Arwenacke entertaineth you, with a pleasing view: for the same
standeth so farre within the Hauens mouth, that it is protected from
the sea stormes, and yet so neere thereunto, as it yeeldeth a ready
passage out. Besides the Cliffe, on which the house abbutteth,
is steepe enough to shoulder off the waues, and the ground about it,
plaine and large enough for vse and recreation.
It is owed by Master Iohn Killigrew, who married the daughter of
Monck, and heire to her mother [blank] and was sonne to
Sir Iohn Killigrew, who matched with Woluerstone: the stocke is
ancient, and diuers of the branches (as I haue elsewhere remembred)
growne to great aduancement, in calling and liuely-hood, by their
greater desert: their Armes are A. an Eagle with two heads displayed
within a bordure Bezanty S.
Somewhat aboue Arwenacke, Trefuses point diuideth the harbour,
and yeeldeth a seuerall Ankering [151] place on eche side thereof;
the one called Carrack rode, the other, Kings rode.
This Promontory is possessed and inhabited by a Gentleman of
that name, who suitably to his name, giueth three Fusils for his coat,
in this sort: A. a Cheuron betweene three Fusils S. He maried the
coheire of Gaurigan, and M. Wil. Godolphin, late yonger brother to
Sir FraunciS, her other sister.
Vpon the left hand from hence, at the top of a creek, Perin towne
hath taken vp his seat, rather passable, then noteable, for wealth,
buildings, and Inhabitants; in all which, though neere the hauens
mouth, it giueth Truro the preeminence: the like whereof I obserue,
touching diuers other townes, of the same situation, in Deuon,
as Salcomb, and Kings bridge, Dartmouth, and Totnes, Topsham, and
Excester: amongst which, those that stand highest vp in the Countrey,
affoord therethrough, a fitter oportunity of accesse, from all
quarters, and so a speedyer and larger vent of their commodities.
In Perin was Glasney Colledge, founded [1256.] by Walter Brounscomb,
& benefited by Iohn Graundson, Bishops of Excester [1327.], which See
possesseth faire reuenues thereabouts.
Vpon another creeke on the same side, Carclew hath (after the Cornish
maner) welneere metamorphosed the name of Master Bonithon, his owner,
into his owne. He maried the daughter of Viuian, his father
of Killigrew, his graundfather of Erisy, and beareth A. a Cheuron
betweene 3, Floures de luce. S.
With any memorable act or accident, concerning this hauen, I cannot
acquaint you, before my parting therefrom, saue onely, that Philip,
Arch-duke of Austriche, during his voyage from Netherland towards
Spayne (his wiues Kingdome) was weather-driuen into Weymouth, and,
with a kinde constraint, receyued a more royall, then welcome
entertainment, at the hands of King Henrie the 7. from which hee
could not free himself, but by redeeming his libertie, with
De la Pooles captiuity. This accomplished, he made choyce to take
ship again at Falmouth, that so by the shortest cut, hee might leaue
least power in fortune, to thwart him any second incumbrance.
Hailford, so called, of the fordible riuer Haill, if elsewhere placed,
would carry the reputation of a good harbour; but as it now standeth,
Falmouths ouer-neere neighbourhood lesseneth his vse, and darkeneth
his reputation, as quitting it onely to the worst sort of Seafarers,
I meane, Pirats, whose guilty brests, with an eye in their backs,
looke warily how they may goe out, ere they will aduenture to enter;
and this at vnfortifyed Hailford, cannot be controlled: in which
regard, it not vnproperly brooketh his more common terme of Helford,
and the nick-name of Stealfoord.
His shores affoord commodious seates, to the dwellings of Reskimer,
who maried S. Abin, and beareth B. 3. barres A. in cheife a Wolfe
passant of the first: and Tregose, who matched with Kendal: his sonne
with Erisy, and beareth B. two barres Gemewes in cheife a Lyon passant
O. armed and langued G.
And if your eares be not already cloyed with relation of wonders,
I will let you vnderstand, how I was once carried to see one
hereabouts. It is (forsooth) a [152] great rock, lying vpon
the ground, his top deepned to a hollownesse, not much vnlike
in fashion, but far exceeding in proportion the long halfe of an egge.
This (they say) holdeth water, which ebbeth and floweth as the sea,
and, indeed, when I came thither, the tyde was halfe out, and the pit
halfe empty. By it there stands a Chappell, & to it there belonged
a couer, so as the same seemed, in former times, to cary some regard.
But I haue heard credible persons so discredit this woonder, that I
dare not offer it you, as probable, much lesse thrust it vpon you,
as approoued. The name thereof is, Hanterdauis, which (turning d
to t) signifieth halfe a tongue.
More certaine, though lesse wonderfull, and yet, for the strangenesse,
wel worth the viewing, is Mainamber: Mayne, is a rocke, amber,
as some say, signifieth Ambrose. And a great rocke the same is,
aduaunced vpon some others of a meaner size, with so equall a
counterpeyze, that the push of a finger, will sensibly moue it
too and fro: but farther to remooue it, the vnited forces of many
shoulders are ouer-weake. Wherefore the Cornish wonder-gatherer,
thus descrybeth the same,
BE thou thy mother natures worke,
Or proofe of Giants might:
Worthlesse and ragged though thou shew,
Yet art thou worth the sight.
This hugy rock, one fingers force
Apparently will moue;
But to remooue it, many strengths
Shall all like feeble prooue.
Helston, in Cornish, Hellaz, in English, the greene hall, is a well
seated and peopled towne, priuiledged, secundum vsum, with the rest,
and one of the 4. Coynage places.
Vnder it runneth the riuer Lo, whose passage into the sea, is thwarted
by a sandy banke, which forceth the same to quurt back a great way,
and so to make a poole of some miles in compasse. It breedeth a
peculiar kind of bastard Trought, in bignesse and goodnes exceeding
such as liue in the fresh water, but comming short of those that
frequent the salt.
The foreremembred bank serueth as a bridge, to deliuer wayfarers,
with a compendious passage, to the other side; howbeit, sometimes with
more haste then good speed: for now and then, it is so pressed on
the inside, with the increasing riuers waight, and a portion of
the vtter sand, so washed downe by the waues; that at a sudden,
out breaketh the vpper part of the poole, and away goeth a great
deale of the sand, water, and fish: which instant, if it take any
passenger tardy, shrewdly endangereth him, to flit for company:
and some haue so miscarried.
To this poole adioyneth M. Penrose his house, whose kind entertainment
hath giuen mee, and many others experience of these matters.
He maried the daughter of Rashleigh: he beareth A. 3. Bendes S.
charged with 9. restes.of the field.
Those 2. riuers of Haill and Lo, rising not farre asunder, doe enclose
betweene them, as they runne into the sea, a neck of land,
particularized with the name of Meneag: and in regard of his
fruitfulnesse, not vnworthy of a seuerance.
[153]
Within this circuit, lie Trelawarren M. Viuians house, and Erisy,
seated in 2. parishes, and descended, by a long ranke of ancestours,
to the Gent, of that name, now in ward. His father married Carew:
his graundsire, one of Militons coheires, who ouerliuing her husband,
ended the course of her long and well commended widdowhood,
in becomming Lady to Sir Nicholas Parker. The Enzies beare S.
a Cheuron, betweene 3. Griffons Sergreant O.
Clowance (deriued from Cloow, which signifieth, to heare) is the
possession and dwelling of M. Saintabin, whose very name (besides
the conquest roll) deduceth his first auncestours out of Fraunce.
His graundfather married Greinuile: his father, one of Whittingtons
coheires: which later couple, in a long and peaceable date of yeeres,
exercised a kinde, liberall, and neuer discontinued hospitality.
Himselfe tooke to wife the daughter of Mallet, and with ripe
knowledge and sound iudgement, dischargeth the place which he
beareth in his Countrey. Hee beareth O. on a crosse G. fiue Bezaunts.
Pengueraz, in Cornish importeth a head to help; from which,
some deduce the Etymon of Pengersick, a fayre house, in an
vnfruitfull soyle, sometimes the inhabitance of M. Militon,
Captaine of the Mount, and husband to Godolphin, whose sonne being
lost in his trauaile beyond the seas, enriched 6. distafs with
his inheritance. They were bestowed in mariage (but by me not
orderly marshalled) as followeth: 1. to Erisy, and Sir Nicholas
Parker. 2. to Lanine, 3. to Trefuses, and Tregodeck, 4. to Trenwith,
Arundel, and Hearle, 5. to Bonithon. 6. to Abbot.
Not farre from thence, riseth Godolghan-ball, or hill, at whose
foote standeth a house of the same name, and so intitling his owner,
though lately declined (with a milder accent) to Godolphin:
in Cornish, it signifieth, a white Eagle: and such armes they carry
in this sort: G. an Eagle displayed with two heads, betweene three
Floures de luce A.
This hill hath, for diuers descents, supplyed those Gent.
bountifull mindes, with large meanes accruing from their Tynne-works,
and is now possessed by Sir Frauncis Godolphin Knight, whose zeale
in religion, vprightnesse in iustice, prouidence in gouernment,
and plentifull housekeeping, haue wonne him a very great and reuerent
reputation in his Countrey: and these vertues, together with his
seruices to her Maiestie, are so sufficiently knowne to those of
highest place, as my testimony can adde little light thereunto:
but by his labours and inuentions in Tynne matters, not onely the
whole Countrey hath felt a generall benefit, so as the seuerall
owners haue thereby gotten very great profit out of such refuse works,
as they before had giuen ouer for vnprofitable; but her Maiesty hath
also receyued encrease of her customes by the same, at least to the
value of 10. thousand pound. Moreouer, in those works which are of
his owne particular inheritance, hee continually keepeth at work,
three hundred persons or thereabouts, & the yerely benefit, that out
of those his works accrueth to her Maiestie, amounteth,
communibus annis, to one thousand pound at the least, and sometimes
to much more. A matter very remorceable, and perchaunce not
to be matched againe by any of his sort and condition in the
whole Realme. He succeeded to the inheritance [154] of his vnkle
Sir William Godolphin, who, as hath bene said before, demeaned
himselfe verie valiantly in a charge which hee bare at Boloigne,
towards the latter end of the reigne of King Henry the 8. & is like
to leaue the same to another Sir William his sonne, who giueth hope,
not onely of the sustaining, but increasing of the reputation of
his family. Hee matched with Killigrew, his father with Bonython,
his Graund-father with Glynne,
Diuers other Gentlemen there dwell in this Hundred, as Lanyne,
the husband of Kekewitch, his father married Militon, and beareth
S. a Castle, A. standing in waues B. ouer the same a Faulcon houerin
with bels O. Pernwarne, that matched with the coheire of Tencreek,
who beareth S. a Cheuron betweene three Flowers de luce A.
Lagherne, who tooke to wife the daughter of Nants, and beareth B.
a Cheuron betweene three Escalops, O. Nansperyan coupled in
matrimonie, with [blank] and his two daughters and heires apparent,
with Prideaux, and Mathew; who beareth A. three Losenges S.
Penwith. Hundred.
MY last labour, for closing vp this wearisome Suruey, is bounded,
as Cornwall it selfe, and so the West part of England, with
Penwith Hundred. The name, in English signifieth, the head of
Ashen trees, belike, for some such eminent marke, while the Countrie
was better stored of Timber. The Danes sayling about Penwith Steort
(saith Houeden [997.]) made foule hauocke, in Devon and-Cornwall.
Vpon the North sea, lieth Nants, which importeth a valley, and houseth
a Gent, who therethrough, hath worne out his former name, of Trengoue,
in English,the Smithes towne, and assumed this: he married Sir Iohn
Arundels daughter of Trerice: and beareth A. a crosse haumed S.
During summer season, the Seales haunt a Caue, in the Cliffe thereby,
and you shall see great store them, apparently shew themselues, and
approch verie neere the shore, at the sound of any lowde musicke,
or other such noyse.
Beyond Nants, M. Basset possesseth Tehiddy, who married Godolphin,
his father Coffyn : he beareth O. three Piles in point G.
a Canton Er. with a difference.
And so, leauing these priuate Inhabitances, & keeping still the
North coast, we arriue at the towne, and port of S. Ies: both of
meane plight, yet, with their best meanes, (and often, to good
and necessarie purpose) succouring distressed shipping. Order hath
bene taken, and attempts made, for bettering the Road, with a Peere,
but eyther want, or slacknesse, or impossibilitie, hitherto withhold
the effect: the whiles, plentie of fish is here taken, and sold
verie cheape.
As you row to the Westwards from hence, the sea floweth into a
large Caue, farder vp, then any man durst yet aduenture to discouer,
and the Cliffes thereabouts muster long strakes of a glittering hiew,
which import a shew of Copper: and Copper mynes are found, and wrought
in the grounds adioyning.
M. Camden obserueth, that neere hereunto, stood the watch-towre,
mencioned by Orosius, and oppositely placed to such another in Galitia.
Stepping ouer to the South-sea, (for the distaunce [155] is in
comparison, but a step) S. Michaels mount looketh so aloft, as it
brooketh no concurrent, for the highest place. Ptolomey termeth
it Ocrinum, the Cornish men, Cara Cowz in Clowze, that is, The hoare
rocke in the wood. The same is sundred from the mayne land, by
a sandy playne, of a slight shoot in breadth, passable, at the ebbe,
on foote; with boat, on the flood. Your arriuall on the farther side,
is entertayned by an open greene, of some largenesse, which finishing
where the hill beginneth, leaues you to the conduction of a winding
and craggy path; and that at the top, deliuereth you into a little
plaine, occupied, for the greatest part, by a fort of the olde making.
It compriseth lodgings for the Captayne and his garrison, and a
Chappell for deuotion. This latter, builded by Will. Earle of Morton,
to whom William the Conquerour his vncle, gaue much lands in those
quarters, and greatly haunted, while folke endured their merits,
by farre trauailing. They haue a tye pit, not so much satisfying vse,
as relieuing necessitie. A little without the Castle, there is a bad
seat in a craggy place, called S. Michaels Chaire, some what
daungerous, for accesse, and therefore holy for the aduenture.
Vntill Richard the firsts raigne, the mount seemeth to haue serued
onely for religion, and (during his imprisonment) to haue bene first
fortified by Henry de la Pomeray, who surprized it, and expulsed
the Monks: howbeit soone after, when hee became ascertained of
his Soueraignes enlargement, the very feare of ensuing harme wrought
in him a present effect of the vttermost that any harme could bring,
namely, his death: whereon, the olde cell and new fort, was
surrendred to the Archbishop of Canterbury, in the Kings behalfe.
Thus Houeden reporteth. But the descendents from this Pomeray,
alias, Pomeroy, make a somewhat different relation of this accident:
for they affirme, that a Sergeant at armes of the Kings, came to
their auncestour, at his Castle of Bery Pomeroy, in Deuon,
receyued kind entertaynment for certaine dayes together, and at
his departure, was gratified with a liberall reward: in
counter-change whereof, he then, and no sooner, reuealing his
long concealed errand, flatly arresteth his hoaste, to make his
immediate appearance before the King, for answering a capitall crime.
Which vnexpected and il-carryed message, the Gent, tooke in
such despite, as with his dagger hee stabbed the messenger to
the heart: and then well knowing in so suparlatiue an offence,
all hope of pardon foreclosed, he abandones his home, gets to a
sister of his abiding in this mount, bequetheth a large portion of
his land to the religious people there, for redeeming his soule:
and lastly, causeth himselfe to be let bloud vnto death, for leauing
the remainder to his heire: from which time forward, this place
continued rather a schoole of Mars, then the Temple of peace.
For shortly after the discomfiture of H. the 6. party, by Ed. the 4.
[11. E. 4.] at Barnet field, Iohn Earle of Oxford, who had made one,
and one of the principall on the weaker side, arriued heere
by shipping, disguised himselfe, with some of his followers,
in Pilgrims habits, therethrough got entrance, mastred the garrison,
and seyzed the place. Which, thus politikely wonne, hee as
valiantly kept, and kept a long time defended against the Kings power,
vntill reasonable conditions swayed him to a surrender.
[156]
A like surprize, but of later date, I read in Popeliniere
[2. Vol. Lib. 31.], touching the like named and seated mount,
in Normandy.
During the last Cornish commotion, diuers Gent. with their wiues
and families, fled to the protection of this place, where the
Rebels besieged them, first wynning the plaine at the hils foote,
by assault, when the water was out, and then; the euen ground on
the top, by carrying vp great trusses of hay before them, to blench
the defendants sight, and dead their shot. After which, they could
make but slender resistance: for no sooner should any one within,
peepe out his head, ouer those inflanked wals, but he became an open
marke to a whole showre of arrowes. This disaduantage, together with
the womens dismay, & decrease of victuals, forced a surrender to
those Rakehels mercy, who, nothing guilty of that effeminate vertue,
spoyled their goods, imprisoned their bodies, and were rather by
Gods gracious prouidence, then any want of will, purpose, or attempt,
restrayned from murdering the principall persons.
Heere also [13. H. 7.], was the Lady Katherine Gordon (an vnfit
yoke-fellow for that counterfeit Prince, Perkin Warbeck) taken by
the L. Daubney, and conueyed to the King. Of this, as the last wonder.
Who knowes not Mighels mount and chaire,
The Pilgrims holy vaunt:
Both land, and Iland, twise a day,
Both fort, and port of haunt.
Vnder the mount extendeth a bay, for lesser vessels to lie at:
and betweene it and the Westerne shoare, there is an indifferent
good road for shipping, sauing vpon some winds, called the
Mounts bay: where, by Froissarts report, Sir Robert Knolles landed,
what time his returne out of Fraunce, was by K. Ed. the 3. commaunded,
and for his valiant exployts there, atchieued, very graciously
welcomed.
Ouer-against the Mount, fronteth a towne, of petty fortune,
pertinently named Marcaiew, of Marhas diow, in English,
the Thursdaies market; for then it vseth this traffike.
At the beginning of K. H. the 8. raigne, it felt the Frenchmens
fiery indignation, who landed there with 30. sayle. But the smoke
of those poore houses, calling in the country to the rescusse,
made the place ouer hote for the enemies any longer abode.
Mousehole, in Cornish, is named Porternis, and in Latin,
Portus Insulae, both importing one sense, to wit, the Iland hauen,
and so called, through a little Iland placed before it.
M. Holinshed telleth vs, that neere heereunto, not many
yeeres sithence, certayne Tynners, as they were working,
found Speare heads, Battel-axes, and swords of Copper, wrapped in
lynnen clouts, and little impayred through their long lying.
Pensans, by interpretation, The Saints head, is a market towne,
not so regardable for his substance, as memorable for his late
accident of the Spaniards firing, which fell out in this maner:
The three & twentieth of July, 1595. soone after the Sun was risen,
and had chased a fogge, which before kept the sea out of sight,
4. Gallies of the enemy presented themselues vpon the coast,
ouer-against Mousehole, [157] and there In a faire Bay, landed about
two hundred men, pikes and shot, who foorthwith sent their
forlorne hope, consisting of their basest people, vnto the stragled
houses of the countrie, about halfe a mile compasse or more, by whome
were burned, not onely the houses they went by, but also the
Parish Church of Paul, the force of the fire being such, as it vtterly
ruined all the great stonie pillers thereof: others of them in that
time, burned that fisher towne Mowsehole, the rest marched as a gard
for defence of these firers. The Inhabitants being feared with the
Spaniards landing and burning, fled from their dwellings, and verie
meanely weaponed, met with Sir Francis Godolphin on a greene, on the
West side of Pensance, who that forenoone comming from his house,
for pacifying some controuersies in those Western parts, and from
the hils espying the fires in that towne, Church, and houses,
hastened thither: Who foorthwith sent to all the Captaines of
those parts, for their speedie repaire with their companies,
and also sent by Poast to Sir Francis Drake, and Sir Iohn Hawkins
(then at Plymmouth with a fleete bound for the Indies) aduertisement
of the arriuall of these foure Gallies, and of their burnings,
aduising them to looke to themselues, if there were any greater
fleete of the enemies at Sea, and to send West with all haste,
what succours by sea or land they could spare. Then Sir Francis
Godolphin aduised that weake assembly, to retire into Pensance,
and to prepare it for defence, vntill the comming of the Countrie
forces that hee had sent for. But they finding themselues in number
something aboue a hundred, wherein were about thirtie or fortie shot,
though scarce one third of them were seruiceable, insisted to march
against the enemies, to repell them from farther spoyles of
their houses.
But while they were marching towards them, the Spaniards returned
aboord their Gallyes, and presently remooued them farther into
the Bay, where they anchored againe, before and neere a lesser
fisher towne, called Newlyn.
There againe with all speede they landed, and imbattelled in the
slope of a hill, about foure hundred pikes and shot, sending about
two rankes of soldiers, three in a ranke, vp to the top of the hill,
to discouer what forces or ambushes of the Countrey might lye in view:
who espying none but those that were returned with Sir Frauncis
Godolphin, from their forementioned fruitlesse march, gaue notice
thereof to their imbatteled company. Wherevpon they forthwith
marched towards Penzance.
Vpon their moouing, Sir Frauncis Godolphin moued also, to enter
Penzance before them: and assoone as that weake number were entred
into the open greene being of three quarters of a mile length,
the Gallyes ceased not to ply them all that way with their ordinance
from their prowes, as busily as they could. Of which shot,
though none were hurt, but onely a Constable vnhorsed without
any harme, sauing the shew on his doublet of the bullets sliding by
his back, yet many in fearefull manner, some fell flat to the ground,
and others ranne away.
Sir Frauncis sent after those that were entred Penzance before him,
that they should make their stand at the market place, himselfe [158]
staying hindmost, to obserue the enemies order, and which way they
would make their approach. Which done, he found at the said market
place but onely two resolute shot, who stood at his commaund, and some
ten or twelue others that followed him, most of them his owne seruants;
the rest, surprised with feare, fled, whom, neither with his
perswasions, nor threatning with his rapier drawne, hee could recall.
Finding himselfe thus abandoned, and the enemies entred the towne in
three parts, he was then forced to depart, the enemies beginning their
fire some houses behinde him. The towne thus fired, as also the
forementioned little fisher towne Newlyn, they returned againe to
their Gallies.
By this time, towards the euening, the Cornish forces encreased in
nomber, and amended in heart, encamped themselues on the greene,
neere to the towne of Markesew and S. Michaels Mount, for defence
thereof, and there spent out the night. The next day the enemy made
showe to land againe on the West side of the bay; but seeing
the people, though few in number, yet resolute to resist,
they desisted from their enterprize: and besides, finding themselues
annoyed by the shooting of bullets and arrowes into their Gallies
where they roade at anchor, they were forced to remoue them
farther off.