This was formerly so inconsiderable as to be wholly past in Mr.
Carew’s Survey; who indeed is so much in haste in the whole hundred of
Penwith, that he seems to be like a weary traveller, glad to come to
his journey’s end. But this town is of late years grown very
considerable, and its market the greatest in the West, especially for
corn. It owes its rise to the great confluence of people drawn
together by the mines of tin and copper, with which it is surrounded;
yet it must have been in former days of some note, since in the reign
of Edward the Third, William Basset of Tyhiddy, got a patent from that
king, to keep “duo mercata” weekly, “et duas ferias annuatim” here.
But whether it did not turn to account, or however it was, the market
was neglected, and only the two fairs kept, which still continue in
that family.
John Buller, of Morval, esq. being trustee for Francis Basset, esq.
and finding such an old patent lying neglected among Mr. Basset’s
papers, (as I have heard the late Mr. Basset often say,) took out a
new patent from Oliver Cromwell (which he got afterwards confirmed by
King Charles the Second), for one market weekly on Friday, and another
additional fair on ――――. And the better to colour the matter, [he]
took it in the name of his nephew Francis Buller of Shillingham, esq.
grandson to the above-mentioned John Buller, in whom the whole estate
is centred.
The town of Redruth consists chiefly of one large street, near half a
mile in length, and in it are several fair buildings, the principal
inhabitants being Mr. John Cock, Mr. Anthony Cock, Mr. Paul Michell,
Mr. Richard Banbury, &c. many of which live upon their own land. At
the bottom of the great street, near the river, was the chapel, where
service was performed twice a week within the memory of some living;
but now it is unroofed, and the bell carried to Trefusis, it lying in
Mr. Trefusis’s land.
The family of Trengove, alias Nance, have several houses and lands in
and about this town, which being annexed to their manor of Penwinnick
and Melgisy, are now enjoyed by Chester Nance, esq.; as had likewise
the family of Pendarves, which were sold by Sir William Pendarves, not
long before his death, to Samuel Harris, gent. of the family of Park
in St. Clement’s, whose son ―――― Harris now enjoys them. So had too
the family of Haweis, who are very antient in the parish; and I have
been told that Mr. Haweis of Kelliow is descended from a younger son
of this family, but the eldest by a second marriage, to whom came a
third of the manor, and several good estates adjacent. Their
dwelling-house here, now turned to several tenements, was sold about
thirty years since to Mr. Richard Remfry, by David Haweis, gent.
father to the present; and his grandson, Mr. John Hussey, now enjoys
it. John Collins of Treworgan, esq. hath likewise an estate here, and
was born in this town. The estate came by his mother.