Is situate in the hundred of Powdre, and hath upon the east Probus,
north Newland, west St. Allen, south Clements. As for the name it is
derived from St. Herme, the tutelar guardian saint of this church,
extant and endowed long before the Norman Conquest, by the Lord of the
Manor of Polsew or Polduh, taxed in Domesday Roll, and therefore the
Church again is taxed in Domesday Roll 20 William I. 1087, by the name
of Ermen-hen, i. e. old or ancient Herme. In the taxation of benefices
to the Popes in Cornwall, made by the Bishops of Lincoln and
Winchester 1294, Ecclesia de Hermita in Decanatus de Powdre is rated
at 6_l._ In Wolsey’s Inquisition, 1521, and Valor Beneficiorum, by the
name of Erme 22_l._ 13_s._ 4_d._ The patronage in Lutterell, Lord of
the Manor of Polsew, aforesaid. The incumbent Carthew, and the parish
rated to the 4_s._ in the pound Land Tax, 1696, 120_l._
The following short account of the patron saint is substituted for six
or eight pages of uninteresting legend given by Mr. Hals.
St. Hermes or St. Ermes, the supposed patron saint of this parish, is
said to have suffered martyrdom at Rome in the persecution raised by
the Emperor Adrian, about the year 132. His tomb in the Salian Way was
ornamented by Pope Pelagius the Second, who filled the chair of St.
Peter from 577 to 590. The name of St. Hermes is much celebrated in
the ancient martyrologies.
In the Missale Romanum is the following prayer, to be used on the 28th
of August, the day consecrated to his memory:
Deus, qui beatum Hermetem Martyrem tuum virtute constantiæ
in passione roborasti, ex ejus nobis imitatione tribue, pro
amore tuo, prospera mundi despicere, et nulla ejus adversa
formidare. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum filium tuum.
Tre-gasa, alias Tre-gaza, in this parish, id est, the wood town, to
prove which etymology there is still extant a considerable wood
adjoining to the town place thereof, was the dwelling of Thomas Coke,
Esq. Sheriff of Cornwall 27 Charles I. that married Lance, his father
Herle. His grandfather John Coke, Gent. attorney at law, of Trerice,
in St. Allen, who first came into those parts temp. Elizabeth, from
St. Mary Ottery, in Devon, without money or goods, placed himself a
servant or steward under Sir Francis Godolphin, Knight, where he began
from, and with his inkhorn and pen, to turn all things that he touched
into gold (as King Gyges), and that by indirect arts and practices as
tradition saith; for that Sir Francis taking a great liking to him,
left the management of his estate and great tin works to him, his said
steward Coke. He accordingly took care that all such tin of his
master’s as was melted at the blowing-house into slabs or blocks, was
justly marked with the dolphin stamp, as is customarily done on those
gentlemen’s tin to this day. After some years, Mr. Coke remaining in
service as aforesaid, by his subtle arts and contrivances, out of Sir
Francis’ toll, and the shares of other adventurers, and the wages of
labouring tinners, he produced considerable quantities of his own
block tin, which, when melted at the blowing-house, as aforesaid, to
distinguish it from his master’s, he marked thereon the figure of a
cat; the same, it seems, being the coat armour of his family or
ancestors. At length, against coinage time there was more tin brought
by Mr. Coke to be coined at the coinage towns, marked with the cat,
than there was of his master’s marked with the dolphin.
Whereupon, Sir Francis’s Lady being informed of his ill practices, and
resolving by the next coinage to be better instructed in this mystery,
at such time as Godolphin blowing-house was at work, privately, with
one of her maids, in a morning, on foot, went to that place, where
according, as common fame reported, she found many more blocks or
slabs of tin marked with the cat than there were with the dolphin; the
one part pertaining to Sir Francis, the other to Mr. Coke. Whereupon,
abundantly satisfied, the returned to Godolphin House, but could not
be there timely enough against dinner; whereat Sir Francis was greatly
distasted, having at that time several strangers to dine with him. At
length the lady being arrived, she asked all their pardons for her
absence, and told them it did not proceed from any neglect or want of
respect, but from an absolute necessity of seeing a strange and
unheard-of piece of curiosity, which could not be seen at any other
time; viz. to see the cat eat the dolphin (indeed cats are great
lovers of fish elsewhere as experience shews) and then gave an account
of the premises, to their great wonder and admiration: whereupon, soon
after, Sir Francis dismissed him from his service. But by that time he
had gotten so much riches, that forthwith he purchased the little
barton and manor of Trerice, in St. Allen, and made that place his
habitation till he purchased this barton and manor of Tregasa, and
seated himself here; where, by parsimony and the inferior practice of
the law, he accumulated a very considerable estate in those parts.
But, maugre all his thrift and conduct in providing wealth for himself
and posterity, his grandson Thomas Coke, aforesaid, succeeding to his
estate, upon the issueless decease of his elder brother Christopher
Coke, and buying in his widow’s jointure at a dear rate, and also
undertaking the building of the present new and finely-contrived house
at Tregasa, though never finished, yet the said fabric was so costly
and chargeable to him, together with the vain extravagance of his wife
(Lance), that he was necessitated to sell divers parcels of lands, in
order to raise money for his necessary occasions; and finally to
mortgage this manor and barton of Tregasa, and all his other lands
that were before unsold, for about fourteen thousand pounds, to Hugh
Boscawen, of Tregothnan, Esq. and lastly, for that consideration and
others, did, by lease and release, fine and proclamation, convey the
same to the said Hugh Boscawen, his heirs and assigns, for ever, who
are now in possession thereof. Soon after this fact Mr. Coke fell into
great want and distress, together with his wife and children, and died
suddenly by a slip of his foot into a shallow pit, wherein he was
searching for tin, out of a conceited opinion he had that he should at
last raise his fortunes by tin, as his grandfather before him had
done.
The arms of Coke are, in a field Argent, upon a bend cotised Sable,
three cats Or, with a crescent for distinction of a second house.
Truth-an, in this parish, parcel of Cargoll manor, held of the Bishop
of Exeter, (that is to say, the trath or trudh-an, id est, the trout
fish,) is the dwelling of John Williams, Esq. Sheriff of Cornwall 4th
of Queen Anne, by lease, who married Courtney, of Tremeer; his father
Maunder; originally descended from that Williams, of Probus, mentioned
in Carew’s Survey of Cornwall, p. 140; and giveth for his arms,
Argent, within a bordure enurny and enaluron, a greyhound in full
course Sable.
Tre-worg-an, in this parish, was formerly the lands of Tencreek, by
whose heir it came in marriage to the Polwheles, and became their
seat, till John Polwhele, Esq. barrister-at-law, sold it to John
Collins, Gent. now in possession thereof, who married May, of Truro,
and giveth for his arms, Sable, a chevron gouté of blood Argent,
between three Cornish choughs Proper.
Tre-worg-an Vean, in this parish, parcel of the Duchy manor of Moris,
is the dwelling of Andrew Ley, Gent. First Lieutenant of her Majesty’s
ship the Medway, that married Gibbs, of St. Colomb; and Bourchier,
daughter of Henry Bourchier, Rector of Creed, his father Tonkyn, of
Trevawnas; his grandfather Bligh, and giveth for his arms, Argent,
three pine trees Vert.
Innis, in this parish, that is to say an island, viz. a fresh water
island, a place, as many others in Cornwall, so denominated, where two
rivers, whose original fountains are above such lands, form between
them, in their current towards the sea, a piece or promontory of land,
shaped in form of a corner, or triangle, at the meeting or confluence
of those two rivers beneath the same (as amnicus, and mediamnis in the
Latin), is the dwelling of Itai Jago, Gent. that married Bauden, his
father Tonkin; his grandfather Molesworth and Herle, who was steward
to Francis Buller, of Shillington, Esq. The arms of Jago are .
As for the name Jago, whether it be derived from the Celtish, British,
Jago, and signifies James, or from Gago, or Jago, a spear, or military
tuck, I determine not, or from gages and pledges for battle; however,
this name was of ancient use in Britain; for Galfridus Monmouthensis
tells us of a king named Jago, before Julius Cæsar landed in Britain,
that reigned twenty-five years, and lies buried at York.
Trehane, in this parish, i. e. old or ancient town, is the dwelling of
William Courtney, Gent. a younger branch of Trethurfe family, that
married Seawen, his father Trevanion, of Tregarthyn, and giveth the
same arms as the Trethyrie Courtneys do.