The most probable opinion respecting the name of Padstow seems to be,
that St. Petroc originally fixed his hermitage or his monastic
establishment at this place, from whence he afterwards removed to
Bodmin.
At the taxation of Pope Nicholas this parish stands, Ecclesia de
Aldestowe £5. 6_s._ 8_d._; Vicarius ejusdem 13_s._ 4_d._
In the Valor Ecclesiasticus, 26th of Henry the Eighth, preserved in
the First Fruits Office, among the property belonging to the monastery
at Bodmin, the following entries occur with respect to Padstow:
£. _s._ _d._
Padistowe, Decimæ garbæ 14 9 6
Decimæ piscatoriæ 4 0 0
Oblac’ 2 0 0
Reddita et Firmæ Temporalium 10 7 5
Leland says, that the name of this Athelstow indicates its being
founded by Athelstan on his conquest of Cornwall, but this appears
mere conjecture, unsupported by the slightest authority; in
contradiction to the orthography used in the Valuation by the Bishops
of Winchester and Lincoln in 1291, where the name is Aldestowe, not
Athelstowe; and Athelstan’s conquest took place more than three
centuries and a half after the death of St. Petroc.
Mr. Whitaker conjectures that the original monastic establishment of
this Saint occupied the spot, since inhabited by one of greater
learning, and we may fairly presume imbued with a more deep infusion
of real piety, the well known and respected author of the Connection
of The Old and New Testament, and of a variety of other works, all
evincing his profound erudition, strong abilities, and goodness of
heart.
The Prideauxes are understood to have held this property before the
Reformation under a lease for lives from the priors of Bodmin, who
appear to have been high lords, at least, of the whole town.
Mr. Carew, after noticing Padstow, and referring to a charter of
incorporation which unquestionably never had any existence, says, “Mr.
Nicholas Prideaux, from his new and stately house thereby, taketh a
full and large prospect of the town, haven, and country adjoining, to
all which his wisdom is a stay, his authority a direction. He married
one of Viel’s coheirs; and, though endowed with fair revenues in
Devon, maketh Cornwall beholden to his residence. He beareth, Argent,
a chevron Sable, in chief a file with three lambeaux Gules.” P. 144;
340, Lord de Dunstanville’s edit.
This family appears to have been greatly benefited by the
confiscations of those times, since the Devonshire branch acquired all
the ecclesiastical possessions of Bodmin Priory, and what had been
held under lease from the monastery about Padstow, became converted
into freehold; and soon after the possession could be considered as
assured, Mr. Nicholas Prideaux built this house, which continues to be
one of the most handsome and imposing of all the gentlemen’s houses in
Cornwall. The exterior retains its original appearance, the interior
has received various and recent improvements; a splendid staircase is
understood to have been brought from Stowe in Kilkhampton. The late
Mr. Charles Prideaux went into holy orders during the life of his
elder brother; and afterwards assumed the name of Brune in addition to
Prideaux on his succeeding to the estate of that family. He married
Miss Patten, sister of Mr. Peter Patten Bowles; they have left one
son, who is married to Miss Glynn, and three daughters, the eldest
married to Mr. Sawle, of Penrice.
The church is handsome and spacious, and is said to have been built by
Thomas Vivian, Prior of St. Petroc’s, Bodmin, and titular Bishop of
Megara in Greece. It contains several monuments to the Prideaux
family, and to others.
The town is not large, and the harbour is so surrounded by rocks and
obstructed by sand, that vessels even of a small size are unable to
find shelter there when the wind blows on the shore, and security is
much wanted. Plans have been suggested for constructing a mole from
the eastern side of the harbour, near its entrance, so as to greatly
narrow the opening, and by so doing give power to the very extensive
back-water to deepen the channel, and this work, with the removal of
some rocks, would, it is believed, make Padstow a safe place of refuge
for all ships navigating St. George’s Channel or the Severn sea; but
the expense must far exceed all that could be contributed to a private
undertaking, and therefore no hope can be entertained of such an
improvement being made, unless the forming of a safe harbour in such a
situation should be deemed worthy of becoming a national work.
A considerable trade was brought to this part about the middle of the
last century by Mr. William Rawlings, who, emerging from a shop at St.
Columb, raised himself, and conferred benefits on all around him by an
union of talent, industry, and integrity. He was succeeded by his son
Mr. Thomas Rawlings, who served the office of Sheriff in the year
1803, and built a large house just out of the town, named Saunder’s
Hill; but various concerns having proved less successful in the latter
part of his life, and leaving a large family, the property has been
sold, and the house taken down.
It is a curious and singular occurrence respecting the tithes of this
parish, that they have been split; probably in consequence of leases
granted by the priory of St. Petroc. The Prideaux family have
continued to possess the tithe of fish, and some other advantages,
while the general tithes of the parish belong to a gentleman of the
name of Hall.
There are said to have been several chapels in the parish; one
dedicated to St. Sampson, not to the Jewish Hercules, but to a native
of Glamorganshire, born in the fifth century, who after spending years
in solitude, converting whole nations, performing miracles, and in
Britany raising a man from the dead, founded the splendid abbey of
Dole in Franche Comté, where he died on the 6th of July in 564. This
chapel is believed to have been built on the ruins of St. Petroc’s
monastery, destroyed by the Danes in 981, and therefore on the spot
now occupied by Mr. Prideaux’s house, which would be called Padstow
Place, but for the alliteration.
Another chapel stood in a direction from the town, now distinguished
by one of the most beautiful walks any where to be seen, when the high
water overflows the sand of this extensive estuary.
This chapel, called St. Saviour’s, in common with various others in
similar situations, was dedicated by navigators to our Lord, in a
capacity very limited with respect to that of the Redeemer of the
whole world from the destruction caused by original sin; they made it
only as a votive offering in return for their own temporal
preservation from shipwreck.
An account is given in a black-letter pamphlet, written by G. Classe,
of Torrington in Devonshire, of a most melancholy domestic tragedy
which took place in this town early in the reign of King James the
First, arising entirely from the violent spirit of fanaticism then
raging in men’s minds with ten-fold fury in consequence of recent
persecution and existing intolerance. The details had better be
forgotten.
The latitude and longitude of St. Minver spire are given in the
Trigonometrical Survey. Lat. 50° 33′ 31″, long. 4° 51′ 28″; in time
19m. 26s. west of Greenwich; therefore, Trevose Head will be in
latitude 50° 32′ 52″, longitude 4° 57′ 16″; Pentire point in latitude
50° 35′ 15″, longitude 4° 55′ 16″.
Stepper Point, forming the mouth of the harbour, is about a sea mile
south of Pentire Point, and less than half as much to the west. The
time of high water at the change and full of the moon must be between
half past four and five o’clock.
This parish measures 3073 statute acres.
Annual value of the Real Property, as £. _s._ _d._
returned to Parliament in 1815 6934 0 0
Poor Rate in 1831 1004 0 0
Population, { in 1801, | in 1811, | in 1821, | in 1831,
{ 1332 | 1498 | 1700 | 1822
giving an increase of nearly 37 per cent. in 30 years.
Present Vicar, the Rev. William Rawlings, instituted in 1790.