Page:The parochial history of Cornwall.djvu/295

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
CREED.
253

taxed under the name of Tybesta, of which more under. At the Inquisition of the Bishops of Lincoln and Winchester, in order to the Pope's Annals, 1294, Ecclesia de Sancto Credo, in Decanatu de Powdre, was valued 4l. 13s. 4d. In Wolsey's Inquisition, 1521, it was rated 13l. 6s. 8d. The patronage in the king or duke of Cornwall, who endowed it; the incumbent Crews; and the parish rated to the 4s. per pound Land Tax, 1696, 132l.

The great duchy manor of Ty-besta encloses almost the whole of this parish; and there are yet extant in this manor the ruins of an old chapel, called by the name of Tybesta. This manor is privileged with the jurisdiction of a court leet within its precincts, and of the court baron held for the hundred of Powdre, and hath stewards and bailiffs to attend the service of both, and the royalties over the river Vale.

Within this lordship is situate the borough of Gram-pont, Gram-pond, or Gran-pont, that is, great bridge; on which Mr. Carew, in his Survey of Cornwall, saith that in his time, (about a hundred years past,) if that were its true name, it had nothing then extant but nomine sine re, though now it hath a fair stone bridge over it, built and repaired by the county stock. But, alas! notwithstanding those names, it appeared from the charter lately extant, wherein the ancient rights and privileges thereof are confirmed by Edmund Plantagenet Earl of Cornwall, son of Richard, King of the Romans, Anno Dom. 1290, that it was incorporated by the name of Coyt-fala, or Coit-fala; id est, the wood, (river) in the midst of which wood heretofore the same was situate; also Pons-mur, id est, great bridge, so named from some eminent timber bridge over the river, before that of stone was erected.

It is privileged with the jurisdiction of a court leet and quarterly sessions of the peace, within the same, before the mayor, recorder, and eight aldermen, or magistrates, and a town-clerk. The mayor to be