The Celtic Christianity of Cornwall: Divers Sketches and StudiesTaylor, Thomas
History
The Celtic Christianity of Cornwall: Divers Sketches and Studies
Taylor, Thomas
Cornwall (England : County) -- Church history
To identify the several grants of land a more or less careful
examination of the places mentioned in the charters becomes necessary.
Taking them in order of date, the Confessor by his charter gives to St.
Michael for the use of the brothers serving God the place known as St.
Michael, which is by the sea, with all that belongs to it, and he adds
the whole land of Vennefire, with its towns, vills and lands; also the
port of Ruminella, with its mills and fisheries. One of the witnesses is
Vinfred, or, as the name is commonly written, Winfred. We are therefore
justified in substituting “W” for “V” in Vennefire, and “s” for “f”
according to the Avranches cartulary. Vennefire becomes Wenneshire. A
glance at the Feudal Aids reminds us that the hundreds of Cornwall were
entered as Poudreschir (Powder), Pydrisire,[126] Pydar, Trigrishire,
etc. It is therefore safe to regard Vennefire as the equivalent of
Wenneshire. But the name of the hundred in Domesday Book is Wineton, a
correlative, in this case the equivalent of Wenneshire. Vennefire is
therefore the hundred of Kerrier. Ruminella is the diminutive or
feminine, not only in Latin but in Welsh,[127] of Rumin or Rumon. The
port of Ruminella thus becomes the port of Ruan Minor, i.e. Cadgwith.
One or more mills still exist in the valley and at no great distance
from the port. If, as we have already suggested, the Meneage district
was, like the hundred of Pydar, settled by Celtic monks, the Confessor’s
grant would mean little more than the confirmation to them of their
ancient patrimony, focussed at St. Michael’s Mount.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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