Mr. Lysons gives a short history of the principal or only manors in
this parish. The manors of Pillaton and Hardenfast were at an early
period in a family bearing the singular name of Inkpen; then they
belonged to Dorothy Dillington, heiress of John Charles, esq. who sold
them to Thomas Moone. From this gentleman, Mr. Lysons says the manors
passed to the family of Coryton, although he does not state in what
way. They were ultimately devised by Sir John Coryton, who died in
1739, to his widow, and by her to the family of Helyar.
Pentillie Castle is in this parish, one of the most splendid seats in
the whole county, as well in regard to the magnificence of the
castellated house constructed by the present proprietor, John Tillie
Coryton, esq. on the site of a former house called Pentillie Castle,
as to the beauty and grandeur of the scenery, and to the romantic hill
and dale of the grounds.
This place was the seat of Sir James Tillie, who left the property to
his sister’s son, Mr. James Woolley, who took the name of Tillie, and
his granddaughter brought the estate to the late John Coryton, esq.
Sheriff of Cornwall in 1782, as his son has been in 1808.
The church and tower are not distinguished from others in the
neighbourhood, except by a south transverse aisle belonging to
Pentillie, and containing monuments to different members of the
family. In the body of the church is an inscription commemorating the
Rev. Ralph Eliot, who died in 1625, having been Rector of the parish
during fifty years.
The church town is small, and there is but one other village, called
Penters Cross.
The late Mr. Weston Helyar was patron of the rectory.
Pillaton measures 1957 statute acres.
Annual value of the Real Property, as £. _s._ _d._
returned to Parliament in 1815 2,236 0 0
Poor Rate in 1831 185 6 0
Population, { in 1801, | in 1811, | in 1821, | in 1831,
{ 336 | 477 | 452 | 413
giving an increase of 23 per cent. in 30 years, but in a
progression so irregular as to indicate some local cause
affecting it.
Present Rector, the Rev. H. Woolcombe, instituted in 1816.