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)
For the name of Rial-ton or Ryal-ton (if it consists of those
particles), it signifies the royal, kingly, or princely town, as
pertaining heretofore to the king of England or earls of Cornwall; and
suitable to this etymology it claimeth the jurisdiction and royalty
over the whole hundred of Pider. So that whosoever is now farmer
thereof, is by custom its head bailiff, as the prior of St. Pedyr at
Bodmin was; from whose font-name the same is still denominated Pider
(id est, Peter, as formerly said), the which farmer or bailiff is
steward of the Court Baron of the said hundred or decima, and also of
the Court Leet held within the jurisdiction or precincts of the manor
aforesaid, and his substitutes constantly attend the service of both.
To remove an action-at-law depending in the Court Leet of this manor,
the writ must thus be directed: Senescallo et Ballivo manerii nostri
de Rialton in comitatu de Cornubiæ salutem. To remove an action out of
hundred court, whereof as I said the farmer of this manor is lord, the
writ must be thus directed: “Senescallo et Ballivo hundredi et
libertatis de Peder, in comitatu Cornubiæ, salutem.”
When the priory of St. Peder at Bodmin was dissolved, 26 Henry VIII.
and those lands vested in the crown, one John Mundy, barrister-at-law,
(son of John Mundy, sheriff of London 6 Henry VIII. afterwards Sir
John Mundy, Knight, Lord Mayor of London 14 Henry VIII.) was sent down
from London to be seneschal or steward of this manor of Ryalton and
hundred of Pider. In which capacity he demeaned himself so well, temp.
Elizabeth, that when the set-off of the last prior for ninety-nine
years expired, and Mr. Mundy’s son succeeded in the same office as his
father, was in this place, at such time as James I. by statute
prohibited the granting of church lands at lease for longer than
twenty-one years under the old rent, Mr. Mundy took a lease thereof
from the Crown for that term, viz. of 60_l._ per annum, and his
posterity renewing or retaking the same as those leases expired,
thereby this estate, worth about 1000_l._ per annum, continued in this
family till some time after the restoration of Charles the Second,
when Sir Francis Godolphin, Knight, by favour of that King, took a
reversion or new set thereof, before Mr. Mundy’s expired, on condition
of doubling the rent from 60_l._ to 120_l._ per annum, so that Sir
William Godolphin, Bart. is now in possession thereof; and the Right
Hon. Sidney Lord Godolphin was created Baron Godolphin of Ryalton, 33
Charles II. whereby this family of Mundy are comparatively undone,
notwithstanding they were stout Cavaliers and opposers of Cromwell and
the Parliament army to their utmost power and strength. Well therefore
doth the royal Psalmist advise all men not to put their trust in
princes, nor in the sons of men, in whom is no help.
The arms of Mundy are, in a field, three lozenges, on a chief three
eagle’s legs erased.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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