Cornwall At the Sinode of Arles in Fraunce there was present one Corinius sonne to Salomon Duke of Cornwall After the abouenamed Octauius his decease Maximianus a Romane who maried his daughter succeeded him also in gouernment betweene whome and the foreremembred Conan grew great warres which concluding at last in a peace Maxim passed with an armie into Fraunce conquered there Armorica naming it little Brittaine and gaue the same in fee to Conan who being once peaceably setled wrote ouer vnto Dionethus or Dionotus Duke or King of Cornwall as Mathew of West termeth him to send him some Maidens whom he might couple in mariage with his people whereon S. Vrsula her companions the 11000. virgins were shipped miscaried as their welknown history reporteth Nicholas Gille a French writer deliuereth vpon the credit of our British Historians that about this time Meroueus a Paynim king of Fraunce caused his owne sonne to be throwne into the fire and burned for that he had slayne the king of Cornwall as he returned from a feast Hee also maketh mention of one Moigne brother to Aurelius and Vter-pendragon Duke of Cornwall gouerner of the Realme vnder the Emperour Honorius Caredoc Duke of Cornwall was employed sayth D. Kay by Octauius about founding the Vniuerfitie of Cambridge And vpon Igerna wife to Gorlois Duke of Cornwall Vter begat the worthy Arthur and a daughter called Amy. This Arthur discomfited in fight one Childerick a king of the Saxons and afterwards vpon certaine couenants suffred him quietly to depart the Realme But Childerick violating the word of a king bound with the solemnity of an othe inuaded estsoones the Westerne coasts harrowing the Country as he passed vntil Cador Earle of Cornwall became Gods Minister to take vengeance of his periury by reauing off his life That Marke swayed the Cornish septer you cannot make question vnlesse you will withall shake the irrefragable authoritie of the round tables Romants Blederic Duke of Cornwall associated with other Welsh kings darrayned a battell against Ethelferd king of the Northumbers by the valiant forgoing of his life got his partners the victory Iuor sonne to Alane king of little Brittaine first wan from the Saxons Cornwall Deuon and Somerset shires by force of armes and then taking to wife Ethelburg cousin to Kentwin king of Westsex enioyed the same by composition Roderit king of the Bretons in Wales and Cornwall vnder whom Bletius was Prince of this last and of Deuon valiantly repulsed Adelred king of Westsex what time he assayled him in Cornwall yet in the end being ouer-matched in number and tired with continuall onsets he was driuen to quit the same and retire himselfe into Wales Polidor Virgill maketh mention of one Reginaldus Comes Britannorum in the time of king Etheldred Dungarth king of Corn by mischance was drowned Alpsius is recorded about this time for Duke of Deuon and Cornwall Orgerius Duke of Cornwall had a daughter named Alfride the fame of whose beauty caused King Edgar to send Earle Athelwold for obtaining her at her fathers hands in mariage But the Earle with the first sight of this faire Lady was so besotted in her loue that preferring the accomplishment of his lust before the duety of his alleageance he returnes answer to the King how the common report far exceeded her priuate worth which came much short of meriting a partnership in so great a Princes bed and not long after begged and obtayned the Kings good wlll to wed her himselfe But so braue a lustre could not lye long concealed without shining foorth into Edgars knowledge who finding the truth of his Ambassadours falshood tooke Athelwold at an aduauntage slewe him and maried her beeing a widdowe whome hee had wooed a mayde Hitherunto these titles of honour carry a kinde of confusednes and rather betokened a successiue office then an established dignity The following ages receiued a more distinct forme and left vs a certeyner notice What time William the bastard subdued this Realme one Condor possessed the Earledome of Cornwall and did homage for the same he had issue another Condor whose daughter and heire Agnes was maried to Reignald Earle of Bristowe base sonne to King Henry the first This note I borowed out of an industrious collection which setteth downe all the noble mens creations Armes and principall descents in euery Kings dayes since the conquest but master Camden our Clarentieulx nameth him Cadoc and saith farther that Robert Morton brother to William Conquerour by his mother Herlot was the first Earle of Norman blood and that his sonne William succeeded him who taking part with Duke Robert against Henry the first thereby got captiuity and lost his honour with which that King inuested the forementioned Reignald In this variance it is great reason that the ballance panche on his side who hath both authority to establish his assertion and a rarely approued knowledge to warrant his authoritie Hee dying issuelesse Richard the first gaue this Earledome to his brother Iohn Iohns sonne Henry the third honoured therewith his brother Richard King of the Romanes a Prince no lesse plentifully flowing in wealth then his brother was often driuen to extreame shifts through needinesse which made that barbarous age to poetrize Nummus ait pro me nubit Cornubia Rome Money sayd that for her sake Rome did Cornwall to wife take He had issue Henry Earle of Cornwall who deceased issuelesse and Edmond whose daughter and heire Isabell sayth mine authour was married to Moriee Fitsharding Lord Barckleigh but others affirme that this Edmond dyed without issue Edward the second degenerating in his choyce created his mynion Peter Gaueston a Gascoyne Earle of this County whose posterity ended in himselfe and himself by a violent death The last title of this Earldome expired in Iohn of Eltham yonger sonne to that King Edward After which King Edward the third by act of Parliament in the 11. yeere of his raigne erected the same to a Duchy the first in England and graced it with his sonne the blacke Prince for his heroicall vertues did rather bestow then receiue estimation from whatsoeuer dignitie Since which it is successiuely incorporated in the Kings eldest sonne and hath bene so enioyed by Richard the second Henry the fift Henry the sixt Edward his sōne Edward the fift Edward sonne to Richard the third Arthure and Henry sonnes to Henry the seuenth and lastly Edward the sixt 10. Dukes in the whole These Earles and Dukes haue from the beginning beene priuiledged with royall iurisdiction or Growne rights namely giuing of liberty to send Burgesses to the Parliaments returne of writs custome toll Mynes Treasure-trovee wards c. and to this end appoynted their speciall officers as Sheriffe Admirall Receyuer Hauener Customer Butler Searcher Comptroller Gaugeor Excheator Feodary Auditor Clarke of the market c. besides the L. Warden and those others beforeremembred whose functions appertayne
0 S. Breock 0. 15. 0 Withiel 0. 5. 0 Carnenton 0. 10. 0 Vwel 0. 10. 0 Sum. tot deductions 15. 10. 113. 1. 6. THE SVRVEY OF CORNWALL The second Booke IN this second booke I will first report what I haue learned of Cornwall and Cornishmen in general and from thence descend to the particular places and persons as their note-worthie site or any memorable action or accident of the former or later ages shall offer occasion The highest which my search can reach vnto I borrow out of Strabo who writeth that the Westerne Bretons gaue ayde vnto the Armorici of Fraunce against Caesar which hee pretended for one of the causes why he inuaded this Iland Next I find that about sixtie yeeres from the landing of Hengist one Nazaleod a mightie King amongst the Bretons ioyned battell with Certicus Soueraigne of the West-Saxons and after long fight with his owne death accompanied the ouerthrow of his armie Yet the Bretons thus abandoned by fortune would not so forsake themselues but with renued courage and forces coped once againe with Certicus and his sonne Kenrick at Certicesford thogh equally destitute of successe as before Gurmund an arch-Pirate of the Norwegians was called by the Saxons out of his late conquered Ireland to their aide against Careticus king of the Bretons whom he ouercame in battel and inforced his subiects to seeke safegard by flight some in Wales some in Cornwall and some in little Breteigne since which time they could neuer recouer againe their auncient possession of the whole Iland Howbeit not long after Iuor sonne to Alane king of the said little Breteigne landed in the West parts wanne from the Saxons Cornwall Deuon Somerset shires by force of armes and then established his conquest by a peaceable composition with his aduerse partie Adelred king of West-sex inuaded Deuon and Cornwall whom Roderick king of the Bretons and Blederick Prince of those prouinces encountred and discomfited which notwithstanding processe of time reaued from him and added such strength to his enemies that he was driuen to abandon Cornwall and retire into Wales So the Cornishmen quitting their libertie with their prince stouped to the cōmaund of Egbert King of West-sex and with their territorie saith William Malmsburie enlarged his confines Athelstane handled them yet more extremely for hee draue them out of Excester where till then they bare equall sway with the Saxons left onely the narrow angle on the West of Tamer riuer for their Inhabitance which hath euer since beene their fatall bound On their Reguli as Vincentius deliuereth he imposed an yerely tribute of 20. li. in gold 300. li. in siluer 25. oxen and hunting hounds and hawkes at discretion To these afflictions by home-neighbours of bondage tribute and banishing was ioyned a fourth of spoyling by forrayne enemies for Roger Houedon telleth vs that the Danes landed in sundry places of Cornwall forrayed the Countrey burned the Townes and killed the people To whom succeeded in the like occupation Godwin and Edmond magnus King Harolds two sonnes discomfiting the forces opposed against them harrowing Deuon and Cornwall and then retiring with their prey into Ireland After the conquest when K. H. the first inuaded Griffin ap Conan Prince of Wales he distributed his armie into three portions one of which wherein consisted the forces of the fourth part of England and Cornwal hee committed to the leading of Gilbert Earle of Strigill In Henry the thirds time by the testimony of Mathew Paris William Earle of Sarum after long tossing at sea with much adoe about Christmas arriued in Cornwall and so afterwards did Earle Richard the Kings brother at two seuerall times the later of which being destitute of horses and treasure he prayed therein ayde of his loyals When Edward the third auerred his right to the Crowne of Fraunce by the euidence of armes the French for a counterplea made an vnlawfull entry into Deuon and Cornwall but Hugh Courtney Earle of Deuon remooued it with posse Comitatus and recommitted them to the wooddē prison that brought them thither Yet would not the Scots take so much warning by their successe as example by their precedent if at least Froissarts ignorance of our English names bred not his mistaking in the place By his relation also Cornwals neere neighbourhead gaue oportunity of accesse both to the Earle Montford when he appealed to that Kings ayd for recouering his right in Brittaine albeit I cannot bring home Cepsee the designed port of his landing and after his captiuitie to the messengers of his heroicall Countesse employed in the like errand And from Cornwall the Earle of Sarum Wil. de Mesuile and Philip de Courtney set to sea with 40. ships besides Barks and 2000. men at armes besides Archers in support of that quarrell Lastly his authoritie enformeth me that those souldiers of Cornwall who vnder their Captaines Iohn Apport and Iohn Cornwall had defended the Fort of Bercherel in Brittaine against the power of Fraunce aboue a yeree space in the end for want of due succours vpon an honourable composition surrendred the same Queene Margaret wife to H. 6. vpon her arriual out of Fraūce after the losse of Barnet field receiued great ayd though to smal purpose frō the Deuon and Cornish men vnder the conduct of Thomas Earle of that shire And so much were those Western people addicted to that name as they readily followed Sir Edw. Courtney his brother Peter Bishop of Excesler what time they assisted the Duke of Buckingham in his reuolt against Richard the third Neither did his suppressour and successour H. the 7. finde them more loyall for the Cornish men repining at a Subsidy lately graunted him by Act of Parliament were induced to rebellion by Thomas Flammock a Gentleman Michael Ioseph a Black-smith with whom they marched to Taunton there murdering the Prouost of perin a Commissioner for the sayd Subsidy and from thence to Welles where Iames Touchet Lord Audely degenerated to their party with which encrease they passed by Sarisbury to Winchester and so into Kent But by this time Lords Commons were gathered in strēgth sufficient to make head against them and soone after black Heath saw the ouerthrow of their forces in battell and Loudon the punishment of their seducers by iustice In the same fatall yeere of reuolts Perkin Warbeck a counterfeit Prince landed in Cornwall went to Bodmyn assembled a trayne of rake-hels assaulted Excester receyued the repulse and in the end sped as is knowne and as he deserued The last Cornish rebellion was first occasioned by one Kilter and other his associats of a Westerne parish called S. Keueren who imbrued their wicked hands in the guiltles blood of one M. Body as he sate in Commission at Helston for matters of reformation in religion and the yere following it grew to a general reuolt vnder the
amidst his foes By courage guided sought and scapt his death Loe here amongst his friends whom liking chose And nature lent hath vp resign'd his breath Vnripened fruit in grouth precious in hope Rare in effect had fortune giuen scope Our eyes with teares performe thine obsequy And hearts with sighes since hands could yeeld none aid Our tongues with praise preserue thy memory And thing his with grieft since we behind are staid Coswarth farewell death which vs parts atwaine E're long in life shall vs conioyne againe His sister maried Kendall Edward his vncle and heire by vertue of these entayles married the daughter of Arundel of Trerice and from a ciuill Courtiers life in his younger yeeres reposeth his elder age on the good husbandry of the country hauing raised posterity sufficient for transplanting the name into many other quarters He beareth A. on a Cheuron betweene three wings B. fiue Bezants Against you haue passed towards the West somewhat more then a mile Trerice anciently Treres oftreth you the viewe of his costly and commodious buildings What Tro is you know already res signifieth a rushing of fieeting away and vpon the declyning of a hill the house is seated In Edward the 3. raigne Ralphe Arundel matched with the heire of this land and name since which time his issue hath there continued and encreased their liuelyhood by sundry like Inheritours as S. Iohn Iew Durant Thurlebear c. Precisely to rip vp the whole pedigree were more tedious then behoouefull and therefore I will onely as by the way touch some fewe poynts which may serue in part to shew what place regard they haue borne in the Common wealth There was an Indenture made betweene Hugh Courtney Earle of Deuon Leiutenant to the King for a sea voyage in defence of the Realme and Sir Iohn Arundel of Trerice for accompanying him therein He was Sherife of Cornwall Iohn Earle of Huntingdon vnder his seale of Armes made Sir Iohn Arundel of Trerice Seneshall of his houshold as well in peace as in warre gaue him ten pound fee and allowed him entertaynment in his house for one Gentleman three Yeoman one boy and sixe horses The same Earle stiling himselfe Lieutenant generall to Iohn Duke of Bedford Constable and Admirall of England wrote to the said Sir Iohn Arundel then Vice-admirall of Cornwall for the release of a ship which hee had arrested by vertue of his office The Queene by her letter aduertised Iohn Arundel of Trerice Esquire that she was brought in child-bed of a Prince The King wrote to Sir Iohn Arundel of Trerice that he should giue his attendance at Canterbury about the entertaynment of the Emperour whose landing was then and there expected Iohn Arundel of Trerice Esquire tooke prisoner Duncane Campbell a Scot in a fight at sea as our Chronicle mentioneth concerning which I though it not amisse to insert a letter sent him from Tho. Duke of Norfolke to whom he then belonged that you may see the stile of those dayes By the Duke of Norf. RIght welbeloued in our hearty wise we commend vs vnto you letting you with that by your seruant this bearer wee haue receiued your letters dated at Truru the 5. day of this moneth of April by which we perceyue the goodly valiant and ieopardous enterprise it hath pleased God of late to send you by the taking of Duncane Camel other Scots on the sea of which enterprise we haue made relation vnto the Kings Highnesse who is not a little ioyous and glad to heare of the same and hath required vs instantly in his name to giue you thanks for your said valiant courage and bolde enterprise in the premises and by these our letters for the same your so doing we doe not onely thanke you in our most effectuall wise but also promise you that during our life wee will bee glad to aduaunce you to any preferment we can And ouer this you shall vnderstand our said Soueraigne Lords pleasure is that you shall come and repaire to his Highnes with diligence in your owne person bringing with you the said Captiue and the Master of the Scottish ship at which time you shall not onely be sure of his especiall thanks by mouth to know his further pleasure therein but also of vs to further any your reasonable pursuits vnto his Highnes or any other during our life to the best of our power accordingly Written at Lambeth the 11. day of Aprill aforesaid Superscribed To our right welbeloued seruant Iohn Arundell of Trerice The King wrote to Sir Iohn Ar. of Trerice touching his discharge from the Admiralty of the fleete lately committed vnto him that he should deliuer the ship which he sayled in to Sir Nic. Poynts The same yere the King wrote to him againe that he should attend him in his warres against the French king with his seruants tenants and others within his roomes and offices especially horsemen Other letters from the King there are whose date is not expressed neither can I by any meanes hunt it out One to his seruant Iohn Arundel of Trerice Esquire willing him not to repaire with his men and to wayte in the rereward of his army as hee had commaunded him but to keepe them in a readinesse for some other seruice Another to Sir Iohn Arundel of Trerice praying and desiring him to the Court the Quindene of Saint Hillarie next wheresoeuer the King shall then bee within the Realme There are also letters directed to Sir Iohn Arundell of Trerice from the Kings Counsell by some of which it appeareth that hee was Vice admirall of the Kings shippes in the West seas and by others that hee had the goods and lands of certaine Rebels giuen him for his good seruice against them The Queene wrote to Sir Iohn Arundell of Trerice praying and requiring him that hee with his friends and neighbours should see the Prince of Spaine most honourably entertained if he fortuned to land in Cornwall Shee wrote to him being then Sherife of Cornwall touching the election of the Knights of the shire and the Burgesses for the Parliament Shee likewise wrote to him that notwithstanding the instructions to the Iustices hee should muster and furnish his seruants tenants and others vnder his rule and offices with his friends for the defence and quieting of the Countrie withstanding of enemies and any other imployment as also to certifie what force of horse and foote he could arme These few notes I haue culled out of many others Sir Iohn Arundell last mentioned by his first wife the coheire of Beuill had issue Roger who died in his fathers life time and Katherine married to Prideaux Roger by his wife Trendenham left behind him a sonne called Iohn Sir Iohns second wife was daughter to Erisy and widdow to Gourlyn who bare him Iohn his succeeder in Tretice and much other faire reuenewes whose due commendation because another might better