Blisland is situate in the hundred of Trig-minor, id est, sea-shore
the less; so called minor, to distinguish it from Trig-major, which
encompasseth a larger tract of land on the sea-shore of the Irish
Channel, viz. that now divided into Strator and Lesnewith; and hath
upon the east, Temple; west, Helland; north, Brewer and St. Udye;
south, Cardinham. The modern name Blisland is a corruption of
Bliss-lan, id est, happy, rejoicing, gladsome temple or church, which
is testified by the Bishop of Lincoln and Winchester’s inquisition
into the value of benefices, in order to the Pope’s annats 1294,
Ecclesia de Bliss-lan in Decanatu de Trigminorshire, vi_l._ In
Wolsey’s Inquisition and Valor Beneficiorum, £13. 10_s._ The patronage
lately in Sprye, Parker, Reynolds, in right of the manor of Blis-land,
now Molesworth; the incumbent Hicks. This parish was rated to the four
shillings in the pound land tax 1696, £104. At the time of the Norman
Conquest I judge it was taxed under Udy or Pengally.
This manor of Blisland was heretofore invested with the jurisdiction
of life and limb within its precincts (the lords whereof doubtless
built or endowed the present church); and within memory of the last
age, the inhabitants will tell you, that a person was executed, in the
gallows-field there, for robbing this parish church of its silver cup
and pattens belonging to the altar (vide Mitchell). This manor of
Blisland, tempore Hen. VII. was the lands of ――――, who forfeited the
same by attainder of treason in Flammock’s rebellion, whereby it fell
to the crown; from whence it was conveyed to the Stanhopes, and from
them to Parker, and from Parker to Reynolds, from Reynolds to Sprye,
from Sprye to Molesworth.
In this parish somewhere liveth Trese, Gent. The name Tres, or Treas,
is Cornish British, and signifies in that language “the third,” and
was a name taken up in memory of the third son or person of the family
from whence he was descended, and is derived from the same Japhetical
origin as τριτος, tertius, “the third,” as the Latin word _tres_.
Treas is also “the third” in the Scots and Irish tongues.
This parish hath in it loads and streams of tin.