This being the first parish in the hundred of Pider, I take the
opportunity of stating my opinion, that the name clearly imports the
fourth,――Perwith, Kesrier, Powder, and Pider, all of which meet in one
point, where the four parishes of Redruth, Gwennap, Kenwyn, and St.
Agnes, actually touch; and the spot is called Kyvere Ankou, the place
of death, on account of the frequent burial there of felones de se, or
persons who have destroyed themselves.
Trevannence I believe to mean the town in a valley of springs. This
barton has belonged to my family upwards of five hundred years, so
that we have used the name de Trevannence, by customary inheritance of
the manor of Tywarnhails. But in 1559 Henry Earl of Rutland, then Lord
of the Manor, sold the fee of his right in Trevannence to Richard
Carne the younger, of Camborne, Gent. who reconveyed it the same year
to John Jeffry; and he conveyed it, in 1593, to Thomas Tonkin.
[This estate was the property and the seat of Thomas Tonkin, of
Trevaunance, Esq. who made large collections for a parochial History
of Cornwall. Mr. Tonkin enjoyed his estate but a few years; he died in
1742. His two sons, who did not long survive him, successively
inherited his estates, which, after their death, were for a while in
the possession of Thomas Heyes, Esq. who married the daughter and heir
of his son James, but left no issue; the only child of his daughter,
who married Foss, having died unmarried, they descended to the
representatives of the three daughters of Thomas Tonkin, who died in
1672; which daughters had married into the families of Jago, Cornish,
and Ley. Mr. John Jago, and Mr. Hugh Ley, the immediate descendants of
two of the daughters, are now possessed of two thirds of the manor of
Trevaunance, and of such portion of the manor of Lambourn as extends
into this parish, and was part of the Tonkin estate (except some lands
sold to J. Thomas, Esq. of Chiverton). The other third part has been
subdivided. Mr. Thomas has one half of it by purchase, the other is
divided between Mr. Geach, a descendant of the family of Cornish, and
Mr. Paul Clerk.[7] Trevaunance House was taken down a few years after
the death of Mr. Tonkin; there is now a cottage on its site.
_Lysons._]
The above-named Richard Carne gave for his arms (as appears by his
seal) a pelican in her nest, with wings displayed, feeding her young
ones, which coat is still to be seen in Trevannence seats, and in the
roof of St. Agnes’ church. He was descended from the Carnes of
Glamorganshire, in Wales, who derive their pedigree from Ithal, King
of Gwent, whose direct ancestor was Belimaur, the father of
Cassibelan; which Carne settled in Cornwall, as we have it by
tradition, upon his ancestor’s marriage with the heiress of Tresilian,
of Tresilian in the parish of Newlyn.
Westward of Breanis riseth with a gentle ascent the great hill
commonly called St. Agnes’ Beacon; formerly Carne Breanic. On the top
are three stone barrows; to the westward of the one now used for a
beacon, are visible remains of a small square fortification.
This parish is of a large extent, but for the most part barren, with
abundance of wortzel and downs; but withal very populous, and not
without some parcels of very good land, particularly from Trevannence
to Perwennack, Tewan, Trevisick, Mewla, Meuthion; and neither are the
barren grounds the least considerable, as producing large quantities
of excellent tin, according to the Cornish saying,
Stean San Agnes an guella stean in Kernow.
(St. Agnes’ tin is the best tin in Cornwall.)
As likewise in some places very good copper, with some quarries which
produce excellent stone for building; and some of slate for roofing,
but not of the best quality. The land lies very heathy and dry, but
too much exposed to the raging north-west wind for trees to thrive on
it.
From the top of the first hill a part of Devonshire may be seen; also
the North and South Seas; with thirty-four parishes. The Bowden or
Boen Marks, called in sea charts the Cow and Calf, lie about two miles
from the shore.