The Parochial History of Cornwall, Volume 1 (of 4)
History
The Parochial History of Cornwall, Volume 1 (of 4)
Cornwall (England : County) -- History; Geology -- England -- Cornwall (County)
The rectory of Calstock church seems to be extant before Domesday Tax,
since it passed then by that name, and hath never admitted of any
change of name or alteration since, and was undoubtedly founded and
endowed by the Earls of Cornwall, out of their manor of Calstock,
wherein it is situate; and the Duke of Cornwall, or the King, in that
right, are still patrons thereof. Ecclesia de Calstock, in Decanatu de
Estwellshire, was valued to the Pope’s annats, 1294, c_s._; in
Wolsey’s Inquisition and Valor Beneficionum, 26_l._ 4_s._ 4_d._ The
patronage as aforesaid, the Incumbent Blackburn, and the parish rated
to the 4_s._ per pound Land Tax, 1696, temp. William III. 302_l._
0_s._ 2_d._
It appears from the ancient survey of the Duchy of Cornwall in the
Exchequer, and Blount’s Tenures from thence, p. 122, that the tenants
of this manor had granted them, by the Earls or Dukes thereof, its
lords, the liberty of free fishing on the Tamar river, in his verbis:
“Nativi tenentes de Calstock, in comitatu Cornubiæ, reddunt per annum
de certo redditu, vocato Berbiagium, sine barbague, ad le Hoke-day,
19_s._ 6_d._” Now barbague, barbagyu, is, in Cornish, a bearded or
barbed spear, such as is commonly used for killing salmons in the
Tamar and other rivers. [See Stoke-Clemsland.] The salmon wear, here
built over the Tamar, is, by lease from the Duke of Cornwall, in
possession of Sir John Carew, baronet, and hath formerly been set for
120_l._ per annum. [See Helston in Trigg for Barbiague. Tenants on the
Alan river there.]
Cuthill, in this place, I take it was the most ancient seat of the
knightly family of Edgecombes in Cornwall, and is still in their
possession; and here lived Sir Richard Edgecombe, knight, that
assisted Henry the Seventh against Richard the Third, who was
bountifully rewarded for his services by that prince.
TONKIN
has merely transcribed from Hals.
THE EDITOR.
Calstock, or Calstoke, has of late become a mining parish on an
extensive scale. The manor having been sold by the Duchy for the
redemption of Land Tax, has ultimately become the property of Mr. John
Williams, one of the most skilful and successful miners in Cornwall.
Cotehele is preserved by Lord Mount Edgecombe as a faithful
representative of what were the residences of country gentlemen or
barons in the ancient acceptation of that word.
“It came,” says Lysons, “into the possession of the Edgecombe family,
by the marriage of Hilaria, daughter and heir of William de Cotehele,
with William de Edgecombe, in the reign of Edward III. After this
marriage, Cotehele became for a while the chief residence of the
Edgecombe family.” Carew, speaking of this place, says, “the buildings
are ancient, large, strong, and fayre, and appurtenanced with the
necessaries of wood, water, fishing, park, and mills, with the
devotion of (in times past) a rich-furnished chapel, and with the
charity of almshouses, for certain poor people, whom the owners used
to relieve.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account