A book of the west. Volume 2, Cornwall : $b being an introduction to Devon and CornwallBaring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
History
A book of the west. Volume 2, Cornwall : $b being an introduction to Devon and Cornwall
Baring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
Cornwall (England : County)
In a gloss by the O’Clearys on the martyrology of Oengus is a funny
legend of S. Finbar. One day, as he was walking on the sea, on his way
home to Ireland from Cornwall, he met S. Scuthin similarly walking,
starting on his pilgrimage to Rome. “Arrah, now!” said Finbar, “how
come you to be walkin’ on the salt say?” “Why not?” answered Scuthin;
“ain’t I now walking over an illegant meadow?” Then he stooped, plucked
a purple flower, and threw it at Finbar. The latter at once bowed, put
down his hand, caught a salmon, and threw it flop into S. Scuthin’s
face. The O’Clearys got this from popular legend. Finbar died in 623.
The only really picturesque old house in Fowey is the “Lugger Inn,”
where Mr. Varcoe, the kindly host, has, more than once, made me very
comfortable. A beam in the house bears the date 1633. The “Ship”
is older; it was built in 1570, as the date over the chimney-piece
records, but the house has been modernised externally. Near the club,
on the south side, stands the house of Peter Pindar.
Immediately opposite Fowey is Polruan, the Pool of S. Ruan, who
was an Irishman like Finbar. His bones were translated by Ordgar,
Earl of Devon, to Tavistock in 960. Thence an excursion can be made
to Lanteglos, dedicated to S. Wyllow, a local saint, murdered by
a kinsman, Melyn. The church is chiefly interesting as containing
monuments of the Mohun family. Indeed, it would seem to have been their
principal place after Dunster.
Reginald, a younger son of Baron John Mohun of Dunster (died 1330),
married a daughter of John Fitz-William, and settled at Hall, in
Lanteglos. From Hall the Mohun family removed to Boconnoc, and a
baronetcy was obtained in 1612 for the head of the house. John, son
of the first baronet, was a venal adherent of Charles I., and owed
his elevation to the peerage mainly to the clamorous importunities of
a still more venal placeman, Sir James Bagg. Writing to the Duke of
Buckingham, the latter urged, “Mr. Mohun is so your servant, as in
life and fortune will be my second. Enable him by honour to be fit
for you; so in the Upper House or in the country will he be the more
advantageous to your grace.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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