SUPPOSED PKIESTS' HIDING PLACES AT GOLDEN. 253 



times. A singular adjunct to these remains is a fire place with 

 herring-bone brickwork back, the use of which it is difficult to 

 conjecture. 



It is evident, however, that the whole structure is fragment- 

 ary. The " slaughter-house " previously referred to, now a 

 cottage, is an ancient brick building, coeval with the old house, 

 with stone doorways and windows. 



It is interesting as being an example of mediaeval brick- 

 work unusual in Cornwall, the bricks being of small size, and 

 closely resembling those used in the construction of Herstmon- 

 ceux Castle, Sussex. 



A short note on Cuthbert Mayne may well follow. In 1577 

 the owner of Q-olden was Mr. Francis Tregian, then a young 

 man of 28 years of age, who was strongly attached to the faith 

 of his ancestors, and was consequently accused of being a 

 recusant. 



On June 8th, 1 577, the Sheriff of the County (Sir Richard 

 Grenville, of Stow) accompanied by several justices of the peace 

 and about one hundred soldiers, visited Golden in search of 

 Cuthbert Mayne, a Roman Catholic Priest, who was believed to 

 be concealed there. 



The story runs that their quest was fruitless, but that after 

 dinner when Sir Richard expressed his pleasure at the result of 

 his search, Mr. Tregian thoughtlessly confessed that Mayne was 

 concealed at his house ; when a stricter search resulted in his 

 discovery, and subsequent execution at Launceston, whilst his 

 host lost his estates, and suffered a long term of imprisonment 

 in the Fleet prison, which was voluntarily shared by his noble 

 wife. Cuthbert Mayne's head was set on a pole at Wadebridge. 

 A portion of the skull is still preserved at Lanherne, and shows 

 the hole pierced by the spike on which it was placed at the 

 bridge. 



