Marham Church rectory, called Marwyn Church, Marwon Church, in some
old books and manuscripts, is situate in the hundred of Stratton, and
hath upon the north Stratton parish, east Bridgerule and the
Tamer river, south St. Mary Wick, west Poundstock. For the name,
it signifies without doubt the house, home, habitation, or
church-dwelling (for so the words Mar and Ham do signify in the
British, Armorican, and Scottish tongues); and by the name of
Mar-om-cerch it was taxed in the Domesday book 20 William I. 1087,
from whence it appears here was a famous endowed rectory church before
the Norman Conquest; for vicarage churches, especially in Cornwall,
sprung not up till after that time. The first of those appropriations
of the advowsons of churches that I find on record in England, is that
of William the Conqueror’s, anno Dom. 1070, who by charter granted the
patronages or advowsons of the churches of Feversham and Middleton in
Kent to the abbey of St. Austin’s in Canterbury, in these words:
“Donatio Domini Regis Willielmi Anglorum de Ecclesiis
Feveresham et de Middeltone.
“In nomine sancte et individue Trinitatis, Patris et Filii
et Spiritus Sancti. Amen. Ego Willielmus ineffabili Dei
providentiâ Rex Anglorum, ex hiis que omnipotens Deus sua
gratia mihi largiri est dignatus, quædam concedo ecclesiæ
Sancti Augustini Anglorum Apostoli, que sita est in suburbio
urbis Cantuarie, pro salute anime mee, et parentum meorum,
predecessorum, et successorum hereditario jure.
“Hec sunt Ecclesie et decime duarum mansionum videlicet
Faversham et Middeltona, ex omnibus redditibus que mihi
redduntur ex hiis mansionibus, et omnibus ibidem
appendentibus, terra, silva, pratis, et aqua, exceptis
decima mellis et gabbi-denariorum. Hec omnia ex integro
concedo sancto Augustino et Abbati et fratribus, ut habeant,
teneant, possideant imperpetuum. Si quis autem huic nostræ
donationi contraire presumpserit, anathemati subjacebit.
“Facta est hec Donatio in villa que dicitur Wyndesor anno
Incarnationis Domini Millesimo septuagesimo. Testibus,
Episcopo Golfrydo de Seynt Loth. et Willielmo Tremle
Londoniensi, et Hugone de Port, et aliis ejus quamplurimis
optimatibus.”
Which grant was afterwards confirmed by Pope Alexander the Third, and
ratified by Theobald Archbishop of Canterbury, together with an
establishment and ordination of a vicarage by the said archiepiscopal
authority in each of the said churches respectively. Afterwards King
Edward III. 1349, appropriated to the same Abbey three other church
advowsons, viz. Wivelsberge, Stone, and Brockland in Kent, ratified
and confirmed by Pope Clement the Fifth’s bull, and by Simon Mepham,
then Archbishop of Canterbury, with the establishment of three
perpetual vicarages in those churches.
Of these sort of vicarage churches appropriated to Bishops, Deans, and
Chapters, Abbots, Colleges, and Priories, there are in England about
three thousand eight hundred and forty-five, in Cornwall one hundred
and twenty-two; most of them endowed with glebe lands and small
tithes, except about fifteen of them wholly impropriate, the vicar
subsisting only on a small salary or stipend by custom or
subscription.
Wales-bury, i. e. the Wales or Welsh burying, or the place where some
Welsh tribe lived and had their burying place or were interred, was
another manor or lordship, under which jurisdiction this district was
taxed 20 William I. 1087, from whence was denominated an ancient
family of gentlemen surnamed de Walesbury, who flourished here in
worshipful degree and great affluence of wealth for many generations
till the latter end of the reign of King Edward IV.; at which time,
the issue male failing, this estate fell amongst daughters, one of
which was married to Trevillian, who was no small advancer of the fame
and wealth of that family. Of this family Thomas Walesbury was Sheriff
of Cornwall 20 Henry VI. when William Wadham was Sheriff of Devon;
Thomas Walesbury, his son, was Sheriff of Cornwall 32 Henry VI. when
John Cheyney was Sheriff of Devon; his son John Walesbury was Sheriff
of Cornwall 37 Henry VI. when Richard Hals, of Kenedon, was Sheriff of
Devon. The arms of Walesbury were, Argent, a fess lozengy Gules.
Lang-ford-hill, in this parish, gave name and original to an old
family of gentlemen surnamed de Langford; and in particular, Humphrey
Langford, Esq. Commissioner for the Peace and Taxes [was] in
possession [of Langford Hill] tempore Charles II. and giveth for his
arms, in a field ―――― a lion rampant. The which gentleman aforesaid had
issue only daughters, one of which was lately married to her kinsman
Walter Langford, of Swadle Downes in Devon, Esq. now in possession of
this place.
In this parish liveth Alexander Cottle, Gent. who married Hawkey, his
father Cosowarth.