and such a one the heire owneth which gaue name to his ancient
possessed mannour, as the mannour to his ancestours. His house
Bokelly may be deriued from Both, in Cornish, a Goate and kelly
which is lost: and the Goate he giueth for his Armes. This Gent.
father married the daughter of Fits in Deuon and left behinde him
three sonnes, Richard, Mathew and William, with two daughters:
those, brought vp in learning and experience abroade: these,
in vertue and modesty at home: the fruites whereof, they taste
and expresse, in a no lesse praise-worthy, then rare-continuing
concord, hauing (not through any constrayning necessitie, or
constraintiue vowe) but on a voluntary choyce, made their
elder brothers mansion a Colledge of single liuing, & kinde
entertaining. Amongst whom, I may not omit the yongest brother,
whose well qualified and sweete pleasing sufficiency draweth him
out from this cloyster, to conuerse with and assist his friends,
and to whose sounder iudgement, I owe the thankful acknowledgement
of [128] many corrected slippings in these my notes. The armes
of this family are thus blasoned, S. a Goat passant. A. attired and
trippled 0.
Roscarrock, in Cornish, meaneth a flower, and a rock, in English.
Roses are his armes, and the North rocky clifs, which bound his
demaines, perhaps added the rest. The heire hath issue by the
daughter of Treuanion. His father maried the sole Inheritrix
to Pentire, whose dwelling, Pentuan, is seated on the South sea,
so as he might make vse of either climate for his residence.
The family is populous; but of them two brothers, Hugh, for his
ciuill carriage, and kinde hospitality, and Nicholas for his
industrious delight in matters of history and antiquity, doe merit
a commending remembrance. They beare A. a Cheuron betweene 2. Roses,
G. and a sea-tenche nayante proper.
The little parish called Temple, skirteth this hundred, on the waste
side thereof: a place, exempted from the Bishops iurisdiction,
as once appertayning to the Templers, but not so from disorder:
for if common report communicate with truth, many a bad mariage
bargaine is there yerely slubbred vp.
Hundred of West.
WIth Trig Hundred on the South side, confineth that of West,
but taketh his name from the relation which it beareth to that
of East: the circuit thereof is not so large, as fruitfull.
In entring the same, wee will first pitch at the Looes, two seuerall
Corporations, distinguished by the addition of East and West,
abutting vpon a nauigable creek, and ioyned by a faire bridge of
many arches. They tooke that name from a fresh riuer, which there
payeth his tribute to the sea: and the riuer (as I coniecture)
from his low passage, betweene steepe coasting hils: for Loo,
and lowe, after the Cornish pronunciation, doe little differ.
East-Loo voucheth lesse antiquity, as lately incorporated,
but vanteth greater wealth, as more commodiously seated: yet the
foundation of their houses is grounded on the sand, supporting
(naythelesse) those poore buildings, with a sufficient stablenesse.
Their profit chiefly accrueth from their weekely markets,
and industrious fishing, with boats of a middle size, able to brooke,
but not crosse the seas: howbeit, they are not altogether destitute
of bigger shipping: amongst which, one hath successiuely retained the
name of the George of Loo, euer since the first so called, did a great
while sithence, in a furious fight, take 3. French men of warre.
The towne towards the sea, is fenced with a garretted wall,
against any sudden attempt of the enemy.
West-Loo mustereth an endowment with the like meanes, but in a
meaner degree, and hath of late yeeres somewhat releeued his
former pouerty.
Almost directly ouer against the barred hauen of Loo, extendeth
S. Georges Iland, about halfe a mile in compasse, and plentifully
stored with Conies. When the season of the yere yeeldeth oportunity,
a great abundance of sundry sea-fowle breed upon the strond,
where they lay, & hatch their egges, without care of building
any nests: at which time, repairing thither, you shall see your head
shadowed with a cloud of old ones, through their diuersified cries,
witnessing their general dislike of your disturbance, [129] and your
feete pestered with a large number of yong ones, some formerly,
some newly, and some not yet disclosed; at which time (through the
leaue and kindnesse of Master May, the owner) you may make and take
your choyce. This Gent. Armes, are G, a Cheuron vary betweene
three Crownes.
The middle market towne of this Hundred, is Liskerd. Les, in Cornish,
is broad, and ker, is gone. Now, if I should say, that it is so
called, because the widenesse of this Hundred, heere contracteth the
traffike of the Inhabitants, you might well thinke I iested,
neither dare I auow it in earnest. But whencesoever you deriue
the name, hard it is, in regard of the antiquity, to deduce the towne
and Castle from their first originall; and yet I will not ioyne hands
with them who terme it Legio, as founded by the Romanes, vnlesse they
can approue the same by a Romane faith.
Of later times, the Castle serued the Earle of Cornwall for one of
his houses; but now, that later is worm-eaten out of date and vse.
Coynages, Fayres, and markets, (as vitall spirits in a decayed bodie)
keepe the inner partes of the towne aliue, while the ruyned skirtes
accuse the iniurie of time, and the neglect of industrie.
S. Cleer parish, coasting Liskerd, brooketh his name by a more
percing, then profitable ayre, which in those open wastes,
scowreth away thrift, as well as sicknesse. Thither I rode, to take
view of an antiquitie, called The other halfe stone; which I found to
be thus: There are two moore stones, pitched in the ground, very neere
together, the one of a more broade then thicke squarenesse, about 8.
foote in height, resembling the ordinary spill of a Crosse,
and somewhat curiously hewed, with diaper worke. The other commeth
short of his fellowes length, by the better halfe, but, welneere,
doubleth it in breadth, and thickenesse, and is likewise handsomely
carued. They both are mortifed in the top, leauing a little edge at
the one side, as to accommodate the placing of somewhat else
thereupon. In this latter, are graued certaine letters, which I
caused to be taken out, and haue here inserted, for abler capacities,
then mine own, to interpret.
[image, approx d O n l
E R T : R O
3 a U I T
p R O a n
l m a
where 'a' is a Greek alpha character]
Why this should be termed, The other halfe stone, I cannot resolue
with my selfe, and you much lesse. Howbeit, I haltingly ayme,
it may proceede from one of these respects; either, because it is
the halfe of a monument, whose other part resteth elsewhere: or,
for that it meaneth, after the Dutch phrase and their owne measure,
a stone and halfe. For, in Dutch, Ander halb, (another halfe)
importeth, One and a halfe, as Sesqui alter doth in Latine.
It should seeme to be a bound stone: for some of the neighbours
obserued to mee, that the [130] same limiteth iust the halfe way,
betweene Excester and the lands ende, and is distant full fiftie
myles from either.
Not farre hence, in an open plaine, are to be seene certaine stones,
somewhat squared, and fastened about a foote deepe in the ground,
of which, some sixe or eight stand vpright in proportionable distance:
they are termed, The hurlers. And alike strange obseruation, taketh
place here, as at Stonehenge, to wit, that a redoubled numbring,
neuer eueneth with the first. But far stranger is the country
peoples report, that once they were men, and for their hurling vpon
the Sabboth, so metamorphosed. The like whereof, I remember to
haue read, touching some in Germany (as I take it) who for a
semblable prophanation, with dauncing, through the Priests accursing,
continued it on a whole yere together.
Almost adioyning hereunto, is a heap of rocks, which presse one of a
lesse size, fashioned like a cheese, and therethrough termed
Wringcheese.
I know not well, whether I may referre to the parish of S. Neot in
this Hundred, that which Mat. West, reporteth of K. Alfred, namely,
how comming into Cornwall on hunting, he turned aside, for doing
his deuotion, into a Church, where S. Guerijr and S. Neot made their
abode (quaere, whether he meane not their burials) or rather
so resolue, because Asser so deliuers it, and there found his orisons
seconded with a happy effect.
Next, I will relate you another of the Cornish natural wonders,
viz. S. Kaynes well: but lest you make a wonder first at the Saint,
before you take notice of the well, you must vnderstand, that this
was not Kayne the man-queller, but one of a gentler spirit, and
milder sex, to wit, a woman. He who caused the spring to be pictured,
added this rime for an exposition:
In name, in shape, in quality,
This well is very quaint;
The name, to lot of Kayne befell,
No ouer-holy Saint.
The shape, 4. trees of diuers kinde,
Withy, Oke, Elme and Ash,
Make with their roots an arched roofe,
Whose floore this spring doth wash.
The quality, that man or wife,
Whose chance, or choice attaines,
First of this sacred streame to drinke,
Thereby the mastry gaines.
In this Hundred, the rubble of certaine mines, and ruines of a fining
house, conuince Burchard Craneigh, the Duchmans vaine endeuour,
in seeking of siluer owre: howbeit, hee afterwards lighted on a
thriftier vayne, of practising phisike at London, where he grewe
famous, by the name of Doctor Burcot.
Killigarth, being interpreted in English, signifieth, He hath lost
his griping, or reaching: and by his present fortune, (in some sort)
iustifieth that name: for the same hath lately forgone
Sir William Beuill, whome it embraced as owner & Inhabitant, by his
sudden death, and is passed into the possession of the faire Lady
his widdow, by her husbands conueyance.
It yeeldeth a large viewe of the South coast, and was it selfe,
in Sir Williams life time, much visited, [131] through his
franke inuitings. The mention of this Knight, calleth to my
rememberance, a sometimes vncouth seruaunt of his, whose monstrous
conditions, partly resembled that Polyphemus, described by Homer and
Virgil, and liuely imitated by Ariosto, in his Orco: or rather,
that Egyptian Polyphagus, in whome (by Suetonius report) the
Emperour Nero tooke such pleasure. This fellow was taken vp by
Sir William, vnder a hedge, in the deepest of Winter, welneere
starued with cold, and hunger: hee was of stature meane, of
constitution leane, of face freckled, of composition, well
proportioned, of diet, naturally, spare, and cleanely inough; yet,
at his masters bidding, he would deuoure nettles, thistles, the pith
of Artichokes, raw, and liuing birds, and fishies, with their scales,
and feathers, burning coles and candles, and whatsoeuer else,
howsoeuer vnsauorie, if it might be swallowed: neither this a little,
but in such quantitie, as it often bred a second wonder, how his
belly, should containe so much: yet could no man, at any time,
discouer him doing of that, which necessitie of nature requireth.
Moreouer, he would take a hot yron out of the fire, with his bare
hand; neuer changed his apparell, but by constraint, and vsed to lie
in strawe, with his head downe, and his heeles vpwards. Spare he
was of speech, and, instead of halfe his words, vsed this terme Size,
as I will Size him, for strike him, hee is a good Size, for man, &c.
Ouer-sleeping, or some other accident, made him to lose a day, in his
account of the weeke, so as he would not beleeue, but that Svnday was
Saterday, Saterday Friday, &c. To Sir William he bare such
faithfulnesse, that hee would follow his horse, like a spanyell,
without regard of way or wearinesse, waite at his chamber doore,
the night time, suffering none to come neere him, and performe
whatsoeuer hee commanded, were it neuer so unlawfull, or dangerous.
On a time, his master, expecting strangers, sent him, with a panier,
to his cater at the sea side, to fetch fome fish. In his way,
he passed by a riuer, whereinto the tide then flowed, and certaine
fishermen were drawing their nets: which after Iohn Size had a
while beheld, hee casts to haue a share amongst them, for his master.
So into the water he leaps, and there, for the space of a flight
shoot, wadeth and walloweth (for swimme hee could not) sometimes up,
and sometimes downe, carrying his panier still before him, to his
owne extreame hazard of drowning, and the beholders great pittying;
vntill at last, all wet, and wearied, out he scrambleth, and home he
hieth, with a bitter complaint to his master, of his ill fortune,
that he could not catch some fish, as well as the rest, where so
much was going. In this sort he continued for diuers yeeres,
vntill (vpon I wot not what veake, or vnkindnesse) away he gets,
and abroad he rogues: which remitter brought him the end, to his
foredeferred, and not auoyded destiny: for as vnder a hedge hee was
found pyning, so under a hedge he found his miserable death,
through penury.
Sir Williams father maried the daughter of Militon: his graundfather,
the daughter and heire of Bear, whose liuelyhood repayred what the
elder brothers daughters had impaired. The Beuils Armes are A. a Bull
passant G. armed and tripped O.
In the same parish where Killigarth is seated, Master Murth
inheriteth a house and demaynes. Hee maried Treffry; his father,
Tregose. One of their auncestours, [132] within the memorie of a
next neighbour to the house, called Prake, (burdened with 110. yeeres
age) entertained a British miller, as that people, for such
idle occupations, proue more handie, then our owne. But this fellowes
seruice befell commodious in the worst sense. For when, not long
after his acceptance, warres grewe betweene vs & France, he stealeth
ouer into his countrey, returneth priuily backe againe, with a
French crew, surprizeth suddenly his master, and his ghests, at a
Christmas supper, carrieth them speedily vnto Lantreghey, and forceth
the Gent, to redeemme his enlargement, with the sale of a great part
of his reuenewes.
A little to the Westwards from Killigarth, the poore harbour and
village of Polpera coucheth betweene 2. steepe hils, where plenty of
fish is vented to the fish driuers, whom we call Iowters.
The warmth of this Hundred, siding the South, hath enticed many Gent.
here to make choyce of their dwellings, as M. Buller now Sherife
at Tregarrick, sometimes the Wideslades inheritance, vntill the
fathers rebellion forfeited it to the Prince; and the Princes
largesse rewarded therewith his subiects.
Wideslades sonne led a walking life with his harpe, to Gentlemens
houses, wherethrough, and by his other actiue qualities, he was
entitled, Sir Tristram; neither wanted he (as some say) a bele Isound,
the more aptly to resemble his patterne.
Master Buller married the daughter of one Williams, a Counsellour at
lawe in Deuon: his father, a younger branch of the ancient stocke,
planted in Somerset shire, tooke to wife the widdowe of Courtney,
and daughter and heire to Trethurffe; by whose dower, and his owne
indeuour, he purchased and left to his sonne, faire possessions,
but not vnencumbred with titles, which draue this Gentleman to salue
them all by new compositions with the pretenders: and for compassing
the same, to get an extraordinary experience in husbandry.
His ancestours bare S. on a playne Crosse A. quarter pierced
4. Eagles of the field.
At S. Winowe inhabiteth M. Thomas Lower, commendable through his
double prouision, against the warres, as hauing both furnished
himself with great ordinance, for priuate defence of the County,
and thrust forth his sonnes to be trayned in martiall knowledge
and exercises, for the publike seruice of the Countrey.
His wife was one of Reskimers daughters and heires: his mother,
the daughter of Treffrey: his house descended to his auncestour,
by match with Vpton. Hee beareth B. a Cheuron engrayled O. betweene
three Roses A.
Laureast, is the inheritance of M. Iohn Harris, a Gent. employing his
sound iudgement, and other praise-worthy parts, to the seruice of his
Prince and country, & the good of his friends and himself. His wife
was daughter and heire to Hart; his mother sister to M. Chr. Harris,
which (by his vncles yet want of issue) intitleth him with a faire
expectancy. Hee beareth S. 3. Croissants within a border A.
Treworgy is owed by M. Kendal, and endowed with a pleasant and
profitable fishing and command of the riuer, which flitteth vnder
his house. He maried with Buller: his mother was daughter to Moyle
of Bake, and beareth A, a Cheuron betweene 3. Dolphins S.
Master Glyn of Glynfoord, manifesteth, by this compounded name,
the antiqitie of his descent, and [133] the ordinary passage there,
ouer Foy riuer. The store of Sammons which it affoordeth, caused his
ancestours ta take the Sammon speares for their Armes: for hee
beareth A, a Cheuron, betweene three Sammon speares S.
Sundry more Gentlemen this little Hundred possesseth and
possessioneth, as Code, who beareth A. a Cheuron, G. betweene
three Crowes. May, G. a Cheuron vary betweene three Crownes.
Achym, A. a Maunche Maltaile S. within a border of the first,
charged with Cinquefoyles, as the second Grilles, &c. But want of
information, and lothnes to waxe tedious, maketh mee fardle vp these,
and omit the rest.
It is hemmed in one the West, by the East side of Foy hauen, at whose
mouth standeth Hall, in Cornish, a moore, and (perhaps) such it was
before better manurance reduced it to the present fruitfulnesse.
The same descended to Sir Reignald Mohun, from his ancestours,
by their match with the daughter and heire of Fits-Williams;
and (amongst other commodities) is appurtenanced with a walk,
which if I could as playnly shew you, as my selfe haue oftentimes
delightingly seene it, you might, & would auow the same, to be a
place of diuersified pleasings: I will therefore do my best, to trace
you, a shaddow thereof, by which you shal (in part) giue a gesse at
the substance.
It is cut out in the side of a steepe hill, whose foote the salt water
washeth, euenly leuelled, to serue for bowling, floored with sand,
for soaking vp the rayne, closed with two thorne hedges, and banked
with sweete senting flowers: It wideneth to a sufficient breadth,
for the march of fiue or sixe in front, and extendeth, to not
much lesse, then halfe a London mile: neyther doth it lead
wearisomely forthright, but yeeldeth varied, & yet, not ouer-busie
turnings, as the grounds oportunity affoordeth; which aduantage
encreaseth the prospect, and is conuerted on the foreside,
into platformes, for the planting of Ordinance, and the walkers
sitting; and on the back part, into Summer houses, for their more
priuate retrait and recreation.
In passing along, your eyes shall be called away from guiding
your feete, to descry by their fardest kenning, the vast Ocean,
sparkled with ships, that continually this way trade, forth and backe,
to most quarters of the world. Neerer home, they take view of all
sized cocks, barges, and fisherboates, houering on the coast.
Againe, contracting your sight to a narrower scope, it lighteth on
the faire and commodious hauen, where the tyde daily presenteth his
double seruice, of flowing and ebbing, to carry and recarry whatsoeuer
the Inhabitants shall bee pleased to charge him withall, and his
creekes (like a young wanton louer) folde about the land, with many
embracing armes.
This walke is garded upon the one side, by Portruan; on the other,
by Bodyneck, two fishing villages: behinde, the rising hill beareth
off the colde Northern blasts: before, the towne of Foy subiecteth
his whole length and breadth to your ouerlooking: and directly
vnder you, ride the home and forraine shipping; both of these, in so
neere a distance, that without troubling the passer, or borrowing
Stentors voyce, you may from thence, not only call to, but confere
with any in the sayd towne or Shipping.
Mounsieur la Noue noteth, that in the great hall of [134] iustice,
at Paris, there is no roome left, for any more images of the French
Kings: which some prophetically interpreted, to signifie a dissolution
of that line, if not of the monarchy. But this halfening, the present
flourishing estate of that kingdome, vtterly conuinceth of falshood.
A farre truer foretoken, touching the Earle of Deuons progeny, I haue
seen, at this place of Hall, to wit, a kind of Fagot, whose age and
painting, approueth the credited tradition, that it was carefully
preserued by those noble men: but whether vpon that prescience, or no,
there mine author failes me. This fagot, being all one peece of wood,
and that naturally growen, is wrapped about the middle part with
a bond, and parted, at the ends, into foure sticks, one of which, is,
againe subdiuided into other twayne. And in semblable maner the
last Earles inheritance accrued vnto 4. Cornish Gent. Mohun, Trelawny,
Arundell of Taluerne, and Trethurffe: and Trethurffes portion,
Courtney of Ladocke, and Viuian, do enioy, as descended from his two
daughters and heires.
Sir Reig. Mohun is widdower of two wiues; the one, daughter to
Sir Henry Killigrew, the other, to Sergeant Heale: his father,
Sir William, married, first, the daughter of Horsey, and one of
the heires, by the common law, to Sir Iohn her late brother; and next,
the widdowe of Trelawny, who, ouerliuing him, enioyeth this Hall,
as part of her ioynture; a Lady, gracing her dignitie, with
her vertue, and no lesse expressing, then professing religion.
Reignald, father to Sir William, wedded the daughter of Sir
William Treuanion. The armes of the Mohuns are O. a Crosse
engrayled Sa.
Powder Hundred.
SOme impute the force of Powder vnto this, that the same is conuerted,
at an instant, from his earthy substance, to a fiery, and from
the fire, into ayre; euery of which changes, requireth a greater
enlargement, one then other: wherefore it finding a barre, ouer,
vnder, and on the back and sides, by the pieces strong imprisonment,
by consequence breaketh forth with a sudden violence, at the mouth,
where the way is least stopped, & driueth before it, the vnsetled
obstacle of the bullet, imparting thereunto a portion of his fury.
To which (through want of a probable Etymon) I may, in part, resemble
the hundred of Powder, not only for the names sake, but also because
this parcel of the Cornish earth extendeth it selfe wider, and
compriseth more parishes, then any other Hundred of the shire,
as stretching East. and West, from Foy to Falmouth: and South
and North, welnere from one sea to the other.
In describing the same, we must begin where we left, to wit, at
Foy hauen, in Cornish, Foath. It receyueth this name of the riuer,
and bestoweth the same on the town. His entrance is garded with
Block-houses, & that on the townes side, as also the towne it selfe,
fortified & fenced with ordinance. The commendation of which
industry, is principally due to the prouidence and direction of M.
Wil. Treffry, a Gent. that hath vowed his rare gifts of learning,
wisdome, & courage, to the good of his country, & made proofe thereof
in many occurrents, & to whose iudicious corrections, these my notes
haue bin not a little beholden. His faire & ancient house,
Castle-wise builded [135] and sufficiently flanked, ouerlooketh the
towne and hauen with a pleasant prospect, and yet is not excluded
from the healthfull ayre, and vse of the country, which occasioned
his auncestours (though endowed elsewhere, with large reuennues,
of their owne and their wiues inheritance) for many descents, to make,
here their ordinary residence, as is witnessed by their toombe-stones,
which I haue seen in the church. One of them, about 145. yeeres
sithence, valiantly defended this his dwelling, against the French,
what time they had surprized the rest of the towne.
Hee married one of Tremaynes heires: his father, the heir of
Tresithny; his graundfather, the daughter of Killigrew: and beareth
S. a Cheuron betweene three Hawthornes A.