The Parochial History of Cornwall, Volume 2 (of 4)
History
The Parochial History of Cornwall, Volume 2 (of 4)
Cornwall (England : County) -- History; Geology -- England -- Cornwall (County)
In this parish at ―――― lived some of the Coplestons of Colbrook in
Devon, as I take it; which place descended to them by some of the
heirs of Flemmen, Berkley, Turvey, Courtney, Bonvill, Pawlet,
Chichester, Bridges, Graas, Hawley, Huish, Wiedbury, Fitzwalter, or
some others, which they married with successively; and thereby
obtained such a mighty estate in Cornwall and Devon that they were
generally distinguished by the name of the “great Coplestons.” But,
alas! maugre all their great riches and wealth, the last John Great
Coplestone, tempore Elizabeth, for killing his natural son and godson
in discontent, was indicted at the assizes at Exeter, tried and found
guilty of wilful murder, and sentenced to death for the same; and lay
in gaol till he sold thirteen manors of land in Cornwall to obtain a
reprieve or pardon; and left of legal issue only one son, named John,
who had issue only two daughters that became his heirs; married to
Bamphield and Elford, in whom the estate, name, and blood of those
Coplestons is terminated, who gave for their arms, Argent, a chevron
Gules, between three leopards’ faces Azure. These gentlemen were
hereditary esquires of the white spur, who, together with the
Champernowns and the Carmenows, possessed and enjoyed the profits of
their private estates in Devon and Cornwall, to that great degree, in
former ages, that the like great riches was not then to be found in
any other family for value in those counties, though now I know not of
any lands in Cornwall remaining in those tribes, or any of those names
now extant there.
TONKIN.
Camden, in Somersetshire, mentions Keine as a devout British Virgin,
whom many of the last age, through an over credulous temper, believed
to have changed serpents into stones, because they find sometimes in
quarries some such little miracles of sporting nature. She is said to
have been born on the banks of the river Avon in that county, at the
place where after her decease sprung up a town, from her denominated
Keynesham. She is famous among the agonal writers for her purity,
piety, and charity, as also for many miracles, particularly for
turning serpents into stones.
There was one other St. Keyne famous among the Britains of Wales,
daughter to Brechanus, King, and namer of Brecknock Town. He had
twenty-four daughters and two sons, all Saints.
It is possible, however, that both these St. Keynes may be one and the
same.
THE EDITOR.
Mr. Lysons says, that the ancient name of this parish was Lametton,
and that the manor still exists.
This manor he further states was the property of Sir Robert Tresilian,
Lord Chief Justice of the King’s Bench, attainted in the reign of King
Richard the Second, by whom this portion of his property was bestowed
on John Hawley, of Dartmouth, supposed to have married a daughter of
the Chief Justice. His daughter and heiress brought it to the
Coplestones.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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