Week St. Mary is situate in the hundred of Stratton, and hath upon the
north Marhamchurch, west Jacobstowe, south North Pendyrwyn, east
Tamerton.
In the Inquisition of the Bishops of Lincoln and Winchester 1292,
Ecclesia de Wi-Wyke, in decanatu de Trigmajorshire, was valued cvi_s._
viii_d._
In Wolsey’s Inquisition 1521, by the name of Wike St. Mary, £17. The
patronage was formerly in ―――― that endowed it, now alternately in
Rashleigh and ――――; the incumbent ――――; and the parish rated to the
4_s._ per pound Land Tax, 1696, for one year, by the name of Wike St.
Mary, £170. 11_s._ 6_d._ It is called Wike St. Mary (to distinguish it
from St. Mary Magdalen’s church at Lanceston), this being dedicated to
the Blessed Virgin Mary, as its tutelar guardian.
This Wike St. Mary was the birth-place of that famous minion of
fortune and example of charitable benevolence Thomasine Bonaventure.
Whether so called from her success in worldly affairs, or from her
ancestors, is altogether unknown to me; most certain it is she was
born of poor parents about the year 1450, tempore Henry VI. but not so
poor but that her father had a small flock of sheep that depastured on
the wastrell of Wike St. Mary downs or moor, whereof she was the
shepherdess, (see Carew, p. 282, Lord Dunstanville’s edition,) who on
a certain day in that place doing this office, it happened that there
passed by a London mercer or draper that traded in this country, who
was going to visit his customers in those parts, and gather up such
monies as there were due from them to him for such wares as he sold.
This gentleman, at first sight, observing the beauty of Thomasine,
desired to talk with her, and, after some discourse, found her
discreet answers suitable to the beauty of her face, much beyond her
rank and degree. Then inquiring into her circumstances, as to her
riches, and understanding that she was poor, and she likewise
inquiring into his wealth, and where he lived, which was as aforesaid;
whereupon he told her, if she would go to London and reside with him
as a servant, he doubted not but it would be very conducive to her
wealth and preferment.
Thomasine replied, that she was under the guardianship of her father
and mother, and that she could not accept his proposal without their
consent; but if they were made acquainted therewith, and approved
thereof, and he appeared to them to be such a person as he pretended,
she knew nothing to the contrary but that she might embrace his offer.
Whereupon this Londoner forthwith applied himself to her parents, and
gave verbal assurances, that if they would permit their daughter
Thomasine to go to London, and become a servant to him, she should not
only have good wages and be well used, but in case he happened to die
while she was with him, he would so effectually provide for her that
she should not have occasion to try the friendship of any other person
afterwards; and to strengthen those his proposals, he produced some of
his acquaintance and debtors in those parts, who satisfied her parents
as to his reputation and integrity for performance of what he
promised.
Upon which report Thomasine’s parents consented to his request, so
that soon after she was conveyed or carried up to London, and entered
as a servant in this gentleman’s house, when she demeaned herself very
well, to the good liking of himself and family; when it so happened
that in a few years after, this tradesman’s wife sickened of a mortal
distemper and died, and some time after Thomasine and her master were
solemnly married together as husband and wife, who then, according to
his promise, endowed her with a considerable jointure in case of her
survivorship; and about two years after, having no issue, he died; and
by his last will and testament further made her his sole executrix,
leaving her a rich widow whom he took a poor servant.
This dower, together with her youth and beauty, procured her to the
cognizance of divers well deserving men, who thereupon made addresses
of marriage to her, but none of them obtained her affection but only
Henry Gall, an eminent and wealthy Citizen of London, to whom, after
he had made another augmentation of jointure in case of her
survivorship, she was accordingly married, and lived in great amity
and reputation with him as a wife for some years, till in fine this
Mr. Gall sickened of a mortal distemper whereof he died, and left
Thomasine a richer widow than he found her, aged about thirty years.
After which the fame, virtue, wealth, and beauty of the said Thomasine
spread itself over the City of London, so that persons of the greatest
magnitude for wealth and dignity there courted her; and amongst the
rest it was the fortune of John Percivall, Esq. to prevail with her to
become his wife; after which it happened that he was chosen Carver at
the table of the feast of Sir John Collet, Knt. Lord Mayor of London,
the 2d of Henry VII. anno Dom. 1487, at which time, according to the
custom of that City, Sir John drank to him in a silver cup of wine, in
order to make him Sheriff thereof for the year ensuing (in conjunction
with Hugh Clopton, Esq.); whereupon he covered his head, and sat down
at the table with the Lord Mayor of London, and was accordingly one of
the Sheriffs thereof. Afterwards, in 14 Hen. VII. 1499, the said John
Percivall, was elected Lord Mayor of London, and knighted by that
King, at which time Thomas Bradberry and Stephen Jenings were Sheriffs
thereof.
By this gentleman our Thomasine had a third augmentation of jointure
and wealth, together with the title of Dame or Lady, which she lived
many years to enjoy after the death of Sir John Percivall, Knight.
After which, Dame Thomasine, having no child by either of her three
husbands, spent the remainder of her days, till about the year 1530,
when she died, in works of piety and charity; as repairing highways,
building bridges, endowing or providing funds for poor maids,
relieving prisoners, feeding and apparelling poor people, with her
treasure and riches; and especially in this parish of Wike St. Mary,
where she was born, she founded a chantry and free school to pray for
her soul, the souls of her father and mother, her husbands and
relatives. To this chantry and school she added a small library, with
a fair house for lodgings for the schoolmaster, and chanters or
singing men, and others, parts of which are yet extant; and endowed
the same with £20 lands for ever. In which place, during the latter
part of the reign of Henry VIII. many gentlemen’s sons, both in
Cornwall and Devon, had their education in the liberal arts and
sciences, under one Cholwell, a good linguist, as Mr. Carew saith.
But, alas! afterwards, in the Parliament of the fourth of November,
first of King Edward VI. 1550, all colleges, free chapels, chantries,
fraternities, and guilds, throughout this kingdom, being dissolved and
given to that King, this chantry and free school underwent with others
the common downfall, and its revenues vested in the Crown, from whence
it passed to ――――, now in possession thereof.
There are two fairs kept yearly in this parish on the 8th of September
and the 10th of December.