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)
Is situate in the hundred of Kerrier, and hath upon the north, part of
Stithians; west, Gwendron; south, Hayleford channel and Mawnan; east,
Mabe and Budock. It is also commonly Cus-ten-ton, i. e. wood-stone
town, a place heretofore notable for woods and stones, and I take it
an unpleasant strag of moor-stones and rocks are still visible upon a
great part of the lands here. Perhaps it is the Crostedeton mentioned
in the Domesday Roll. Otherwise it was taxed under Trewardevi or
Penwarne. The name Constantine is derived from the Latin Constantia.
In the Inquisition of the Bishops of Lincoln and Winchester, 1294,
Ecclesia de Sancto Constantino, was valued to first fruits 10_l._
Vicar ejusdem 40_l._ in Decanatu de Kerryer. In Wolsey’s Inquisition,
1521, Constantine Vic. was taxed to first fruits 19_l._ 8_s._ 10½_d._
The patronage in the Dean and Chapter of Exeter; the incumbent Perry;
the rectory in Robert Quarme of Creed; and the parish rated to the
4_s._ per pound Land Tax, 1696, 168_l._ 16_s._ 8_d._ by the old name
of Constenton. The titular guardian of this church, St. Constantine,
Emperor of Rome, was the first emperor in the world that professed
Christianity. He was the son of Constantius Chlorus Emperor of Rome;
first an officer of war under the Emperor Aurelian, against Coill or
Coillus, King or Duke of Colchester in Britain, (called by some
writers Caer-Collyn, Caer-Col-lyn, i. e. the city or castle on the
neck of the lake, or bosom of waters, it being situate on the
confluence of the Medway river), which Coil, having refused to pay the
tribute due to the Senate of Rome, caused that province to revolt; but
Constantius forced him into a submission, when soon after he died; and
Constantius is said to have married his only daughter and heir Helen,
by whom he had all her father’s lands and territories, Anno Dom. 289.
By her he had issue Constantine, who followed the wars in his father’s
time against Maxentius; and lying on his bed, before a battle, a dream
or vision appeared to him in shape of an angel, holding in his hand a
shining red cross, and calling to him with a loud voice “Constantine!
Εν τουτῳ νικα, _in hoc signo vinces_, i. e. under this sign or banner
thou shalt have victory.” Whereupon he commanded a red cross to be
pourtrayed in all his banners, called the labanum, and soon after gave
battle to Maxentius at Pont Milvium, in Italy, where his [the
latter’s] army was routed, and himself drowned in that river. The
success of which battle so wrought upon Constantine that he forthwith
turned Christian, and was baptized by Pope Silvester, Bishop of Rome.
In this parish, at Tre-warde-vi, as taxed in Domesday Roll, (i. e. the
shining or flying guard town, or the indignation, or wrath guard
town,) is the dwelling of John Trewren, Esq. i. e. the wren’s town,
who married Vyvyan of Trelowarren; his father Rice; and giveth for his
arms, Azure, three Besants. The present possessor ―――― Trewren, Esq. that
married Prisk of Helston.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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