SOME EXTINCT CORNISH FAMILIES. 
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SOME EXTINCT COENISH FAMILIES. 
BY MR. W. C. WADE. 
(Read March 6th, 1890.) 
I should consider that I advanced too high a claim were I, in 
speaking of the men of Cornwall, to adopt the language of a 
writer in the Times of March 28th, 1882, when he stated, "Class 
for class they will beat all England." There are other counties 
which could fairly claim a hearing before we pronounced such a 
summary decision. 
The tendency of my remarks to-night will be directed to showing 
how, in two ancient Cornish patrician families, the "grand old 
name of gentleman" has been borne with dignity from age to 
age, until the last of each name has closed the story of his race. 
Dr. Borlase wrote : " It is a melancholy reflection to look back 
on so many great families as have formerly adorned the county of 
Cornwall, and are now no more — the Grenvilles, the Arundells, 
Carminows, Champernouns, Bodrugans, Mohuns, Killigrews, 
Bevilles, Trevanions ('that name like thunder 7 ), which had great 
sway and possessions in these parts. The most lasting families 
have only their seasons, more or less of a certain constitutional 
length. They have their spring and summer sunshine glare, their 
wane, decline, and death; they flourish and shine perhaps for 
ages, at last they sicken, their light grows pale, and, at a crisis 
when their offsets are withered, and the old stock is blasted, the 
whole tribe disappear, and leave the world as they have done in 
Cornwall. There are limits ordained to everything under the 
sun. Man will not abide in honour." 
In addition to the names cited by Dr. Borlase there are many 
other extinct Cornish families, first amongst which is that of 
Godolphin, and following that may be cited De Dunstanville, 
Tresillian, Tregothnan, Tregian, Noy (of which family was Charles 
the First's Attorney General), and many more. I may here 
remark that it seems rather hard on the memory of Sir Richard 
