Traditions and Hearthside Stories of West Cornwall, Second SeriesBottrell, William
General
Traditions and Hearthside Stories of West Cornwall, Second Series
Bottrell, William
Cornwall (England : County) -- Social life and customs; Legends -- England -- Cornwall (County)
Following the spirit's injunction William Penrose had still to
find and remove the bodies of the old Squire and his crew. Now it
was supposed that they were 'sanded'—that is sunk in the moist
sand and covered by it during a flowing tide—near Gwenvor
Cove, because corpse-lights had frequently been seen, and
the drowned sailors had been heard there "hailing there own
names," as they are still accustomed to do when requiring aid of
the living.
Next day Penrose and others found the bodies of the old
sailor-squire and his crew near the place where fishermen had
heard the "calling of the dead," and their remains were laid to
repose, with all holy rites, in an ancient burying-ground near
Chapel Idné, where the wind and waves sing their everlasting
requiem in music they loved well when alive:—
"Pie Jesu, Domine,
Dona eis requiem.
Amen."
William Penrose, now heir-at-law of the bartons of Penrose,
Brew, and other farms in the West Country,—disliking to live
in the place connected with such melancholy events—gave up
his rights of heirship to another branch of the family; resumed[223]
his pilgrim's staff; and was supposed to have died in the
Holy Land.
The Penroses still in the West are said to be descended from
a younger branch of the ancient family of Sennen; with whom
the Pendreas or Pendars were intermarried.
The family of Jones purchased the Penroses' West Country
property, and it remained in their possession until the beginning
of the last century.
We hear again of smugglers being kept in pay by the last
Jones, of Penrose, and by others who succeeded him. From the
facilities afforded by this secluded place for concealing contraband
goods, it was always noted as a favourite resort for
western fair-traders.
Many people about the Land's End believe the old mansion
was always haunted; and it is said this was the principal reason
for taking down and rebuilding a portion of it a few years
since.
[224]
Tregagle.
In Cornwaile's fair land, bye the poole on the moore,
Tregeagle the wicked did dwell.
He once was a shepherde, contented and poore,
But growing ambytious, and wishing for more,
Sad fortune the shepherde befelle.
John Penwarne.
ONE may almost every day hear West Country folks
make allusion to Tregagle; for instance, a squalling
child is called a Tregagle; and to a blusterer
they often say, "Hold thy bleatan, thee art worse
than Tregagle roaran before a storm."
But little is known here of the living man's history—which
belonged for the most part to the neighbourhood of Bodmin—all
our common sayings, connected with him, refer to his
troublesome ghost at Gwenvor.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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