St. Michael Penkevil rectory is situate in the hundred of Powder, and
hath upon the north and east Merther and Lammoran, and is otherwise
wholly encompassed with the sea arm of Falmouth harbour, that extends
towards Tregony, Truro, and Tresilian bridges. At the time of the
Norman Conquest there was an endowed church extant in this place, for
then this district was taxed under the jurisdiction of Penkevil, of
which more under. Neither had it any other appellation at the time of
the Inquisition into the value of Cornish Benefices, so often
mentioned, 1294, than Ecclesia de Penkevill, in decanatu de Powdre;
and was valued at 40_s._ Which probably was extant, as aforesaid,
before the Norman Conquest, and held its name to that time; but
afterwards, when the present church was rebuilt or augmented in the
place thereof in the form of a cross, and was one of the quarter
cathedrals of the Cornish diocese, it was then dedicated to God in the
name of St. Michael the Archangel, and is commonly called St. Michael
Penkivell church, as under. In Wolsey’s Inquisition, 1521, it was
valued for its first fruits £9. 14_s._ 0½. The patronage formerly in
Tregago, Trenowth, Carmenow, Hals, now Boscawen; the incumbent
Hillman; and the parish rated to the 4_s._ per pound Land Tax, 1596,
temp. William III. £83. 8_s._ by the name of St. Michael Penkivell.
This church of St. Michael was endowed by the Fentongollans, or de
Tregagos, lords of the manor of Fentongollan, upon whose lands it was
built (out of which is since taken the manor of Tregothnan), who also
at their own proper cost and charges, built the south chapel or aisle
thereof, as a peculiar to them and their families, and obliged those
lands for ever to repair the same, (both over and under) as they still
do. Besides this they founded in this church a chantry, together with
a convent house in the churchyard still extant, for the chanter’s
residence; and endowed the same with competent lands for their
subsistence, to pray for the souls of them and their ancestors, that
after death they might be delivered from the flames of purgatory, and
transported into heaven; now these funeral songs or offices for the
dead are commonly called obits.
By the statute 27 Henry VIII. also 1 Edward VI. all chantrys,
colleges, free chapels and hospitals, were given to the king; at which
time John Carmenow, esq. obtained by gift or purchase the grant of
this chantry from the crown, and annexed it, together with its lands
and revenues, to the manor of Fentongollan, out of which at first it
was taken; all of which at length John Hals, esq. lord of the manor,
together with the patronage of this church, sold to Hugh Boscawen,
esq. temp. Charles II.
Fenton-gollan, Venton gollan, was and is the voke lands of a
considerable manor, which heretofore comprehended the whole parishes
of St. Michael Penkevil and Merther; except the tenements of
Penkevill, Tregothnan, (Treganyan, Penhell, Eglesmerther, and some
others,) now as above subdivided into the manors of Tregothnan and
Fentongollan; which latter had heretofore upon its lands many large
and commodious houses, as halls, parlours, and dining rooms, a notable
tower and bell, three stories high, and a chapel adjoining thereto for
divine service, and two large gatehouses at each end of the town,
which fabric the writer hereof hath often seen in his youth, when his
grandmother lived in it, and enjoyed the same lordship, together with
the manor of Bohurro, alias St. Anthony, as her jointure or freehold
for life. But now, alas! since her death, those lands have been sold
and transferred to several persons by her son John Hals, and those
houses are all pulled down, and the chief stones thereof carried to
build the gates and houses of Tregothnan.
This lordship, as I have been informed, soon after the Norman Conquest
passed from the family from thence denominated de Fentongollan, to
that of Tregaga, or Tresaga aforesaid, who for many generations were
gentlemen of great fame and wealth, and in all probability were so
denominated from Tregaga, or Tregage, house and tower, or castle, yet
extant at Ruan Lanyhorne.
In the rector’s chancel or chapel of this church is yet to be seen a
marble tombstone, with this inscription on it: Here lieth the body of
John Trembraze, Master of Art and Law, and sometime rector of this
church, who departed this life 12 November 1503, upon whose soul Jesus
have mercy. Trembraze is a place in Leskeard parish.
This church, as I said before, being a quarter cathedral to the Bishop
of Exeter, the old bells in this tower of St. Michael Penkevil were
baptized, as appears from their names subscribed in them, St. Michael
and St. Mary; the manner of which baptizing bells was thus: After the
bell was cast and set up in the tower, the suffragan bishop called the
chief inhabitants of the parish together to be godfathers and
godmothers of the bell; who all holding the rope in their hand after
prayers, the suffragan demanded the name of the bell of them, which
being given he sprinkles water upon him or it, saying, “Michael, I
baptise thee in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy
Ghost; be thou henceforth efficacious in driving thunder, lightning,
evil spirits, and tempest, from the living and the dead in this
place;” whereupon the gossips toll the bell; having prepared a new
white garment, then put it upon the bell (as was used to be done
amongst new baptized Christians of the primitive church) afterwards a
great banquet is prepared by the gossips for the suffragan, his
chaplains, and ministers, who are there fed and rewarded. Now it is a
doubtful question amongst the canonists whether the gossips to such
bells may marry with each other afterwards by canonical law. (See also
to this purpose Fox’s Acts and Monuments, temp. Henry VIII. p. 84.)