The Parochial History of Cornwall/Volume 1/St Colomb Major
St. COLOMB MAJOR.
HALS.
Is situate in the hundred of Pyder, and hath upon the north side Little Pedyrick, St. Ewyn, and St. Issey; on the east, St. Wenn and Roach; west, Maugan; south, St. Enedor, Little Collun, and St. Dennis. At the time of the Norman Conquest the name of this parish or church was not extant, for then it was taxed under the names of Tollscat or Todscad, now the duchy manor of Tollskidy, (that is to say, the shady hole, or pit,) Bodeworgy, and Chiliworgy, places still well known in those parts. At the time of the Inquisition of the Bishops of Lincoln and Winchester, 1294, into the value of Cornish church revenues, Ecclesia de Sancte Colombe Majoris in Decanatu de Pedre was taxed 18l. 13s. 4d. In Wolsey's Inquisition, and Valor Beneficiorum, it was valued at 53l. 6s. 8d.; the patronage in Arundell of Lanherne, the incumbent Bishop, Pendarves, Collyar, and the parish rated to the 4s. per pound Land Tax, 1696, 306l. 9s. 4d.
This church of St. Colomb was erected about the twelfth century of Christianity; the north and south ailes by the lords of Trenoweth, and Tresuran's lands, but who the same were is now past ability of finding out, though Tresuran's lands, ever since, are charged with the payment of 13s. 4d. per annum towards repair of the south aile aforesaid. This church consists of three roofs, and the south-east chancel thereof was built for a peculiar chapel for the Arundells of Trembleth, or Lanherne, who endowed this church, and have ever since been patrons thereof; and in testimony thereof, here is yet extant on one of their gravestones a brass inscription containing words to this purpose, "Here lieth the body of Renphry Arundell, Knight, patron of this church and founder of this chapel, who departed this life theAnno Dom. 1340."[1] His lady, as I remember, was Sir William Lamburn's heir.
The tutelar patron or guardian of this church is St. Colomb, to whom the same was dedicated, an Irish gentleman by birth; though, contrary to this opinion, at the bottom of Camden's Britannia, in Cornwall, we are told that this church bears the name of, and is dedicated to one Sancta Colomba, a holy woman who lived in those parts, and that her life was written in the Cornish tongue, and in possession of one Mr. Roscarrock, though now there is no such person or book extant that I can hear of. Only, let it be remembered that I found it written in the Sieur D.T.'s French book of the Saints, as also in Surrius' and Bosquet's books, and Baronius (out of them), that there lived at Senns, in Gallia, now France, in the time of the fifth persecution by the emperor Aurelian, anno Dom. 276, a holy Christian Virgin named Colomba, of such exquisite beauty that one of his sons fell passionately in love with her; but because he could not obtain his lustful desire of her, offered her marriage, but he being an idolater she refused his embraces. Whereupon she was much persecuted by Aurelian and cast into prison; where she suffered much hardship, and was comparatively starved to death in that place; so that in great misery she expired there, and was buryed at Senns. At whose grave many supernatural facts, or miracles, being said to be done, she obtained the reputation of a saint and martyr, anno Dom. 300.
The feast of the dedication of this church is in November, near Sancta Colomba Virginis et Martyris day; and the fair depends upon it.
As for the south aile of this church before-mentioned, it was called Jesus Chapel, and therein was founded Trinity chantry; towards building or endowment whereof the Lords of Resurrans tied these lands for ever to pay to the same 13s. 4d. per annum, with power of distress. At the dissolution of this chantry I Edward VI. John Chaplin was chief chanter, or sole priest thereof, and seised of the said rent, as his predecessors had been long before; and King Edward being so possessed, by virtue of an Act of Parliament, sold the same, with other things, to Sir Hugh Pomeroy, Knight, and Thos. Pomeroy, Esq. his brother; who the 4th Edward VI. sold it to William Saplyn; and———Saplyn, in the 1st and 2nd of Philip and Mary, sold it to John Glyn, Esq., John Ganergan, William Prye, John Manifield, Richard Carter, Henry Rouse, John Vivian, and Richard Hancanon, who were trustees for the parish of Sancta Colomba. After which conveyances the Lord of Resurrans refused to pay the said rent. Whereupon the parish distrained those lands, and the owner thereof replevined the goods so taken, which occasioned the parish bringing an action in replevin against the replevers thereof; and for plea, by way of avowry, did allege that those goods they ought to take, for that one John chaplain of Trinity chantry was seised of the said rent in fee, as his predecessors time out of mind had been before, in right of the said chantry, from which it passed to King Edward the Sixth, and the purchasers under him as aforesaid. Whereupon the issue passed for the plaintiff, or parish, against the Lord of Resurrans. (See St. Michael Penkivell, St. Mary Wike; also for Chantry, see St. Cuthbert for prayer for the dead.)
In the year 1676, the greatest part of this church of St. Colomb was casually blown up with gunpowder by three youths of the town, scholars therein, who, in the absence of their master and the rest of their companions, ignorantly set fire to a barrel of gunpowder, the parish stores, laid up in the stone stairs and walls of the rood-loft, which occasioned the destruction of it and themselves together; for the glass-window, roofs, timber, stones, and pillars, thereby made a direful concussion together, especially those shot from the walls of the moorstone stairs aforesaid, to the total defacing the church and many pews thereof.
In this tragical concussion several accidents were strange and unaccountable. As, first, that one Nicholas Jane, a hellyar, was on a ladder mending the healing, or stones on the roof of the church, when it happened, whereby he himself and the ladder under him were blown up also; but both fell to the ground without hurt. Secondly, the church bible and common-prayer book, with their leaves open, in the rector's pew, scarce two feet from the rood-loft stairs, where the powder took fire and broke out, were neither singed, moved, nor so much as any dust about them, though many thousand stones were cast about the church. Thirdly, there was at least a ton weight of lime and stone cast upon the communion table, which was old and slight, having but one foot or pedestal to stand upon, and yet the same was not broken nor hurt. Fourthly, the pulpit was in like manner preserved from the fury and rage of the fire and stones, when the very walls and pillars near it were shattered to pieces. Let divines and philosophers give a reason for these things, if there was not a supernatural cause or Providence for it!
By this sad accident this church of St. Colomb received damage to the value of about 350l.; yet was, by the liberal contributions of its inhabitants, in nine months time built and repaired as it now stands, and what was wanting in subscriptions to make up that sum, was raised by a small parish rate on the lands thereof. The chief subscribers, Sir John Saint Aubyn, of Trekininge, Baronet, 20l.; his grandmother-in-law, the widow of Peter Jenkin, Esq. 20l.; John Vivian, Esq. of Truan, 20l.; his three sons, Thomas, John, and Francis Vivian, l5l.; Robert Hoblyn, Esq. 10l.; Edward, his son, 5l.; Captain Ralph Keate, 5l.; the writer of this volume 5l.; John Day, Gent. 5l.; Peter Day, Gent. 5l.; Honour Carter, widow, 10l.; John Bligh, Gent. 5l.; Peter Pollard, senior, 10l.; John Beauford, rector, 20l., with several others.
And, as if the fiery element had a particular power over this church, it is further memorable that several times before a stone pinnacle of the tower thereof was cast down with thunder and lightning, and had as often been built up again to no purpose, till at length the workmen were advised, upon their last operation, to inscribe in the stone thereof, "God bless and preserve this work;" since which time it hath stood invincible for about sixty years. But, alas! notwithstanding this pinnacle hath been thus exempted from the raging of the fiery element, yet its next neighbour, the lofty spire or steeple on the said tower, a strong and well-built structure, bound or cramped together with iron and cast lead through the moor-stones thereof, (so that, comparatively, according to man's judgment, it might last till the final consummation of all things,) yet so it happened on a Thursday in July 1690, that about one of the clock in the afternoon, when the people were at their traffic in the market place contiguous with the church-yard, the said spire or steeple was torn and shattered to pieces with a flash of lightning, and totally thrown to the ground, and the iron bars therein wreathed and wrested asunder as threads, to the great terror and astonishment of the beholders. It was further observable when this concussion happened, only divers flashes of lightning appeared, but no sound or crack of thunder was heard; from whence I infer that when the voice of thunder is heard, the fiery matter in the middle region, perhaps not three miles above our heads, hath spent its force and strength. This spire also was soon after re-edified by the inhabitants of this parish, though much short of its former height and bigness, as it now stands.
Again, contiguous with this church-yard was formerly extant a college of Black Monks or Canons Augustine, consisting of three fellows, for instructing youth in the liberal arts and sciences; which college, when or by whom erected and endowed I know not. However, I take it to be one of those three colleges in this province named in Speed and Dugdale's Monasticon, whose revenues they do not express, (nor the places where they were extant,) but tell us that they were dedicated to the blessed Virgin Mary, the lady of angels, and were black monks of the Augustines.
In this college, temp. Henry VI., was bred up John Arundell, a younger son of Renfry Arundell, of Lanherne, Esq. sheriff of Cornwall 3 Edward IV. where he had the first taste of the liberal arts and sciences, and was afterwards placed at Exon College in Oxford, where he stayed till he took his degree of Master of Arts, and then was presented by his father to John Booth, Bishop of Exeter, to be consecrated priest, and to have collation, institution, and induct, into his rectory of St. Colomb. Which being accordingly performed, and he resided upon this rectory glebe lands for some time, which gave him opportunity to build the old parsonage house still extant thereon, and moat the same round with rivers and fish-ponds, as Sir John Arundell, Knight, informed me afterwards. In the year 1496, he had by Henry VII. bestowed upon him the bishopric of Lichfield and Coventry, then void upon the translation of William Smith to Lincoln, (the successor of John Hals,) in which see he remained till the year 1501, and then, upon the death or translation of Richard Redman, Bishop of Exeter, he was removed to that diocese by Henry VII. then possessed of great revenues, but died at London, 1504, and was buried at St. Clement's Danes Church.
Before this church of St. Colomb was erected, within the borders of its now parish were extant four free chapels, wherein God was worshipped in former ages, viz. at Tregoos (i.e. the wood towne), Tre-sithan-y (the weekly town, the town frequented on the Sabbath); Ruth-es (i.e. the multitude is); and Lan-hengye (i.e. the church or temple of sentence, judgment, or deliberating cases). The old cemeteries of which are now all converted to orchards and gardens, or arable ground.
The town of St. Colomb, by the mediation of its lords, the Arundells of Lanherne, is privileged with a weekly market on Thursdays, wherein all things necessary for the life of man are vended at a moderate rate; as also with fairs on Thursday after Midlent Sunday, and on Thursday after Allhallows.
This place was heretofore for a long time notorious for the vice of excessive topling or toping, not only to the damage of many of the inhabitants' healths and wealth, but also to the loss of too many lives; I mean in the time of Charles II. when the practice of quaffing, toasting, or healthing, debauch and immorality, overspread the land in general.
In this parish stands Castell-an-Dinas. It consists of about six acres of ground, within three circles or intrenchments, upon the top of a pyramidal hill, composed or built of turf and unwrought stones, after the British manner, without lime or mortar, comparatively a hedge; each of those circles or ramparts rising about eight foot above each other towards the centre of the castle, consisting of about an acre and a half of land, in the midst whereof appear the ruins of some old dilapidated houses; near which is a flat vallum, pit, or tank, wherein rain or cloud-water, that falls down from the middle regions, abides more or less in quantity as it falls one half of the year; which, I suppose, heretofore supplied the soldiers' occasions, as no fountain, spring, or river water is within a thousand paces thereof. There were two gates or portals leading to this fort, the one on the east, the other on the west side thereof, which, on a stony causeway now covered with grass, conducts you up and down the hill towards Tre-kyning, that is to say the king's, prince, or ruler's town. Moreover, contiguous with this castle are tenements of land or fields, named Tre-saddarne, that is to say god Saturn's town, a place where the god Saturn was worshipped by the soldiers, who probably had their temple or chapel here before Christianity.
Near this castle, by the highway, stands the Coyt, a stony tumulus so called, of which sort there are many in Wales and Wiltshire, as is mentioned in the Additions to Camden's Britannia in those places, commonly called the Devil's Coyts. It consists of four long stones of great bigness, perpendicularly pitched in the earth contiguous with each other, leaving only a small vacancy downwards, but meeting together at the top; over all which is laid a flat stone of prodigious bulk and magnitude, bending towards the east in way of adoration, (as Mr. Lhuyd concludes of all those Coyts elsewhere,) as the person therein under it interred did, when in the land of the living; but how, or by what art this prodigious flat stone should be placed on the top of the others, amazeth the wisest mathematicians, engineers, or architects, to tell or conjecture. Colt, in Belgic-British, is a cave, vault, or cott house, of which coyt might possibly be a corruption.
Not far from this coyt, at the edge of the Goss-moor, there is a large stone, wherein is deeply imprinted a mark, as if it were the impress of four horseshoes, and to this day called King Arthur's Stone; yea, tradition tells us they were made by King Arthur's horse's feet, when he resided at Castle Denis, and hunted in the Goss Moor. But this stone is now overturned by some seekers for money.
On another part of this parish, near Retallock Barrow (that is to say, Retallock Grave), is a notable tumulus, wherein some human creature of that place was interred before the 16th century. Retalloch signifies exceeding or too much buckler or target, not far from which is still extant, in the open downs, nine perpendicular stones, called the Nine Maids, in Cornish Naw-voz, alias the nine sisters, in Cornish Naw-whoors, which very name informs us that they were sepulchral stones, erected in memory either of nine natural or spiritual sisters of some religious house, and not so many maids turned into stones for dancing on the Sabbath Day, as the country people will tell you. Those stones are set in order by a line, as is such another monument also called the Nine Maids in Gwendron, by the highway, about twety-five feet distance from each other; or it is rather in Stithian's parish.
Truan, Truin, Truyn, Trevan, Trewyn, are all synonymous words, signifying a nose, nook, or beak of any matter or thing; here to be construed as a nose, nook, or beak of land, extant or notable amongst others; which place and Trenouth, for four descents, hath been the dwelling of the gentle family of the Vivians, who have flourished here in worshipful degree.
The present possessor of this place is my very kind friend John Vivian, Esq. Sheriff of Cornwall about 20 Charles II. and one of His Majesty's Justices of the Peace, a gentleman famous for his hospitality and charity. He married three wives; the first, Jane, daughter of Sir John Trelawny, Bart., but had no issue by her that lived; his second was Mary, daughter of John Glanvill, of Killyvor, Esq., in Devon, by whom he had issue Thomas, John, Francis, Anne, and Jane; his last wife was Specott, the relict of Nicholls, by whom he had no issue. His father married two wives, Buller and Cavall; his grandfather married Lure; his great-grandfather one of Tresaster's heirs, as I am informed.
Thomas Vivian, Esq., eldest son of the aforesaid John, married Blathwayte, sister to William Blathwayte, Esq. Secretary at War to King James the Second and William the Third, but had no issue by her. His second wife was the daughter of Dodson, Esq. but died without issue by her. His second brother, John Vivian, Esq. barrister-at-law, married also two wives: the first Anne, daughter of Matthew Hals, of Efford, Esq., but she also died without issue; on whose death her father-in-law made this epitaph fixed on her hearse, 1682:
Who underneath this mournful sable lies,
But one that did all worldly pomp despise?
It's not adorned with painted pageantry,
To blazon forth her great antiquity;
Nor were 't more necessary to be done,
Than lighting candles in the mid-day sun;
Her shining virtues did so far exceed,
That of this lesser lustre there 's no need.
These praise her in the gates; these speak on earth,
Her higher extract and her heavenly birth.
And now she 's parted hence, but to go home;
For where she born was, thither must she come.
Could cares, or tears, or prayers have her repriev'd,
She had, to our great comfort, longer lived.
Farewell, then, dearest Saint, till thou and I
Do meet in bliss, to live eternally.J. V.
His second wife was Mary, daughter of Joseph Sawle, of Penrice, Esq. by whom he hath issue John, Mary, and Thomas.
Francis Vivian, Esq. third son of the aforesaid John, married Anne, daughter of Henry Mynon, gent., sole heir to her mother Bridget, the only surviving child of Sir Samuel Coswarth, Knight (see Golan), by whom he had issue one only daughter named Mary, now wife of Sir Richard Vivian, Baronet. Ann Vivian married Simon Leach, gent. some time her father's clerk; Jane married James Beaufort, clerk.
The arms of those Vivians are the same as was borne and given by Prior Thomas Vivian, of Bodmin, with some small difference. (See Bodmin.)
In the town of St. Colomb, for three or four descents, lived the gentle family of the Carters (originally descended from the Carters of Staffordshire), where by trade and merchandise they got a great estate, and married with Vivian, Arundell of Solverne, and Moyle of Bake; and lastly, Richard Carter, Esq., a Justice of the Peace, and Member of Parliament for Mitchell, married Elizabeth King, alias Lucas, alias Shepard, of the City of London, spinster, a woman destitute of fame and fortune, whereby he was led into such excess of riot and expence of monies that he was forced to sell all his lands, and reduced himself to about 50l. per annum during life. Part of his lands were sold to his younger brother, John Carter, who married Lawry, whose three daughters and heirs were married to William Silly, Esq., Giles Risdon, of Badleigh, Esq., and Thomas Hoblyn, gent, attorney-at-law, now in possession thereof. The arms of Carter were, In a field Argent, two lions combatant Sable, armed and langued Gules.
Trevethick,in this parish, alias Trevidick, i.e. the rustic or farmer's town, for several descents had been the dwelling of the gentle family of the Arundells, a younger branch of Lanherne stock, particularly Thomas Arundell, who married the daughter of Sir Giles Montpesson, Knight, by whom he had issue Thomas Arundell, Esq. that died without issue, but not without wasting a great part of his estate.
Trekyning aforesaid was for two descents the seat of the Jenkyns, descended from James Jenkyn, gent., attorney-at-law, temp. James I. who (from a mean origin, his father being a miller), by the inferior practice of the law, got a very great estate, and married Carter, the relict of Brabyn, and had issue Peter Jenkyn, Esq. Sheriff of Cornwall temp, Charles I.
Nans-widdon, Nanc-widd~an, i. e. the valley of trees, or the tree valley, in this parish, for four descents has been the dwelling of the gentle family of the Hoblyns, of Leskeard or Treburge, in St. Pinoch, as I am informed. The present possessor, Robert Hoblyn, Esq., married Carew of Penwarne; his father Apeley; his grandfather; and giveth for his arms, Argent, a fess Gules, between two flanches Ermine. By Carew Mr. Hoblyn had issue, viz. Edward Hoblyn, Esq. his son and heir, who married Avant's heir, and left issue only a daughter, married to Bickford, Esq.; Richard Hoblyn, bred a merchant factor at Smyrna, that married Striblehill, but died without issue; Robert Hoblyn, clerk, rector of Ludgvan, and a commissioner of the pence and land taxes, that married the heir of Burgess of Truro, and left issue only Francis Hoblyn, Esq., that, married Godolphin, and died leaving issue only a son named Robert, heir; Thomas Hoblyn, attorney-at-law, that married one of Carter's heirs, and left issue by her John Hoblyn, of Kenwyn, Carew Hoblyn, clerk, and other children, and three daughters; Anne, married to Bishop, rector of St. Colomb Major; Grace, married to Pendarves, rector of Maugan; Mary, married to William Cock, attorney-at-law, of Helston. From this house are descended the Hoblyns of St. Enedor, Bodmin, Egleshayle, Helland, and Gurran.
Bode-worgye, now Bos-worgy (on part of the lands whereof are yet extant the ruins and downfalls of an old chapel or cemetery extant before the Norman Conquest), formerly the voke lands of a man taxed in Domesday Roll, 20 William I. 1087, for four or five descents was the seat of the genteel family of Keates, and was till lately in the possession of my very kind friend Capt. Ralph Keate, who died without marriage or issue, and therefore settled this Bosworgy, and other lands, upon Sir Jonathan Keate, Bart, of the Hoo, in Hertfordshire, patent 478, 12 Chas. II. whose father married the only dau. and heir of W. Hoo, of Hoo, Esq. Sheriff of Hertfordshire 5 Charles I., a younger branch of the Baron Hoo of that place, whose heir was married to the Earl of Huntingdon temp. Henry VIII., and in testimony thereof gave the same arms as those barons, viz. Quarterly, Argent and Sable. Those Keates within the memory of man, as they branched downwards, married with Bear, Hals, Avery, and others, and gave for their arms, Argent, three cats Sable. Keate, Ceate, in British, is fallacy, cheat, or delusion.
Gauer-y-gan, in this parish, id est, the goat's downs, gave name and original to the genteel family of the Gauerigans, who for several generations lived here in good reputation, till the middle of Queen Elizabeth's reign, at which time the last two daughters and heirs of this family were married to Godolphin and Trefusis, whose heirs are now in possession of their estate. Which family gave for their arms, in allusion to their names, in a field Vert, a goat passant Argent, as I am informed; the form of which is still extant in their pew or seat, the foremost in one of the middle rows of seats in this church.
At Tre-sugg-an (id est, the town on the Saggor Bog), in this parish, is the dwelling of Peter Day, gentleman, that married Brabyn. He left issue only two daughters, that became his heirs, married to Richard Williams, of Trewithan, Esq., and John Williams, of Cannanton, Esq.
Trekyninge Vean, i.e. Trekininge the Less or Lesser, is the dwelling of Joseph Hankey, gent., attorney-at-law, who, by his care and skill in that profession, hath got himself considerable wealth and reputation in those parts. He married two wives, Matthews of Tresangar, and Buroughs of Ward Bridge; but hath issue by neither. His father married Hoblyn of St. Stephen's.
Upon Bodeworgy lands aforesaid, or contiguous with it as aforesaid, are still extant the ruins of an old chapel, wherein God heretofore was worshipped, before St. Colomb church was erected, called Bes-palf-an.
TONKIN.
Mr. Tonkin has here copied Hals with very little alteration, except by way of abridgment.
THE EDITOR.
Mr. Hals has a very long dissertation on the claims of another person, a male St. Colomb, to be accounted patron saint of this parish.
It is well known that Cornwall received the Christian faith from various individuals who came from Munster, in Ireland, where the learning and the religion of these times certainly flourished: all those persons were held in veneration by their converts, and were distinguished by them as saints. These missionaries were, moreover, so numerous in all parts that Ireland was called the Land of Saints. St. Colomb may possibly be one of those missionaries; but the subject is of little importance, and I am unwilling to bestow the elegant appellation of the Holy Dove, on any other than a female saint.
Nanswhyden, unquestionably the White Vale, is mentioned by Mr. Hals as belonging to the Hoblyns. Mr. Robert Hoblyn, of Nanswhyden, who died in 1756, was a very distinguished person. He was generally a man of letters; but, what is rarely to be found in a country gentleman, he excelled in the recondite learning of the East. He built a magnificent house at Manswhyden, and established there a library so extensive, and so rich in manuscripts, as to be valued at thirty thousand pounds.
This gentleman received a great addition to his fortune from a most productive copper mine, called Herland, or the Mane Mine, in the parish of Gwineat, and he married a daughter of Mr. Coster, an Alderman of Bristol, at that period the most extensive smelter of copper ores. In consequence of this connection, and his deserved reputation, Mr. Hoblyn was chosen one of the representatives of Bristol.
The house was entirely consumed by an accidental fire in 1803. The property has descended to his collateral relation, the Reverend Robert Hoblyn, who inherits also a large portion of his classic taste.
This parish measures 12,045 statute acres.
| Annual value of the Real Property, as returned to Parliament in 1815 | £. 10,581 |
s. 0 |
d. 0 |
| Poor Rates in 1831 | 1186 | 3 | 0 |
| Population, | in 1801, 1816 |
in 1811, 2070 |
in 1821, 2493 |
in 1831, 2790; |
giving somewhat more than an increase of 53½ per cent. in thirty years.
Parish Feast, the nearest Sunday to the 17th of November.
GEOLOGY, BY DR. BOASE.
A small portion of the southern part of this parish, adjoining to St. Dennis, rests on granite, the surface of which abounds in projecting masses of shorl rock. Leaving this granite district about the Indian Queens, on the Great Truro Road, a tin mine, called the Fat Work, presents itself, and displays some interesting phenomena. The basis of the rock is a compact felspar, sometimes almost colourless, at other times dark blue and glossy; but more commonly both these kinds are blended together in stripes or spots like agates. This rock next the lode is much decomposed, the blue parts being changed into a light pink; which shows that the colouring mineral is not hornblend. It is probably shorl, a substance abounding in the quartz veins by which the rock is traversed. The lode of this mine is very curious. It consists of a large massive rock, fifteen fathoms in width, throughout which shorl, and irregular veins of tin ore, are dispersed. The matrix consists of a dark-coloured basis, interspersed by innumerable angular and fragment-like portions of rock.
Near the Indian Queens a manganese mine was formerly worked, and the adjacent moors abound in stream works.
A fine blue fissile slate occurs around the town of St. Colomb, and continues for some distance northwards. Near Trewan it is found to contain beds of compact rocks (not unlike those of the Mount Bay), which inclose veins of actynolite. Still proceeding northward, quartz so much prevails, as to occasion sterility in the land, displayed in open downs like those of Roach, to which they adjoin.
Castle-An-Dinas[2] is situated on one of the highest hills in the hundred of Penwith, commanding an extensive view over the western extremity of Cornwall, from St. Ives to the Land's End. Borlase gives the following description of its remains: "Castle-An-Dinas consisted of two stone walls, one within the other in a circular form, surrounding the area of the hill. The rains are now fallen on each side the walls, and show the work to have heen of great height and thickness. There was also a third, or outer wall, built more than halfway round. Within the walls are many little inclosures of a circular form, about seven yards diameter, with little walls round them of two or three feet high, they appear to have been so many huts for the shelter of the garrison. The diameter of the whole fort from east to west is four hundred feet, and the principal ditch sixty feet. Towards the south, the sides of the hill are marked by two large green paths, about ten feet wide. Near the middle of the area is a well, almost choked up with its own ruins, and at a little distance a narrow pit, its sides walled round, probably for water also, now filled up."
It is to be regretted that Borlase did not publish a plan to illustrate his description of this Castle, as it has been much dilapidated since his time. A tower was built on the site of the outer wall about forty years ago, by Mr. Rogers, of Penrose; and subsequent reparations have not contributed towards a restotation of the old walls. Nor are there any perceptible remains of the inclosures,
| Population, | in 1801, 1816 |
in 1811, 2070 |
in 1821, 2493 |
in 1831, 2790; |
giving somewhat more than an increase of 5312 per cent. in thirty years.
Parish Feast, the nearest Sunday to the 17th of November.
Present Rector, the Rev. John Trefusis, instituted in 1798: his net income in 1831, 1296l.
GEOLOGY, BY DOCTOR BOASE.
A small portion of the southern part of this parish, adjoining to St. Dennis, rests on granite, the surface of which abounds in projecting masses of short rock. Leaving this granite district about the Indian Queens, on the great Trnro road, a tin mine, called the Fat Work, presents itself, and displays some interesting phenomena. The basis of the rock is a compact felspar, sometimes almost colourless, at other times dark blue and glossy; but more commonly both these kinds are blended together in stripes or spots like agates. This rock next the lode is much decomposed, the blue parts being changed into a light pink; which shows that the colouring mineral is not hornblend. It is probably shorl, a substance abounding in the quartz veins by which the rock is traversed. The lode of this mine is very curious. It consists of a large massive rock, fifteen fathoms in width, throughout which shorl, and irregular veins of tin ore, are dispersed. The matrix consists of a dark-coloured basis, interspersed by innumerable angular and fragment-like portions of rock.
Near the Indian Queens a manganese mine was formerly worked, and the adjacent moors abound in stream works.
A fine blue fissile slate occurs around the town of St. Colomb, and continues for some distance northwards. Near Trewan it is found to contain beds of compact rocks (not unlihe those of the Mount Bay), which inclose veins of actynolite. Still proceeding northward, quartz so much prevails, as to occasion sterility in the land, displayed in open dewns like those of Roach, to which they adjoin.
Castle-An-Dinas is composed of a siliceous variety of the rock found at Fat Work mine; and it appears to be one of the sources from whence must have been derived the pebbles and striped shorl rock scattered over Tregoss Moor.
- ↑ There is, or was, this inscription also:
D's John Arundell, Mill. CCCC. verus Patronus hujus Ecclesiæ, qui hanc Capellam fecit. - ↑ Extracted from an "Account of certain Hill Castles, near the Land's End in Cornwall," by William Cotton, Esq. F.S.A. printed in the Archæologia, vol. XXII. where a plan and section of Castle-An-Dinas will be found, taken with greater care than that in Lysons's Cornwall. In the Gentleman's Magazine, LXXII. p. 393, are engravings of two stone weights found within the inner circle of this fortress. The weight of one was seventeen pounds and a half; and that of the other three pounds one ounce.