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
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
widdow of both And as after the fathers decease good agreement betweene the mother and eldest sonne hath commonly weake continuance because both being enfranchised to a sudden absolute iurisdiction neither of them can easily temper the same with a requisite moderation so it chaunced that shee and hers fell at square which discord with an vnnaturall extremity brake forth into a blow by him no lesse dearly then vndutifully giuen his mother for vpon so iust a cause she disinherited him of all her lands being seuenteene mannours and bestowed them on her yonger sonnes This I learned by the report of Sir Peter Carew the elder of that name and eldest of our stock a Gentleman whose rare worth my pen is not able to shaddow much lesse with his due lineaments to represent at such time as being a scholler in Oxford of fourteene yeeres age and three yeeres standing vpon a wrong conceyued opinion touching my sufficiency I was there called to dispute ex tempore impar congressus Achilli with the matchles Sir Ph. Sidney in presence of the Earles Leycester Warwick and diuers other great personages By the forementioned conueyance she disposed of her sayd mannours as followeth Haccumb Ringmore and Milton shee gaue to Nicholas Lyham Manedon Combhall and Southtawton to Hugh East-Antony Shoggebroke and Landegy to Alexander Wicheband Widebridge Bokeland and Bledeuagh to William and lastly Roseworthy Bosewen and Tregennow to Iohn al which she entailed to them and the issue of their bodies substituting for want thereof the one to be heire to the other and in witnes hereof sayth she in her conueyance to each of these deedes fiue times indented I haue set my seale and because my seale is to many vnknowne haue procured the seale of the Maior of the Citie of Exon to be also adioyned Thomas her eldest sonne repayred this losse in part by matching with one of Carminowes daughters and heires From Nicholas is descended Carew of Haccumb who by vertue of this entayle succeeded also to Hughs portion as deceasing issuelesse From William is come Carew of Crocum in Somerset shire and from Iohn Vere the now Earle of Oxford deriueth his pedigree Alexander maried Elizabeth the daughter of Hatch and begate Iohn who tooke to wife Thamesin one of the daughters and heires of Holland their sonne Sir Wymond espoused Martha the daughter of Edmund and sister to Sir Anthony Denny Sir Wymond had Thomas the husband of Elizabeth Edgecumb and they my selfe linked in matrimony with Iulian daughter to Iohn Arundel of Trerice and one of the heires to her mother Catherine Cosewarth who hath made me father of Richard lately wedded to Briget daughter of Iohn Chudleigh of Ashton in Deuon Touching our stock in generall and my family in particular being once vainly disposed I would it had bene but once I made this idle obseruation CArew of ancient Carru was And Carru is a plowe Romanes the trade Frenchmen the word I doe the name auowe The elder stock and we a braunch At Phoebes gouerning From fire to sonne doe waxe and wane By thrift and lauishing The fire not valuing at due price His wealth it throwes away The sonne by seruice or by match Repaireth this decay The smelling sence wee sundry want But want it without lack For t' is no sense to wish a weale That brings a greater wrack Through natures marke we owne our babes By tip of th'upper lip Black-bearded all the race saue mine Wrong dide by mothership The Barons wife Arch-deacons heire Vnto her yonger sonne Saue Antony which downe to me By 4. descents hath runne All which and all their wiues exprest A Turtles single loue And neuer did tha'duentrous change Of double wedding proue We are the fift to swarue herefrom I will not though I could As for my wife God may dispose Shee shall not though she would Our family transplants itselfe To grow in other shires And Countrey rather makes then takes As best behoofe appeares Children thrice three God hath vs lent Two sonnes and then a mayd By order borne of which one third We in the graue haue layd Our eldest daughter widow fell Before our yongest borne So doe hard haps vnlooked come So are our hopes forlorne Mine trebled haue in either sexe Those which my parents got And yet but halfed them which God My graundsire did allot Whose grace in Court rarely obtaynd To th'yongst of those eighteene Three Kings of England Godfathers For Godmother our Queene The Armes of our family are Or. 3. Lyons passant sable armed and Langued Gules It exceedeth good maners to inuite your longer stay at our colde harbour and yet for that diuers strangers haue either vpon cause or kindnesse pretended to like well of a saltwater pond there made and others whose dwelling affoordeth a semblable oportunity may perhaps take some light herefrom to doe the like if they be so disposed I will put my selfe to the payne of particularly describing it and you may notwithstanding at your pleasure saue the labour of perusing it wherein I will by the way interlace some notes for the Imitaters better instruction There lyeth a creeke of Ose betweene two hilles which deliuering a little fresh rillet into the sea receyueth for recompence a large ouerflowing of the salt water tides This place is deepened to apond by casting vp part of the Ose to the heades part to the middle and part to the sides the vpper head stoppeth out the fresh water the lower keepeth in the salt the middle rayseth an Iland for the VVorkmens ease the owners pleasure and the fishes succour The Ose thus aduanced within short space through the sunne and winde changeth his former softnes to a firmer hardnesse Round about the pond there is pitched a frith of three foote heighth sloped inwards to barre any Otter from issuing if hee there aduenture his naturall theft as it would foreclose his entrance but lose the pastime of his hunting if the same declined outwards In one of the corners next the sea standeth a flood-gate to bee drawne vp and let downe through reigles in the side postes whose mouth is encompassed with a double frith of two foote distance eche from other and their middle space filled vp with small stones this serueth to let in the salt water and to keepe in the fish when the flood-gate is taken vp and therefore you must not make the frith too close nor the compasse too little lest they too much stop the waters passage It riseth of equall heighth with the banks they must outreach the highest full sea mark by two foot at least neyther ought your flood-gates foote to stand euen with the pondes bottome lest emptying the water it wholly abandon the fish but must leaue about three foot depth within In the halfe circle enclosed between the flood-gate and the compasse frith there is digged a round pit of three foot diameter and foure foot depth frithed on the sides which is continually fedde with the water soaking
her selfe vpon the family of the Dimocks Robert second sonne to the last mentioned Raphe saue one had issue Will. who maried Alice the daughter and heire of Tho. of Edmerston Wil. had another Wil. and he had Iohn and Iohn againe had Wil. This Wil. had Roger who vpon Iulian sister and coheire of Iohn Hill of Fleet begat Iohn and Richard father to the Gentleman now liuing and he matched with Elizabeth daughter of Thomas Southcott and one of the heires to her mother the daughter of Barnehouse besides which hee succeeded to his vncle Iohns inheritance who deceased issuelesse and being yet scarcely entred the limits of an healthfull olde age seeth his pedigree extended into two farther descents As for those outreaching mans memory I haue seene them very sufficiently verified his Armes are O. an Eagle displayed B. pruning her wing armed and langued G. Vpon the top of a creek hereby lyeth Crocadon the mansion of M. Treuisa a Gent. deriuing himselfe from the ancient and weldeseruing Chronicler of that name he beareth G. a garbe O. A mile aboue Halton standeth Cuttayle another house of M. Edgecumbs so named as wee may coniecture of the French Courtaile in English short cut because here the salt water course is straightned by the incroching banks The buildings are ancient large strong and fayre and appurtenanced with the necessaries of wood water fishing parks and mils with the deuotion of in times past a rich furnished Chappell and with the charity of almes-houses for certaine poore people whom the owners vsed to releeue It is reported credited thereabouts how Sir Ric. Edgecumb the elder was driuen to hide himself in those his thick woods which ouerlook the riuer what time being suspected of fauouring the Earle of Richmonds party against King R. the 3. hee was hotely pursued and narrowely searched for Which extremity taught him a sudden policy to put a stone in his cap tumble the same into the water while these rangers were fast at his heeles who looking downe after the noyse and seeing his cap swimming thereon supposed that he had desperatly drowned himselfe gaue ouer their farther hunting and left him liberty to shift away and ship ouer into Brittaine for a gratefull remembrance of which deliuery hee afterwards builded in the place of his lurking a Chappell not yet vtterly decayed And thus hauing coasted the Cornish side of Plymmouth hauen I hold it not amisse to make report of such great voyages as by the memory of our Chronicles or our owne view from this harbour tooke their beginning or ending Heere the neuer inough commended black Prince attended by the Earles of Warwick Suffolk Sarisbury and Oxford the Lord Chandos and others committed himselfe to the sea with a nauy of 300. bottoms for landing and maintayning his fathers right in France and hither after his glorious battell at Poictiers he returned with the captiue French King and his nobles Here the Lady Katherine daughter to the King of Spaine and wife to our Prince Arthur tooke land at her first arriuall in England Heere shipped himselfe the Lord Darcy sent by King Henry the 8. with a lusty crew of soldiers for that Ferdinands iust assistance against the Infidels but vsed by him as a stale for the vniust conquest of Christian Nauar. Here mostly haue the troups of aduenturers made their Rendez vous for attempting newe discoueries or inhabitances as Tho. Stukeleigh for Florida Sir Humfrey Gilbert for Newfound-land Sir Rich. Greynuile for Virginea Sir Martyn Frebisher and Master Dauies for the North-west passage Sir Walter Raleigh for Guiana c. Here Count Mongomery made forth with a more commendable meaning then able meanes or welspeeding effect for relieuing the hard besieged and sore distressed Rochellers Here Sir Fra. Drake first extended the point of that liquid line wherewith as an emulator of the Sunnes glorie he encompassed the world Here Master Candish began to second him with a like heroicall spirit and fortunate successe Here Don Antonio King of Portugall the Earles of Cumberland Essex and Notingham the Lord Warden of the Stanneries Sir Iohn Norrice Sir Iohn Hawkins and who elsewhere and not here haue euer accustomed to cut sayle in carrying defiance against the imaginarie new Monarch and heere to cast anker vpon their returne with spoyle and honour I omit the infinite swarme of single ships and pettie fleetes dayly heere manned out to the same effect And here in eightie eight the foreremembred Lord Admirall expected and set forth against that heauen-threatning Armado which to bee tainted with the shamefuller disgrace and to blaze our renoume with the brighter lustre termed it selfe Inuincible But I may not grow ouer-lasciuious in extolling King R. the 2. Anno 5. of his raigne by Act of Parliament restrained all passengers from shipping themselues in any other Ports theÌ„ such as are there set down of which Plymmouth was one From Plymmouth hauen passing farther into the countrie Hengsten downe presenteth his waste head and sides to our sight This name it boroweth of Hengst which in the Saxon signifieth a horse to such least daintie beasts it yeeldeth fittest pasture The countrie people haue a by word that Hengsten downe well ywrought Is worth London towne deare ybought Which grewe from the store of Tynne in former times there digged vp but that gainfull plentie is now fallen to a scant-sauing scarcitie Those workes afford store of the formentioned Cornish Diamonds The neighboring Inhabitants obserue also that when the top of Hengsten is capped with a cloud the same boadeth a showre within short time after Roger Hoâ—â—den reporteth that about Anno 806. a fleete of Danes arriued in West-wales with whome the Welsh ioyned in insurrection against king Egbright but hee gloriously discomfited them at Hengistendune which I take to bee this place if at least West-wales may by interpretation passe for Cornwall because the other prouince of that name is more commonly diuided into North and South This down is edged by Carybullock sometimes a parke of the Dukes but best brooking that name now it hath lost his qualitie through exchaunging Deere for Bullocke A little aside from hence lyeth Landwhitton now Lawhitton which as I haue elsewhere noted was exempted vnto Edwulff Bishop of Creditune from the Cornish Diocesse to which yet both for the temporaltie and spiritualtie the same oweth present subiection Mary into what new names PontiuÌ„ Coilleng there also mentioned are now metamorphized I must say amplio Those buildings commonly knowne by the name of Lauriston and written Lanceston are by the Cornishmen called Lesteeuan Lez in Cornish signifieth broad those are scatteringly erected and were anciently termed Lanstaphadon by interpretation S. Stephens Church they consist of two boroughs Downeuet and Newport that perhaps so called of downe yeeding as hauing a steep hill this of his newer erection With them ioyne the parishes of S. Thomas S. Stephens The parish