, called Elerci and Aulerci, from whence this word came into
Britain. Those were of four sorts, viz. Aulerci Eburorices, now Eureæ
in Normandy, Aulerci Diablentres, Aulerci Cenomanni, now Mans, and
Elerci Branovices.
In this parish is the dwelling by lease of Richard Trevanion, gent.
captain of a foot company in the militia, that married ―――― Maunder,
his father ――――, his grandfather Arundell, originally descended from
the Trevanions of Tregarthin and Caryhayes, and giveth the same arms
with them. His son Richard, that married ―――― Verman, was bred up in
the school of Mars, under King William III. in his wars, wherein he
accompanied him as captain of a foot company in all his Irish and
Flanders war; and lastly, was posted to the command of Pendenis Castle
in Cornwall, where he died. His son Nicholas was also bred up in the
marine regiments of King William III. and afterwards had the command
of the ――――, a third-rate man-of-war, and demeaned himself so well
therein, in point of valour and conduct, that after King William’s
death, he was knighted by Queen Anne, and is now one of the
commissioners at the dock of Plymouth for the Admiralty.
In this parish also at ――――, by lease, is the dwelling of John Robins,
esq. some time Commissioner for the Peace and Taxes, that married ――――
Thomas, his father ―――― Lawry, his grandfather ――――, and giveth for
his arms, of a supposed allusion to his name, Argent, a fess nebulé,
between three Robin Red-breasts Proper; whereas, robin in Cornish is
Robert in English, and roobron is red-breast.
In the Domesday Book are taxed also the vokelands of two other manors,
which I take it are now dismembered and situate in this parish, viz.
Treviles, or Trefilies, and Govile.