Has situate upon the north Camburne, west St. Erth, south Sythaney,
east Wendron. At the time of the Norman Conquest this parish was taxed
either under the jurisdiction of Lanmigell, viz. Michael’s Mount,
temple, or church, or Caer, id est, a city or castle, now Caer-ton,
Castletown; so called from the British treble entrenchments of turf
and stones yet extant in this parish. At the time of the Inquisition
of the Bishops of Lincoln and Winchester, 1294, Ecclesia de Crowen, in
Decanatu de Penwith, was rated VIII_l._; vicar ibidem, XL_l._ In
Wolsey’s Inquisition, 1521, 11_l._ 9_s._ 0½_d._; the patronage in Sir
John Seyntaubyn, the rectory in Seyntaubyn, the incumbent Glyn. The
parish was rated to the 4_s._ per pound Land Tax, 1699, 177_l._ 10_s._
This church was endowed by the Prior of St. Michael’s Mount, its
patron. After its dissolution 26 Hen. VIII, it fell to the Crown; from
whence, as I am informed, the patronage was purchased by Thomas
Seyntaubyn, Esq. Sheriff of Cornwall 37 Hen. VIII.
Clowens, in this parish, id est, White Cloos, those sort of grey
marble stones so called, whereof an innumerable strag of them are
visible upon a great part of the lands of this barton above ground,
particularly in the Deer Park. Mr. Carew tell us, that Clowens is
derived from the Greek κλω, cloow, to hearken. But glewas in Cornish
is to hear, and golsowins, to hearken. This place for many ages hath
been the seat of the genteel and knightly family of the Seyntaubyns,
now Baronets, whose first ancestor came out of Normandy, a soldier,
with William the Conqueror, 1066, who first settled himself at ..., in
the county of Devon; and in process of time Guy Seyntaubyn (afterwards
knighted), Sheriff of Cornwall 22 Richard II. as I take it, first
settled himself in this place, and married Alice, one of the daughters
and coheirs of Sir Richard Sergreaulx, Knight, Sheriff of Cornwall 12
Richard II. (who died at Killigarth, or Colquite), by whom he had
issue. But after Sir Guy’s death, his lady Alice having her lands all
in her own dispose, married Richard de Vere, Knight of the Garter, and
the 11th Earl of Oxford of that house; by whom he had issue John the
twelfth Earl of Oxford; and Sir Robert Vere, Knight, that married
Margaret, the daughter of Sir Hugh Courtenay, of Haccomb, Knight, heir
to her mother Philippa, one of the coheirs of Sir Warren Archdeacon,
Knight, by the which Margaret he had issue John, who married Alice,
daughter of Walter Killrington, Esq. by whom he had issue John
fourteenth Earl of Oxford, that died without issue 14th July 1526 [See
KILLYGARTH], upon whom she settled most of her lands, and deprived her
issue by Seyntaubyn thereof.
Thomas Seyntaubyn, Esq. was Sheriff of Cornwall 37 Henry VIII. Thomas
Seyntaubyn, Esq. was Sheriff of Cornwall 30 Elizabeth. John
Seyntaubyn, Esq. was Sheriff of Cornwall 11 Charles I. John
Seyntaubyn, Esq. was Sheriff of Cornwall 13 Charles II. who married
Godolphin, and had issue John Seyntaubyn, Esq. (my very good friend)
that married Anne, one of the coheirs of James Jenkyn, of Trekininge,
Esq. who by letters patent, bearing date 11 March 24 Charles II. was
created the 797th Baronet of England. He had issue by her, Sir John
Seyntaubyn, Bart. that married De la Hay, and had by her issue another
Sir John Seyntaubyn, now in possession of this place.
This famous worthy family, as it descended downwards, married
Sergreaulx, Colshill, Whittington, Grenvill, Mallett, Godolphin, and
others. The arms of Seyntaubyn are, Ermine, on a cross Gules five
Bezants. And the said family was denominated from Mount Seyntaubyn in
Normandy. Finally, as Sergreaulx’s heir, after the death of Sir Guy
Seyntaubyn, passed away her lands from her issue by him to her
children by her second husband, the Earl of Oxford aforesaid; so
Jenkyn’s heir, after the death of Sir John Seyntaubyn, Bart.
disinherited her heir by him, and sold most of her lands for the
payment of her second husband’s debts, Mr. Spencer, of Lancashire; and
after his death married one Mr. Page, for whose benefit she did her
son Seyntaubyn what further damage she was able to perform by sale of
more of her lands. So unconstant and irregular are some women’s
affections.
Tregeare or Tregeire, Cornish Saxon, in this parish, id est, the
dwelling of honour, or the honourable dwelling, gave name and original
to a British family, from thence denominated De Tregeare. It is now in
the possession of my very kind friend Richard Tregeare, Esq. Sheriff
of Cornwall 3d of Queen Anne, and Receiver of the Land Tax temp.
William III. who married Rawle, the relict of ――――, but died without
issue, who left his estate to one of his name (though none of his
tribe or blood, as I am informed), who gave for his arms, in a field
Argent, a fess Gules, between three Cornish daws Proper.