In this parish, on the lands of the manor of Arwynick (the Icta and Island of Diodorus Siculus aforesaid), upon a lofty peninsula or promontory of land, stands the famous and impregnable Castle of Pendennis, for which the Crown pays annually to the lord of the manor aforesaid, out of the Exchequer, about 13_l._ 6_s._ 8_d._ rent, as I take it. For the compound name Pen-den-is Castle, it is British, and signifies that it is the head or chief man’s castle, viz. the King or Earl of Cornwall. Otherwise, if the true name thereof be Pen-dun-es Castle, it signifies that it is the head or chief fort or fortress castle. This castle of old consisted only of a treble intrenchment of turf, earth, and stones, after the British and Roman manner, upon the top of the highest hill in those parts, abutting upon the west side of the mouth or entrance of the harbour of Falmouth, and containeth about twenty statute acres of ground within the lines. Repaired and indifferently fortified by Henry the Eighth, in the latter end of his reign, in the French war, with allowance of a petty garrison, whose daughter, Queen Elizabeth, in her Spanish wars, raised the new fort, and bettered the old fortification, as they are now extant; so that it is looked upon as one of the most invincible castles in this kingdom, having had in it above one hundred pieces of cannon mounted, and some thousands of foot arms. After Queen Elizabeth had thus fortified and munified the Castle of Pendennis, she placed therein a band of 100 soldiers, and over them placed as her Governor Sir Nicholas Parker, Knt. (a Devonshire gentleman, as some say, though his arms, a fess fretty or chequey,[2] differs from the arms of Parker of Burrington,) of whom thus speaks Mr. Carew in his Cornish Survey, p. 150: “He now demeaneth himself no less kindly and frankly towards his neighbours for the present, than he did resolutely and valiantly against his enemies when he followed the wars, where-through he commandeth not only their bodies by his authority, but also their hearts by his love, to live and die in his assistance, for their common preservation and her Highness’ service.” He died without issue, anno Dom. 1608, and lies buried in Budock church. His successor in the government of this castle was Sir Nicholas Hals, of Fentongollan, Knt. (a domestic servant to Prince Henry, eldest son of James the First,) son of John Hals, of Efford, Esq. in Devon, who died Governor thereof in 1637; and was succeeded in that dominion by Sir Nicholas Slanning, of Marstow, in Devon, Knt. who was slain on the part of his master Charles the First against the Parliament army at the battle of Bristol, 6th July, 1643. After his death his widow (daughter of Sir James Baggs, of Plymouth, Knt.) was married to Richard Arundell, of Trerice, Esq. son of John Arundell, of that place, Esq. commonly called John of Tilbury, for that he was an officer under Queen Elizabeth when she was encamped