Trethowan
123
the estate was held in undivided moieties by Christopher Walker (J)
Richard Gerveys (J) John Thom’s (|). It was afterwards purchased
entirely by the Trefusis family and added to their manor of Treworval.
In 1842 Lord Clinton was the owner.
Some stone archways are all that remain of the Elizabethan
mansion of the Penticosts.
TRETHOWAN.
Trethowan (120 acres) gave name and origin to a family of small
gentry, resident here in the 16th and 17th centuries. The name
Trethowan is still found in the parish. Alan Trethouen paid the
subsidy in 1327. Henry Trethowyn did homage to the Lord of
Merthen for a Cornish acre held in Trethowyn in Knight’s service. In
1528 part of Trethowyn was held by the heirs of Trethowyn and part,
with Polpry, by Gerveys of Bonallack, both under the Manor of
Merthen in Knight’s service. John Trethowan of Trethowan married,
in 1582, Avis, daughter of Thomas Enys of Enys by Katherine
Reskymer of Merthen. In 1649 and 1660 Thomas Trethowan was
living at Trethowan, which was his freehold. In 1726 John Trethowan
owned it.3
After that the family appears to have sold its land to the Vyvyans
of Trelowarren. C. S. Gilbert (<Survey of Cornwall II, 184) in 1820
noticed “ a shield over the entrance of the house which is supposed to
bear the Arms of Trethowan, apparently three garbs.” Trethowan
farm house is in ruins and shows no traces of ancient work except
some granite quoins. The shield has disappeared. Trethowan is now
farmed with Merthen.
There is said to be a crock of gold buried at Trethowan, and more
than one vain attempt has been made to discover it.
3 John Trethowan, gent., married Sarah Winn at Constantine on Nov. 18,
1700.
