Mr. Lysons says that the ancient name of this parish was Cruetheke; it
is commonly pronounced Quithik.
The greater part of this parish belongs to Mr. Coryton of Pentillie.
Mr. Lysons gives a detail of the manors, but it is quite
uninteresting. One called the manor of Trehunsey, probably gives a
name to the principal village, Trehunest.
The church has on the outside an appearance of very great antiquity
verging on decay. Within, it contains several remnants of ancient
times, and monuments with inscriptions to the memory of former
parishioners.
The great tithes were appropriated to a chantry at Haccomb, in the
Deanery of Kenn, in Devonshire. Tanner says, in the church of St.
Blase here was a college or large chantry of five priests, under the
government of an archpresbyter in the reign of King Edward the Third.
Dugdale’s Monasticon, new edition, has the following history of this
place.
Mr. Oliver, in his Historic Collections, has printed the foundation
deed of this college, premising that the public notary has omitted to
affix the date to it in Bishop Grandison’s Register: but that by
comparing it with the institution of the first archpriest, Andrew de
Tregors, in fol. 46 of the 3d vol. of the same register, he was of
opinion that it must have been drawn up, either late in the year 1341,
or in the early part of 1342.
This foundation deed states that Sir Stephen de Haccombe had formerly
applied to Bishop Grandison to erect the parish church of St. Blase at
Haccombe, the burial place of his ancestors, into an archpresbytery;
that before the prelate could comply with his wishes, the knight died,
but that his heir Sir John L’Ercedekne had entered into his views, and
renewed the application to the Bishop, who had acceded to the request,
and consented to the appropriation of the parish church of St. Hugh de
Quedyock in Cornwall, for the better support of the archpriest and his
community. The community, besides the archpriest, consisted of five
clergymen, who were called Socii, who were bound to sing the canonical
office, and to celebrate obits; they dwelt under the same roof with
the archpriest, and lived in common. The archpriest was obliged to pay
six marks per annum to the Treasury of the Cathedral of Exeter.
Mr. Lysons says, in his Devonshire, p. 250, that the archpriest or
rector, as he is now called, continues to exist as the sole
representative of this college, enjoying its revenues: but certainly
not the great tithes of Quethiock, since they belong to Sir Henry
Carew of Haccomb, derived through the Courtenays. The vicarage is in
the gift of the Bishop.
It is stated in Dr. Borlase’s Collections, that there was formerly a
chapel in this parish, or tower, dedicated to St. Mary.
Quithiock measures 3774 statute acres.
Annual value of the Real Property, as £. _s._ _d._
returned to Parliament in 1815 5756 0 0
Poor Rate in 1831 354 5 0
Population, { in 1801, | in 1811, | in 1821, | in 1831,
{ 587 | 585 | 684 | 692.
giving an increase of 18 per cent. in 30 years.
Present Vicar, the Rev. J. R. Fletcher, collated by the Bishop of
Exeter in 1816.