The church is situated on an eminence, and is therefore conspicuous at
a considerable distance in all directions; it is large, and built in
the usual manner of western churches with three aisles of equal
height; but the tower is so lofty as to exceed in height (according to
report) any other in the county, even those at Probus and St. Mabyn.
The church town is large; and the inhabitants preserve a shadow of
former traditionary importance by electing an annual mayor, who used
at least to receive some voluntary obediences from his townspeople in
the settling of small differences between them.
The etymology of the prefix Week seems to be less obscure than most
other additions to proper names. Week is in Cornish literally, sweet,
an epithet frequently applied to female Saints.
An alms, Sir Priset! the drooping pilgrim cries,
For sweet St. Mary and your Order’s sake.
_To St. Agnes._
Then cast, sweet Saint! a circle round,
And bless from fools this holy ground.
These lines are from modern compositions, but made in imitation of
others much older.
St. Mary Week is, therefore, sweet or beloved St. Mary; indeed Treweek
is known to mean sweet, beloved town or village. The Saxon wick is
never, I believe, lengthened into week.
Mr. Lysons says,
The church town is in all ancient records called the borough of Week
St. Mary, and the occupiers of certain fields are still called
burgageholders.
The ancient manor of Week St. Mary appears to have been merged in that
of Swannacot, which belonged to the late Lord Dunstanville by
inheritance from his great grandmother, heiress of the Heles.
The manor of East Orchard Mauvais was purchased from Mr. Dennis Rolle
by the late Sir John Call.
There is a place near the church town called Castle Hill, believed to
be the site of an ancient fortress.
The advowson of the rectory belongs to Sidney-Sussex College in
Cambridge, having been given to that Society in exchange for another
immediately connected with his residence by Lord Carteret, who
inherited the disposal of this preferment from the family of Grenville.
Week St. Mary measures 5,167 statute acres.
Annual value of the Real Property as £. _s._ _d._
returned to Parliament in 1815 3,012 0 0
Poor Rate in 1831 367 11 0
Population,――{ in 1801, | in 1811, | in 1821, | in 1831,
{ 566 | 612 | 782 | 769
giving an increase of 36 per cent. in 30 years.
Present Rector, the Rev. Walter Gee, presented by Sidney-Sussex
college in 1821; net value of the living in 1831, £388.