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EXCURSIONS
IN
CORNWALL.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Illustration: _Engraved by J Greig_
FONT,
_in Lostwithiel Church_
_CORNWALL._
_Pub^d. May 1 1624 by Simpkin & Marshall Stationers Court London_]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
EXCURSIONS
IN THE
COUNTY OF CORNWALL,
COMPRISING A CONCISE
HISTORICAL AND TOPOGRAPHICAL DELINEATION
OF THE PRINCIPAL TOWNS AND VILLAGES,
TOGETHER WITH
DESCRIPTIONS OF THE RESIDENCES OF THE
NOBILITY AND GENTRY,
Remains of Antiquity,
AND EVERY OTHER INTERESTING OBJECT OF CURIOSITY;
FORMING A COMPLETE GUIDE FOR THE
TRAVELLER AND TOURIST;
BY
F. W. L. STOCKDALE,
AUTHOR OF “ANTIQUITIES OF KENT,” &c. &c.
----------
LONDON:
PUBLISHED FOR THE PROPRIETORS,
BY SIMPKIN AND MARSHALL, STATIONERS’ COURT;
AND KNIGHT AND LACEY, PATERNOSTER-ROW.
-----
1824.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------
WITHAM AND MALDON:
PRINTED BY P. YOUNGMAN.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Illustration: _Engraved by J. Greig from a Drawing by the Rev^d G. A.
Moore for the Excursions through Cornwall_
TRURO,
_from the Square_
_CORNWALL._
_Pub^d 1824, by Simpkin & Marshall, Stationers Court, London._]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Illustration: _Engraved by H. Bond from a Drawing by F. W. L. Stockdale
for the Excursions through Cornwall_
ST. GERMAINS CHURCH,
_CORNWALL_.
_Pub^d Feb 1, 1824, by Simpkin & Marshall, Stationers Court London_]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Illustration: _Engraved by H. Bond from a Drawing by F. W. L. Stockdale
for the Excursions through Cornwall._
S^T. COLUMB,
_CORNWALL_.
_Pub^d June [** illegible] 1823 by Simpkin & Marshall, Stationers Court
London._]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Illustration: _Engraved by J. Jeavons from a Drawing by B. B. Harraden,
for the Excursions through Cornwall._
_S. View of_
NEOT’S CHURCH,
_CORNWALL_.
_Pub^d July 1, 1823 by Simpkin & Marshall, Stationers Court London._]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Illustration:
COTELE HOUSE,
_CORNWALL_.
_Pub^d June 1, 1823, by Simpkin & Marshall, Stationers Court London._]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Illustration: _Engraved by T. Jeavons, from a Drawing by F. W. L.
Stockdale, for the Excursion through Cornwall._
TREWAN HOUSE,
S^t. Columb.
_The Seat of Richard Vyvyan Esq^r._
_CORNWALL._
_Pub^d Nov 1, 1822 by Simpkin & Marshall, Stationers Court London._]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Illustration: _Engraved by J. Greig from a Drawing by F. W. L.
Stockdale for the Excursions through Cornwall_
POOLE MENHENIOT,
_an ancient Seat of the Trelawney’s_
_CORNWALL._
_Pub^d June 1, 1824, by Simpkin & Marshall, Stationers Court, London._]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Illustration: _Engraved by J. Creig from a Drawing by F. W. L.
Stockdale for the Excursions through Cornwall_
TREMATON CASTLE,
_& the Seat of Benj^n Tucker Esq^e_
_CORNWALL._
_Pub^d June 1, 1824, by Simpkin & Marshall, Stationers Court, London._]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Illustration: _Engraved by J. Barber , from a Drawing by F. W. L.
Stockdale, for the Excursions through Cornwall_
TINTAGELL CASTLE.
_CORNWALL._
_Pub^d June 1, 1824, by Simpkin & Marshall, Stationers Court London._]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Illustration: _Engraved by H & J from a Drawing by F. W. L. Stockdale
for the Excursions through Cornwall_
SALTASH,
_From the Ferry_
_CORNWALL._
[** illegible]]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Illustration: _Engraved by W. Wallis, from a Drawing by F. W. L.
Stockdale, for the Excursions through Cornwall._
_Town & Harbour of_
S^T. IVES,
_CORNWALL_.
_Pub^d April 1, 1824, by Simpkin & Marshall, Stationers Court, London._]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Illustration: _Engraved by [** illegible] from a Drawing by F. W. L.
Stockdale for the Excursions through Cornwall_
S^T. MARY’S CHURCH, TRURO,
_CORNWALL_.
[** illegible]]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
TO THE MOST NOBLE
WILLIAM SPENCER CAVENDISH,
DUKE OF DEVONSHIRE,
MARQUIS OF HARTINGTON, LORD LIEUTENANT
AND CUSTOS ROTULORUM OF DERBYSHIRE, HIGH
STEWARD OF DERBY, AND D.C.L.
MY LORD,
The kind attention which I have received from your Lordship on several
occasions, will never be forgotten; and as a small token of gratitude, I
beg leave to dedicate this further proof of my humble endeavours, to
your Lordship.
Considering the great improvements which have been made in the Fine
Arts, within the last fifty years, it is greatly to be regretted that
many deserving artists have gone unrewarded, at least their endeavours
have not been properly and liberally encouraged. It is true, my Lord,
there are many public exhibitions for the sale of works of art; but the
privileges of them have been so much abused, that many artists of
considerable eminence, decline sending their performances to them. If
the Nobility of this kingdom were to employ artists to make drawings of
the antiquities and picturesque scenery of the several counties, from
which their titles are derived, it would not only be a considerable
benefit to them, but their works would become more generally known and
admired.[1]
Although his Majesty’s Government has lately voted the expenditure of a
considerable sum, for the erection of a _National Gallery_, and the
purchase of Mr. Angerstein’s Pictures, which is highly to be commended;
yet still there is much want of an institution, whereby the artists of
this country could find a certain sale for their performances, at such
prices as would enable them to live in some degree of respectability: at
present many of them are obliged to have recourse to the picture
dealers, who, in most instances, take every advantage of their
necessities: but in expressing this opinion, I hope, my Lord, I may not
be deemed invidious, and trust those persons who are acquainted with the
Arts, will coincide with me.
The liberal encouragement which your Lordship has shewn, in promoting
not only the Fine Arts, but every other science, merits the highest
commendation; and I sincerely hope your Lordship’s example will be
followed by many other Noblemen, who possess the means of promoting
them.
Wishing your Lordship every success in your endeavours to collect the
most choice and rare works of art,
I have the honor to remain,
With the greatest respect,
Your Lordship’s most obliged Servant,
F. W. L. STOCKDALE.
LONDON, MAY 1, 1824.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
INTRODUCTION.
-------
On the completion of the present volume, the Author begs to observe,
that owing to the great distance of the County of Cornwall from the
Metropolis, its hilly surface, and other unforeseen circumstances, his
endeavours have been greatly retarded; the great interest, however,
which is attached to the county in a commercial point of view, much more
its importance to the antiquarian and geologist, will, it is presumed,
render the work highly interesting. Although much has already been
written upon this county, most of the works extant are either calculated
as books of reference, or deficient in graphical embellishments. The
trouble and expense which has attended the collection of the several
views contained in the work, has been very great; for as the Author was
desirous of selecting the most picturesque subjects, he has been
compelled to visit almost every place in the county.
When the work was first announced, the Author regrets to state that many
gentlemen declined to promote his endeavours, from the circumstance of
his being a stranger to them; and many unforeseen difficulties have also
presented themselves; but perseverance will, it is presumed, overcome
most impediments. It is to be regretted that Cornwall contains so few
Noblemen and Gentlemens’ Seats, compared with other Counties; but the
kind assistance the Author has received from several eminent characters,
will always be remembered. To Sir William Lemon, Sir Christopher
Hawkins, the late Sir A. Molesworth, Joseph Carne, Esq., J. T. Austin,
Esq., Colonel Trevanion, the Rev. George Moore, Jun., and the Rev. John
Wallis, of Bodmin, he feels particularly indebted.
Owing to ill health a few years ago, the Author was unfortunately
compelled to relinquish the situation of Assistant to the Military
Secretary, East India Company; but from the feeling which he has always
possessed for the picturesque, and as travelling agrees much better with
his health, it is the Author’s intention to endeavour to bring to light
many of the hidden Relics of Antiquity, which the several Counties of
England contain. Much has already been done; and considering the
improved state of the Arts, there is now sufficient talent in this
country for the publication of works in any branch. It is also the
Author’s intention, with some exceptions, to retrace the steps of the
late Francis Grose, the celebrated antiquarian; for since his time, many
antient buildings have been considerably altered; and such as were
published in his work upon antiquities, were made when the art of
engraving was not so generally known. The completion, however, of any
work upon a similar plan to the present volume, is certainly most
preferable; and will, it is presumed, be found not only useful to the
tourist, but valuable to the lovers of the picturesque.
As an Antiquary, few Gentlemen possessed a higher claim to notice than
the late Samuel Lysons, Esq., F. A. S.; and the Author cannot but
participate in the feelings which exist with every one who knew him;
especially in deploring the great loss the country has sustained by his
lamented death.
In concluding, the Author begs to return his grateful acknowledgments to
those Noblemen and Gentlemen who have been pleased to subscribe to the
work; and takes the liberty of stating, that he is now engaged in
completing a similar one, relative to the County of Devonshire, which he
hopes will also meet their approbation.
LONDON, MAY 1, 1824.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
EXCURSIONS THROUGH CORNWALL.
-------
Cornwall is the most western county in England, and is almost wholly
surrounded by the sea, excepting the eastern side, which is partly
separated from Devonshire by the Tamar river. The greatest length of the
county from Moorwinstow to the Land’s End, is nearly 90 miles; but its
greatest breadth from Moorwinstow on the north, to Ram Head on the
south, does not exceed 43 miles, and diminishes gradually till it is
only, from Mount’s Bay to St. Ives, little more than seven miles. Its
form, therefore, nearly resembles a horn, or as some historians term it,
a cornucopia.—The surface of the county being extremely difficult to
compute, owing to the many promontories and juttings on the coast, is
stated at about 210 miles, containing 758,484 acres, but is supposed to
have been much larger in former times.
According to the works of the most respectable historians, the original
name of Cornwall was CERWYN, and so called from its peculiar shape. The
antient inhabitants were also called _Carnibii_, or _Cerwyn and Gwyr_,
or Men of the Promontory; but after the Roman invasion, that name is
supposed by _Borlase_, to have been latinized into _Cornubia_, which it
retained till the Saxons imposed the name of _Weales_ on the Britons
driven by them west of the rivers Severn and Dee, calling their county
in the Latin tongue, _Wallia_; after which, finding the Britons had
retreated not only into Wales, but into the more western extremities of
the island, the Latinists changed Cornubia into Cornwallia; a name not
only expressive of the many natural promontories of the county, but also
that the inhabitants were Britons of the same nation and descent as
those of Wales; and from this Cornwallia, the name of Cornwall is
derived.
The population of the county, according to the returns of 1811, was
216,667, and 28,398 greater than it was 10 years previous; but by the
late census, amounts to 261,000, the extraordinary increase of about
45,000 in the last 10 years.—It is divided into nine hundreds, 203
parishes, (of which 85 are Rectories, 100 Vicarages, and 18 Curacies,)
30 market towns, and now returns _forty-two_ members to Parliament.
The climate of this county has long been noted for its mildness and
salubrity. Its inhabitants in respect to longevity, are said to surpass
every other county in England, and Carew says, “that 80 and 90 years is
common in every place, and in most persons accompanied with an able use
of the body and senses.” In the parish where he resided, an instance is
mentioned of the decease of four persons, within 14 weeks space, whose
united ages amounted to 340 years. Various instances of the longevity of
the inhabitants of Cornwall, are also recorded by _Borlase_ and other
subsequent writers. As a proof of the mildness of the climate, even the
most tender shrubs and plants, such as _myrtles_, _hydrangea_,
_geraniums_, _Balm of Gilead_, _&c._ live and thrive the whole year in
the open ground, and in many parts, grow to the greatest state of
perfection. Notwithstanding so much rain falls in Cornwall, heavy
showers are not, however, so frequent as in other counties.—The storms
which occur, are very severe, but are considered extremely conducive to
the healthiness of the inhabitants, by clearing the air of the
pernicious vapours which exhale from the mines, leaving in their room,
the vivifying qualities wafted by the genial breezes of the ocean.—The
winters, in general, are very mild; frosts are of short duration; and
snow seldom lies upon the ground more than three or four days. Mr.
Worgan, the author of a work upon the Agriculture of Cornwall, says, “a
kind of languid spring prevails through the winter, which brings forth
early buds and blossoms, raising the expectations of agriculturists, to
be too often disappointed by blighting north-east winds, in March,
April, and even so late as May.”
The cause of such frequent rains in Cornwall is, that for three-fourths
of the year, the wind blows from the intermediate points of the south
and west, and sweeping over a vast tract of the Atlantic Ocean, collects
large bodies of clouds, which being intersected in their passage by the
hills, descend in frequent showers. Notwithstanding the salubrity of the
climate of Cornwall, the harvests in general, are much later than in
midland counties; but owing to the great improvements which have been
made of late years in agriculture, the corn which it produces, is equal,
if not superior, to any other.
The sterile and rugged aspect of many parts of the county, (especially
the road from Launceston to Truro, which presents, excepting the town of
Bodmin, almost nothing but extensive and waste moors,) impresses the
minds of travellers with a very unfavourable opinion of the county; but
the admirers of the picturesque will always be delighted with the beauty
of its numerous valleys and more cultivated parts. On the other hand,
Cornwall, from its maritime situation, and the numerous mines with which
it abounds, possesses many advantages. To an antiquarian it will always
be highly interesting, as _few_ other counties contain so many
_Druidical and Roman remains_. The mineralogist will always have an
endless source for amusement in the great variety of mineral specimens
which it presents to his notice.
The north and south parts of the county are divided by a ridge of barren
and rugged hills, running from east to west, like a distorted back bone.
The most remarkable hills are _Brown-Willy_, _Roughton_, and
_Henborough_; the first being no less than 1,368 feet above the level of
the sea.
The most considerable _rivers_ in the county, are the _Tamar_, the
_Lynher_, the _Looe_, the _Fowey_, the _Fal_, and the _Camel_ or _Alan_.
The _Tamar_ rises in the northern side of the county, in the parish of
Moorwinstow, and with little variation, pursues a southerly direction,
for nearly 40 miles, when it unites with the _Lynher Creek_, and
ultimately forms the spacious harbour of Harmoaze, between Plymouth Dock
and Saltash. The banks of this river, which is the most considerable in
the West of England, are richly diversified with rocks and woods, and
the scenery in many parts of its course is extremely beautiful.[2]
The _Lynher_ rises in the parish of Alternon, eight miles north-west of
Launceston, and after running a circuitous course of 24 miles, spreads
itself into the form of a lake, near St. Germains, (called Lynher Creek)
and ultimately unites with the Tamar, about a mile below Saltash.
The _Looe_ rises in the parish of St. Cleer, and taking a course of
seven or eight miles, meets the tide at Sand Place, becomes navigable,
and at the distance of three miles empties itself into the sea, between
the towns of East and West Looe.
The _Fowey_ rises from a well near Brown-Willy, one of the highest hills
in Cornwall, between Lanson and Bodmin. It flows for some miles in a
southerly direction, turns suddenly to the west, and pursues a course of
some miles, till it meets the tide at Lostwithiel, and ultimately falls
into the sea at Fowey. The scenery on the banks of the river from
Lostwithiel to Fowey, is remarkably beautiful and picturesque.
The _Fal_, which is the most considerable river in the centre of the
county, rises about two miles west of Roche Rocks, and after a course of
12 miles, meets the tide below Tregony, and passing Tregothnan Park,
joins Truro and St. Clement’s Creeks, which are navigable to Truro Quay
and Tresilian Bridge; from its junction with those creeks, after flowing
four or five miles, it forms the principal branches of Falmouth Harbour,
named Carrick and King’s Road.
The river _Alan_ or _Camel_, rises on the north-east side of the county,
near Camelford, and after a circuitous course of 12 miles, becomes
navigable for barges at Egleshale, near Wadebridge, from whence it flows
into the harbour of Padstow. On all these rivers, as well as others of
less note, great quantities of sea sand are carried in barges for
manure, and sold to the farmers at a very reasonable rate.
The most considerable _lake_ in Cornwall, is the _Loo Pool_, near
Helston, and which is about two miles long and a furlong wide, formed of
a bar of pebbles, sand, and shingles, forced up against the mouth of the
creek, by the south-west winds; but in the winter time, the whole valley
between the sea and Helston, is frequently covered with water.
_Dosmery Pool_, is a piece of water about a mile in circumference, lying
in the parish of Alternon, on the borders of St. Cleer parish, and said
by _Leland_, to be 15 fathoms deep, but which, upon trial, a few years
back, was found to be only nine feet. It is formed and supplied by water
which drains from the neighbouring hills.
Between Budock and Falmouth is a piece of water, near half a mile in
length, and secured from the sea, by a bar of sand and shingles, called
_Swan Pool_, from the circumstance of its having had many swans kept on
it some years ago.
The _Soils_ of Cornwall chiefly consist of three species: first, the
_black growan_ or _gravelly_; second, the _shelfy_ or _slaty_; third,
loams differing in texture, colours, and degrees of fertility.
The first abounds in the high lands, and consists of a light, moory,
black earth, intermixed with small particles of granite or gravel. The
earthy parts of this are so exceedingly light, that in a dry summer, as
Dr. Borlase observes, the sun quickly exhales its moisture, and in a wet
summer or winter, much of the vegetable soil is washed from the tilled
grounds. This soil is in general very productive, and fit for any kind
of grain. The shelfy or slaty soil is far the most prevalent, and is
distinguished by this name from having a large proportion of the
schistus, or rotten slaty matter mixed with the light loam, of which its
soil is composed. With sand and more viscuous earths, it makes an
excellent compost, and produces great crops of wheat and barley. In
congenial situations, barley has frequently been sown, reaped, and
threshed, in less than nine weeks. This soil is not unfrequently mixed
with _quartz_, provincially called _spar_, and according as this
prevails, its value is lessened. When a dun or ironstone is found, it is
considered a fortunate circumstance, being a certain indication of the
incumbent soil.
Of the _Loamy Soils_, there are many very rich and fertile patches,
interpersed in different parts of the county; and the low grounds,
declivities, banks of the rivers and town-lands are composed of them.
Some of these are incumbent on a subsoil of clay, and partake more or
less of it in their composition. With respect to _Clays_, Cornwall
presents endless varieties; good bricks are made from some of them, and
in the parish of Lelant, there is an excellent species for making
furnaces and ovens. A clay of a slaty nature, but soapy to the touch, is
found near Liskeard, and has fertilizing powers; but the Serpentine,
with veins of _steatite_, near the Lizard, is the most curious of all
the earthy substances found in Cornwall, although very little of it has
been used for some years in the porcelain manufactures. Large quantities
of a fine white clay, found in the parish of St. Stephen near St.
Austell, is exported annually, and is now become an important article of
commerce.
The mineralogical substances of Cornwall are more abundant than any
other county in England, and the variety and beauty of them affords an
abundant source for the scientific enquirer. Of the stones most entitled
to precedence, is the _granite_, or _moor stone_, which abounds in great
quantities in almost every part of the county. Granite is an aggregate
of _felspar_, _quartz_, and _mica_, and is found of different colours
and texture. Most of the churches and gentlemen’s seats in the county
are built with this stone, also the Waterloo Bridge in London, and which
was exported at a very great expense. It is frequently cut into pillars,
as supporters to buildings, and is very serviceable as gate posts,
bridges over rivers, rollers, troughs, and many other purposes.
Another species of stone very prevalent in Cornwall, is distinguished by
the name of _Killas_. It is a schistus, and forms the most considerable
substratum in the county. It varies in texture and colour, some being
hard, others more pliable and laniated, and of a blueish yellow, and
ferrugineous brown; but either forms an excellent material for building.
The worst sort of stone found in Cornwall, is an opaque whitish debased
crystal, generally called spar, and lies loose on the surface of the
ground, in almost every parish. It is, however, useful for making fences
and for repairing the roads.
On the north and south coasts of the county, there are several _Slate
Quarries_, the slate from which is generally adopted for the roofing of
houses; but the best species is found in the celebrated quarry of
_Delabole_ near Camelford, which is said to produce the finest and
largest slates in England.—“The quarry is about 300 yards long, 100
broad, and upwards of 40 fathoms deep. The slate is first met with about
three feet below the surface of the ground, in a loose shattery state,
with short and frequent fissures, the _laminæ_ of unequal thickness, but
not horizontal.—Thus it continues to the depth of 10 or 12 fathoms, when
a more firm and useful stone is procured, the largest pieces of which
are used for flat pavements. This is called the _top-stone_, and
continues for 10 fathoms, after which the quality improves with
increasing depth, till at the 24th from the surface, the workmen arrive
at the most superior kind, called the _bottom-stone_.—The colour is
grey-blue, and the texture is so close, that it will sound like a piece
of metal. The masses are separated from the rock by wedges driven by
sledges of iron, and contain from five to 14 superficial square feet of
stone. As soon as this mass is freed by one man, another stone cutter,
with a strong wide chisel and mallet, is ready to cleave it to its
proper thinness, which is usually about one eighth of an inch; the
pieces are generally from a foot square, to two feet long, by one wide,
but the flakes are sometimes large enough for tables and tomb
stones.”[3]
The art of husbandry, three centuries ago, appears to have been little
practised in this county; the grounds, says _Carew_, “lay all in common,
or only divided by stiche meale, and their bread corn very little; their
labour horses were only shod before, and the people devoting themselves
entirely to tin, their neighbours in Devonshire and Somersetshire hired
their pastures at a rent, and stored them with the cattle they brought
from their own homes, and made their profit of the Cornish by cattle fed
at their own doors. The same persons also supplied them at their
markets, with many hundred quarters of corn and horse loads of bread.”
But he also observes, “that the people increasing, and the mines
sometimes failing, the Cornish felt the necessity of applying themselves
to husbandry, and their improvements answered their expectations; for in
the latter end of the reign of Queen Elizabeth, they found themselves
not only in a capacity to support themselves, but also to export a great
quantity of corn to Spain and other foreign parts.”
Within the last 50 years, a considerable quantity of the waste lands has
been enclosed and cultivated; but after the growth of two or three crops
of corn, much of these lands have again been neglected on account of the
great expense of manuring them. A very considerable quantity of waste
land has, within these few years, been enclosed by Charles Rashleigh,
Esq., of Deeporth, near St. Blazey, and which is likely to prove a
considerable benefit; E. I. Glynn, Esq., of Glynn, near Bodmin, has also
had a large quantity of waste land enclosed, for permanent cultivation.
In making enclosures, the fences generally consist of a _stone hedge_,
or layers of turf, planted with thorns, nut hazles, and furze. In many
parts of the county on the coast, where there is an opportunity of
procuring _sea sand_ for manuring the land, great quantities of corn
have been grown, particularly in the western and eastern districts. It
is usual after a crop of wheat, to sow the ground with barley, after
which, turnips or potatoes; but the general course of crops in Cornwall,
is considered extremely reprehensible by the author of the Agricultural
Survey of the county, owing to the wretched, exhausted, and foul
appearance of the grounds laid down with grass seeds. This may, however,
be partly accounted for, by Cornwall not being a _dairy county_, and
milch cows being generally kept for rearing the young stock.
The soil and climate of Cornwall are peculiarly adapted to the growth of
_potatoes_, and these are at all times a standing dish at the humble
repast of the labourer. Of the sorts most cultivated, which have been
long established, the _painted lord_ and _painted lady_ are much
approved; but a kind of apple potatoe, _entirely red_, called
_Carolines_, are grown in great abundance, as the standing winter crop.
The most early potatoe produced, is the _kidney sort_, and as a proof of
the goodness of the soil and climate, in the neighbourhood of Penzance,
_two crops_ are frequently produced in a year, and one acre of ground
has been known to yield 300 bushels, Winchester measure, for the first,
and 600 for the second crop! Many thousand bushels of potatoes are
exported annually from Cornwall to London, Plymouth, Portsmouth, and
other places. A Cornish bushel of potatoes, generally weighs 220lbs.,
and are sold from 4 to 5s. a bushel.—Most of the labourers in the county
keep a pig or two, and as potatoes are so easily cultivated with
advantage, they frequently use them to fatten their pigs.
The _Cattle_ in Cornwall are chiefly of the Devonshire breed, and large
quantities of the best oxen are annually sold to graziers and
contractors, and sent out of the county to be slaughtered. Many of them
are used by the farmers for agricultural purposes. They are shod, or
_cued_, as it is provincially termed, and are extremely docile and
active, while they are often driven by boys, who cheer and excite them
by the song and the goad.
The _Sheep_ of Cornwall are also, generally speaking, of the Devonshire
species; and some of the Leicestershire breed have been introduced of
late years, with great advantage. Mr. Worgan says, “a pure _Cornish
sheep_ is now a rare animal; nor from its properties, need their total
extinction be lamented.”
With respect to _Horses_, few are kept in Cornwall for ostentation, or
to live in idleness or luxury. The gentleman’s horse is often put to the
cart or plough. The farm horses are well adapted to the hilly surface of
this county, being a hardy and active sort. Most of the farmers keep up
their stock by breeding a colt or two annually; but one-eighth of the
horses for saddle and draught are supposed to be brought into the county
by eastern dealers.[4]
_Mules_ are bred in Cornwall, but are mostly employed in carrying
supplies to and from the mines. Troops of 50 at a time are frequently to
be met on the roads in the mining country, loaded with copper or tin
ore.
The trade of Cornwall is mostly confined to the exportation of
_Pilchards_, _Tin_, _and Copper_, the three great staple commodities of
the county. The imports chiefly consist in groceries and bale goods,
from London, Bristol, and Manchester, and coals from Wales. Large
quantities of flour are also imported at Falmouth and Penryn, chiefly
for the miners.—The manufactures in Cornwall are but trifling, compared
with other counties. Some coarse woollen, a paper mill or two, and a
carpet manufactory, is all that can be enumerated.
The most important objects connected with the History of Cornwall, are
its numerous _Mines_ and _Fisheries_, and which for centuries past, have
given employment to nearly one half of its inhabitants, and yielded a
considerable revenue to government.
The _Pilchard Fisheries_, which are mostly confined to _East and West
Looe_, _Polparrow_, _Fowey_, _Charles Town_, near St. Austell,
_Mevagissey_, the _Creeks_ of _Falmouth Harbour_, _Mount’s Bay_, on the
southern coast, and _St. Ives_, on the northern coast, generally
commence in July and end in November.
The Pilchard, in form and size, very much resembles the Herring, except
that it is smaller, and not so flat sided. “The dorsal fin of the
Pilchard,” says Dr. Maton, “is placed exactly in the centre of gravity,
so that the ordinary mode of distinguishing it from the Herring, is to
try whether, when taken up by the fin, it preserves an equilibrium, or
not. The body of the Herring dips towards the head, and the scales are
also observed to drop off, whereas those of the Pilchard adhere very
closely.” They mostly arrive from the North Seas at the Islands of
Scilly and Land’s End, about July, and shift their situation as the
season prompts and the food allures them; but unfortunately the fish
have for the last two seasons been exceedingly scarce, which has been a
great loss to the fishermen. They are generally caught in large nets of
a peculiar make, called _seans_, and the fishermen are directed to the
shoals of fish by persons stationed on the high lands near the shore,
who discover them by the colour of the water. The nets in general, are
managed by _three boats_, containing 18 persons. The seans are about 220
fathoms long, 16 fathoms deep in the middle, and 14 at each end, with
lead weights at the bottom and corks at the top. The cost of these seans
is very great, sometimes as high as £300 each; and a _track sean_ of
about 108 fathoms long and 10 deep, costs £120. The _boats_ for carrying
the seans, cost about £60, and the expenses incident to the first
out-fit, (including every thing that is necessary,) may be estimated
from £1000 to £1200, exclusive of salt.
The fish, immediately upon being brought on shore, are carried to the
store-houses or cellars, where the small and damaged fish are picked out
by women, and carried away and sold to the poor, or used for manuring
land. The remainder are laid up in broad piles and salted. In this state
they lie soaking 20 or 30 days, during which time a great quantity of
dirty pickle and bittern drains from the fish: when the piles are taken
up, the chief part of salt remaining at the bottom, is added to some
fresh salt, and serves for another pile. The next process is to wash the
fish in sea water, and place them in hogsheads, where, with great
weight, they are pressed together as compact as possible, by which
operation a great quantity of oil issues through the holes at the bottom
of the casks.
The number of fish packed in each hogshead generally amounts to about
3000; and the quantity of salt used annually exceeds 50,000 bushels,
each bushel weighing 84lbs. and one hogshead requires 420lbs. of salt;
but nearly one half of this quantity is spoiled and sold to the farmers
for manure at the rate of 10d. per bushel. Forty-eight hogsheads of
Pilchards generally yield a ton or 252 gallons of oil, the price of
which varies according to the times, but generally fetches about £25 a
ton.
In some instances one sean has been known to take and cure near 1,500
hogsheads in a season; but the fishermen are more fortunate at some
places than they are at others. The quantity taken in a season may be
estimated at from 40,000 to 60,000 hogsheads of 40 gallons each.
The number of persons employed on the fisheries, cannot be estimated at
less than 14,000; and the capital engaged is said to amount to upwards
of £350,000. The tythe of each sean is £1 13s. 4d. yearly, exclusive of
the duty paid to government for salt.
“The sea,” says Borlase, “is the great store house of Cornwall, which
offers not its treasures by piece meals, nor all at once, but in
succession, all in plenty in their several seasons, and in such variety,
as if nature was solicitous to prevent any excess or superfluity of the
same kind.”—Among those which visit the coasts of Cornwall, the
following may be enumerated.
The _Blower_ or _Fin Fish_, (the Physeta of the ancients,) and so called
from the quantity of water which it blows into the air through a hole in
its head.
The _Grampus_, the next in size, is usually about 18 feet long, and
sometimes large enough to weigh 1000lbs.—The voracity of this fish is so
remarkable, that it has been observed to prey upon the Sea Hog.
The _Blue Shark_ is frequently seen during the Pilchard season.—It has
no gills, but breathes through holes or pipes, situated betwixt the
mouth and the pectoral fins.
The _Monk or Angel Fish_, is a flat species which seems to partake both
of the nature of the Dog Fish and the Ray. The back is coloured like the
Seal, without streaks, and has a white belly.
The _Sea Adder_ is a kind of nettle-fish, about 16 inches long, and has
a back and tail fin, with scales shaped like those of a land adder.
The _Sun Fish_, so called from being round and emitting a kind of lucid
splendour in a dark apartment, is very rarely seen.
_Turbot_ are caught in great plenty during the summer season. In Mount’s
Bay particularly, there have been instances of 30 being taken in an
evening, with the hook and line. When plentiful, they are generally sold
from 4d. to 6d. per pound.
_Mackarel_ are also caught in great abundance.
_Red Mulletts_ and _John Dory’s_, which are very delicious fish, are
very plentiful, but seldom caught eastward of Plymouth.
_Conger Eels_, of an extremely large size, weighing from 60 to 120lbs.
each, and which with their adder-shaped heads, have a very disgusting
appearance.
All sorts of shell fish are very plentiful, particularly _Oysters_; but
in general they are not so good as those found on the Kentish and other
coasts. The best sort are found in the creeks in Constantine parish, on
the river Heyl.
Respecting the _Mines_, the author of the General View of Cornwall,
says, “in a narrow slip of barren country, where the purposes of
agriculture would not employ above a few thousand people, they alone
support a population, estimated at nearly 60,000, exclusive of the
artizans, tradesmen, and merchants, in the towns of St. Austell, Truro,
Penryn, Falmouth, Redruth, Penzance, and others.”
The tin of Cornwall constituted a branch of commerce at a very early
period; the Phenicians and Grecians are said to be the first persons who
came to Britain to traffic for that article, but how long they enjoyed
the advantage cannot be exactly ascertained. On the discovery of the
secret that the Phenicians and Grecians had the means of procuring this
valuable metal in Britain, the Romans under Cæsar were induced to
undertake an invasion. Though they had possession of the mines for a
long period, it does not appear they made much progress in working them.
During the Saxon government, the tin mines are said to have been
altogether neglected, and the subsequent wars with the Danes and antient
Britons prevented the possibility of much progress being made in mining
concerns. After the Conquest, the mines were of little value to the
proprietors, and even in the reign of King John, the product of them was
so trivial, that the _Tin Farm_ amounted only to 100 marks, and the
King, with whom the right of working the mines solely rested, was so
sensible of their low state, that he bestowed some valuable privileges
on the county, by relieving it from the arbitrary forest laws, and
granting a charter to the tinners, &c.
During the time of Richard, King of the Romans and Earl of Cornwall, the
revenue of the tin mines yielded an immense return; at which time many
Jews appear to have been employed in working them. Notwithstanding this
success, the latter were banished from the kingdom in the 18th year of
the reign of Edward I., when the mines again became much neglected.
Shortly after a charter was granted (through Edmund, Earl of Cornwall)
to the gentlemen of Blackmoor, proprietors of the Seven Tithings,
affording the greatest quantities of tin; by which charter, more
explicit grants of the privileges of keeping a court of judicature,
holding pleas of action, managing and deciding all stannary causes, of
holding parliaments at their discretion, and of receiving as their own
due and proportion, the toll tin, or one-fifteenth of all tin raised,
were defined. At the same time, the right of bounding or dividing tin
grounds into separate portions, for the encouragement of searching,
appears to have been regulated; by which the labouring tinner, who might
discover tin in waste or uncultivated lands, became entitled to a
certain interest in the land, upon giving proper notice in the Stannary
Court to the proprietor thereof. The bounds limited the particular
portions of ground to which the claim was made, and were formed by
digging a small pit at each angle, so that a line drawn from each,
determined the extent of the claim. This practise still exists, and the
bounder is obliged to renew the pits every year, by removing any dust or
rubbish that might otherwise hide his land marks.
Carew says, that “this charter had a seal affixed to it, with a pick axe
and shovel in saltier.”
In consideration of the privileges granted by this charter, the
gentlemen tinners undertook to pay to Edmund and his successors, Earls
of Cornwall, the sum of 4s. for every hundred weight of white tin. To
secure the payment of that tax, they agreed that all tin should be
brought to places appointed by the Prince, and there weighed, coined,
and kept till the duties were paid.
In the 33rd of Edward I., this charter was confirmed, and the tinners of
Cornwall were made a distinct body from those of Devonshire, having
before been accustomed to assemble on Hengston Hill, every seventh or
eighth year, to arrange their concerns and property in the mines. The
laws and privileges of the Cornish miners were further enlarged in the
15th year of the reign of Edward III., and subsequent acts passed in the
reigns of Richard II., and Edward IV., which confirmed the previous
privileges, and the tinners divided into four bodies, and placed under
the superintendance of one Warden, reserving them an appeal from his
decisions, in suits of law and equity to the Duke of Cornwall in
council, or should the title be held in abeyance, then to the Crown.
A Vice Warden is appointed by the Lord Warden, to determine all stannary
disputes; he also constitutes four Stewards, (one for each precinct) who
hold a Stannary Court every three weeks, and decide by juries of six
persons, with a right of progressive appeal to the Vice Warden, Lord
Warden, and the Lords of the Prince’s Council. The original Stannary
Towns were Launceston, Lostwithiel, Truro, and Helston; to these places
the miners were obliged to bring their tin every quarter of a year. But
in the time of Charles II., Penzance was added for the convenience of
the western tinners.
All tin ores are wrought into metal in the county, and are afterwards
cast into blocks, weighing from 2½ cwt. to upwards of 3 cwt. each. They
cannot be disposed of till assayed by the proper officers, and stamped
with the Duchy seal, which bears the arms of Richard, Earl of Cornwall,
viz. a lion rampant, gules, crowned or, with a border sable garnished
with bezants.
Since the reign of Henry VIII. the coinages have been held quarterly.
The average annual produce of the tin mines is about 25,000 blocks,
which, exclusive of duties, may be valued at £260,000, and yielding a
revenue to the Duchy of Cornwall of about £10,000 annually. The most
considerable tin mines now working, are in the neighbourhood of St.
Austell, St. Agnes, and Piranzabuloe. The celebrated _Polgooth Mine_,
near the former place, however, has not been worked for upwards of 20
years past.
There are also many other valuable tin mines in the western districts,
north-west of Truro.
Besides the mines, there are several stream works in the county, which
have yielded immense quantities of tin.
“In digging a mine,” says _Dr. Maton_, “the three material points to be
considered, are the removal of the barren rocks or rubbish, the
discharge of water, (which abounds more or less in every mine,) and the
rising of the ore. Difficulties of course increase with depth, and the
utmost aid of all the mechanical powers is sometimes ineffectual, when
the workings are deep and numerous. Mountains and hills are the most
convenient for working, because drains and adits are then easily cut to
convey the water away into the neighbouring valleys. These adits are
sometimes driven (as the miners term it) to the distance of one, or even
two miles; and though the expense is enormous, these are found a cheaper
mode of getting rid of the water than by raising it to the top,
especially when there is a great influx, and the mine very deep. It
seldom happens, however, that a level can be found near enough for an
adit to be made to it from the bottom of a mine; recourse must be had
then to a _steam engine_, by which the water is brought up to the adit,
be the weight of it what it may. As soon as a shaft is sunk to some
depth, a machine, called a _whim_, is erected, to bring up either
rubbish or ore, which is previously broken into convenient fragments, by
pickaxes and other instruments. The whim is composed of a perpendicular
axis, on which turns a large hollow cylinder of timber, (called the
_cage_) and round this a rope winds horizontally, being directed down
the shaft by a pulley fixed perpendicularly over the mouth of it. In the
axis a transverse beam is fixed, at the end of which two horses or oxen
are fastened; and go their rounds, hauling up a bucket or _kibbul_, full
of ore or rubbish, while an empty one is descending. The ore is blown
out of the rock by means of gunpowder, and when raised from the mine, is
divided into as many shares or _doles_ as there are lords and
adventurers, and these are measured out by barrows, an account of which
is kept by a person who notches a stick for that purpose. Every mine
enjoys the privilege of having the ore distributed on the adjacent
fields. It is generally pounded or stamped on the spot, in the stamping
mill. If full of slime, it is thrown into a pit called the _buddle_, to
render the stamping more free, without choaking the grates, (thin plates
of iron full of small holes.) If free from slime, the ore is shovelled
into a kind of sloping canal of timber, called the _pass_, whence it
slides, by its own weight, and the assistance of a small stream of
water, into the box, where the _lifters_ work. The lifters are raised by
a water wheel, and are armed at the bottom with large masses of iron,
about one hundred and a half in weight, which pound or stamp the ore
small enough for its passage through the holes of an iron grate, fixed
in one end of the box. To assist its attrition, a rill of water keeps it
constantly wet, and it is carried by a small gutter into the _fore pit_,
where it makes its first settlement, the lighter particles running
forwards with the water into the _middle pit_, and thence into the
third, where what is called the slime, settles. From these pits the ore
is carried into a large vat, called the _keeve_, where it is washed and
rendered clean enough for the smelting house. Most of the tin mines now
working have steam engines, the advantages of which have proved a great
benefit to the proprietors of them.”
The famous _Wood Tin_, as it is called, has frequently been found in the
stream works. It nearly resembles the colour of _Hæmatites_, with fine
streaks, or _Striæ_, converging to the different centres like the
radiated zeolite. From the experiments of the celebrated Klaproth, wood
tin was found to yield 63 parts in a hundred of tin. The most general
state in which the tin of Cornwall is found, is the _calciform_, the
greater quantity of ore being indurated, or glass-like; and its most
prevalent matrix is either an argillaceous or a silicious substance, or
a stone composed of both, and called by the miners _caple_: none of the
calcareous _genus_ ever appear contiguous to the ore, except the
fluors.”