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)
Captain Black hailed the Red Rover. A boat, well manned,
left the ship and soon grounded on Newlyn beach. Then such
a man as the Captain was when he danced at Burian Fair, on
his stormy bridal night, sprang from the boat and beat through
the sea to meet his mother. With little delay great store of
money, jewels, rich stuffs, and other valuables were landed and[54]
conveyed to Betty Trenoweth's dwelling. The Red Rover
with Nelly's eldest son appointed commander, proceeded on her
voyage to London, that her valuable merchandise might there be
disposed of. Now the Captain and younger Black, by Nelly's
earnest desire, consented at least to try the landsman's peaceful
life. They had more riches than would suffice to purchase a
good farm and enable them to live at their ease. The son, too,
seems to have had no great love for a sea-rover's profession.
Black leased, or purchased, a large old house at Trevorgans,
with about thirty acres of tillable land, and a great run of downs
and moors which, though they could not boast of much in the
shape of game, were well stocked with rabbits, and the moors, in
winter, were resorted to by wild-fowl—a substitute for beasts of
chase not to be despised when but little fresh meat could be
had. Then hunting was pursued as much for necessity as for
pastime. The younger Black took to farming kindly, for one
who had only been used to plough the deep, and soon acquired a
sufficient knowledge of the simple husbandry practised at that
time.
When the only crops grown in fields were corn and pulse, green
crops for winter's consumption were unknown, and potatoes, just
introduced, were regarded as something more curious than useful,
and to be cultivated in the gardens of rich folks only; just as
Jerusalem artichokes, asparagus, sea-kale, salsify, beans, and
many other useful plants, which ought to be grown in every
farmer's field or garden, are still neglected here. The bold
Buccaneer, Black, was well received and made much of by the
neighbouring gentry, who, for the most part, were very poor;
yet they contrived to keep up a show of gentility on very
inadequate means. Then in Burian parish alone, one might
count seven or eight gentlemen's seats, or, more correctly, what
by courtesy were called such, which were inhabited by different
branches of the Pendars, Tresillians, Davieses, Jenkins, Harveys,
Hutchenses, and others. The Levealises had become extinct, and
the Noys, Boscawens, Vivians, &c., had shortly before then
removed from their ancient homes to other parts of the country.
Portions of their old mansions still remain in the condition of
dilapidated farm-houses in Trove, Trevider, Treveddern, Pendrea,
Baranhuel, Alsia, Tresidder, Rissic, &c. A country church was
then, (perhaps even more than it is now,) the principle stage on
which the rural gentry displayed their state and grandeur to
admiring rustics. Captain Black, not to be eclipsed, would appear
in Burian Church on Sundays and holidays dressed in crimson
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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