CORNWALL 



CORNWALL 





who have recorded the affairs of Britain notice the conquest of 

 Cornwall, or of the tribe* inhabiting it, it is probable that it wan not 

 aigmlisod by any gnat exploit*. Some of the older antiquaries 

 denied that Cornwall ever came under the Roman dominion ; but 

 apart from the improbability of the rich mine* of this county escaping 

 the notice, or being defended from the power of that people, the 

 quantity of Roman coin* and other Roman remain* found in Cornwall 

 bowl that Cornwall ihared in the general subjection of South Britain. 



The geography of Cornwall during the Roman period u very obscure, 

 Ptoleminu notices the headland* of Antivestoum, or Bolerium, 

 supposed to be the Land's End ; and Ocrinnm, or Damnonium, 

 supposed to be the Lizard : and Richard of Cirencmter mentions also 

 the Rame Head. Ptoleaueoa mentions the mtuaries of the river 

 Tamarus, which the name enables as to identify with the Tamer, and 

 the Cenioo, probably the Hal, which has the most remarkable mtuary 

 wtwt of the Tamer. Of the towns of the Damnonii, mentioned by 

 Ptolenueus, Voluba, or Voliba, has been fixed at Tregony, or Gram- 

 pound, or perhaps at Wolvedon, where is a camp, probably Roman, 

 on the Fal (the name of which has been supposed to be incorporated 

 in the word Vol-uba), and at Loetwithiel, or elsewhere on the Fowey. 

 Uxeia, which some hare fixed at Lostwithiel, is more generally regarded 

 now as having been in Somersetshire. Tamare, fixed by Horsley at 

 Saltash, i by others removed into Devonshire to Tamerton. To these, 

 towns, all mentioned by Ptolemtcus, we may add on the authority of 

 Richard, Ceni.i, whose name seems to connect it with the Fill, the 

 Cenion of Ptolenueus, but which is nevertheless fixed by some at 

 Condurra, on the river Uel, or Helford, where are the remains of a 

 Roman camp; Musidura, or Muxidunum, which is fixed near Stratton; 

 and Halanginm, supposed to be Carn-brea. Two if not three 

 Roman road* enter Cornwall from Devonshire. One was the continua- 

 tion of the great road which ran westward from Isca Dumniorum, or 

 Exeter, and it is said may be traced on the downs west of Liskenrd ; 

 it U conjectured to hare proceeded westward by Lostwithiel, St. 

 Aiutell, and Orampound (or Tregony) to Bossens, where is a Roman 

 camp, near the river Hcyl, which falls into St Ives' Bay, and 

 thence to Marazion, or rather to St. Michael's Mount, the presumed 

 Ictis of Diodorus. The other road came from the north of Devon to 

 Stratton, and is conjectured to have led towards Budo Haven, which 

 was probably then a huge and more important harbour. The exist- 

 ence of a third Roman road is doubtful. A road, probably British, 

 the direction of which is marked by the occurrence of tumuli, rims 

 from the Land's End, near Redruth, Michel or St. Michael's, aud St. 

 Columb, toward* Stratton. Besides the places above mentioned, 

 Lauaceston has been supposed to be a Roman station. Cornwall was 

 M: NsnM :M BlH -' ' * 1 'i -'' 'i 



Upon the departure of the Romans Cornwall recovered its 

 independence, which it maintained for a long time against the 

 invading Saxon*. The famous Arthur, whose history has been co 

 distorted by fable a* to cast a doubt over his existence, is generally 

 reputed to have been a native of this county. 



The continued and resistless pressure of the Saxon* having driven 

 westward those Britons who refused to bear the yoke of the invaders, 

 Cornwall and Devonshire became the place of refuge to many. It 

 was probably about this time that part of the superabundant popu- 

 lation thus compressed into the extremity of the island took refuge 

 in Bretegnr, already colonised by their countrymen, and gave to a 

 district there (Cornomu'lles) the name of the country they hod left 

 The Cornish Britons and those of Wales appear to have recognised 

 one supreme authority until the middle of the 7th century, when 

 Cadwaladyr, the lost British sovereign, abdicated his throne, and 

 went to Home, where he died. Upon his death, A.D. 680, Ivor, son of 

 Alain, king of Bretigne, was sent by his father with a powerful fleet 

 to obtain the crown, and met at first with considerable success, 

 deflating the Wert Saxons, and obtaining possession of Cornwall, 

 Devonshire, and Somersetshire: he was however afterwards driven 

 from the island by the West Saxon king Kentwin. From this period 

 till the reign of Kgbert the Britons were exposed to the constant 

 hostility of the Saxon*. During the reign of Egbert's successors 

 itUe I* known of the history of Cornwall until we come to the time 

 of AUvl-Un, by whom the whole country, including the Scilly lale*, 



a* reduced and incorporated with the now consolidated kingdom "f 

 j^"" 1 ' From *hi time the provincial history of Cornwall oners 

 MM to intoius* toe reader for many centime*. Home ravages of the 

 Dana and some intestine commotions are the only memorable event* 

 The attempt of Henry De hi Pomeroy to seize St. Michael's Mount 

 in order to support the rebellion of Prince John against his brother 

 Richard I. u noticed undo- MARAZIOK. 



Of the obscure and trouble! period over which our historical 

 notice extends Cornwall retains many memorials in the camps aud 

 rrth-work, which are more numerous in this county than in any 

 otfce*. These ars for the inoit part nearly round or oval, a form 

 which isrfuce* us to refer them to any other than a Roman origin 

 They possibly were formed during the severe and protracted struggles 

 of the Cornish Britons with the Anglo^aions. In many places of 

 the coast a small promontory or portion of the cliff is incloned by a 

 rampart, or vallum, running from one edge of the cliff to the other, 

 and strengthened on the hod-rid* by a ditch. These, if situation be 

 any clue to their origin, may be ascribed to the Danes. The space 



inelosed is considerable ; in one case (in the parish of St Qorran, 

 near Movagissey) it amounts to 100 acres. Our space forbids a 

 description of these works, and a mere catalogue would be useless. 



The ruins of castles and of monastic establishment* belong to a 

 later period than the earth-works; but in those Cornwall 

 remarkably rich. On the hills are remains of rude circular buildings 

 called castles, the walls of which were formed of dry stones not 

 joined with any cement : these inuat be referred to an early period ; 

 Dr. Borlase consider* them to bo of Danish origin. In the narrow 

 part of the county west of Mount's Bay aud St. Ives' Bay there an 

 no less than seven of these castles, one of which, Chun Castle, 

 consists of an oval inclosure surrounded by a wall, which Borlaae 

 estimates to have been originally 15 feet high, or rather more ; 8 feet 

 thick at the present top, but thicker at the foundation ; outside of 

 this is a ditch 30 feet wide; and outride of this an outer wall, 

 probably 10 feet high, and about 5 feet thick. The entrance, made 

 intricate for the purpose of defence, i* inclosed by walls running 

 from the outer wall, on one side of the entrance quite to thi 

 wall, and on the other to within three feet of it : two other walls 

 running from the outer to the inner wall serve with the entrance to 

 divide the ditch into three parts. Round the outer wall U a ditcli. 

 The space inclosed by the inner wall is 125 feet from east to west, 

 and 110 feet from north to south ; it is divided into several compart- 

 ments ranged round the inside of the wall. There ia a well in tho 

 enclosure. 



Of castles intended for residence as well as defence may K 

 tioned Karn-brd, or Carn-brea Castle, on Carn-brea Hill, near tin: 

 Land's End. This is very small, scarcely 60 feet long by 10 feet 

 wide, built upon a ledge of rock, whoso uneven surface has caused 

 great diversity in the level of the rooms upon the ground floor. 

 Carn-brea Hill abounds with antiquities : there is on ancient camp of 

 irregular form, some cairns, aud other antiquities of rough stone. 

 Tintagel Castle has been already noticed. [BossiXET.] l'..r 

 Lauuceston Castle, see LAUSCESTON. 



Trematon Castle is on on eminence over the river Lynher, in the 

 parish of St Stephens, and not for from Saltash. It has a base-court 

 surrounded by an embattled wall of irregular form, following the 

 shape of the hill on which it stands, aud pierced with loop-holes. Tho 

 keep is on an artificial mound, at the north-east corner of the base- 

 court, about 30 feet high : the walls of the keep are 30 feet high ami 

 10 feet thick : it is nearly oval, and iti inner dimensions are 66 feet 

 by 52 feet It has no windows in the outer wall In the time of 

 William Rufus this castle was held by the Valletort family. In the 

 Cornish rebellion in 1549 (reign of Edward VI.) Trematon Castlo was 

 defended for a while against the rebels by Sir Richard Orenville. 



Of Restormel Castle, in the parish of Lanlivery, near Lostwithiel, 

 the only part now remaining is tho .keep, a building of large dimen- 

 sions : it is on a steep mound formed out of a rocky hill, and has a 

 deep ditch. The inclosure of the keep is an exact circle of 110 feet 

 diameter within ; it has walls 10 feet thick at the top : from the 

 present floor of the ground-rooms to the top of the parapet is 344 

 feet. The castles of Fowey, St Mawes, and Pendenuis ore noticed 

 elsewhere. 



There ore few remains of monastic buildings in Cornwall. Tho 

 church of St German's priory is described under ST. GERMANS. 

 Monastic remains on St Michael's Mount have been repaired an 

 verted into a dwelling-house. [M.MiAzmx.] Of tho monastery 

 Benet, near Lanivet, there are considerable remains. The tower o! th<- 

 church is also standing. The chapel of St.. Lawrence's Hospital, 

 llodmin, remains. Morwinstow church, in the northern extremity of 

 the county, and Kilhompton or Kilkhauipton church, near Stratton, 

 are very ancient, being wholly or chiefly of Norman architecture. 

 Sheviok church, near St. German's, has some portions of early 

 English and other portions of decorated English architecture. 



In the war of the Rose* the Cornish men seem to have taken tin 

 Lancastrian side, induced mainly by the influence of Sir Hugh 

 Courtonay of Boconnoc and Sir John Arundcll of Lanhcrno : they 

 were present in the field at Tewkoabury, aud it won in their country 

 (at St Michael' Mount) that tho Earl of Oxford, one of tho Lancns- 

 terian leaders, sought to moke a stand after that fatal day. In the 

 reign of Henry VII. (1496), they rose in rebellion on occasion of u 

 tax levied to defray the expense of a war with Scotland. In 11 1C 

 the Cornish men were again in arms to support I'erkin Warbeck, but 

 tho flight of that pretender caused the failure of the attempt Tho 

 change of the religious institution* of tin < to the change, of 



the common language of Cornwall ; the people, for the most purl of 

 British descent, with comparatively few Saxon* settled among tln-m, 

 had retained a language of their own, a dialect of the Celtic. The 

 introduction of the Kngliah church service pavid t!..- way for the 

 ino of the Cornish dialect. In the reign of Charles I. some 

 aged people near I'cnryn were quite ignorant of the English lam 

 In the early part of the last century the Cornish was still spoken by tho 

 fixhermen and market women near the extreme southern point of the 

 county. At present thi* ancient tongue is the study of the scholar and 

 :intii|iiary alone. A few manuscripts in it are ex tint; tin' mo^t remark - 

 ..liieh are some interim!"* partly written in t ..tury. 



In 1502 1'enzauoo and olio or two placet ncir it were burnt !>y tin: 

 Spaniard*. 



