TREVETHAN FAMILY
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Porthcothan TREVETHAN FAMILY |
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13-Sep-2008 |
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North West Cornwall The New Zealand Trevathan family are all descendants from the ancient Trevethuan family of Porthcothan which over a period of six centuries spread east wards from St. Eval Parish over the neighbouring parishes of St. Merryn, Padstow, St. Issey and St. Breock.
Although Trevethan is so close to Porthcothan, from looking more closely at the evidence, I now think it most unlikely that anyone who lived in St. Eval parish would have been described as “of St. Merryn”, or vice versa - these things mattered much more in years gone by, for all sorts of official matters such as rates and taxes. There is a large farmhouse or small manor house at Porthcothan, on the St. Merryn side, and, from evidence from various sources, it seems that one branch of the Trevethan family lived there in the 16th. and 17th. centuries (the present Porthcothan House is a large stone-built house of modern appearance, but has massive stone chimney breasts inside which could be 17th. century, so it looks as though the modern house incorporates parts of the older house). The Trevethans from Porthcothan attended the St. Merryn church where a number of items of great interest to our family can be located but more of this later.
St Ervan Parish
Meanwhile back on Trevethan farm can be seen a very large two storeyed house known as Trevethan House which was built in 1870 by Copplestone-Cross, who owned large estates in Cornwall. Mr. Rowe, who lives in the converted barn at the back of the property, has in his possession a large map showing all Copplestone Cross’s properties. This is dated 1855, before the big house was built, and along with the 1842 Tithe Map of St. Eval parish show that the earlier farmhouse was in the position occupied by the farm cottages. It is difficult to tell the age of these charming stone cottages, as parts have been substantially rebuilt, but it seems likely that some parts of them at least are several hundred years
A little book called St. Eval - Portrait of a Parish, by T.O. Darke, published in 1991, says; ”Copplestone Cross, the youngest and last of his family (who lived at Trethewell) died an old man at Porthcothan Mill. He built the pack horse bridge over the river and began building the northern end of Trevethan House in 1850... In 1870 John Andrew... bought the unfinished house from
The 1842 Tithe Map shows that on the other side of the road there were several buildings where today only foundations remain. It is possibility that some at least of these buildings were occupied but it seems much more likely that they were agricultural buildings. If they were houses, from their size they can only have been tiny cottages, and there is no reason to suppose that any of them was ever the main Trevethan House, which for much of its history was occupied by people of some substance.
“St. Eval .... The far-famed Bedruthan Steps, consisting of several
distinct tiers of rocks, rising perpendicularly from the sea, are in
this parish; the ‘Voga,’ or ‘Fogou,’ is a subterranean chamber or
cavern, within a triple entrenchment, in a secluded valley near
Porthcothan, on the estate called ‘Trewoofe’ or ‘Troove’; the cavern is
36 feet in length and about 6 feet high, the breadth being about 5 feet;
the sides are lined with rough stones, simply piled up, and the roof
consists of stone slabs; from this chamber a passage leads to another
similarly constructed: the cave is said to have on one occasion afforded
shelter to a party of Royalists when pursued by the troopers of Sir
Thomas Fairfax: There are also several tumuli, besides an ancient
British encampment called ‘Red Cliff Castle.’ “
Peter Sheppard, writing in the Journal of Cornish Archaeology, No 17, 1978, p.116, lists under St. Eval, “? Fogou at 86027140,” with ”remains extant” and field names of ”Great Vugall (Tithe Apportionment 101a, 103), and nearby” Higher Lower Vogall (Tithe Apportionment 155-6). ”Seemingly a natural cave, yet showing tool marks.” Charles Henderson, writing on 28th. December 1928, in the Western Morning News and Mercury, in an article called “Secret Passages: Romantic hiding places in fact and legend, “considered the tunnel to have “certainly” been constructed by smugglers.” Elaborating on this theme, the Reverend Sabine Baring-Gould wrote in 1899: “There are around the coast a great number of what are locally called Vougghas, or Fogous (Welsh Ogofau,) caves that were artificially constructed for the stowing away of ‘run’ goods ... ... At one of the wildest and most rugged points of a singularly wild and rugged coast, that of the north of Cornwall, are two tiny bays, Porth Cothan and Porth Mear, in the parishes of St. Merryn and St. Eval .... At Porth Cothan the cliffs fall away and form a lap of shore, into which flows a little stream, that loses itself in the shifting sands. A manor-house, [presumably the Trevethans, of Porthcothan - but it was never a manor in its own right - it was sold out of the Manor of Treuthgans or Treworgan in Cubert to Nicholas Trevethan 25 March 1644] a mill, a farmhouse or two are all the dwellings near Porth Cothan, and of highways there is none for many miles, the nearest being that from Wadebridge to St. Columb. About a mile up the glen that forms the channel through which the stream flows into Porth Cothan, is a tiny lateral combe, the steep sides covered with heather and dense clumps and patches of furze. Rather more than half-way down the steep slope of the hill is a hole just large enough to admit of a man entering in a stooping posture. To be strictly accurate, the height is 3ft. 6in. and the width 3ft. But once within, the cave is found to be loftier, and runs for 50 feet due west, the height varying from 7ft.6in. to 8ft.6in., and the width expanding to 8ft.3in. Immediately within the entrance may be observed notches cut in the rock, into which a beam might be thrust to close the mouth of the cave, which was then filled in with earth and bramble bushes drawn over it, when it would require a very experienced eye to discover it. As it was, though the mouth was open, my guide was in fault and unable to find it and it was by accident only that I lit upon it.
There is still living an old woman who can give information relative to
the use of this cave. Vouggha, as already stated, is the old Cornish word for cave. ‘Well, no,
sir. I can’t say that; but my father did. He minded well the time when
the Vouggha was filed with casks of spirits right chuck-full.’ ’That was easy enough. The boats ran their loads into Porth Cothan, or, if the preventative men were on the watch, into Porth Mear, which is hidden by the Island of Trescore, drawn like a screen in front. They then rolled the kegs, or carried ‘em, to the mouth of the Vouggha or to Trevemedar, [a farmhouse about half-a-mile south of Trevethan] it did not matter which, and they rolled ‘em into the big cave, and then stopped the mouth up. They could go and get a keg whenever they liked by the little passage that has its mouth in the garden.’ ’Did the preventative men never find out this place?’ ’Never, sir, never. How could they? Who’d be that wicked to tell them? and they wasn’t clever enough to find it themselves. Besides, it would take a deal of cleverness to find the mouth of the Vouggha when closed with clats of turf and drawn over with brambles; and that in the garden could be covered in five minutes - easy.’ After a pause the old woman said, ‘Ah! it’s a pity I be so old and feeble, or I could show you another as I knows of, and, I reckon, no one else. But my father he had the secret. Oh, dear! oh, dear! what is the world coming to - for education and all kinds o’ wickedness? Sure, there’s no smuggling now, and poor folks ha’n’t got the means o’ bettering themselves like proper Christians.’ “ [Reference:- A Book Of The West; Cornwall by S. Baring-Gould, pp. 278-281, First pub. by Methuen and Go. 1899; reissued in G.B. by Wildwood House Ltd. 1981.] In 1932, H. O’N. Hencken, in The Archaeology of Cornwall and Scilly, p. 152, said that like the fogou at Boleigh in St. Buryan the St. Eval fogou was supposed to have been used as a shelter by Royalists escaping from Fairfax during the Civil War. We may therefore speculate exactly when this fogou was so used and by whom.
Relevant to the unfolding events at Porthcothan, Fairfax marched on Cornwall, which was mainly Royalist in allegiance, by crossing the Tamar river on the 24th of February 1646, where he brushed aside Lord Hopton’s horse for the King at Stratton. He reached Launceston on the 25th of February, and Bodmin on the 2nd of March. His strategy was to secure all bridges as he advanced to prevent the Royalists from breaking back past him. The news of Fairfax’s advance moved the King’s council to advise him to seek safety in the Scilly Isles, for which Charles embarked on the 2nd of March. Parliamentary Cornishman Hugh Peters, zealous chaplain to the train of artillery, meanwhile arrived in Bodmin with commissioners appointed to negotiate the surrender of Mount Edgecumbe. This gave Fairfax the opportunity to spread still further alarm and despondency throughout Cornwall by distributing news, found in letters taken in a ship at Padstow, that six thousand Irish were awaiting transport to England and four thousand more were to follow shortly. Exploiting this information, Peters announced the imminence of the Irish invasion at a general meeting held at Bodmin on the 6th of March, further depressing Royalist morale and standing in the county. Fairfax offered Hopton terms: officers and men would be free to go abroad, if they chose, and troopers would receive twenty shillings apiece if they handed in their horse and arms; Fairfax also proposed using his own good offices with Parliament to plead on Hopton’s behalf. While waiting for Hopton’s answer, Fairfax beat up the Royalist quarters at St. Columb, and as Hopton stalled for time, advanced to Tregony. Hopton finally conceded that the war was lost on the 9th of March, and asking for terms, named Tresillian Bridge, just to the east of Truro, as the rendezvous. Terms were agreed there on the 12th of March and surrender occurred on the 15th. This signalled the end for Cornwall and Major Hannibal Bonython, Commander of St. Mawes Castle, offered its surrender on the 16th of March, 1646, and the disbandment of the residue of the King’s last army proceeded across the county. These tumultuous events in Cornwall must have precipitated panic in the local populace; what more natural than that a party of Royalists should seek shelter from a pursuing troop of Fairfax’s men in the haven of Porthcothan’s fogou? The date must have been around the 2nd of March, 1646, when Fairfax arrived in Bodmin and the King left for Scilly; the taking of the ship at Padstow would have been contested by local men - who may have been those who sought the safety of Porthcothan fogou. Those with intimate knowledge of its whereabouts of course were likely to be members of the Trevethan family living at Trevethan and Porthcothan, since access to both ends was obtained from their land; the Protestation Returns, 1641, list four family members at Trevethan:- Thomas and Thomas junior, Remphry, and Christopher, whilst Nicholas Trevethan had bought Porthcothan out of the Manor of Treworgans in Cubert, having previously been its tenant, on the 25th of March 1644. Any or all of these and their friends would have had access - and probable cause - to resort to the sanctuary of the fogou in the dark days of March 1646.
Other than the map mentioned earlier that Mr. Rowe of Trevethan farm has, he also has in his possession a book of Workmen’s Accounts from the early nineteenth century; this includes the entry, dated 1824; ”Let Towan field to John Trevethan for 3 years at 1/11d. per year.” In the Cornwall Record Office can be found several deeds and leases
relating to Trevethan. The first of these, dated 1450, shows that a
Ralph Trevethan held land in Trevethan at the time of his death and that
his possible grandson sold 51 acres in Trevethan in 1458. These are the
earliest written record so far found of the Trevethans actually
occupying Trevethan (though not, as we shall see, the earliest record of
their presence in the parish.) Another record of 1584 written in Latin,
is a Final Concord, confirming that John Trevethan and Richard West have
transferred to Richard Hockyn and his wife Margery and Thomas Trevithvan
gentleman 14 acres of pasture ... etc. called Trevithvan in St. Evall.
It is interesting to note that Thomas was referred to as a “gentleman”
at this early date; also that John was not a gentleman, so there were
Trevethan families of different status coexisting in the parish. The church wardens were the overseers of the poor of the parish, making grants and paying ever day expenses as necessary. A number of wills of more well off “gentlemen” Trevethans left sums of money to the church wardens for help with their work with the poor. Special rates were also collected for this propose and in 1796 Peter and William Trevethan are shown as tenants at Roskeen and making payments for the poor.
John had received a bit of help over a period of time for in October of 1805 a rug had been purchased for 8/0s, his shoes repaired costing 2d and later his hat repaired costing the same amount of 2d. Still a later entry shows seven yards of canvas at 17d a yard being purchased for John costing 9/11d plus another 10/11d for making but what into is not mentioned. At that time his kinsman Joseph Trevethan was one of the church wardens attending to his needs. Other entries of interest to us are;
The next document relating to Trevethan is dated 1662, and is a pre-nuptial settlement between John Liverton of St. Merryn, yeoman(1), Henry Maye of St. Evall, Martin Liverton, and William Trevethan, who has the memorial in St. Merryn Church (mentioned later), of St. Merryn gent. See family tree on page 191. The document is endorsed on the reverse side; “Sealed and delivered unto John Liverton, Martin Liverton, Wm Trevethan by Henry Maye in the presence of us Henry Hobbart[?], Nicholas Trevythvan, The sign of Richard Brewer.” The Levertons were a prominent local family at this period; they intermarried with the Trevethans several times. They did not, however, have “gent” status; and Henry Maye, whose daughter was marrying Martin Leverton, could not sign his own name.
The other documents are of less interest, as they do not name members of the Trevethan family . A brief summary:- 7 Feb 1612 Bond in 140 pounds. James Rillton rector of St. Breock clerk
and his wife Isabella and son John to John Eveling of St. Eval
husbandman. John Evelin to occupy lands at Trevethan. 29 Sep 1729 Bargain and sale; Henry Leverton of St. Ervan yeoman, to
Rev. John Tregenna, rector of St. Mawgan in Pydar, Clerk, & Rev. John
Day jun. of St. Ervan clerk, moiety [part] of Trevethan. To begin with; in the 16th. and early 17th. centuries, the College of Arms or Heralds’ College in London was responsible for periodic visits to parts of the country to establish if coats of arms were being used incorrectly or without permission. To do this they drew up pedigrees of the most prominent families. In the case of Cornwall they made visits in 1530, 1573, and 1620; their pedigrees were amended and updated in 1887 by Lieut-Col. J. L. Vivian, and are published in a volume known for convenience as Vivian’s Visitations. A search of this volume found the pedigree of a Trevithven family - but they are described as “Trevithven of St. Mellion”, and St. Mellion is right over the other side of the county, in south-east Cornwall, miles from anywhere near our ancestors are known to have lived. However, the family tree showed the apparent coincidence of the names Robert, Pascowe, and Thomas the same names I had already found in the 1569 Muster Roll for St. Eval parish. And secondly, the fact that this Robert is said to be “of St. Ervan” - which is the next parish to St. Eval. A search of the records of St. Mellion parish found absolutely no
evidence of any Trevithvens ever having lived there. But, a search of
the Padstow Court Leet records found the crucial item; Death of John Trevythvan one of the heirs of Roche who held of the Queen 1/2 an acre Cornish(1) in Tretor outside the borough. Relief 6/3. Also 1/2 a ferling 183/4d. Thomas Trevythvan is his son and heir - of full age. The sd [said] heir holds one garden and toft(2) in the Borough in the Strete. Rent 6d. Relief 12d. secund, consult’ burgi. Also with Robert Marck in Gwarthendr’ 1 ferling. Rent 11/4d Relief 21/2d.
This discovery makes it possible to draw up a theory of the origins and early days of the Trevethan family. The Trevethans were people of reasonable substance, probably farmers (there is a record of medieval field systems surviving at Trevethan.) The house seems never to have been a manor house, but may have had certain manorial rights, according to Mr. Darke; ”Although one assumes that any manorial rights would belong to Trethewell [the principal manor of St. Eval], there were manorial rights in the form of chief rents, collected every year by the Andrews of Trevethan [John Andrew bought Trevethan 1870; his son Tremain lived there until his death in 1932.] How these rights were acquired is not known. The cottages at Trevethan are quite old, but Trevethan House only dates back to the late mid [sic] 19th. century, and there is no history as far as we know of any ancient manor being sited there. The chief rents were collected from farmers until the 1930s when they were sold.” In the late 1400’s or early 1500’s, a member of the family, John Trevithven, made a very advantageous marriage, to Margaret, daughter and co-heir of William Roche (see family tree on page 197). As we have seen, the Roches were a wealthy and prominent family - in 1522-6, Margaret’s grandfather, John Roche of Lezant, was listed as one of the wealthiest men in Cornwall, with goods valued at over 40 pounds, and her grandmother, Katherine Page, was heiress to another substantial family. One of the properties long in the possession of the Roches which presumably Margaret brought to her marriage, was Porthcothan as revealed by a document in Henderson’s Calendars; Robert de la Roche, Knight releases to Sir William de Bodrugan his right in... etc. etc... Pordgohoythan. Sunday before St. Dunstan 2 El [1295]. Thus John and Margaret settled at Porthcothan, and their heirs bore the title “gentleman” and were described as “of St. Merryn.” In 1522, as we have seen, John’s property was assessed as 5 pounds plus; by 1540, John Trevethan (whether this is father or son we have no way of telling, though I think it possible that John I had died by 1538 when the Padstow Curia Legalis includes “Her’ Jonis Trevythven” - the heirs of John) was assessed at 20 pound. This fourfold increase could have come through John II’s marriage, another very advantageous one, to Margaret or Margery Glynn (see family tree on page 195), but more about that in the chapter on the Trevathans of Cardinham. You will notice from the Glynn tree that Margaret’s brother Nicholas Glynn lived a St. Merryn; perhaps this is how she came to marry John. We know that John II & Margaret had eight children (at least), from
Vivian; the pedigree says Robert was the first son, and leaves Thomas
unnumbered, but the Court Leet 1566 already quoted gives Thomas as the
heir, and I think this is correct, as Thomas quite clearly inherited
Porthcothan. Probably he was not mentioned in his grandfather’s will
because, as the heir, he was already well provided for. We think this
Thomas must be the one who appears in the Court Leet of 1533 in
Henderson; Death of Robert Gybbes who held of the Lord as toft or garden in the
Burgus etc since the last Court. Relief 12d. Johanna wife of Thos
Trevethvan is his next heir and did fealty and gave as recognition 6d.
An Inquisition Post Mortem held on 18th. April, 1545, at Helston, found that before his death, Sir John Chamond Knt., had conveyed by charter, dated at Treworgans Manor in Cubert, to Richard Grenfeld Knt., and others the Manor of Treworgans, including his lands in Porthcothan at St. Eval; this was a legal device for passing on Chamond’s estate to his second son and heir, Richard Chamond, and his wife Margaret; Porthcothan was held by them of the Bishop of Exeter as of Pawton Manor (St. Breock); we know that Pawton Manor in turn was held from the Bishop of Exeter by Sir Andrew Dudley Kt., for on lst July 1551 confirmation was given “by the Dean and Chapter of Exeter to Sir Andrew Dudley Kt., of the Manors of PAWTON (St.. Breock) IDE (St. Breock, St. Issey and St. Merryn) & TREFOS (St. Merryn) [Pawton Ide and Trevose] and 200 messuages 100 cottages ... 30 pounds rent in Pawton Ide ... Trevythvan [Padstow] Porghcothan [St. Eval] ... Trevythvyn [Padstow] ... Trewethen [St. Eval].” (Charles Henderson’s Calendars Vol.18, pp. 78-9.) This sub-infeudation of manorial holdings, where manors were held as sub-manors of head manors was quite the norm at the time, and explains why in 1561, a rental of the Manor of Pawton-Trevose listed among its free tenants:- “at ARLYN:... John Trevythven and Rawlin Teak half acre once Augar Amydes and Jo Eyre de Tukker and after Willm- Roche ... at TREVEMEDER: ... Stephen Trevythven 1 ferling quand [once] John Tyeke
and after Pascow Trethias ... Rawlin Teake and John Trevythvan hold the Millpool there with the Multure [a toll of grain or flour paid to the miller] once held at will by the tenants, once John de La Roche, after John Roche de Landue and then Wm. Roche. at CRUCKNEVES als CRUCNEVES: Rawlin Teake and John Trevithven 3 acres Cornish once John de La Roche then John Roche of Landue and Wm. Roche.” (ibid .135-7) The importance of these entries is that firstly Trevethan family members
are shown to hold land and sheep in Harlyn about a mile north west of
St. Merryn (Arlyn,) Trevemeder (Trevemedar - the farm just south of
Trevethan,) Trevethan, Porthcothan, Porthcothan Mill, and Cruckneves
(possibly Crugmeer north-west of Padstow or Carnevas in St. Merryn) but
most importantly they almost invariably held them in succession from
Roches (see page 197) - John de la Roche, John Roche de Landue, and
William Roche. It was William Roche’s daughter and co-heir, Margaret, we
may recall, who married John Trevithven - probably in the late fifteenth
century, judging by the date of death of their offspring John (1566) who
married Margaret Glyn. The first John is first mentioned as living in
the parish of St. Merryn in the 1522 Subsidy and Loan, when he was
evidently a person of some substance, who would have had a substantial
house. It was probably his son John who, along with his cousin Rawlin
Teake, was recorded holding the Millpool and Multure (a source of
considerable income) at Porthcothan Mill in 1561, providing clear
confirmation of the line of Trevithvans, heirs of Roche, holding
Porthcothan; these are contemporary with the Trevethvens at Trevethven
and point to a definite linkage of the Trevythvans at Porthcothan and
the Trevethvens at Trevethven before 1561 - which is consistent with the
marriage in this period of John Trevithven to Margaret Roche recorded by
the Heralds’ Visitation . Book containing Rentals of the Manor of Launcells 1636. The Manor of Treughans 1636 Portcothan Nic Trevethan Eliz ux [wife] & John their son.
Porthcothan - this is sold away from the manor unto the tenant thereof.
Sold 13/4.
Meanwhile, at Trevethan, in St. Eval, the earliest member of the family of whom we have a mention is Sampson, named in the subsidy of 1525, when he had goods valued at 4 pounds, and was therefore rather less well off than John at Porthcothan. Whether he was the son or grandson of John II I do not know; I am inclined to think he was the former, and therefore the brother of Robert, who first appears
In the St. Merryn church can be found a monument commemorating William
Trevethuan of Porthcothan, who died in 1695; but there are earlier
records still of Trevethans in this place. In the Records of the Manor
of Trevose, 1561 (transcribed by Charles Henderson, the famous Cornish
historian, in volume 18 of his Calendars, at page 149, in the Royal
Institution of Cornwall, Truro), we find the following; Trevythven Sampson Trevythven holds 1 tent like the other conventionary Also, at page 135, under “Manor of Pawton-Trevose; Free Tenants”, also
1561;- And at page 137;- ”Porkehothan Rawlin Teake and John Trevythvan 1 acre Cornish... Cruckneves als Crucneves. Rawlin Teake and John Trevithven 3 ac.C.”
In 1533 Joane inherited from Robert Gybbes (possibly her grandfather on her mothers side) a toft and garden in Burges. Thomas became involved in an affray one New Years Day in Padstow and latter on the 4th of May gave evidence at a hearing(4) to enquire as to what happened. John Dawson, yeoman who lived at St Chibz near Padstow came into town to visit his relatives. There was a procession taking place in which a Mr Calwoodley was taking part as he did every year. John Dawson exchanged words with Calwoodley’s servant, one Jenkyn. Later in the afternoon of the same day John Dawson was apparently walking up and down in front of Calwoodley’s house, with certain other people, one of them apparently was Thomas Trevethan. There followed an affray, where sevant Jenkyn was injured. Morice Dome, a gentleman of Padstow, aged 50 and over, claimed that this
crowd were walking up and down in a menacing manner, armed with “swords
and bucklers(5)” which John Dawson denied. The outcome of the hearing is not recorded. Thomas died at St Merryn on the 17th of October 1619 and was followed by
Joane two and a half years latter.
St Ives at that time was much as it is now, with narrow streets, and even narrower alleyways between houses, the houses themselves tiny stone cottages almost piled on top of each other as they tumbled down the steep slopes to the harbour. The pilchard fishing industry dominated the town, the harbour full of small boats, and the harbour area dominated by pilchard cellars and net lofts. In the pilchard cellars, the fishwives gutted, and cleaned the pilchards, and packed them in salt in barrels. It is hard to imagine, but everything must have smelt of fish, and their hands must have been red raw from the salt. But gallons of oil were a valuable by-product, pressed from the pilchards, and the women who did this part of the work were said to have wonderful complexions! The stretch of coast near St Ives was infamous for drifting sand, which made it difficult to bring large boats into harbour. St Ives however managed to maintain a busy trade in shipping stone and tin, as well as the thousands of barrels of salted pilchards and tons of smoked herrings, or ‘kippers’. England and France were at war at that the time so the Frenchmen, from the two boats, who served forsook their ships for free passage back to their homeland. As soon as the weather improved the local men from St Ives rowed out to the two ships weighed anchor and bought them into the town’s wharf. As soon as the ships were tied up most of the town’s Gentlemen including Messes Godolphin of St. Aubyn, Reskymer, Mylyton, Vevyan and Trewynard with the help of the local men took the fish off both the ships and stored it in the cellars. Before they could complete the task Sir John Arundell’s Bailiff, Harry Bree (1) and Mr. Penheleg who was with him went aboard the vessels, arresting both ships with the fish that still remained on board. They stayed aboard the ships for more than a week but in the end they were forced to leave by the local men and some others. At this time Sir John Arundell was temporally staying at Mr.
Roskarrock’s house. Harry Bree and Mr. Penheleg hurried there and told
Sir John how the people at St Ives had treated them. He immediately sent
his commander to St Ives who summensed Thomas Jenkyns and John Stephens
the rulers of the town to account for what had happened. They were both
sentenced to a month in Launston Jail. Sir William Godolphin’s second eldest son, Thomas (1) refused to surrender the fish whereupon the doors to all the cellars where the fish was stored were broken down, the fish seized and loaded upon the boats and taken to Padstow. There, some of the fish was used by Sir John who was Lord of the Franchise(2), while the remainder was given to his friends and servants. As to the two ships, the smaller one of 50 tons was given to the men of St. Ives while the bigger one of 400 ton (3) Sir John told John Penheleg to sell it to the men of St. Ives. As a result of Sir John’s actions a sitting of the Court of Franchises was arranged at the Vicarage of Lelant. It consisted of the Head Steward of the court, Robert Vevyan together with Justices of the Peace, Mr. Bear and Mr. Borlas. His council Mr. Harrye Sargeant represented Sir John while Mr. Swynton represented Lady Mount Joy (4) and the other gentlemen. The men of St Ives also had their counsel present. The court found that Sir John Arundell, being the Lord of the Franchise, had the most right to the ships and goods and any other shipwrecks in the area. 1. Heir to his brother, Sir William (d. 1575), and father of Sir Francis
(d. 1608). Thomas Trevethuan, ca. 1658 - 1710. Thomas was a weaver by trade and lived at Trevorgus, three quarters of a mile south of St. Merryn with his wife Elizabeth and their eight children on a farthing of land which he leased from Squire Boskoune. He however also held the freehold for a number of other parcels of land around the district including further land at Trevorgus. His other lands were at Towan (more of this on the Joseph Trevethan page) and Halses Accure at Kerketh half a mile to the west Thomas was likely to have been only in his forties when he died in 1702. Only his eldest daughter Sarah was married with his other children being aged between ten and twenty. The estate was valued at 257 pounds. His wife Elizabeth lived for a further ten years when the family home at Trevorgus passed to their eldest son Richard.
Thomas Trevithuan, ca. 1526 - 1596. Scattered all around the St. Merryn area, which is just a few square miles, is where this Trevethan family lived and died in the 15th, 16th., 17th., 18th., and 19th centuries. During a week in 1990 on a visit to Cornwall we visited every house, hamlet, farm and the local churches that are of interest to our family. So now let’s travel around these properties and places of worship and read of the interesting stories they have to tell. The Trevethuan Monument - St. Merryn Church. Top of Page
It was probably around 650AD that a missionary priest came to St. Merryn from Padstow, a cradle of the Christian faith in Cornwall. A place of worship was established at Constantine (where the ruined Chapel is still visible in the dunes), and later where the present church stands. An early reference describes St. Merryn as a Church of West Cornwall, under the Dean and Chapter of Exeter, known as “Sancte Merina in Pydar”. This was in 1225, John de Withiel being the first vicar.
It is the transcripts from this church that trace our family to the beginning of the written records. The bishops transcripts survive from 1616 but with a good number of years missing until after 1679 when they are complete. The earliest of them are written in Latin and show that the Trevethan’s were closely associated with the St. Merryn church with William Trevethuan being a church warden in 1675 (see family tree on page 138) followed by his son in 1690. The St. Merryn Church is of stone construction with a slate roof and is surrounded by a large green area containing the graves and headstones of many of the early settlers of the parish. The construction of the church was
The Trevethuan monument is to be found in St. Merryn Church, on the wall at the left-hand side of the chancel. It commemorates William Trevethuan, gent., of Porthcothan, who died in 1695, and his son Thomas, who died in 1710. William Trevethuan is the first person on our family tree who can be connected to our present day family. He lived at Porthcothen presumably on Trevethan farm. The monument is very large, surmounted by the Trevethan coat of arms, on a cross humettee five plates or bezants, and the inscription reads;
It is of course interesting to note that William Trevethuan’s name is spelt differently to the later generations of Trevethan Cornishman and of course our spelling of Trevathan. What is even of more interest to me was the fact that on the same monument William’s son’s family name is spell Trevithvan being yet another spelling variation. In the same church, near the font, can be found a Sunday School List; the lower part of which lists all the pupils at St. Merryn Sunday School in 1825. John Trevethan is included. Also, on another wall, can be found from the archives of the House of Lords, a Protestation Letter dated 1642, Cornwall, St. Merryn, listing John Trevythan - Overseer, John Trevithran, Richard Trevethuan and Staynan Trevithvan.
Nestled amongst bush and some fine old English trees in the Nansent valley (Holly Valley) just half a mile west from Wadebridge and three miles east from St. Issey is the old stone church and graveyard of St. Breoke. Built in 1259 and dedicated to St. Briocus one of the saints who came to Cornwall by way of Wales in the early part of the first century. The church that stands today was virtually rebuilt in 1677 because it had fallen into a state of disrepair. As you enter the church you are confronted by a 14th. century door of very heavy timbers and inside 13th and 14th century stained glass windows. This church is of interest to our family as in the graveyard can be found the Trevethan Monument and grave of David and Elizabeth Trevethan the parents of the children that emigrated to New Zealand. The monument, which is situated at the back of the grave yard among some trees, is quite large with a Celtic cross on a stone base, and today has quite a lean to the left. The inscription reads;
On the left-hand side is an inscription to the death of their son William, the brother of those that came to New Zealand. Up till now I have always wondered if William emigrated as well, but you can see that he stayed on in Cornwall but died before his parents at the relatively young age of thirty two years; Also of, On the right-hand side was an even more interesting inscription regarding one of their grandchildren, the son of their eldest child, Jane Sandry who had earlier married William Herd. This is the family that the now deceased George Morris of Wanaka in New Zealand could remember visiting in Cornwall when he was just a young boy; Also of You can see therefore that this must have been a very sad period for David Trevethan, within a time span of a year he lost first his grand son, then his own son and finally his wife. St. Petroc Minor Church - Little Petherick. An interesting note from the Parish Register which makes your mind boggle. 1851 September 27 - Began to make the new entrance and with gunpowder, and hew out the rock which was applied to filling up the hill below. The parish assisted to make the improvements in the road. This was written by the Vicar of the Parish! So as well as being
responsible for the souls of his parishioners, he was also their local
builder, come stone mason come quarryman into the bargain. In the church yard can be found a number of Trevethan and Parson graves. No doubt the Parsons are related to John Docton Parson who came to New Zealand. In the midist of the disused runways of RAF St Eval, an important costal command airfield from the last World War stand the 13th century St Eval church which can be seen from miles around. Its magnificant 60 foot tower was constructed in the summer of 1727 after the previous tower fell into disrepair in the mid 1600’s. The church was enlarged in the mid 1500’s and still has many medieval parts including an elaborately carved screen. One of the windows on the north wall is from Norman times and at the rear of the church can be found three of the orginal pews. Tucked away in the depths of the Cornish countryside can be found the 13th and 14th century St Ervan’s church with its Victorian Rectory and School-house. Down the lane from the church is a mill known to date back to 1276 and has a christening well. This church which was supported by the Arundell family who as early as 1240 lived at the manor of Trembleath. The orginal tower was built in the 14th century but reduced in height from 50 feet by explosives in the 1880’s to its present hight of 24 feet. There is a medieval bell standing in the tower which was cast in the reign of Henry VI and a number of slate and marble memorials on the walls.
The village of St. Issey is set midway between the ancient market town of Wadebridge at the head of the estuary of the Camel River (a weekly market started in 1312) and the medieval seaport of Padstow. On digging the foundation for the present vicarage in 1832 copper and lead ores were found, but not in sufficient quantities to encourage further search. The village has therefore remained
The early photos of the area around St. Issey were provided by Vera Hammett of St. Issey (Daughter of Leslie & Winnie Trevethan; Leslie was the son of Charles and Emma Trevethan; Charles was the son of Zaccheus “Ky” Trevethan). These show aspects of life in the village in the late 19th. and early 20th. centuries, and are the oldest photographs available. Copies of these photographs may be seen around the walls of the Ring o’Bells public house in St. Issey.
Not everybody frequented the Ring o’Bells, for Nonconformism affected St. Issey, no less than the rest of Cornwall, in the 19th. century, and produced its teetotal followers, called Rechabites. Gerald Carhart of the East End Garage in St. Issey told me that in former times whenever Parson (church) and Minister (Methodist) passed each other in the street, each would ignore the other and go to his own gate and look towards Padstow.
In loving memory of Nancy Trevethan died 25th Jan 1898 aged 73 and father Thomas Trevethan died 25th Dec 1901 aged 75. Erected by their son William, also to all Trevethans resting here and in foreign parts Also in the church grounds is a more modest headstone to Samuel and Mary Jane Trevethan who were also uncle and aunty to the brothers and sister who came to New Zealand. Samuel was an agricultural labourer in 1861 and lived at Trevance a small hamlet a few hundred yards east of St. Issey. The inscription on the head stone reads; “In loving memory of Samuel Trevethan, died 18th December 1889, aged 68. Also Mary Jane his beloved wife, died 27th October 1910, aged 75. At Rest”. In St. Issey church can be found a Norman font with a round bowel enriched all over with stars and circles. Under an arched canopy watched over by two figures in the lady chapel is a 14th-century sculpture of Our Lord taken down from the cross, and on the fine reredos in the chancel is a canopy with about 20 figures of men and women covering five deep recesses, each with four arches rising to a vaulted roof. The reredos is made up of fragments of medieval stone. On the hills above St. Issey are ancient graves and fortresses, and near a small inlet by the River Camel is the old manor house. Here was once a bridge linking the ruins of a medieval house with a dovecot covered with brambles. Fall of the Church Tower - St. Issey.
”The tower of St. Issey Church, with its five bells, has been for some years past much out of the perpendicular, and in a very weak state. From time to time serious thoughts have been entertained of taking it down and rebuilding it, as many persons rightly considered its position to be very dangerous but beyond bracing and putting iron stays in the weak places, nothing was done. Notwithstanding the heavy rains and storms so prevalent of late, no unusual indications of danger have been observed, and on Sunday last Divine service was held in the Church as usual. On Monday morning, however about six o’clock, the tower parted, and about three-fourths with a tremendous crash fell to the foundation, leaving the other part standing with a pinnacle on it. A large quantity of the debris fell through the roof into the church, demolishing the gallery, and smashing the organ.” This is the oldest known photograph of St. Issey. The church tower fell on Monday 1st. February 1869, and must have created quite a sensation locally. The large man at top right of the photograph is Zaccheus Trevethan (known at the time as “Ky”; referred to now by his descendants as “Granfer Ky”.), a common forebear of Vera Hammett who supplied the original, her cousin Paddy Barr who lives in Padstow, and those of us in New Zealand. The lovely west doorway into the nave remains, and the work of a 14th-century sculptor, a fine stoup with an angel watch over the door. A Scandalous Relationship - Trevear Farm.
I talked to Frank and Doris Wilce, who have lived at Tregunna Farm since 1943, and spent a pleasant hour or so sitting in the old house, which still has original slate floors, drinking cups of tea and talking about the old times in Cornwall. They had a storm in Cornwall in early 1990 which removed a number of roofs in the area and the Wilce’s house lost some on its roof. They discovered at that time that the slates blown off the roof were the originals which had been fixed to the roof beams at that time with wooden pegs. The Tithe Apportionment Schedule for the Parish of St. Breock in 1841 records that on the 13th of April that John Trevethan rented a house and garden from Thomas Arthur at Trevanson Wade for which he paid a rental of one shilling to the Vicar. This was a very small piece of land being only fourteen poles.
Trevethan farm is on the south boundary of the sea port of Padstow and commands magnificent views over the Camel estuary. It seems likely that Trevethan Farm was not named on the 1881 and 1907 Ordinance Survey maps because it had no farmhouse. The L-shaped building shown on these maps was a barn, which was only converted into the present farmhouse within the last ten years. The farm was part of the Prideaux estate - the Prideaux family being the main landowners in the area; they are still based at Prideaux Place in Padstow. How Trevethan Farm got its name is not known, but the name clearly goes back some time, as it is named Higher Trevathan on my 1813 map.
The Tithe Apportionment Schedule for the Parish of St. Merryn shows that in 1840 John Trevethan owned a house with a garden at Trevone on the coast in the parish of Padstow half way between the towms of Padstow and St. Merryn. John had this property rented to John Epps and Johanna Chapman for thirteen pence. It is three and a half miles from Wadebridge to Trevathan Farm in the parish of St Minver, and although the distance is quite short this property is quite removed from the other Trevethan homes. Not that the Trevathan is spelt the same as our New Zealand spelling. How this farm came to have this name is not known but it is interesting to note Thomas Trevethan (1826 - 1901) was a carpenter and used a stencil with his name and St. Minver on it. Did he live on this farm at one time or was it his father Thomas Trevethan? The present owners of the property, Henry and Shirley Symons, use the farm cottages for high class holiday accomodation but the farm itself is still farmed by the family. It has been in the ownership of the Symons family since 1850.
According to the former Rector of St. Issey, Barry Kinsmen, it was the house in the picture of Trevance Farm, in the hamlet Trevance a few minutes walk from St. Issey, that Thomas Trevethan, an agricultural labourer, lived in 1841 with his wife Nancy and three youngest children. Thomas’s grandson, another Thomas and the first Trevethan to come to New Zealand was latter born in this house in 1850. The house is now owned by Mary Geach. There are only two houses in the hamlet of New Barn, so it must have been in one of these that David and Elizabeth Trevethan lived in 1851, although it is not possible to know which one. Houses are shown in these positions on the Tithe Map of 1841, and, although heavily modernized, these houses appear to be sufficiently old to be the same buildings. One is now called New Barn, the other Trelissa; these are likely to be modern names. Less than half a mile north west of St. Issey can be found the hamlet of Lower Tredore which consists of a terrace of three cottages, evidently Trevethan, Porthcothan near St Merryn, Cornwall - 1881 built to house workers of Tredore Farm, at the top of the hill which faces the cottages. In one of these cottages, in 1861, Thomas and Nancy Trevethan’s son John lived with his wife Jane and their family of three young children all under five years of age.
At Burgois (pronounced Burgus), half a mile north of St. Issey there are
several old houses and it is not now possible to know in which of them
Samuel and Mary Trevethan or Thomas and Nancy Trevethan (see also
Trevear Farm) lived in 1851. All have been extensively modernized; one
has been greatly extended and is now the Pickwick Inn and Restaurant. Tregorrick Sea Mills. Samuel Trevethan, who lived at Benuick, may well have harvested grain that was ground at these sea mills. Vessels carrying the flour from the mills would constantly have sailed past his house. At the large house at the eastern end of Sea Mills (formerly the mill owner’s house) we were told a Trevethan (known affectionately as Granny Trevethan) had been a cook there some years ago. She was remembered particularly for the heaviness of her pastry! Benuick. Top of Page There is now only one house at Benuick, and this was built in the 1930s.
However, in the garden is the site of a much older house, of which
almost nothing remains. It must have been in this house that Samuel and
Mary Trevethan and their family lived in 1861. Opposite Padstow on the River Camel is a place called Porthilly, a part of which is known as Rock. It is here that Samual Trevethan owned a boat shed which caused the Padstow Harbour Commissioners some concern at Samual’s construction of a breakwater encroaching on the sea bed. The minutes of their meetings record:- The Harbour Master reported an encroachment by building of Quay work by Mr Trevethan under high water mark at Rock. Ordered that the Clerk do call on him to remove it. Adjourned to Monday the 8th January at Wadebridge at 11 o’clock. The next meeting of the Padstow Harbour Commissioners was held at the Moleworth Area, Wadebridge on the 8th of January 1849 when Samuels construction was again disscussed:- The Clerk reported that he had written to Mr Samual Trevethan in referance to an alleged encroachment at Rock and that he had received from Mr Trevethan a letter dated 15 November in referance thereto and it being stated that the inclosure made by Mr Trevethan was land formlaterly encroached on by the sea. The Harbour Master was ordered by the meeting to inspect this work and report back to the Commissioneers meeting which he duely did at an adjourned meeting of the Commisiioners held at the Office in Padstow on Monday the 12th of February 1849:- Harbour Office February 12 1849. The wall which Mr Trevethan has begun to build against the shore at Rock is in part upon ground which has recently been worked in the cliff for stone to make roads and partly where the soft ground has been fetted away by the sea. N V Martyn by a plan made a few years ago wherein that the cilff there full as far out as Mr Trevethan’s wall. I W Davey. Samuals problems with the Harbour Commissioneers is not mentioned again until another adjourned meeting of the Commissioneers held at the Mariners Rock on the first day of July 1850:- That Mr Trevethan be permitted to inclose a portion of the beach at Rock over which the tidal waters at present flow lying between his boat shed and the projecting point of the wall of his grass plot being about thirty feet in length. According to the Parish Tithe Apportionment Schedules for St Merryn on the 16th of February 1841 Samuel Trevethan owned a little over fourteen acres in Towan and Towan Veals which is a small settlement about half a mile north west of St Merryn. The land most of which was described as arable and the rest as gardens was occupied by John Bennett his cousin. The property had a cottage and garden which presumable John lived in. The rent payable for this land was 17s and 10p to the Vicar and one pound nineteen and six pence to Samuel Trevethan. An early entry dated 26th of November 1650, given to me by Barry Kinsmen relates to a property at Towan, and would seem to be the same land. Counterpart of a lease from said Walter Peter to Richard Trevethuan of a close of land in Towan Warka for 99 years determinable on the death of Elizabeth wike of the lessee Nicholas Trevethuan. Thomas Trevetnuan their sons under the yearly rent of one shilling and one harvest journey yearly 65 for the same. Click the photo to have a look at these most interesting photos of early Cornwall from the collection of Malc McCarthy from Padstow.
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This site was last updated 13-Sep-2008
