This parish is the only one west of Hayle that does not reach the sea
shore.
There is little remarkable about the church and tower, although they
are pleasing objects in various directions. The church contains
monuments to some former vicars, and also to Mrs. Bird. This lady was
the only daughter of Mr. William Wayne, a gentleman brought from
Bristol to instruct the newly established copper smelting company at
Hayle, in the requisite branches of metallurgy. He married in
Cornwall, and his daughter succeeded to a portion of the very
considerable property left by Mr. Abell Angove of Trevenson.
Miss Wayne was born at St. Erth in 1762, married Mr. Bird a gentleman
of Devonshire in 1785; and having become a widow, died near Plymouth
in 1803, without leaving any family. Several of her maternal relations
had been buried here.
The great tithes belong to the Chapter of Exeter, who are patrons of
the vicarage, which is endowed with the lordship of a manor.
This parish has to boast of a consecrated well, efficacious for
restoring health to children, and indebted for its virtues probably to
St. Enny, as the remains of a chapel dedicated to that saint are near
the well,
Mr. Hals has a long dissertation on the various creeds professed at
different times in the Christian church, and fancies that this house
may indicate an assumption by the inhabitants of the one most holy of
all. This is omitted. It seems, however, to be worth remarking, that
all the people of the county used to pronounce the word san-crist; and
this, joined with the fast of the parish feast being celebrated, not
in honor of any particular saint, but at Whitsuntide, may be
sufficient for suggesting a query at least, whether the church is not
really dedicated to the Saviour of Mankind.
Drift in this parish, was formerly the residence of the Trew-rens, or
more probably Tre-wren, which is said to mean the fair and handsome
town. The family removed to Trewardreva in Constantine, and Drift was
sold about sixty years ago, by the last Mr. Trewren.
Tregonnebris, stated by Mr. Lysons to be the only manor in the parish,
belongs to Mr. Buller of Downs, derived from Ezekiel Grosse. The
barton was held for many years under lease for lives by a branch of
the Lanyons, and so entirely bare of trees is this district, that
every child in the west of Cornwall is acquainted with the tale of a
Mr. Longer of Tregonnebris, being terrified by a supposed attack of
robbers when he first heard the hooting of an owl.
The late vicar Mr. Sechell held also the vicarage of St. Just.
Sancreed measures 3997 statute acres.
Annual value of the Real Property, as £. _s._ _d._
returned to Parliament in 1815 3593 0 0
Poor Rate in 1831 321 11 0
Population, { in 1801, | in 1811, | in 1821, | in 1831,
{ 782 | 790 | 1001 | 1069
giving an increase of 36½ per cent. in 30 years.
Present Vicar, the Rev. William Stabback, presented by the Dean and
Chapter of Exeter in 1816.