St. Michael Cary-hayes rectory, is situate in the hundred of Powder,
and hath upon the north Creed and St. Ewe, south the British Ocean,
east Goran, west Verian.
In the Domesday Tax, 1087, this parish was taxed under the names of
Cari-crougi. At the time of the Inquisition of the Bishops of Lincoln
and Winchester, into the value of Cornish Benefices, 1294, this church
was not endowed, if extant; afterwards it was, by the Cornwalls,
Hendowers, or Tregarthins, of Court in Branell, and dedicated to God
in the name and honour of St. Michael the Archangel; which gentlemen
afterwards wholly impropriated or appropriated their churches of St.
Stephen’s in Branell, and St. Denis, to the rector of this St. Michael
Carhayes; the patronage now in Tanner; the incumbent Tanner. In
Wolsey’s Inquisition, 1521, the rectory of those three churches was
valued at £27. 10_s._ 6½.; the vicarages £14. This parish was rated to
the 4_s._ per pound Land Tax, temp. William III. 1696, by the name of
St. Michael Cary-hayes, £64. 8_s._
Tre-vanion, alias Tre-vanyon, in this parish, which place gave name
and original to an old British and knightly family of gentlemen,
surnamed de Trevanyon, now in possession thereof, and also of
Cary-hayes aforesaid; which latter came to those gentlemen’s ancestors
by marriage with the daughter and heir of Arundell, lord thereof,
temp. Edward III.; since which time they have flourished, at
Cary-hayes and Trevanion in great fame, wealth, and reputation in
their country. Who have also had bestowed upon them, as tradition
saith, by their princes, for their good services, the lands of several
rebels and traitors, forfeited by attainder of treason, in those
parts; in the York and Lancaster wars, and Flamock’s, Arundell’s, and
other Cornish rebellions.
Of this family was Witte, or William, Trevanion, esq. Sheriff of
Cornwall 17 Henry VII. 1503; Witte, or Sir William, Trevanion, knight,
was Sheriff of Cornwall the 8th of Henry VIII. 1517; Hugh Trevanion,
esq. was Sheriff of Cornwall 19 Henry VIII.; Sir William Trevanion,
knight, that married Edgcumbe, was Sheriff of Cornwall 23d of Henry
VIII. He had issue Hugh Trevanion, esq. Sheriff of Cornwall 34th of
Henry VIII. 1543; he had issue Hugh Trevanion, esq. Sheriff of
Cornwall 6th of Elizabeth, 1564; who had issue Charles Trevanion, esq.
that married the daughter and heir of Witchalse, descended from Benet
Witchalse, Steward of Exeter 1440, Sheriff of Cornwall 37th of
Elizabeth, 1595; he had issue by her Charles Trevanion, esq. Sheriff
of Cornwall 9 Charles I. and by him knighted; who had issue John
Trevanion, esq. that married Anne, daughter of John Arundell, of
Trerice, esq. slain on the part of King Charles I. at Lansdown; by
whom he had issue Amey, married to Joseph Sawle, esq. and Charles
Trevanion, esq. Member of Parliament for Tregony, that married one of
the coheirs of Sir William Drummond, knight, by the daughter and heir
of Sir Nicholas Lower, of St. Wenow, knight; by whom he had issue John
Trevanion, esq. twice chosen one of the Shire Knights for this county
in Parliament, now living, that married Anne, daughter of Sir Francis
Blake, knight. Charles Trevanion, esq. had also issue a son, educated
beyond the seas, who entered into Holy Orders after the doctrine and
discipline of Rome, as I am informed.
The arms of these gentlemen are, in a field Argent, a fess Azure,
charged with three escallops Or, between two chevronels Gules; which
arms I suppose heretofore were the arms of two distinct families, and
for some peculiar reason united.