St. Austell is situate in the hundred of Powder, and hath upon the
north Roach, east St. Blaze, west Mewan, south the British Channel; in
Domesday Roll, 1087, the modern name of this parish was not extant,
but the same and the districts of St. Blazy, Mewan, and Menagnissy,
passed then in tax under the jurisdiction of Earl Cradock’s manor of
Towington, now duchy, Treverbyn, Trenance, and Pentewan. Note further,
that, if Saint Austell be a corruption of Sancto Hostell, it signifies
the holy inn or court.
The Prior of Tywardreth, with divers other benefactors, as appears
from the carving and inscriptions on the stones thereof, founded and
endowed this church, within the town of Trenance, now St. Austell
Town, after which it was indifferently written Trenance Prior (Carew’s
Survey of Cornwall, p. 57), that is to say, the valley town prior (or
pertaining to him) and again by him Trenance Austell (id est, the
cell, chapel or hole, valley town); and again, Tre-nance Aus-tell (id
est, the valley town out, or remote cell or chapel) so called in
respect of Tywardreth, its superior or mother church. The patronage
now in the King; the incumbent Tremayne; the rectory or sheaf in May.
In the Bishop of Lincoln and Winchester’s Inquisition into the Pope’s
Value of Benefices in Cornwall, 1294, Ecclesia de Sancto Austello in
Decanatu de Powdre, was rated to first fruits x_l._ xiii_s._ iiii_d._
The vicar xl_s._ In Wolsey’s Inquisition, 1521, £21. This parish was
charged to the 4_s._ per pound land tax, 1696, £432. 6_s._ (See
Tywardreth.)
From this place was denominated an old family of gentlemen surnamed De
Austell, of which family William de Austell was Sheriff of Cornwall 25
Henry VI. as also of Somerset and Dorset 27 and 28 of King Henry VI.;
who gave for his arms, Argent, a saltire raguled Vert, but in what
families the name, blood, and estate of those gentlemen are terminated
I know not, or where they dwelt. At the town of St. Austell, alias
Trenance, is weekly held upon Friday a considerable market, wherein is
vended all commodities necessary for the life of man at a reasonable
price.[11] Its also privileged 10th fairs or greater marts, on the
30th of November, Palm Sunday, and Thursday after Whitsunday, which
benefits were doubtless first obtained from the Earls of Cornwall, by
the Priors of Tywardreth aforesaid.
Treverbyn, alias Tre-verbin, in this parish, was the voke lands of
considerable manor long before the Norman Conquest, as appears from
the Domesday tax aforesaid (it signifies in Cornish the herb, rape,
root, or navew town, famous it seems in former ages for those
vegetables,) from which place was denominated that old and knightly
family of the Treverbins (who had there free chapel and burying place
here lately extant), and of public use before the Church of St.
Austell was erected; of which house was Walter Treverbyn, Sheriff of
Cornwall 1223, the successor of Reginald de Valletort 7 Henry III. who
had issue Sir Walter Treverbyn, Knight, who had a daughter married,
named Katherine, to Peter Prideaux, of Boswithgye in Luxsillian 10th
Edward II. From this Walter also lineally descended Sir Hugh
Treverbyn, Knight, tempore Henry VI. whose two daughters and heirs
were married to Edward Courtenay, of Boconnock or Haccomb, in Devon,
and Trevannion, of Caryhays, in whom the name, blood, and estate of
those Treverbins ended. But Henry Courtenay, Marquess of Exon, and
Earl of Devon, forfeited one moiety of those lands to the Crown by
attainder of treason against that butcher of the branches of the house
of York, Henry VIII.; so that the same is now in copartnery between
the King of England and Trevanion.
Penrice, alias Penric, in this parish, (id est, head jurisdiction or
dominion) perhaps heretofore, if not now, the voke lands of some manor
(otherwise it must be interpreted the head or chief lopping of trees,
or _rice_, faggots) is the dwelling of my very kind friend Joseph
Sawle, Esq. that married Trevanion, his father Glanvill, his
grandfather Rashleigh, a gentleman notably famous for his humanity,
hospitality, and charity to the poor, who giveth for his arms, Argent,
a chevron between three falcons’ heads Sable. Originally, the first
ancestor of this family came out of Normandy, a soldier under William
the Conqueror, 1066, and in all probability he was posted in those
parts, an officer under William or Robert Earls of Morton and
Cornwall, some time after in those standing troops of soldiers the
Conqueror kept here, in order to awe the people thereof to a
submission to his dominion. For I take it beyond the records of time
at Towan in this parish, and elsewhere in Devon, this family or tribe
hath been extant in fame and splendor as the descendants of that
Sauley or Sawle, mentioned in Battle Abbey Roll in the year
above-mentioned.
Mena-Gwins, in this parish, i. e. white hills or hills white, is the
dwelling of Francis Scobell, Esq. (in English broom) that married one
of the coheirs of Sir Joseph Tredenham, Knight, his father Carlyon’s
heir, and giveth for his arms, as I take it, the same as the
Scobhalls, of Devon, viz. Argent, three fleurs de lis, two and one,
Gules; perhaps originally descended from that family. [At Mena-Gwins
resided Richard Scobell, clerk of the Parliament to Oliver Cromwell.
_Lysons._]
Ros-eundle, (id est, bundle of rushes,) in this parish, is the
dwelling of Charles Trubody, Gent.
At Roscorla, in this parish, (that is the promontory and fat valley of
land,) is the dwelling of that old family of gentlemen from thence
denominated De Roscorla. The present possessor George Roscorla, Gent.
that married Bullock. [The seat of the ancient family of Roscorla has
been pulled down. George Roscorla, the present representative of this
decayed family, is a day-labourer at Roche. _Lysons._]
Trenaran, (id est, the still lake, leat, creek, cove, or bosom of
waters,) in this parish, is the dwelling of Samuel Hext, Gent.
attorney at law, who by his skill and conduct in that profession, hath
advanced his reputation and estate to a considerable pitch in those
parts: he married Moyle of this place.
Merther in St. Austell, bordering on the sea, and joining to the Perr,
was formerly the seat of the Laas, but now the lands of Hext, who in
the reign of Queen Elizabeth came from Kingston, in Stuerton,
Devonshire, an ancient seat of that family. His coat is, Or, a castle
triple-turreted, between three battle-axes Sable.
[Mr. Hals exhibits the strong feelings of his time in the story of
Laa, when he says,]
At the time of the unhappy Rebellion, when the Lord Hopton had
disbanded his army, some of Fairfax’s forces entered the house at
Merther, threatening to murder Mrs. Laa and the family, for being too
dilatory in dressing meat for them. Mr. Laa, then riding about his
estate, had intimation that the rebels were in his parlour, carousing
at the expense of his bacon, poultry, and strong beer. He with all
possible expedition alighted at the door, enters the kitchen, which is
opposite to the parlour, and being warmed with an honest zeal for his
King, took down a loaded gun from the chimney-piece, and shot one of
the rebels, who was at the head of the table, dead on the spot.
Immediately he took horse, and rode towards the Perr, and preserved
his life from the vile pursuers, being providentially well mounted, by
leaping a five-barred gate, and swimming across the Perr, it being at
that time high water.
In the town of St. Austell liveth Henry Hawkins, Gent. attorney at law
(younger brother of Mr. Hawkins of Creed), who by his judgment, skill,
care, and pains, in his calling hath exalted his fame and estate to a
great degree. He married Scobell, and giveth for his arms, Argent, on
a saltire Sable, five fleur de lis. His two sons by Scobell died
without issue, and his daughters were married to Hoblyn, Moyle, Hext,
and Hawkins, of Helston; and the youngest of that sex, with all his
lands and riches, was married to Tremayne, of St. Ive, Esq.
The manor of Tow-ing-ton, alias Taw-ing-ton aforesaid, taxed in the
Domesday Book, 1087, is invested with the jurisdiction of a court
leet; and signifies “silence in town,” or “extraordinary silence in
town,” viz. when that court sitteth; which was afterwards by King
Edward III. 1336, concerted or fixed into the Duchy of Cornwall, by
charter (see Lestwithell), with its appurtenances.
In this parish was born Jonathan Upcott, son of George Upcott, Gent.
by Mrs. May, of High Cross, Ranger of the Parks to John Lord Robartes
in Cornwall, as also in Ireland, when he was Lord Deputy there. This
gentleman, having risen through various steps in the army, during the
reigns of Charles II., James II. and William III. commanded a company
in Flanders in the great war against France under Lewis XIV. At last,
being ordered to take part in a desperate assault on the French at
Enghein, where the Dutch and Spanish soldiers had proved better men at
their heels than at their hands, he bravely lost his life, together
with the greater part of his men.
King William is said in the course of this war to have grown prodigal
of Englishmen’s valour, blood, and lives, as he had before been of
their money; for when any dangerous fort was to be attempted, which
the Dutch and Spanish soldiers refused, he commanded the English to
perform it, who, being led away by the vanity of being accounted
valiant soldiers, and for the honour of the English nation, quickly
undertook such direful posts, though to their own destruction.