Is situate in the hundred of Penwith, and hath upon the north,
Philack; east, Gwyniar; west, Breage, Geenlow, and St. Hillary. For
the modern name, it signifies holy or consecrated ground or earth,
referring to the church and cemetery thereof. In Domesday Roll this
district was taxed under the jurisdiction of Trewinard, of which more
under. At the time of the Inquisition of the Bishops of Lincoln and
Winchester, 1294, into the value of Cornish Benefices, this church was
neither extant or endowed, since it is not named in that inquisition,
in Decanatus de Penwid. But in Wolsey’s Inquisition, 1521, it is
called San Etghi, or Yrghe; id est, the holy charge, cure, or command,
viz. of souls, and was then valued 14_l._ 1_s._ The patronage in the
Dean and Chapter of Exeter; the incumbent Ralph. The rectory in
Painter, by lease under the Dean and Chapter; and the parish rated to
the 4_s._ per pound Land Tax, 1696, 125_l._ 19_s._ 2_d._
Trewinard, taxed in Domesday Roll, by the name of Trewinerder, id est,
the high, haughty, beloved town, alias Trewinar, id est, the town of
the beloved lake or river of water, on which those lands are situate,
viz. the Hayle River, gave name and origin to an old family of
gentlemen surnamed De Trewinard, who flourished here for many
generations in genteel degree down to the latter end of the reign of
King Henry VIII. at which time John Trewinard, Esq. was Member of
Parliament for the borough of St. Ives, and so became privileged
against his creditors, being a man much encumbered with debts, who
during the intervals of parliament kept house here and stood upon his
guard, at which time one of his creditors obtained judgment and
outlawry against him, after three terms in the county court, broke his
house, took his person, and carried him prisoner to the sheriff’s
ward, where he remained till the next session of parliament, against
which time he brought his writ of habeas corpus, and was brought up to
Westminster in expectation of great damages against his creditor that
put him in durance. Upon this restraint of Mr. Trewinard’s person, the
house resolved not to sit, looking upon it as a breach of privilege,
but entered before their rising into a grand committee for hearing
this case pro and con, betwixt Trewinard and his creditor, when it
appeared as aforesaid Trewinard was outlawed and so out of the king’s
protection, and till that outlawry was reversed he could not lawfully
sit as a member; by which expedient Trewinard was forced to compound
with his creditor and sue forth the king’s pardon, and then appeared
in parliament in statu quo prius. This John Trewinard had, as I take
it, issue Martin Trewinard, steward of the stannaries, who had issue
Deiphobus Trewinard, that in his rage or anger killed an innocent man
and buried him secretly in Trewinard Chapel, of public use before the
Church of St. Earth was erected; however, this fact was not so
covertly carried, but the coroners of the shire had notice of it, who
accordingly came to this place, opened the grave, took forth the body,
and impannelled a jury thereon, who upon oath gave their verdict, that
this party’s death happened by a wilful murder of Trewinard’s,
whereupon he was carried before a justice of the peace, and upon
further examination of this matter, had his mittimus made, and was
accordingly sent to Launceston gaol, where he remained till the next
assizes.
In the mean time, foreseeing that this barbarous fact would tend both
to the destruction of his life and estate, he applied to Sir Reginald
Mohun, Knight, a favourite of the Queen Elizabeth’s, and proposed to
him, that he would make over and convey to him, his heirs, and assigns
for ever, all his lands and tenements whatsoever, under this proviso
or condition, that in case he were condemned for the murder aforesaid,
that he should or would procure the Queen’s pardon or reprieve for his
life; which proposal being accepted by Sir Reginald Mohun, lease and
release of his lands were made and executed for a valuable
consideration accordingly to him, bearing date the day before this
tragical fact was committed, whereupon Sir Reginald Mohun forthwith
became seised of this barton and manor of Trewinard, and at the next
assizes held for this county, Mr. Trewinard being indicted for this
murder, was found guilty by the grand and petty juries, and
accordingly condemned to be hanged to death, at which instant Sir
Reginald Mohun having gotten the Queen’s reprieve or pardon for Mr.
Trewinard, put it into the sheriff’s hands, whereby his execution was
stopped, and himself afterwards, on sureties for his good behaviour,
was set at liberty from the gaol, and subsisted upon some small
stipend allowed him by Sir Reginald out of his lands during life.
The arms of Trewinard are yet extant in the glass windows of this
house, viz. in a field Argent, a fess Azure, between three Cornish
daws Proper. Sir Reginald Mohun took such pleasure in this place, that
at some times he lived on it in the middle of Queen Elizabeth’s reign,
and finally settled it upon his three daughters, one of whom was
married to Sir Thomas Arundell, of Talvorne, Knight.
Sir Thomas Arundell’s part of the premises was purchased by Sir
Nicholas Hals, of Fentongallan, Knight, who having leases of the other
two parts, some time also for pleasure resided on this barton, whose
son and heir John Hals sold the same.
The present possessor of one third part in fee, and two third parts in
lease of this barton and manor, from Praed and Penrose, as I take it,
is Thomas Hawkins, Gent. who giveth for his arms the same bearing as
Mr. Hawkins, of Creed.
Such another tragical story of murder is to be seen under Falmouth
district, as also in Prince’s Worthies of Devon, how that Sir John
Prideaux, of Orchardton, killed in a duel Sir William Bigberry, of
Bigberry, Knight, whose ancestors from the Norman Conquest had lived
there, in worshipful degree, for nine descents, to the year 1360, when
the two daughters and heirs of this murdered gentleman were married to
Champernowne, of Beer Ferries, and Durneford, of Stonehouse. By this
misfortune Prideaux being condemned to be hanged, gave most of his
estate to obtain his pardon from Edward the Third.
In like manner he tells us that Sir Alexander Cruwys, Knt. temp. Henry
VI. slew one Mr. Carew, and for that fact was condemned to be hanged,
but in order to procure his reprieve or pardon, he sold twenty-two
manors of land. Also that John Copleston, of Copleston, in Devon, Esq.
commonly called the Great Copleston, in the middle of Queen
Elizabeth’s reign, in a rage slew his natural son and godson, for
which fact he was condemned to the gallows, but in order to procure a
reprieve or pardon, he was forced to sell thirteen manors of land in
Cornwall. His son left only two daughters that became his heirs,
married to ―――― Copleston and ―――― Elford.
Lastly, he further tells us that Sir John Fitz, of Fitzford, Knight,
slew in a rage one Mr. Slannen, in the time of Queen Elizabeth, after
which fact, posting away to London, with his servant, in order to get
his pardon, and at every stage shutting his chamber door, for fear of
being taken where he lodged, it happened in the night that his servant
knocking violently at his chamber door with some intelligence, and he
not well awaked out of his sleep, or not well understanding his
servant’s voice in the dark, he rushed to the door, shot off a pistol,
and slew his own servant, which as soon as he understood, he took
another pistol and shot himself dead also.
Trenhayle, in this parish, that is to say, the stout, strong, or rapid
river, gave name and original to an old family of gentlemen, from
thence denominated Trenhayle, whose sole inheritrix, temp. Edward III.
was married to Tencreek, as Tencreek’s daughter and heir, by her was
married to Thomas Budeoxhed, of Budeoxhed, in Devon, by whom he had
Thomas Budeoxhed, Sheriff of Devon, 26 Henry VI. whose son married
Pomeray, his grandson Trevilload, his great-grandson Halwell, and his
posterity successively Stroote, Trowse, and Champernowne, which last
gentleman, Philip Budeoxhed, having no issue male or female, temp.
Elizabeth, his sisters became his heirs, and were married, Winifred to
Sir William Gorges, Elizabeth to John Amadis, of Plymouth, Agnes to
Oliver Hill, of Shilston. Gorges sold Budeoxhed, temp. Charles I. to
Mr. Trevill, a merchant of Plymouth, now in possession thereof. The
arms of Budeoxhed are, Sable, three fusils in fess between three
bucks’ heads caboshed Argent.
Mr. Budeoxhed, aforesaid, Sheriff of Devon 26 Henry VI. at his own
proper cost and charge, pulled down the old church of Budeoxhed, and
built the new church of Budeox, as it now stands, wherein himself lies
interred, some time after his eldest daughter died, who was the first
person that was buried therein after the same was built and
consecrated. Prince’s Worthies of Devon, p. 71.
Trelizike, in this parish, the town or lands situate upon the gulph,
cove, creek, or bosom of waters (see Landowenach Lizard), temp. Edward
IV. as appeared from a deed that I have seen, was the lands of Otho de
Trefusis, ancestor of the Oates of Peransabulo, from whose heirs it
came to the Smiths and others. In particular, Sir James Smith, of
Exeter, was seised thereof, temp. Charles II. who sold the
reversionary fee thereof to Arthur Paynter, Gent. attorney at law, his
father having a chattel estate therein before that purchase. The
ancient name of those Paynters, as Mr. Arthur Paynter informed me, was
De Camburne, from which name they were transnominated, upon this
occasion; John, the son of John De Camburne, being bound an apprentice
temp. Queen Mary to a painter in London, and happening, in some
contest, to kill or murder a man there, he forthwith made his escape
thence, and fled into Ireland, where he remained undiscovered for
several years, at length returned into his native country, and fixed
in St. Earth church town, where he set up a painter’s shop, and
surnamed himself Paynter, from whom those gentlemen so called are
lineally descended. The present possessor Francis Paynter, gentleman,
that married Sutherland, and Paynter, his father Praed, his
grandfather ――――, and giveth for his arms, in a field Sable, three
slabs of tin Proper.
Gurlyn, id est, the husband’s lake, or riveret of water, otherwise
Gorlyn, is the fat or fertile lake of water in this parish, formerly
held of the Crown by the tenure of knight’s service, was, temp. Edward
III. the lands of Dinham, from whose heirs it came to Nansperian, and
by Nansperian’s daughter and heir, to Matthew Prideaux, and by
Prideaux’ two daughters and heirs, in marriage to Gregor and Bickford,
now in possession thereof. The arms of Nansperian were, Argent, three
lozenges Sable. Nansperian signifies the valley of thorns.