The Parochial History of Cornwall, Volume 3 (of 4)
History
The Parochial History of Cornwall, Volume 3 (of 4)
Cornwall (England : County) -- History; Geology -- England -- Cornwall (County)
This church and that of Breage were attached to the mitred abbey of
Hailes in Gloucestershire, as founded by one of the greatest promoters
of monastic establishments on record, Richard King of the Romans and
Earl of Cornwall. He began the building in 1246; and in 1251, when he
had expended ten thousand marks in finishing the monastery, he had the
church dedicated to St. Mary on the 9th of November, in the presenee
of the King and Queen, thirteen Bishops, most of the Barons, and above
three hundred Knights, all of whom he entertained with incredible
state and plenty, letting fall this generous and devout expression: “I
wish it had pleased God that all my great expenses in my Castle of
Wallingford had been as wisely and soberly employed.”
Edmund Earl of Cornwall, son and heir of Richard the founder, having,
in his travels through Germany with his father, obtained a relic
considered to be blood of our Saviour, gave a third part to this
monastery in 1272, thereby causing a great increase in the number of
people resorting to it.
In the return made to King Henry the Eighth, preserved in the
Augmentation Office, of the property belonging to this monastery, are
these entries:
£. _s._ _d._
Com. Cornub. Paulyn firma rectorie 41 0 0
S. Breac firma rectorie 47 0 0
This reign, more unsettled, and more disturbed by domestic wars
throughout its whole extent than any other, was nevertheless most
fertile in the production of monasteries; and the honour and castle of
Wallingford, accidentally united with the Duchy of Cornwall in the
person of Richard Plantagenet, King of the Romans, remained so till it
was taken in exchange by Henry the Eighth for certain manors and lands
in Cornwall, known as the new Duchy holdings.
A great part of the lands surrendered by the Abbey of Hailes are in
possession of the Tracy family; but the impropriated tithes of Paul
belonged, in the early part of the last century, to the family of
Gwavas, since which time they have passed with two coheiresses to
Veale and Carlyon.
The church is placed a little beyond the brow of a lofty ridge
ascending from the sea, so that it is not much seen, but the tower
rising above the ridge is visible from a great distance. The church is
large, and contains several monuments to members of different
families,――Godolphin, Pendarves, Hitchins, &c.
In this parish are situated Mousehole and Newlyn, two towns of pretty
considerable size, although, being very near to Penzance, they have
not any regular market.
MOUSEHOLE, formerly called Porth Enys, the Island Port, on account of
a small island close in upon the shore, had in remote times not the
privilege merely, but the actual possession of a market and fairs, but
having been destroyed by a predatory invasion of some Spaniards in
July 1595, and Penzance rising fast into importance, the practice of
holding them has been discontinued ever since.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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