The Parochial History of Cornwall/Volume 1/St Ervan

by Davies Gilbert

ST. ERVAN, ST. ERUM, ALIAS ERBYN.

HALS.

Is situate in the hundred of Pyder, and hath upon the north St. Merryan; east, Little Pedrick; west, St. Evall and Mawgan; south, St. Colomb. For the modern name, if it be not taken up in memory of Gerint ab Erbin, one of King Arthur's admirals at sea, slain by the Saxons at London, (see Dundagell,) the same is derived from the divine service or worship of God performed in this church, for Ervan, Ervyn, in the British tongue signifies a humble request or supplication, and properly signifies at the holy Litany, as Litania in Latin. In the Domesday Book or Roll, 1087, this district was taxed under the jurisdiction of Trewinock, now Trewinicke, that is, the beloved lake, or spring of waters, running to the sea; still the voke lands of a manor. In the Inquisition of the Bishops of Lincoln and Winchester, 1294, Ecclesia Sancti Ervanis, in Decanatu de Bolton, was valued at cs. In Wolsey's Inquisition, 1521, it was rated 19l. 6s. 8d.; the patronage formerly in the Prior of Bodmin, who endowed it, now Morice. The incumbent Vivian, and the parish rated to the 4s. per pound Land Tax, 1696, 100l. 8s.

Trembleigh, Trembleth, alias Trembleith, alias Tremblot, (see Tremblethick, in St. Mabyn) synonymous terms, signifies the wolf's town.

From this place was denominated an ancient family of gentlemen, surnamed De Trembleth; who, suitable to their name, gave the wolf for their arms; whose sole inheretrix, about Henry the Second's time, was married to John de Arundel, ancestor of the Arundels of Lanherne; who, out of respect and grateful remembrance of the great benefit they had by this match, ever since gave the wolf for their crest, the proper arms of Trembleth.

In this town they had their domestic chapel and burying place, now totally gone to decay, since those Arundels removed from hence to Lanherne. This manor was anciently held of the manor of Payton, by the tenure of knight's service. And here John de Arundel held a knight's fee (Morton, 3d Henry IV.) as I am informed. In digging up the grounds of this old chapel and burial-place not long since, was found an urn, wherein were contained certain pieces of bones, ashes, and coals. The remains of some human creature, that after death had his body burnt, and committed to that kind of burial; which must be at least 1500 years past.

Tre-ranall, alias Tre-ranell, alias Tre-renell, (synonymous words,) in this parish, is the dwelling of George Beare, Gent, that married Lanyon; his father Arundel of Lanherne; his grandfather Keate; and giveth for his arms, after the English, in allusion to his name, in a field . . . a bear . . .

The barton of Trembleigh aforesaid is exempt and free from paying tithe, either great or small, to the rector, by reason, as tradition saith, there was a bargain or compact made betwixt the Trembleiths or Arundels, lords thereof, the Prior of Bodmin, and the Rector of the said church, at such time as it was first endowed, that the possessors or owners of the said barton's land should for ever annually pay upon the high altar, to the said Rector, the full sum of ten shillings.

TONKIN.

At Treravall, in this parish, lived George Bere, the representative of a very ancient family. There was formerly in the hundred of West a family of the same name, of great wealth and account in Henry the Eighth's days; but whether or not related to this family, I cannot resolve. Their great estate went with a daughter aud heiress to John Bevill, Esq. Sheriff of Cornwall 16th Eliz. and was no small advancer of that gentleman's estate, at that time much impaired, by the elder brother's daughter. Their arms are to be seen in the windows and seats of Leskeard church, where they had much lands.

In this parish is a manor called Trenowith, or the new town; and on it resided for many generations the family of Hare, who give for their arms, Azure, on a bend Argent three Torteauxes.

 

THE EDITOR.

This parish measures 3,034 statute acres.

Annual value of the Real Property, as returned to Parliament in 1815	£. 2812	s. 0	d. 0
Poor Rate in 1831	263	11	0

Population,— $\scriptstyle {\left\{{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right.}$

in 1801, 358

in 1811, 331

in 1821, 422

in 1831, 453

giving an increase of about 261/2 per cent in 30 years.

Present Rector, the Rev. W. Molesworth, instituted in 1817.

 

GEOLOGY, BY DR. BOASE.

The southern part is a barren down, a continuation of that of St. Breock, with which this parish is parallel, and has a similar geological structure. The northern part is fertile, gradually passing into the calcareous series.