The Saints' Way (Cornish: Forth an Syns)

is along-distance footpath in mid Cornwall that connects the coastal towns of Padstow and Fowey.

The Saints' Way follows a possible reconstructed route taken by early traders and Christian travellers making their way between Ireland and Mainland Europe. Rather than risk the difficult passage around Land's End, they could disembark from ships on the coast of Cornwall and progress over land to other coast ports such as Fowey on foot.

Description

The footpath runs North-West to South-East, from North Padstow—on the North coast of Cornwall—to Fowey—on South coast of Cornwall. The Saints' Way's symbolic trailheads are St Petroc's Church in Padstow  and St Finbar's church in Fowey

As the Way approaches Helman Tor from Lanivet, the Way diverges into two routes, both leading to Fowey. The eastern route passes Helman Tor, through Lanlivery, to Golant, and to Fowey. The western route passes through Luxulyan, to St Blazey , to Tywardreath, to Fowey. The Saints' Way via the Luxulyan route is a total distance of 28.5 miles (45.6 km), and via the route Lanlivery totals 29 miles (46.6 km).

Part of the route is a bridleway so can be used by horse-riders.

The route passes many Celtic crosses and holy wells

History

The Saints' Way by Petherick Creek

Early seafarers travelling between Ireland or Wales, and Brittany were often reluctant to travel around Land's End and The Lizard peninsulas due difficult sailing conditions due to frequent storms. Instead, travellers disembarked along one of Cornwall's coasts, and travelled over the Cornish peninsula toward the opposite coast where they would then reëmbark. Such travellers included traders and religious figures took various transpeninsular routes across Cornwall.

One such transpaninuslar journey was from Padstow and Harlyn Bay by the Camel Estuary, then heading to Fowey and St Austell Bay along the south.

Between 50 and 55 AD, a Roman trading centre was constructed at Tregear near Nanstallon and it is thought its purpose was to serve the main communication and trade route linking the north Cornish coast at the River Camel and the southern coast at the River Fowey, the 'transpeninsular route'. However the centre was abandoned after only 20–25 years and it was not used again. It is thought that the trading route served the Celtic peoples of Ireland, Wales, Cornwall and Brittany as Nanstallon was built close to major mineral bearing areas.

The routes between Padstow and Fowey largely declined in use during the Roman period in Cornwall. In the post-roman perioid in Cornwall, cultural and religious exchange between Ireland, Wales, Brittany and Cornwall, as a part of the Age of the Saints in Celtic Christianity.

Modern reconstruction

In 1984, two villagers from Luxulyan—Cliff Townes and Alf Fookes—discovered of a section of abandoned pathway surfaced with cobbles and a series of granite stiles that had been covered by overgrown vegetation.

 What We Know About "Uzella"

• Historical Attribution: In the 16th century, antiquarians speculated that Uzella was the Roman name for the settlement that later became Lostwithiel. This was based on classical naming conventions and attempts to match Roman place-names with medieval and modern locations.
• Cornish Translation: Some sources suggest Uzella was translated into Cornish as Les Uchel, meaning “high court” or “high place,” though this is speculative and not universally accepted damnonia.blue.
• Modern Linguistic View: Current scholarship leans toward the name Lostwithiel deriving from Old Cornish Lost Gwydhyel, meaning “tail-end of the woodland” damnonia.blue LiquiSearch. This interpretation is supported by the geography—Lostwithiel sits at the wooded end of the Fowey Valley.

 Geographic Connection

• The River Fowey estuary near Lostwithiel was historically referred to as Uzellor Usel, meaning “howling place” in Cornish. This may have contributed to the association of Uzella with the area damnonia.blue. Roman presence in Cornwall was relatively light compared to other parts of Britain, but trade and military routes did extend into the region. If Uzella was a Roman name, it might have referred to a river crossing, trading post, or minor settlement.

 Scholarly Uncertainty

• There’s no definitive archaeological evidence linking Uzellato a Roman fort or town. It doesn’t appear in the Antonine Itinerary or other major Roman road maps. Some scholars have proposed that Uzella could be a Latinized version of a pre-existing Celtic name, later adapted by medieval chroniclers trying to reconstruct Roman geography.

Today the name Uzella contained in the following passage can you find any inforation on it, The origin of the name Lostwithiel is a subject much debated .In the 16th century it was thought that the name came from the Roman name Uzella,

—there’s a fascinating thread here. The name Uzella is indeed one of the older proposed origins for Lostwithiel, and it appears to have Roman roots, though its precise identification remains debated.

 What We Know About "Uzella"

• Historical Attribution: In the 16th century, antiquarians speculated that Uzella was the Roman name for the settlement that later became Lostwithiel. This was based on classical naming conventions and attempts to match Roman place-names with medieval and modern locations.

• Cornish Translation: Some sources suggest Uzellawas translated into Cornish as Les Uchel, meaning “high court” or “high place,” though this is speculative and not universally accepted. Modern Linguistic View: Current scholarship leans toward the name Lostwithiel deriving from Old Cornish Lost Gwydhyel, meaning “tail-end of the woodland”. This interpretation is supported by the geography—Lostwithiel sits at the wooded end of the Fowey Valley.

 Geographic Connection

• The River Fowey estuary near Lostwithiel was historically referred to as Uzellor Usel, meaning “howling place” in Cornish. This may have contributed to the association of Uzellawith the area.

• Roman presence in Cornwall was relatively light compared to other parts of Britain, but trade and military routes did extend into the region. If Uzellawas a Roman name, it might have referred to a river crossing, trading post, or minor settlement.

 Scholarly Uncertainty

• There’s no definitive archaeological evidence linking Uzellato a Roman fort or town. It doesn’t appear in the Antonine Itinerary or other major Roman road maps. Some scholars have proposed that Uzella could be a Latinized version of a pre-existing Celtic name, later adapted by medieval chroniclers trying to reconstruct Roman geography.

Summary

The form Uzella (also seen as Uzell, Usel) appears in early antiquarian discussions as a Latin or Latinized name associated with the Fowey estuary/Lostwithiel area; it’s recorded in 16th–17th century name-histories but is not securely attested as a Roman placename in classical itineraries. Modern place‑name scholarship prefers a Cornish origin for Lostwithiel (Old Cornish Lost Gwydhyel) rather than a direct Roman Uzella derivationdamnonia.blue.

How Uzella appears in early maps and charters

• Antiquarian and local‑history accounts from the 16th–19th centuries record Uzell / Uzella as an old name for the Fowey estuary or locality around Lostwithiel and sometimes render a Cornish form Usel (meaning discussed as “howling place” for the estuary).

• Medieval and early modern county maps and descriptive works sometimes repeat antiquarian name‑claims; for mapping evidence consult collections of early Cornwall maps (medieval mappa mundi through 17th‑century county maps) where place‑name labels vary with the cartographer and the source material used.

• There is no clear appearance of a classical Uzella in the major Roman itineraries or Ptolemaic lists of Britain that survive; the systematic lists of Roman placenames do not provide an obvious match for Uzella as a documented Roman town in Cornwall.

How Roman names were adapted into Cornish place‑names (mechanisms and examples)

• Typical adaptations: Latin or Roman names could be Latinized versions of pre‑existing Brittonic names, or Roman names were replaced/adapted by later Celtic/Cornish forms when the language of local record‑keeping changed. Early written records show overlap between Latin, Old English and Cornish spellings, producing many variants across centuries.

• Examples and patterns useful for comparison:

  • Direct survivals: some Roman names survive in recognizably Latin form (rare in Cornwall); elsewhere in Britain examples are clearer and catalogued in Roman placename lists.

  • Latinization of native names: place‑names often show a Latin or medieval scribe’s attempt to render a Celtic name, producing forms that look Roman but are actually Latinized Celtic. That process may explain claims like Uzella being “Roman” when it could be a Latinized local name later reinterpreted by antiquaries.

  • Phonological shifts: initial vowels, consonant loss, or suffix substitutions (‑a/‑um etc.) produce multiple forms in charters and maps; comparing medieval charters, parish bounds and later map labels helps track these changes.

Practical findings for Uzella specifically

• Primary evidence is antiquarian and topographical: 16th–17th century writers associated Uzella with Lostwithiel and the Fowey estuary; later local histories and place‑name guides repeat the association but treat it as conjectural.

• No secure Roman documentary or archaeological attestation ties a classical settlement named Uzella to Lostwithiel in the major Roman placename corpora.

• More promising avenues are medieval charters, early map labels, and Cornish‑language sources that record estuary names (Uzell / Usel) — these can show continuity of a hydronym or local toponym which antiquaries later Latinized to Uzella.

Recommended next steps and sources to check (practical research plan)

1. Search medieval charter corpora and the earliest documentary spellings for Lostwithiel / Fowey (Domesday derivatives, charter bounds, episcopal records) to compile the historical forms of the name from the 11th–15th centuries.

2. Inspect early maps and atlas sheets (Cotton/Tiberius mappa mundi, Saxton 1570s, county maps and 17th‑century estate maps) for labels Uzell/Uzella/Usel and note their dates and mapmakers.

3. Consult Roman placename compilations and Ptolemaic/Itinerary indices to test for any classical source reading Uzella (no clear match in standard lists).

4. Consult Cornish place‑name scholarship (Craig Weatherhill, Agan Tavas summaries, SNSBI/Cambridge discussions) for analyses of how Latinized forms relate to Cornish originals and for published early forms of Lostwithiel/Usel.

5. Visit or query archives holding local estate maps and charters (Kresen Kernow holds extensive Cornwall maps and parish papers) for primary map/charter evidence of the form Uzell/Uzella.

Short reading list and archival pointers

• Local antiquarian and county histories that discuss Lostwithiel’s name (start with works that note the Uzella claim).

• Kresen Kernow collections (maps and parish papers) for early estate maps and charters around Lostwithiel and the Fowey estuary.

• Recent place‑name studies and surveys of Cornish names (SNSBI/Cambridge articles; Craig Weatherhill’s work via Agan Tavas) for methodological guidance and recorded historical forms.

• Lists of Roman place‑names in Britain to test classical attestations (reference compilations and Ptolemy/Antonine Itinerary concordances).

• Online repositories of early maps (OldMapsOnline, Caitlin Green’s blog on early Cornwall maps) to view labelled map images quickly.

• Compile a chronology of every historical spelling of Lostwithiel / Fowey estuary (charter, map, parish record) I can find and show where “Uzella / Uzell  / Usel” appears in that chain; or

• Search a shortlist of specific early maps and extract the map labels and dates for your gazetteer layer.

 Compile a chronology of every historical spelling of Lostwithiel / Fowey estuary (charter, map, parish record) I can find and show where “Uzella / Uzell / Usel” appears in that chain; or Search a shortlist of specific early maps and extract the map labels and dates for your gazetteer layer.

Chronology of documented spellings for Lostwithiel and the Fowey estuary Summary

Below is a compiled chronology of historical spellings and map labels for Lostwithiel and the Fowey estuary showing where Uzella / Uzell / Usel appears in the chain. The documentary name-forms come from place‑name corpora and local antiquarian accounts; the map labels come from early and modern map series where the estuary or place is named.

Documentary spellings (selected attested forms, chronological)

• c.1194 — Lostwetell; Loswidiel.

• 1194–1198 — Lostuuidiel; Lostudiel.

• 1196–1202 — Lostwidiel; capella de Loshuliel; Lustodiel.

• 1201–1234 — Lustudiel; Lostwithiel (early regularised medieval form).

• 1269–1349 — Lostwhidiel; Lostwhityel; Lostuwythiel; Lostwythyel.

• 1420–1446 — Lustwythiel; Lostwythyell.

• Modern standardisation to Lostwithiel by early modern period; Ordnance Survey mapping shows Lostwithiel in 19th century county series.

Note: the place‑name corpus records many close variants arising from medieval orthography and Latinised clerical forms; the forms above are representative and show the progressive convergence on the modern Lostwithiel.

Appearances of Uzella / Uzell / Usel in antiquarian sources and maps

• 16th–17th century antiquaries recorded a Latinized form Uzella as a Roman or classical name associated with the Fowey estuary / Lostwithiel area; this claim appears in county antiquarian summaries and later local histories.

• Local toponymic glosses and guidebooks (modern online transcriptions of older sources) present the estuary name as Uzell (Cornish Usel), glossed “howling place” for the Fowey estuary, and explicitly link Uzell/Usel to the estuary rather than to a Roman town-form in classical itineraries.

• Modern map and place‑name summaries repeat the hydronym Uzell / Usel for the estuary in descriptive texts about the River Fowey and its mouth; this usage is more a hydronymic tradition than evidence of an urban Roman Uzella.

Map-label checklist (shortlist you can import into a gazetteer layer)

Saxton county maps (late 16th century) — Saxton’s Cornwall sheets record coastal and river names in Latinised early‑modern spellings; check Saxton 1579/1583 Cornwall sheets for Fowey/Lostwithiel labels (indexed in online old‑map aggregators).17th–18th century county and harbour plans (e.g., Robert Sayer, Gerard van Keulen) — harbour plans of Fowey sometimes show variant local labels for the estuary; consult sheet-level images in map aggregators and the Old Maps Online index.Ordnance Survey county series (first edition, 19th century) — OS 6‑inch and 25‑inch sheets show Lostwithiel and the estuary; the Cornwall LI.11 / LII series (surveyed 1881, published 1882 for LI.11) is a direct source for 19th‑century standardised labels.Modern digital maps and local guides (20th–21st century) — repeat Uzell/Usel as an historical hydronym in descriptive captions rather than as a mapped Roman placename.

Sources: see consolidated list after the small table below.

Compact table: where Uzella / Uzell / Usel appears in the chain

ItemDate or rangeWhat it recordsDocumentary medieval forms (representative)c.1194–1446Variants of Lostwithiel (Lostwetell, Lostudiel, Lostwithiel, Lostwythyel)Antiquarian claim “Uzella”16th–17th century (antiquarian literature)Latinized/‘Roman’ name applied to Lostwithiel / Fowey estuary in county histories and antiquarian accountsHydronym Uzell / Usel in descriptive textsmodern summaries and local gazetteersEstuary name (Cornish Usel) glossed “howling place”; appears in place‑name discussions, not classical itinerariesEarly maps (Saxton etc.) indexed in map aggregators1570s onwards (map images in OldMaps/OS catalogues)Early‑modern map sheets that may show variant local labels; requires sheet‑level checking for exact label formOrdnance Survey county series mappingsurveyed 19th century, published 1882 (example OS LI.11)Standard cartographic label Lostwithiel and mapped estuary; useful for gazetteer coordinates and layer attribution

Sources: .

Short interpretation and provenance notes

“Uzella” as a claimed Roman name largely comes from early modern antiquarian practice of Latinising local names to establish classical continuity; direct Roman documentary evidence (Itineraries, Ptolemy) does not securely attest a Roman town Uzella in Cornwall.Hydronyms persist more readily than urban names; the form Uzell / Usel appears as an estuary name in Cornish glosses and modern descriptive material and is the likeliest source of the antiquarian Uzella claim—i.e., a Latinised hydronym rather than a Roman municipium.For a gazetteer layer, treat Uzella/Uzell/Usel as a historical hydronym (Fowey estuary) with a note that the Roman‑town identification is antiquarian and unproven; treat Lostwithiel’s medieval spellings as the secure documentary chain for the borough/place.

Lammana Priorywas a priory onLooe IslandinCornwall, UK, consisting of two Benedictine monks until 1289. It was owned byGlastonbury Abbeyand the property was sold in 1289 to a local landowner.^[1]

History

The Priory ofSt Michaelof Lammana was a possession of theBenedictinemonastery of Glastonbury Abbey during the Middle Ages. It consisted of two chapels; one on the top of Looe Island, and another chapel directly opposite on the mainland. A third building known as the Monk's House, located 150 yards down the hill from the mainland chapel, was the monks living quarters. It also had a refectory for pilgrims who came to visit the island forMichaelmas.

The earliest documentary evidence for the existence of the priory is a papal confirmation ofPope Lucius IIin 1144.^[2]The confirmation (Privilegium) was made during the abbacy of BishopHenry of Blois, the brother ofKing Stephen.

Some sixty years later, (c. 1200) we have the charter ofHasculf de Soleigny, the lord of the manor of Portlooe, granting to the Church of the BlessedVirgin Maryof Glastonbury ... the Island of St Michael of Lammana, with all its appurtenances, lands, and tithes which they have heldabantiquo, 'from of old.'

Although not strictly a parish, it consisted of approximately 297 acres of tithe lands which ran from the edge ofSt NicholasChurch inWest Looe, up West Looe Hill as far as the junction ofTallandRoad and then southwards to the manor of Portlooe, and downstream to a field known as Old Mills.

The ownership of tithes were the matter of a long-standing dispute with theAugustiniancanons ofLaunceston Priory, who acquired the parish of Talland early in the 13th century.

In about 1240–50, EarlRichard of Cornwallgranted permission for Glastonbury to lease out the manor of Lammana, and on the 24 June 1289, the patronage of the island chapel was sold to Walter of Treverbyn, lord of Portlooe.

The dispute over ownership once again returned, and Walter was forced to sue Launceston Priory for damages amounting to £40.^[3]In October 1290, theSheriff of Cornwallwas instructed to form a jury of twelve local men, who returned a verdict at theCourt of Common Pleas,Westminster, in favour of Walter.

The chapels remained in use up until theDissolution of the Monasteriesin the reign ofHenry VIIIin mid-sixteenth century. Eventually they fell into disrepair, and by the mid-nineteenth century, apart from a few visible walls, became ruins.

Archaeology

The mainland chapel was excavated in 1935 and 1936, by Charles Kenneth Croft Andrew, antiquarian and archaeologist, with the support of his friend the Rev.Henry Ardern Lewis, M.A., then Vicar of Talland, and Mr C.B. Willcocks, F.R.I.B.A., F.S.A.

Croft Andrew's excavations were re-evaluated in 1994 by Dr Lynette Olson, senior lecturer of History at Sydney University, along with Cathy O'Mahoney, Ann Preston-Jones and Peter Rose.^[4]

In 2008Channel 4's archaeology seriesTime Teamcarried out excavations on Looe Island and the mainland.Wessex Archaeologywere commissioned to record finds and evaluate the archaeological context.

Post archaeological assessment

Looe Island

The evaluation concluded that there was 'no definitive evidence forprehistoricactivity on either site.'^[5]A large stone buried in the grounds of Island House may have been prehistoric, but the absence of a socket indicated that it had been removed from another location on the island. Romano-British (AD 43-410) pottery was found in two ditches, and a small hoard of eight Roman coins dating between AD 253–330. The latest of these coins was a 'camp gate' issue of the House ofConstantine the Great(d. 337). There was a single phase of construction of the chapel with the addition of abuttressto the south west corner of the nave in the 13th century. An inhumation burial was found underneath the area of the chancel arch, with a second burial outside the southern wall of the chapel. Neither burials could be securely dated. Pottery in the upper fill of the chancel burial was dated as 15th or 16th century.

Mainland Chapel

Wessex Archaeology confirmed the 1930s ground plan consisting of a nave and chancel with a south facing porch, and a second entrance to the north of the building. There was evidence of arood screenin front of the chancel arch. The rood screen separated the nave from the chancel. Access to the chancel was restricted to the priest or chaplain in charge, for marriages, and for lords of the manor who usually held theadvowson.^[6]One inhumation burialin situwas found in the south east corner of the chancel. A stone linedreliquarywas found in the central area of the chancel. Reliquaries contained items deemed too precious to display inside the church, such asholy relics, or the bones of the saint who founded the site. A radio carbon date of ahumerustaken from the inhumation burial produced a date range of AD 1200–1280. The skeleton was that of an adult male aged between 35 and 55, with an approximate height of 5 feet 4 inches tall. Wessex Archaeology concluded that the foundation date of the mainland chapel remains unknown.

References

1. Orme, Nicholas (2007)Cornwall and the Cross. Chichester: Phillimore; pp. 30-31, 35, 38
2. Adam of Domerham,Historia De Rebus Gestis Glastoniensibus, Vol. II, Thomas Hearne, London, 1727, pp. 322-23, fol. 24. b
3. Hull, P.L. (1987)The Cartulary of Launceston Priory. Devon & Cornwall Record Society; p.168
4. Lammana, West Looe; C.K. Croft Andrew's excavations of the chapel and Monks House, 1935-6, Cornish Archaeology No. 33, 1994, pp. 96-129
5. Wessex Archaeology (2009),Looe, Cornwall: Archaeological Evaluation and Assessment Results, p. iii
6. Orme, Nicholas (2007),Cornwall and the Cross, Christianity 500-1560: Phillimore, p. 102

Further reading

• Cornwall portal

• Lewis, H. A. (1936)The Child Christ at Lammana: a legend of Looe and Talland; 2nd ed. (with suppt). [Falmouth: the author]
• Henderson, C. G., (1925)The Cornish Church Guide, Oscar Blackford, p. 125
• Looe Old Cornwall Society Recorder Notebook, 1933-36: 20 January 1934, pp. 61–65 (unpublished)
• Andrew, C. K., "Lammana (Nr. Looe)",Devon and Cornwall Notes and Queries; 19 (1936), p. 145
• Paynter, W. H., "A Relic of Ancient Christianity, Chapel ruins at Hannafore" (1972),Cornish Times, 18 February
• Olson, Lynette (1989)Studies in Celtic History XI, Early Monasteries in Cornwall, Boydell Press
• Picken, W. M. M.,A Medieval Cornish Miscellany, (2000) ed. O. J. Padel, Phillimore, pp. 69–75

St Winnow cornwall

• Cornish :Sen Gwynnek

St Winnow Parish Church St WinnowSt Winnow churchyard

Respryn Bridge over the River Fowey St Winnow (Cornish :Sen Gwynnek is a civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. Its name may be connected with either that of Saint Winnoc or Saint Winwaloe. It has a population of 304,^[3]which had increased to 328 at the 2011 census. The church town is on the east bank of the River Fowey south of Lostwithiel. Part of the village of Lerryn lies within the parish as does the Chapel of St Nectan.

The Redlake Meadows & Hoggs Moor, a Site of Special Scientific

• 1History and antiquities
• 2 Churches and chapels

 St Winnow was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as San Winnuc . In 1644-45, some ninety people from the parish died of the plague: only four were soldiers but a campaign of the Civil War was going on at the time.Andrew Langdon (1996) records three stone crosses in the parish. A cross found at Higher Coombe in 1903 was afterwards erected at St Nectan's chapel. A cross from Lanlivery was made into the upper section of  "The Monument" on Druids Hill. It was brought from Lanlivery in 1846; this monument commemorates the loss of life in the Battle of Braddock Down in 1643 . A third cross called Waterlake Cross stands in a private garden near Respryn . The third cross had already been recorded by Arthur G. Langdon in 1896; at Waterlake, a hamlet near Bodmin Road station, there is a Cornish cross. Churches and chapels . This is of Norman foundation but the present building is almost entirely of the 15th century. The rood screen survives and there is some interesting stained glass.The church is at the riverside, next to a quay at the limit of navigation of the River Fowey. It is probably on the site of the

7th century oratory of St Winnoc.

A stone church was built in the 12th century, probably cruciform in plan, and there are traces of the Norman stonework on the north side. The transept arch was reconstructed in the 13th century. About 1465 the south wall was demolished and the south aisle, arcade and roofs built. The chancel was restored by J. H. Seddon in the 19th century, retaining the 16th century east window. The west tower is of standard Cornish Perpendicular style. There is stained glass of c. 1500 in the east windows of the chancel and S aisle. The 16th century rood screen, carved with leaves and flowers, was restored by Violet Pinwell in 1907 (by Edmund H. Sedding according to Pevsner). The loft, rood and some of the south aisle screen were newly made in the restoration. The granite font, carved with angels bearing shields, is 14th century. The pulpit is of c.1600 and richly carved. There are also carved bench ends of various dates from 1485 to 1630. The monuments include one in slate to William Sawle, d. 1651.A burial plot with Celtic-style headstones for the Vivian family occupies the north-west corner of the churchyard.Chapels .The chapel of St Nectan is of the 13th and 15th centuries but the north aisle was added in 1825. The tower has lost its upper stages due to the Civil War (1644).

The medieval parish was larger and included Boconnoc and St Bradoc : the chapels of St Nectan and St Martin's at Respryn were quasi-parochial.

The 14th century font from Respryn was reused at Herodsfoot.

The Fowey estuary at St Winnow

Gorlas. in Arthurian legend , Gorlois (Welsh: Gwrlais) of Tintagel, Duke of Cornwall, is the husband of Igraine prior to Uther Pendragon.

He is the father of Morgan le Fay, Morgause, and Elaine. Gorlois' name first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae c1136 , in which Uther falls in love with Igraine and wars with Gorlois to get to her.Uther asks for Merlin's aid in pursuing her, and Merlin concocts some drugs that disguise Uther in the form of Gorlois.As Gorlois , he approaches his love easily and they sleep together, conceiving Arthur.Unbeknownst to either of them, the real Gorlois has been killed in his castle that very night.Eventually Igraine is convinced to marry Uther.
Later treatments such as the Vulgate Cycle and Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur expand on this outline by having Gorlois' daughters married off to Uther's vassals; Elaine to King Nentres of Garlot, Morgause to King Lot of Orkney, and (after receiving an education in a convent) Morgan to King Urien.Arthur is spared any knowledge of this when he is whisked away by Merlin to be raised by Sir Ector.
And this murdered King is by tradition also connected with another fortress roughly mid-way between Duloe and Roche - which are south of the Bodmin and Goss Moors respectively - for the field inwhich standsCastle Dore was called Carhurles meaning 'Gorlas's fortress'. It therefore seems that the chieftain could have preceded King Mark of the Tristan saga at this earthwork which is known to have been re-occupied in Gorlas's time having been abandoned during the Roman period.Assuming that the traditional link between the Arthurian and Tristan sagas could be factual and that King Mark DID succeed GORLAS and hold this southern territory by the sixth century, not only must Arthur's domain of Camlan, the oldest form of Camelot, and his stronghold Celliwic be sought elsewhere but the suggested area should be required to fulfil certain conditions in order to present itself a feasible proposition. As Arthurian events would have taken place slightly before those of the Tristan saga, an Irish incursion should be in evidence for the saga's prologue depicts theCornish at loggerheads with Irish intruders; and a known Roman cavalry tradition is imperative if we are to believe that the proposed area could produce ahorse-borne, armour-clad warrior together with a Carlyon meaning 'camp of the legion' with which he was reputedly associated. Moreover, the suggested district might the more convincingly offer itself were it adjacent to the easiest route out of Cornwall to facilitate movement up-country to a site where the Battle of Badon halted a seeming English advance westward.Finally, we should seek an Avalon for the dying King.the Earl (Duke / King of Cornwall,
● would reign as regent and hold the Kingdom of Britain in trust for the English heiress.

in which King Arthur received his mortal wound : thus recorded by the Poet Naturam Cambela fontisMutatam stupet este fui, transcendit in undas Sanguineus torrens ripas, et ducit in aequor Corpora caesorum ; plures natare videres, Et petere auxilium quos undis vita reliquit.”

The other, a bloody battle, fought betwixt the Cornish , and the West Saxons of Devonshire ,in the year 824 ’, in which many thousands fell on each side, and the victory remained uncertain. Hence, after a run of about 12 miles, it becomes navigable for sand barges at Parbrok ; and at Eglofhel , receives a plentiful addition to it’s stream, from the River Laine A mile farther down, this River reaches the greatest bridge in this county, called Wadebridge : about the year 1460 there was a ferry here whilst the tide was in, and a very dangerous ford when the tide was retired , which moved the then Vicar of Egloshel, one Mr. Lovebon, with great industry and public spirit, to undertake this bridge ; a great and useful, but tedious work. Besides the expence, fo disproportioned to his circumftances, in the course of the work, there arose fuch difficulties, as might have baffled a more mechanical age than that in which he lived : the ground, for the foundation of some of the piers, proved so swampy, that after repeated efforts another way, they were forced at last to build on wool-packs ; however, it fhould never be forgotten, that by his follicitations, and the liberal contributions of others, but chiefly by his own perfeverance, and the blessings of providence, he lived to accomplish the bridge as it now stands, with seventeen fair and uniform arches, reaching quite cross the valley, to the great safety of travellers, and the credit of his country. Hither come up small barks of 40 and 60 ton, and supply the country with coal from Wales, with flat, which rifes about ten miles off, lime, timber, and groceries from Bristol. A mile farther down the Alan makes two small Creeks on the East, in return for a brook or two which it receives; then keeping to the North-Weft, and supplying two Creeks on the Western bank which run up into St. Illy, and little Petrock pariflies, in a mile more it reaches the ancient town of Petrockstow, alias Padstow, where there is a pier, and some

River Fowey at Golant

The course of the River Fowey and neighbouring rivers in Cornwall Basin features Main sourceBodmin Moor
298 m (978 ft) River mouth Fowey estuary
The River Fowey is ariverin Cornwall, England,United Kingdom. Itrises at Fowey Well (originally Cornish:Fenten Fowi, meaning spring of the river Fowey) about 1-mile (1.6 km) north-west of Brown Willy on Bodmin Moor, not far from one of its tributaries rising at Dozmary Pool and Colliford Lake, passes Lanhydrock House, Restormel Castle and Lostwithiel, then broadens at Milltown before joining the English Channel at Fowey. The estuary is called Uzell , Cornish: Usel, meaning howling place . It is only navigable by larger craft for the last 7 miles (11 km). There is a ferry between Fowey and Bodinnick. The first road crossing going upstream is in Lostwithiel. The river has seven tributaries, the largest being theRiver Lerryn. The section of the Fowey Valley between Doublebois and Bodmin Parkway railway station is known as the Glynn Valley (Cornish :Glyn, meaning deep wooded valley). The valley is the route of both the A38 trunk road and the railway line (built by the Cornwall Railway in 1859). The railway line is carried on eight stone viaducts along this stretch (see Cornwall Railway viaducts).

The upper reaches of the Fowey are mainly moorland giving way to woodland and farmland, predominantly livestock. This means that 63.6% of the catchment is grassland, with a further 18.3% woodland and 10.7% arable land. Of the remaining 7.5%, 2.6% is urban or built-up areas, 2.5% is mountain, heath and bog and the remainder is inland waters .The catchment area of the River Fowey covers a total of 41,800 acres , 65.3 sq. miles consisting of kaolinised granite on Bodmin Moor , Devonian slates and grits, and valley gravels . Data collected by the National Water Archive shows that average flow at the Restormel monitoring station is 4.78 cubic m/s and is affected by the reservoirs at Colliford and Sibleyback and by abstraction of water for public supply. The former quarry of the Glynn Valley China Clay Works has closed down and is now flooded. It was in operation from the 1940s but since 2015 the site has been used for camping.

Golitha Falls

Entrance to Golitha Woods

River Fowey at Trago Mills

12th-century bridge at Lostwithiel, crossing the river Fowey The river runs through two Sites of Special Scientific Interest , one of which is also part of a National Nature Reserve . The Upper Fowey SSSI is a floodplain on the southern slopes of Bodmin Moor and is designated for its wet heath vegetation and herbaceous valley-floor mire communities. Lower down the river at Golitha Falls part of the woodland is designated a NNR and is within the Draynes Wood SSSI. At this point the river runs through a gorge and is of particular importance for ″lower plants″ such as liverworts, mosses and lichens.  Golitha pronounced Goleetha is derived from the Cornish word for obstruction. There is a 1-3-mile (4.8 km) riverside walk, from the visitor car park. Golitha Falls is the site of Wheal Victoria copper mine

The Fowey valley is designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty so many hikers, holidaymakers and tourists visit the places of interest and eat freshly caught fish. The river has very pleasant sites and special paths made for hiking and walking along the banks and in the countryside surrounding the towns .The River Fowey is famous for its sailing because of its natural harbour. In the past it has been visited by up to 7,000 yachts in one season. Almost all sections of the river have been paddled by kayakers and canoeists: the white water sections high up on the moor, all the way down to the estuary. Fowey has an excellent local chandlery. Many fish can be caught in the River Fowey so many fishermen come to enjoy the excellent fishing conditions.

The origin of the name Lostwithiel is a subject much debated .In the 16th century it was thought that the name came from the Roman name Uzella, translated as Les Uchel in Cornish. In the 17th century popular opinion was that the name came from a translation of Lost (a tail) and Withiel (a lion), the lion in question being the lord who lived in the castle .Current thinking is that the name comes from the Old Cornish Lost Gwydhyel meaning "tail-end of the woodland".The view from Restormel Castle looking towards the town shows how this may have come to be.

Lostwithiel is a historic borough. The Lostwithiel constituency elected two members to the Unreformed House of Commons, but was disenfranchised by the Reform Act 1832. It remained a municipal borough until the 1960s, when it became acivil parish.The seal of the borough of Lostwithiel was a shield charged with a castle rising from water between two thistles, in the water two fish, with the legend "Sigillum burgi de Lostwithyel et Penknight in Cornubia". Its mayoral regalia includes a silver oar, signifying its former jurisdiction over the River Fowey.

Arthurian legend, Gorlois Welsh: Gwrlais of Tintagel, Duke of Cornwall, is the husband of Igraine prior to Uther Pendragon. He is the father of Morgan le Fay, Morgause, and Elaine.Gorlois' name first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae in which Uther falls in love with Igraine and wars with Gorlois to get to her.Uther asks for Merlin's aid in pursuing her, and Merlin concocts some drugs that disguise Uther in the form of Gorlois. As Gorlois, he approaches his love easily and they sleep together, conceiving Arthur. Unbeknownst to either of them, the real Gorlois has been killed in his castle that very night. Eventually Igraine is convinced to marry Uther.Later treatments such as the Vulgate Cycle and Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur expand on this outline by having Gorlois' daughters married off to Uther's vassals; Elaine to King Nentres of Garlot, Morgause to King Lot of Orkney, and (after receiving an education in a convent) Morgan to King Urien. Arthur is spared any knowledge of this when he is whisked away by Merlin to be raised by Sir Ector.Castle Dore
About six miles north of Fowey not far off the road to Lostwithiel is Castle Dore. We had some difficulty finding this Iron Age hill fort until a friendly farmer came along and gave us directions.
There is nothing dramatic about Castle Dore: its grandeur has lung since settled back into sleep under the ever-changing Cornish mIi it's. All that remains is a huge rough circle of banks and ditches —
a place where sheep graze or take shelter from the wind.
Hut what is exciting about Castle Dore is that when it was excavated in the 1930s it was discovered that the fort had been reni mpied in the Dark Ages, the time of King Arthur. Was this then
The legendary Palace of King Mark ? Many post holes of this period were uncovered, and there is thought to have been a great hall, ninety feet long, aisled and imposing. All round the site were
dwellings, stables and storerooms of Celtic chieftains who ruled there Other than the post holes the archaeologists found no more than a few handfuls of beads of that period. Time had eroded all
other evidence of those who had once lived there in the time of Ailhur.
There is a sense of peace and romance about Castle Dore which makes it. easy to accept the legend of the tragic lovers, Tristram and Iscull , who, it is believed, once lived there. Castle Dore, the old
el in y tells us, was the home of King Mark of Cornwall, the uncle of TiInliinn and the husband of Iseult. It was to Castle Dore that Tristram escorted from Ireland the
young and beautiful Iseult to be his uncle’s bride. But on the
|nm iicy Tristram and Iseult drank the love potion intended for her
mill King Mark on their wedding night. In so doing they were bound
In cm i lasting love. They kept their love a secret from the King until
an enemy of Tristram within the court betrayed him. Tristram fled
ami look refuge from Mark’s anger by hiding in the dense forest

where the saints go marching in

Fawye rises in Fawy moors , at a place called Fawy Well, in the Fawy River , parish of Altarnun , not far from Brownwilly , one of the highest mountains in Cornwall .The higher part of this river is also called Draines, and the first bridge upon it is by Leland he called Draines Bridge ;after which passing three other bridges', and having taken into its stream the rivulets of St. Neot’s , Warlegan , and Cardinham parishes , it comes to Resprin , alias Laprin Bridge, whence, in about three miles, it reaches the borough of Lostwythyel, where it passes a fair stone bridge of nine arches, of which the water at present only useth three. In former ages the sea ebbed and flowed above this town , and Camden says brought up vessels of good burden : at present loaden barges scarce come within a mile of it.

In three miles more the Fawy, having taken Pellyn Brook from the West, receives the water of Leryn River and Creek from the East, and becomes thence a deep and wide haven : in two miles more it reaches the town and borough of Fawy on the western bank ; and a little below, being joined by Polruan creek and brook from the East, opens into the Sea, after a run of twenty- six miles, betwixt two old towers built in the reign of Edward IV from which there formerly ftretched a chain for the defence of the harbour. This is thought the largeft body of fresh water, except the Tamar, in all this county.A part from some flat graves which are outside the scope of this work, the funerary monuments comprise round barrows and cairns.These normally cover individual interments, sometimes only one but moreusually with broadly contem porary and later interm ents suggesting family sepulchres extending over two or more generations, and in and around Wessex sometimes with secondary cremations with or without Deverel Rimbury urns.The number of surviving round barrows of this period in England and Wales is probably between thirty thousand and forty thousand and only
the main groups and examples can here be described.Emphasis is on accessible sites with significant visible features.

Bodmin Moor and surroundings
The personal choice of the author would be to proceed from Polperro northwards and visit the Pelynt group, a nucleated cemetery of about ten barrows, one of which is thought to have yielded the bronze sword-hilt of Aegean type, then continue along the B3359 to where it meets the A390 from Lostwithiel and visit the fine linear group on the Taphouse Ridge between Bodmin Road station and West Taphouse .Then continue along the A390 to Liskeard and proceed north to Minions and visit the barrow near Rilluton, some 36 m (118 ft) in diameter and 2.5 m (8 ft) high, in the east margin of which is still the stone-lined grave in which the famous gold cup ,originally in an earthen vessel and grooved bronze dagger and other objects were found accompanying an extended male? skeleton.These were found in 1818 and the gold cup and dagger are in the British Museum. The east and north fringes of Bodmin Moor can then be skirted and just before reaching Camelford there is the Advent triple
barrow on the north side of a by-road.It is one of only three triple barrows known, the others being on Amesbury Down Wiltshire and Crooksbury

The origin of the name Lostwithiel is a subject much debated.

In the 16th century it was thought that the name came from theRoman name Uzella,translated as Les Uchel in Cornish. In the 17th century popular opinion was that the name came from a translation of Lost(a tail) and Withiel(a lion), the lion in question being the lord who lived in the castle.Current thinking is that the name comes from the Old Cornish Lost Gwydhyel meaning "tail-end of the woodland".The view fromRestormel Castlelooking towards the town shows how this may have come to be.

Lostwithiel is a historic borough. TheLostwithiel constituency elected two members to the Unreformed House of Commons, but was disenfranchised by the Reform Act 1832. It remained amunicipal boroughuntil the 1960s, when it became acivil parish.The seal of the borough of Lostwithiel was a shield charged with a castle rising from water between two thistles, in the water two fish, with the legend"Sigillum burgi de Lostwithyel et Penknight in Cornubia".Itsmayoral regaliaincludes a silver oar, signifying its formerjurisdiction over the River Fowey.

Arthurian legend, Gorlois Welsh: Gwrlais ofTintagel,Duke of Cornwall, is the husband ofIgraineprior toUther Pendragon. He is the father ofMorgan le Fay, Morgause, and Elaine.Gorlois' name first appears inGeoffrey of Monmouth'sHistoria Regum Britanniae(c. 1136),[1]in which Uther falls in love with Igraine and wars with Gorlois to get to her. Uther asks forMerlin's aid in pursuing her, and Merlin concocts some drugs that disguise Uther in the form of Gorlois. As Gorlois, he approaches his love easily and they sleep together, conceivingArthur. Unbeknownst to either of them, the real Gorlois has been killed in his castle that very night. Eventually Igraine is convinced to marry Uther.Later treatments such as theVulgate CycleandThomas Malory'sLe Morte d'Arthurexpand on this outline by having Gorlois' daughters married off to Uther'svassals; Elaine toKingNentres of Garlot, Morgause toKing LotofOrkney, and (after receiving an education in aconvent) Morgan to KingUrien. Arthur is spared any knowledge of this when he is whisked away byMerlin to be raised bySir Ector.Castle Dore
About six miles north of Fowey not far off the road to Lostwithiel is castle Dore. We had some difficulty finding this Iron Age hill fort
until a friendly farmer came along and gave us directions. 'I’here is nothing dramatic about Castle Dore: its grandeur has lung since settled back into sleep under the ever-changing Cornish mIi it's. All that remains is a huge rough circle of banks and ditches — a place where sheep graze or take shelter from the wind.Hut what is exciting about Castle Dore is that when it was excavated in the 1930s it was discovered that the fort had been reni mpied in the Dark Ages, the time of King Arthur. Was this then
l lie legendary Palace of King Mark? Many post holes of this period were uncovered, and there is thought to have been a great hall, ninety feet long, aisled and imposing. All round the site were
dwellings, stables and storerooms of Celtic chieftains who ruled there Other than the post holes the archaeologists found no more than a few handfuls of beads of that period. Time had eroded all
other evidence of those who had once lived there in the time of .
There is a sense of peace and romance about Castle Dore which makes it. easy to accept the legend of the tragic lovers, Tristram and Iscull , who, it is believed, once lived there. Castle Dore, the old
el in y tells us, was the home of King Mark of Cornwall, the uncle of TiIniinn and the husband of Iseult.
It was to Castle Dore that Tristram escorted from Ireland the young and beautiful Iseult to be his uncle’s bride. But on the|nm iicy Tristram and Iseult drank the love potion intended for her mill King Mark on their wedding night. In so doing they were bound In cm i lasting love. They kept their love a secret from the King until an enemy of Tristram within the court betrayed him. Tristram fled and took refuge from Mark’s anger by hiding in the dense forest

was founded byWilliam,

Earl of Gloucester, for the Augustinian Canons Regular around 1170 and survived until 1539. The remains have been designated as a Grade Ilisted buildingandScheduled Ancient Monument

The abbey was founded following the dying wish of William's son Robert, although there had beena religious settlement in Keynsham during the 9thand 10th centuries.

After thedissolutionin 1539, when the abbey and its possessions were surrendered toHenry VIII, the site was occupied by a house built by the Bridges family. In 1559 Thomas Bridges bequeathedstone from the late Abbey Churchfor the repair of the Bridge and causeway over the nearbyRiver Avon. The house built by the Bridges family was demolished in 1776.

Thearmsof the abbey included six golden clarions or trumpets on a red ground, from the de Clares, Earls of Gloucester.

The site was excavated during the building of the Keynsham bypass in the 1960s. Amongst the finds was a fipple flute, a type of earlyrecorder.

Founded byWilliam, Earl of Gloucester, for the Augustinian Canons Regular around 1170 and survived until 1539. The remains have been designated as a Grade Ilisted buildingandScheduled Ancient Monument

The abbey was founded following the dying wish of William's son Robert, although there had been a religious settlement in Keynsham during the 9th and 10th centuries.

After thedissolutionin 1539, when the abbey and its possessions were surrendered toHenry VIII, the site was occupied by a house built by the Bridges family. In 1559 Thomas Bridges bequeathed stone from the late Abbey Church for the repair of the Bridge and causeway over the nearbyRiver Avon. The house built by the Bridges family was demolished in 1776.

Thearmsof the abbey included six golden clarions or trumpets on a red ground, from the de Clares, Earls of Gloucester.

The site was excavated during the building of the Keynsham bypass in the 1960s.

Amongst the finds was a fipple flute, a type of earlyrecorder.

Brychan – father of keyna ?

Listed in the Life of Saint Nectan are, by his wife, Gwladys:

Adwen, Canauc (Cynog), Cleder (Clether), Dilic (Illick), Endelient (Endelienta), Helie, Johannes (Sion), Iona, Juliana (Ilud), Kenhender (Cynidr), Keri (Curig), Mabon (Mabyn), Menfre (Menefrewy), Merewenne (Marwenna), Morewenna (Morwenna), Nectanus (Nectan), Tamalanc, Tedda (Tetha), Wencu (Gwencuff, Gwengustle, name of Saint Nennocha), Wenheden (Enoder), Wenna (Gwen), Wensent, Wynup (Gwenabwy) and Yse (Issey).

According to Robert Hunt, of the holy children that settled in Cornwall, we learn that the following gave their names to Cornish churches

Johannes at St Ive

Endelient at St Endellion

Menfre at St Minver

Tedda at St Teath

Mabon at St Mabyn

Merewenne at Marhamchurch

Wenna at St Wenn

Keyne at St Keyne

Yse at St Issey

Morewenna at Morwenstow

Cleder at St Clether

Keri at Egloskerry

Helie at Egloshayle

Adwen at Advent

Lanent at Lelant

Numerous dedications to Saint Keyne exist in areas as diverse as South Wales, Anglesey, Somerset, Hertfordshire, and Cornwall.

The only literary source on the life of Saint Keyne is the Vita Sanctae Keynae, which was edited by John of Tynemouth and included in his Sanctilogium Angliae Walliae Scotiae et Hiberniae in the 14th century.[7] Unfortunately, this account is probably not trustworthy, as it was recorded nearly 800 years after her death. No other contemporary sources about her or her life have survived.

The Well of St. Keyne; by Thomas Creswick

Keyne was one of the 12 daughters of the Welsh king King Brychan of Brycheiniog in what is now South Wales (A different source, De Situ Brecheniauc, says that he actually had 24 daughters, all of whom were saints).

Although she was a great beauty and received many offers of marriage, Keyne took a vow of virginity and pursued a religious life (hence her Welsh name, Cain Wyry, or Keyne the Maiden).[7] Her vita reports that she traveled widely, and is said to have founded several oratories, including Llangeinor in mid Glamorgan, Llangunnor and Llangain in Dyfed, and Rockfield (Llangennon) in Runston, Gwent.[4] Eventually she is said to have crossed the Severn into Cornwall, where she resided as a hermitess for many years. The village of St Keyne in Cornwall, is named after her, and is the site of a church and a holy well which also takes her name.

Plaque at St Keyne's well

Around 490, she is alleged to have visited her nephew Saint Cadoc at St Michael's Mount.[4] Cadoc persuaded her to return to Wales, and healing spring marked the location where she settled and eventually died. She died a virgin on 5 October in either 490 or 505. Llangeinor in Glamorgan has been proposed as a likely spot, as an ancient well is situated there,which is still said to have healing properties.

Legacy

Saint Keyne's feast is celebrated on 8 October, although it is also recorded as 30 September. She was the original patron saint of what is nowSt Martin-by-Looe (Penndrumm)and is linked with the River Kenwyn in Truro. However, her most enduring and romanticized legacy is linked to the holy well that takes its name from her, located in St Keyne, Cornwall. According to legend, whichever partner in a marriage drinks from the well first will have the upper hand in the marriage, and rule over the other. This story was known in the Middle Ages, and was memorialized in Robert Southey's poem "The Well of St Keyne."[8]

Some sources credit her as the patron saint of Keynsham in Somerset, where she is said to resided near the banks of the Avon, which was swarming with serpents and uninhabitable. After Saint Keyne issued a fervent prayer, the serpents were transformed to stone, and the area became habitable.

(Today, these are considered to be the fossilized remains of ammonites). However, a similar miracle is also attributed to St. Hilda, and it has been suggested that Keynsham instead takes its name from "Ceagin's (Caega) Hamm."

Interpretations

The Edwardian scholar G.H. Doble found it hard to accept that a woman could have traveled so far or founded so many settlements, and therefore she "quite may well have been a man." He believed that the journeyings were more in character with male saints from this period, a sentiment which was shared by the scholar Alban Butler, who believed a number of female saints had actually been men. This view has been challenged by scholars such as Jane Cartwright, who states that this is indicative of a school of thought in which male saints are much more likely to be real historical figures than female saints, and that maleness alone is greater evidence of historicity than femaleness.

St. Keyne's well

The holy well of Saint Keyne is located about 0.8 kilometres (0.5 mi) southeast of St. Keyne's Church in Cornwall, and is now in a small housing made of dressed granite. The original housing was built in the 16th century, it was rebuilt in 1936 after the adjoining lane was widened.

The plaque next to the well describes the spell which Saint Keyne is said to have cast upon the water of the well. The plaque reads: "The legend of Saint Keyne Well. Saint Keyne was a princess who lived about 600 AD. She laid on the waters of this well a spell thus described by Richard Carew in 1602 AD—'The quality that man or wife / Whom chance or choice attaines / First of this sacred stream to drinke / Thereby the mastery gains.'"

In Victorian times the well had the reputation of conferring supremacy to the marriage partner who first tasted it. There is also a ballad called The Well of St Keyne[12] written by Robert Southey; it is set to an adaptation of the air of the Helston Furry Dance.

St Ceinwen's Church, Cerrigceinwen – a church in Anglesey dedicated to her

References

"St. Keyne". Catholic Online. Retrieved 1 January 2020.

"Author tries to reduce confusion over pronunciation of Cornish place names". Somerset County Gazette. 23 August 2003. Retrieved 1 January 2020.

J. Meyrick A Pilgrim's Guide to the Holy Wells of Cornwall, pp. 68–69

Ray Spencer A Guide to the Saints of Wales and the Westcountry, pp. 51–52

David Hugh Farmer Oxford English Dictionary of Saints

Cartwright, Jane (2008). Feminine Sanctity and Spirituality in Medieval Wales. Cardiff: University of Wales Press. p. 68. ISBN 9780708319994. Retrieved 10 June 2015.

Farmer, general consultant ed.: David Hugh (1996). Butler's lives of the Saints (1. publ. ed.). Tunbridge Wells: Burns & Oates. ISBN 086012259X. Retrieved 10 June 2015.

"The Well of St. Keyne", Poemhunter

Ford, David Nash. "St. Keyne Wyry". David Nash Ford's Early British Kingdoms. Retrieved 10 June 2015.

Farmer, David Hugh (2011). The Oxford dictionary of saints (5th ed. Rev. ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 255. ISBN 9780199596607. Retrieved 10 June 2015.

"St Keyne's Holy Well". intocornwall.com. Retrieved 10 June 2015.

"Local News". The Cornishman (86). 4 March 1880. p. 5.

MacMahon, Desmond (1939) Nelson's New National and Folk Song Book; pt. II. London: Thomas Nelson; pp. 176-77

External links

Catholic Online: St. Keyne

St. Keyne Wyry

(c.AD 461-AD 505)

(Welsh: Cain; Latin: Caginus; English: Keyne)

Properly called Cain, though commonly known as St. Keyne, this saintly lady had a number of popular epithets: St. Cain Wyry (the Virgin), Cain Breit (the Bright) or Ceinwen (the Fair). She was the daughter of Brychan Brycheiniog, King of Brycheiniog in South Wales, a man of many saintly children: by some accounts, twenty-four daughters besides sons. Keyne was his most distinguished child. Many noble lords sought her hand in marriage but, wishing to remain a virgin, she crossed the Severn to find a wooded solitary abode. She travelled south (possibly via Kentchurch in Herefordshire, although this may be named after her sister, St. Ceingar), and settled in a place where now stands the town of Keynsham on the Avon in Somerset. It is said, however, that she was warned by the local King that the area was swarming with serpents and neither man nor beast could inhabit it. St. Keyne, addressing herself to her heavenly spouse, obtained of him by the fervour of her prayer, that all this poisonous brood should be changed into stones perfectly resembling the winding of serpents. Today, these are considered to be the fossilized remains of ammonites. A similar miracle is sometimes recorded of St. Hilda.

After living an austere and saintly life in Keynsham for some years, St. Keyne made a pilgrimage toDinsolwhich is traditionally said to be St. Michael's Mount, but was probably St. Keyne, near St. Neots.

NOTE

She gave to the Cornish people here, a well which has the wonderful property of conferring the chief domestic authority on husband or wife, whichever first, after marriage, drinks of its waters. The parish of Kenwyn near Truro is probably named after her. Keyne's nephew, St. Cadog, son of her sister, Gwladys, was surprised to find her at Dinsol and tried to persuade her to return home with him. The locals were opposed to this, but she did eventually follow him some years later. Keyne made herself a small habitation at the foot of a mountain in her native country, almost certainly at Llangeinor in Glamorgan though possibly at Llangenny in Powys. She obtained, by her prayers, a spring of water which was helpful in divers infirmities and it remains at the former still. Here she stayed for many years and finally died on 8th October AD 505, a gracious smile and a beautiful rosy colour appearing on her face. She was buried there bySt. Cadog.

HISTORY OF TEMPLE CHURCH, NEAR BODMIN,CORNWALL.

BUILT BY THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR.

BY

J .R .BROWN

.Rector of Helland with Temple ,now Rector of Lyons, Netton in Hole, Durham).

With Illustrations by the Rev. W . Jago , Chaplain of the Asylum , Bodmin

FOURTH EDITION .—PRICE SIXPENCE .

1905.

Used by locals regularly for worship and prayer, visited by hundreds every year, surrounded by rolling moorland, Temple Church is a special place. As you will discover from this little book, reprinted from an original of the late C 19 , temple has an interesting history, in collaboration, the Rev. J.R . Brown , Rector of Helland & Temple and the Rev. W. Jago ,Chaplain of the Asylum , Bodminproduced the original book to mark the restoration of the church. It is now more than a hundred years since that restoration and these days it is as much a place o| pilgrimage as it was in the days of the Templars. It represents both |or locals and visitors a point in their spiritual journey. Every month aservice is held in the late afternoon, always m o p.m. C M 'I (4 30 p.m. B ST !). Every day the church is visited if not by humans then by bats, birds and sometimes sheep, if the

gate is inadvertently left open. The door is never locked. Temple is a living church, part of the little settlement of Temple. It was a larger place at one time, now it has 26 souls. We who live nearby love our church and love people to visit. We arc proud of our living church surrounded by a " living churchyard ", an attempt to preserve flora and fauna native to the moors.

There is simplicity about the church in its moorland setting,

a reminder of the simple origins of Christianity. Especially

at Christmas ride many have testified to rediscovering this simplicity. Journeying to this remote comer of Bodmin Moor, finding a candlelit place, hearing the .singing of carols, one indeed feels that one is entering the Christmas

Stable for the first time. You are, of course, welcome to visit any time 14 hour opening, 365 days of the year! And animals are welcome. Our average attendance or worship is about 10 humans, 1 dogs

and a cat !

So make sure you come and visit this special place and we would love to see you at one our services.

November 1002

DEREK CARRIVICK

Priest-in Charge, Temple

PREFACE.

on issuing a reprint of the History of Temple Church, it has been thought advisable that the present Vicar should write a few words by way of preface, continuing the History to the present time. On the resignation of the Rev. J. K. Brown in 1890,Temple was taken over by his successor, the Rev. K. G. Hutt, but only for a short period, when it was transferred to the Rev. C. OLIVE, Curate in charge of Warleggan, till the year 1893, when the Rev. E. VERNON COLLNS, Rector of Rlislanri,

undertook the duties for the space of two years. At the end of that time, it was again transferred to Warleggan, and the

Incumbency was accepted by the Rev. C. E. Lambert, who

held it till his death in January. 1901.

Mr. Lam.ber t ’s death, which took place under sad circumstances, will ever be associated with Temple. After officiating at Evensong on Sunday, January 13th, 1901, Mr Lambert started to walk home to Warleggan. When he had proceeded only a short distance, he was overcome by some sudden seizure, and fell dead. Although only about half-a mile from the Church, h e was, w hen he died, on an unfrequented path and hidden from the view of the neighbouring houses; and thus his body remained for three days undiscovered. It is worthy of note that during the whole of that time, his dog, an Irish terrier, remained by his dead master.Mr. Lambert was buried in Temple Churchyard, and his grave is marked by a granite Cross. Since then the parish of Temple has passed with the parish of Bolventor; and the writer of this preface has now servedit for over four years.

PREFACE.

The last event of interest connected with the parish is the presentation, by Dr. T. G. Vawdrey, a native of the County, of a stained-glass Window for the Tower. This completes the windows of the Tower. too of them represent St. Catherine, and a Knight Templar, respectively ; and the subject of the third, agreed upon by Dr. Vawdrey and the Vicar . is "Luke, the beloved Physician,” the choiceof this subject being prompted by the tradition that the Knights Templar had a Chapel dedicated to St. LUKE, in the neighbouring parish of Bolventor. The ancient stones, some having formed part of the oldChurch and others haring been monuments in the Graveyard, are now placed against the Churchyard wall, opposite the South Porch; and amongst them will be found much to interest the archaeologist. In closing this preface, the VICAR must mention that it is

largely through the kind help of Dr. T. G. VAWDREY that this reprint has become possible, and that the money arising from its sale will be devoted to the maintenance of the Church.

June. 1905.

J. H. DICKINSON.

Vicar o f Temple

tom jilar.

C

THE Knights Templar were a religious military Order, founded at Jerusalem in the year 1118. This Order, the first military one in the world, was formed on the instigation of Hugh dePagans and Godfrey de St Homer, who, with several other pious and noble men, offered their services to Baldwin King of Jerusalem, to defend all persons, pilgrims and strangers, travelling thither to the HolySepulchre, from robbery and violence. Their vows were chastity, obedience, and poverty, and at first these were strictly carried out. They professed t0 observe the rules of St. Augustine, and were so poor that they represented themselves as havingonly one horse to carry two or three knights, and their seal was “two men on one horse." Baldwin bestowed on them an apartment in his Palace, adjacent to the holy Temple; hence they were called “Knights Templar." Afterwards, the Canons of the Temple gavethem a piece of ground on which to build; and the King, Inrds, and Prelates gave them moneys out of their own revenues. Their rules now stated that they were to guard the highway against robbers, to hear theHoly Office every day, or, if prevented so doing by their military duties, to say a certain number of Paternosters instead. They were to abstain from flesh four days a week, and on Friday from eggs and milk meats. Each knight should have three horses and one esquire, but should neither hunt nor fowl.The dress prescribed for them by Pope Honorious, who confirmed their Order, was plain white, to which Eugenius 111 added a red Cross on the breast.In a short time, they increased to 300 knights, besides a considerable number of brethren. They seem to have gained very early settlements in England, as in other kingdoms, their Churches being in every case exempted from the jurisdiction of Prelates not of theirOrder; as proved by the Church at Temple, which anciently was never visited by the Bishop of the Diocese or his subordinate officials. It is said that in the course of years the gallant knights established preceptories in desert and uncultivated places, with theview of introducing inhabitants, or of civilizing the few scattered over the wilderness. Whether this was the case at Temple, or whether it was as local tradition states originally a resting place for bands of Crusaders, we cannot tell now.In the year 1218, the Order of Knights Templar was confirmed at the Council of Troyes, and subject to a rule of discipline drawn up by St Bernard. In every nation (for they soon spread all over Europe) the Order had a particular Governor, called "Master of the Temple." Their Grand Master had his residence inParis. As time went on, the vow of poverty became a thing of the past. The Order accumulated vast riches, and the knights became men of military renown. The part they took in the wars of the Crusades iswell known, and great numbers of them fell fighting for the cause. Nineteen years after the Crusades the whole Order was suppressed through the machinations of the vindictive Philip IV. of France, the enemy ofthe Church, through whose instrumentality, in 1307, a series of charges was brought against, the Knights by two members of their Order, who had been degraded for their crimes and who were then in prison for theiroffences The Knights were accused of having sold Crusaders in the Holy War into the hands of the Turks, of sacrificing human beings to an idol they worshipped, of spitting upon the Cross of Christ, of worshipping acat, or a wooden head crowned with gold, and of un natural crimes. Doubtless among many of them riches had multiplied: many were proud, haughty and vicious; arrogance, luxury, and cruelty existed. Butthe real cause of their ruin lay in the foul act. of Philip the Fair, King of France, who coveted their rich lands, and of Pope Clement V., who had long sojourned in France and wished to do a favour to the King, theirgreat wealth was the real cause. As a quaint old historian says, “The King could not get the honey without he burnt the bees.” It was also partly the result of hatred against their Grand Master at Paris, who had

offended Philip in several matters; and also in the action taken by the Order in his quarrel with Pope Boniface VIII. In this the Knights Templar had taken the Pope’s side against the King, and had furnishedhim with money to carry on the war. Philip asked the Pope that all the lands of the Knights Templar in France might be forfeited “by reason of their horrible heresies and licentious lives,” and all put in prison andtheir lands given to bis youngest son. But he was terribly disappointed, for the Council of Vienna ordered all their lands to be given to the Knights Hospitaler. The cruel order was carried out: the whole body wassuppressed, the Knights were cast into prison, they were put on the rack, they were burned at the stake. They solemnly avowed their innocence while languishing under the severest tortures, and even with their dying breath denied the crimes with which they werecharged. But nothing saved them. A Knight Templar burned at Bordeaux, on his way to the stake, saw the Pope and the King looking secretly from a window, and loudly denounced them for their treachery andcruelty. Edward II. of England was reluctantly drawn into the persecution, and in 1308 an inquisition was made of all the possessions of the fraternity in England, both in lands and goods. The result of thisinquisition is preserved in what are called the Templars’ Rolls (2 & 3 Edward II.) in the Public Record Office. These Rolls enter into very minute details, showing even the number of poultry on each estate. Though the Kings both of France and Englandseized all the property of the Knights and kept the movable goods, it was found they could not retain the landed possessions of the Order, which in England and France were transferred to the Knights of St. John ofJerusalem, or Hospitalers. Great, difficulties were found, however, in getting possession. In many oases the lords of the fees had seized the estates, and it. was only by process of law they could be recovered; andeven as late as 1338 some of the most valuable of the Templars’ manors had not been surrendered. Before the last mentioned dale, they possessed the preceptory and manor of Trehighe in Cornwall, as appears from an extent, of their lands preserved in thePublic Library' at Malta. The manors of Trehighe and Temple seem from this time to have gone together. We find when the Order of Knights Hospitaler was suppressed, their lands were transferred to the King,Henry VIII. Then we have an interesting lease by Edward VI. Philip and Mary, however, upon consultation with Cardinal Pole, decided to restore the Order of Knights Hospitaler, and did so; but Queen Elizabeth again dissolved them and seized all their lands.After several interesting changes in ownership, which arc detailed in Sir John Maclean's admirable work on Trigg Minor (to which this pamphlet, is largely indebted) the manors of Trebighe and Temple passed into the Wrey family. Since 1632, Temple Church, once the resting-place arid home of the ancient Knights Templar, the warriorsof the Crusades, has been in the gift and has pertainied to the baronetcy of the Wrey family.

Boconnoc (Cornish :Boskennek) is a civil parish in Cornwall , England, United Kingdom, approximately four miles (6km) east of the town ofLostwithiel.^[1]According to the2011 censusthe parish had a population of 96.

The parish is rural in character and is fairly well wooded. It is bordered to the west bySt Winnowparish, to the south bySt Veepparish, to the southeast and east byLanreathparish, and to the north byBraddockparish.^[2]The hamlets ofCouch's Milland Brooks are in the parish.^[3]Part of ancient deer park at Boconnoc House contains an internationally important assemblage oflichensand is one of the most important sites in Europe for lichens.^[4]

H

There are Cornish crosses in the churchyard, on Druids' Hill and in Boconnoc Park. The latter cross was removed to here fromLanliveryand has some curious incised ornament.^[5]

Themanorof Boconnoc is listed in theDomesday Bookof 1086 asBochenod, and was then one of the many hundred possessions ofRobert, Count of Mortain, the half-brother of King William the Conqueror.^[6]Robert's tenant was a Briton named as "Offers", elsewhere in the Domesday Book named "Offels, Offerd, Offers, Osfert, Osfertus",^[7]and now known as "Osfrith ofOkehampton" in Devon.^[8]In 1086 Osfrith held in total 12 manors in Devon and Cornwall, and before theNorman Conquestof 1066 had held 20.^[8]The holder in 1268 was De Cant.^[9]

Carminow Effigies of Roger Carminow (d.1308) and his wife Joan Dinham in the church of St Mawgan-in-Meneage, Cornwall. In the cross-legged pose supposed to represent crusaders, he displays on his shield the arms of Carminow:Azure, a bend orarms of Carminow:Azure, a bend or

At some point Boconnoc came into the possession of the Carminow family, who originated in the Cornish parish ofMawgan in Meneage. The church there contains stone effigies of Roger Carminow (died 1308) in armour beside his wife Joan Dinham, daughter of Oliver Dinham (died 1299), 1st Baron.^[10]He is said to have fought under KingEdward Iin his wars in Scotland and to have served asMember of ParliamentforCornwallin 1300.^[11]His son Sir John Carminow (died 1341) married Joan Glyn (died 1349), daughter of Sir John Glyn,^[10]and their son was Sir Walter Carminow, who married Alice Tintern, daughter of Sir Stephen Tintern, ofSt Tudy. They had two sons, the elder being Sir Ralph Carminow (died 1386), who sat three times as MP for Cornwall, in 1383, 1384 and 1386, but left no surviving children.^[12]

Some details of Sir Ralph's time at Boconnoc can be found in the “History of Parliament”. In the 1370s he and his brother petitionedEdward the Black Prince, asDuke of Cornwalland his father KingEdward III of Englandagainst John Sergeaux, husband of his wife’s sister, alleging that Sergeaux had sent men to Boconnoc, viciously assaulted him and his wife, removed 200 pounds worth of goods, and left him for dead. While serving as sheriff of Cornwall, Sergeaux then launched a second effort to obtain the property by anattachment order, taking more of his possessions to an alleged value of 1,000 pounds.^[12]

On a visitation of the diocese in 1371, BishopThomas Brantinghamof Exeter found that Sir Ralph and his first wife Catherine Champernowne were living as man and wife illegally, their marriage being invalid incanon lawas they were related in both the third and the fourth degrees ofconsanguinity. Summoned before the bishop in 1372, Sir Ralph presented letters he had obtained from the papal nuncio, CardinalSimon Langham, granting the couple dispensation for the marriage.^[12]

In 1381 a royal commission found thatWilliam Botreaux, 1st Baron, hearing of thePeasants' Revoltin London, had gathered 80 men and broken into the park at Boconnoc, hunted the deer, killing 20 of them, and generally damaged the property. Botreaux’s wife appealed against the charge, saying that her husband was then on military service in Portugal and that the accusation against him was false. In 1383 Sir Ralph was one of 18 major landowners in Cornwall ordered to reside near the sea, in his case probably at Boconnoc which is at the head of the Fowey estuary, in order to provide prompt defence in case of French invasion.^[12]

He was supposed to be at Westminster for the opening of Parliament on 1 October 1386 but had not left Boconnoc by 9 October 1386, when he went out hunting with a pair of greyhounds, who pulled him to his death over the edge of a cliff (the fate of the dogs is not recorded).^[12]

The estate passed to his younger brother, Sir William Carminow (died 1407),^[12]Sheriff of Devonin 1391 and MP for Cornwall in 1407, who married Margaret Kelly (died 1420), and his heir was his son Thomas Carminow (died 1442), husband of Joan Hill, the daughter of SirRobert Hill, of Shilstone inModbury. They left two daughters, the elder being Margaret Carminow,^[10]who married first Sir John St Loe, secondly Wiliiam Botreaux, and thirdly SirHugh Courtenay(died 1471) who was executed after theBattle of Tewkesbury. Boconnoc then passed to his eldest son,Edward Courtenay, 1st Earl of Devon.

Courtenay[edit]The Courtenay family, Earls of Devon, during the Wars of the Roses, showing the ancestry and descendants of Courtenay of Boconnoc

Sir Edward de Courtenay of Goodrington was the second son ofHugh de Courtenay, 2nd/10th Earl of Devon(1303–1377), ofTiverton Castlein Devon and ofOkehampton Castlein Devon,feudal baron of Okehampton, andfeudal baron of Plympton. By his wife Emeline Dauney he was the father ofEdward de Courtenay, 3rd/11th Earl of Devon(1357–1419), "The Blind Earl", the ancestor of the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th Earls, which senior line was extinguished during the Wars of the Roses, the last of whom was killed in the Battle of Tewkesbury in 1471. Sir Edward de Courtenay's second son (and therefore the brother of "The Blind Earl") was SirHugh Courtenay(1358-1425) ofHaccombein Devon,^[13]Sheriff of Devonfor 1418/19 and thriceknight of the shireforDevonin 1395, 1397 and 1421,^[14]the grandfather ofEdward Courtenay, 1st Earl of Devon(d.1509), KG, created Earl of Devon in 1485 by King Henry VII.

SirHugh Courtenay(1358-1425) inherited the manor of Haccombe from his heiress wife (his 2nd wife) Philippa Archdekne (alias Ercedecne), a daughter and co-heiress of Sir Warin Archdekne (1354-1400), MP.^[15]His son and heir by his 3rd wife Matilda Beaumont, was SirHugh Courtenay(d.1471) of Boconnoc, who married the heiress Margaret Carminowe. Boconnoc was visited by the antiquaryWilliam Worcester(1415-c.1482) who described the house then standing as "Blekennoc House, a turretted old mansion, lately the seat of Sir Hugh Courtenay".^[16]

It is believed that Boconnoc reverted to the crown in consequence of an attainder in the Courtenay family,^[17]and was later regranted toJohn Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford(c.1485-1555).^[18]It was sold in 1579 byFrancis Russell, 2nd Earl of Bedford(1527–1585) to Sir William Mohun, who died seised of it in about 1587.^[19]Sir William Mohun was in any case one of the rightful co-heirs of the Courtenay family of Boconnoc.

Edward Courtenay, 1st Earl of Devon(c.1527-1556) was unmarried and childless at the time of his death. The manor and Castle ofTivertonand his other numerous estates devolved to his distant cousins, descended from the four sisters of his great-grandfatherEdward Courtenay, 1st Earl of Devon(d.1509), all children of SirHugh Courtenay(d.1471) of Boconnoc and his wife, Margaret Carminow.^[20]These four sisters were as follows:^[21][22]

• Elizabeth Courtenay, wife of John Trethurffe ofTrethurffein the parish ofLadock, Cornwall.
• Maud Courtenay, wife of John Arundell of Talvern
• Isabel/Elizabeth Courtenay, wife of William Mohun ofHallin the parish ofLanteglos-by-Foweyin Cornwall, a descendant of John Mohun (d.1322) ofDunster Castlein Somerset,feudal baron of Dunsterby his wife Anne Tiptoft.^[23][24]In 1628 her descendantJohn Mohun(1595–1641) was created by King Charles IBaron Mohun of Okehampton, his ancestor having inherited as his shareOkehampton Castleand remnants of thefeudal barony of Okehampton, one of the earliest possessions of the Courtenays.^[25]The Mohuns' held the manor of Boconnoc not (as might be expected) as a share of the Courtenay inheritance, but by lease from the Russell family,Earls of Bedford.^[26]
• Florence Courtenay, wife of John Trelawny

Thus the Courtenay estates were divided into four parts.^[20]On the death of Edward Courtenay, Earl of Devon, in 1556, the actual heirs to his estates were the following descendants of the four sisters above:^[27]

• Reginald Mohun (1507/8-67) of Hall in the parish ofLanteglos-by-Foweyin Cornwall, who inheritedOkehampton Castleand had leased Boconnoc from the Earl of Bedford. His descendant wasJohn Mohun, 1st Baron Mohun of Okehampton(1595–1641) who was elevated to the peerage by King Charles I as Baron Mohun of Okehampton, in recognition of his ancestor having inherited Okehampton Castle as his share of the Courtenay inheritance.
• Margaret Buller;
• John Vivian;
• John Trelawny;

Mohun[edit]Mural monument with kneeling effigy, in Boconnoc Church, of Penelope Mohun (d.1637), a daughter ofSir Reginald Mohun, 1st Baronet(c.1564-1639) of Boconnoc, with arms of Mohun:Or, a cross engrailed sable

The Mohuns of Boconnoc and ofHallin the parish ofLanteglos-by-Fowey, in Cornwall, were a junior branch of the Mohun family, and were descended from John Mohun (d. 1322)^[28]ofDunster Castlein Somerset,feudal baron of Dunsterby his wife Anne Tiptoft.^[29][30]William Mohun of Hall married Elizabeth Courtenay, one of the greatest heiresses of her time, one of the four eventual co-heiresses ofEdward Courtenay, 1st Earl of Devon(1527–1556) the last of the mediaeval CourtenayEarls of Devon. The Mohun share of the Courtenay inheritance included Boconnoc in Cornwall andOkehampton Castlein Devon, and other remnants of thefeudal barony of Okehampton, one of the earliest possessions of the Courtenays.

The grandson of William Mohun of Hall and Elizabeth Courtenay wasReginald Mohun(1507/8–1567) of Hall and Boconnoc, who married Jone Trevanion, daughter of Sir William Trevanion and sister of Sir Hugh Trevanion.^[31]

The son of Reginald Mohun and Jone Trevanion was SirWilliam Mohun(c.1540 – 1588) of Hall and Boconnoc, aMember of Parliament.^[32]By his first wife Elizabeth Horsey, the daughter of SirJohn Horsey(d. 1564), MP, he had two sons and one daughter, of whom the eldest son and heir wasJohn Mohun, 1st Baron Mohun of Okehampton(1595–1641) who was elevated to thepeerageby King Charles I asBaron Mohun of Okehampton,^[33]in recognition of his ancestor having inheritedOkehampton Castleas his share of the Courtenay inheritance.

The widow ofCharles Mohun, 4th Baron Mohun(c.1675-1712) sold Boconnoc toThomas Pitt(1653-1726).

Pitt[edit]The "Pitt Diamond", 40% of the proceeds of which were used byThomas Pittto purchase the Boconnoc estate after 1717Boconnoc House, east front, re-built in 1721 by Thomas Pitt, President of Madras, and expanded in 1772 by his great-grandson Thomas Pitt, 1st Baron Camelford

Thomas Pitt(1653-1726) ofBlandford St Maryin Dorset, wasPresident of Madrasin India and six times a Member of Parliament. He was the grandfather ofWilliam Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham("Pitt the Elder"), the father ofWilliam Pitt the Younger, both prime ministers of Great Britain. Thomas Pitt was a wealthy trader who had made a fortune in India, where he acquired for the sum of £20,400 a large and valuable diamond, known as the "Pitt Diamond" (now the "Regent Diamond"). Having sold it in 1717 to the FrenchRegent,Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, for £135,000, he was able to purchase the Boconnoc estate for £54,000.^[34]The "Regent Diamond" is today on display in theLouvreMuseum and is valued at about £60 million. He also used his great wealth to acquire political influence which he did by purchasing therotten boroughsofOld Sarumin Wiltshire, where he had the power to nominate both MPs, andOkehamptonin Devon, where he had the power to nominate one. He also acquired considerable influence in at least twoCornishboroughs, namelyCamelfordandGrampound. Many of his family entered Parliament representing these family boroughs. After his death in 1726 the estate passed to his sonRobert Pitt(1680-1727), MP, who died one year later in 1727, when the estate descended to his sonThomas Pitt(c.1705-1761), Lord Warden of the Stannaries, the elder brother of William Pitt the Elder, the prime minister.

Obelisk erected at Boconnoc in 1771 byThomas Pitt, 1st Baron Camelfordin memory of his uncle and benefactor SirRichard Lyttelton(d.1770). Situated 1 km to N-E of the house

In 1731Thomas Pitt(c.1705-1761) of Boconnoc married Christiana Lyttelton, a daughter ofSir Thomas Lyttelton, 4th Baronet, MP, of Hagley in Worcestershire and a sister ofGeorge Lyttelton, 1st Baron Lyttelton. His only surviving son wasThomas Pitt, 1st Baron Camelford(1737-1793), of Boconnoc, who developed the china clay mine on the Boconnoc estate, and in 1772 added a south wing to Boconnoc House in the form of a picture gallery (demolished 1971).^[35]He died in Italy, but his body was brought home and buried within Boconnoc Church, next to the house.^[36]A monument survives near the house, in the form of a tall graniteobelisk, in memory of the antiquary SirRichard Lyttelton(d.1770), the uncle of the 1st Baron Camelford, who bequeathed him much of his fortune.^[37]Inscribed:^[37]

In gratitude and affection to the memory of Sir Richard Lyttelton and to perpetuate that peculiar character of benevolence which rendered him the delight of his own age and worthy of the veneration of posterity MDCCLXXI

Thomas Pitt, 2nd Baron Camelford(1775–1804), the son of the 1st Baron, was killed in a duel in 1804, when his heir to Boconnoc became his only sisterAnne Pitt(1772-1864) (Lady Grenville), the wife ofWilliam Grenville, 1st Baron Grenville,Prime Ministerfrom 1806 to 1807. Her heir was her nephew George Matthew Fortescue (1791-1877).^[38]

Fortescue[edit]

• George Matthew Fortescue(1791-1877) was the second son ofHugh Fortescue, 1st Earl FortescueofCastle Hill, Filleighin Devon, by his wife Hester Grenville (1767-1847), a daughter of the Prime MinisterGeorge Grenville(1712-1770). In 1833 he married Lady Louisa Elizabeth Ryder (d.1899), the 5th daughter ofDudley Ryder, 1st Earl of Harrowby(1762–1847) (her sister Lady Susan Ryder having married George Matthew Fortescue's elder brother the 2nd Earl Fortescue^[39]), and shortly thereafter inherited Boconnoc from his auntAnne Pitt(1772-1864) (Lady Grenville).
• Cyril Dudley Fortescue (1847-1890) of Boconnoc, Lt-Col Coldstream Guards,^[39]the third son of George Matthew Fortescue.^[39]In theReturn of Owners of Landsurvey of 1873 he was listed in the top ten landowners in Cornwall with an estate of 20,148 acres (81.54km²), or 2.65% of Cornwall.^[40]He died without issue when his heir became his younger brother John Bevill Fortescue (born 1850).
• John Bevill Fortescue (born 1850), a barrister, JP and DL for Cornwall, High Sheriff of Cornwall in 1894, who in 1891 married Dorothy Augusta Hoste, a daughter of AdmiralSir William Legge George Hoste, 2nd Baronet(1818–1868).^[41]
• John Grenville Fortescue (1896-1969) of Boconnoc (2nd son of John Bevill Fortescue) Coldstream Guards, married Daphne Marjory Bourke, only child of Hon Algernon Henry Bourke, a son ofRichard Southwell Bourke, 6th Earl of Mayo. His son and heir was (John) Desmond Grenville Fortescue (1919-2017).
• Captain (John) Desmond Grenville Fortescue (1919-2017), Coldstream Guards, JP and DL for Cornwall, andHigh Sheriff of Cornwallfor 1966/7. He married firstly, in 1942, Nina Kendall-Lane, daughter of Ernest Kendall-Lane, and secondly, in 1988, Angela Dorothy England. In 2003 his address was given as "The Stewardry, Boconnoc", having handed over the management of the house to his son Anthony Desmond Grenville Fortescue (1946-2015).
• Anthony Desmond Grenville Fortescue (1946-2015) of Boconnoc,High Sheriff of Cornwall, who married Elizabeth Ann Evered Poole, a daughter of Major Campbell Evered Poole. He was found dead in Boconnoc House on 9 November 2015 following a firearms incident.^[42]The inquest returned an open verdict.^[43]He predeceased his father by two years, and left two daughters and co-heiresses.

Boconnoc House and estate[edit]

Boconnoc House (Grade II* listed^[44]) was built in the 18th century by two members of the Pitt family: one wing was built c. 1721 byThomas Pitt, Governor of Madras, and the other in 1772 byThomas Pitt, 1st Baron Camelford. The two wings formed an L-shape and the grounds are finely landscaped: on a hill behind the house is an obelisk in memory of Sir Richard Lyttelton (1771). During the 19th century the estate passed into the ownership of the Fortescues who made some alterations to the structure in 1883: there are some more recent additions and the south wing was demolished in 1971.

The parish church is behind the house and fairly small: its dedication is unknown. It contains an interesting 15th-century font and a monument to Penelope Mohun, 1637.^[45]The modern tower has five sides in the lower part and eight in the upper. Features of interest include a musicians' gallery, the altar table made by Sir Reginald (Raynold) Mohun, 1621, the Jacobean pulpit, and a monument to Penelope Mohun (d.1637) the wife of William Drew.^[46]

The estate, surrounding theRiver Lerryn, contains a deer park, lake,agricultural landand woodland. Parts of the estate are designated asBoconnoc ParkImportant Plant AreaandBoconnoc Park & WoodsSite of Special Scientific Interest, noted for itsbiologicalcharacteristics.^[47][48]

The estate includes the largest landscapeddeer parkin Cornwall, the home of the Boconnoc Cricket Club.^[49]In 1993 the estate was used as a location for the filmThe Three Musketeers.^[50][51]

Trecangate[edit]Sign marking site of Trecangate Chapel

Between 1820 and 1954 a Methodist chapel stood in the hamlet of Trecangate, in the parish of Boconnoc. It was built usingcob walls; a sign marking its position was erected in 2009.^[52]

Cornish wrestling[edit]

Cornish wrestlingtournaments, for prizes, were held in Boconnoc in the 1700s.^[53]

Wildlife and ecology[edit]

Old-growth,sessile oak(Quercus petraea), growing in ravines and slopes in parts of the ancient deer park at Boconnoc House, contain an internationally important assemblage of lichens, making it one of the most important sites in Europe. The site is also considered to be the best ″old-growth, southern-oceanic oak woodland″ in thesouth-west.^[4]

See also[edit]

• Battle of Braddock Down

Definition of medieval

The adjective medieval literally means “of the Middle Ages,” i.e., the period between antiquity (the Roman world) and the early modern era 

Common chronological range

Historians most often treat the Middle Ages as roughly the 5th century to the 15th century: from the collapse of the Western Roman Empire (commonly dated 476) up to the Renaissance and early modern transitions around 1400–1500 

Standard subperiods and their usual dates

• Early Middle Ages: about 500–1000.
• High Middle Ages: about 1000–1300.
• Late Middle Ages: about 1300–1500.
  These are conventional labels; exact boundaries vary by region and by the historian’s focus 

What authors usually mean when they write “medieval”

• Broad cultural sense: the social, political, religious, and material world shaped by feudal institutions, Christendom, and post‑Roman societies in Europe between Late Antiquity and the Renaissance 
• In specialised works an author may narrow the term (for example, “medieval urban law” might mean 1100–1400), so check the author’s period definition in introductions or captions 

Origin and first use of the word

The English term derives from Latin medium aevum “middle age.” The modern English adjective (often spelled mediaeval earlier) was coined in the 19th century from that Latin phrase; recorded modern forms date from the early 1800s (commonly cited 1825 for the form medieval/mediaeval) 

Quick guidance for reading historical scripts

When you encounter “medieval” in a text, assume 5th–15th centuries unless the author states otherwise; for precise work always look for the author’s explicit chronological scope because usages and boundary years differ by topic and region 

Bronze Age time boundaries overview

The Bronze Age is a cultural-technical phase defined by the pervasive use of bronze (an alloy of copper with tin or arsenic), alongside associated changes in technology, trade, burial practice, and social organisation. Its absolute dates vary widely by region because metallurgy and associated cultural changes spread at different times. Below are commonly used regional ranges and practical guidance for tagging or labelling gazetteer entries.

Common regional date ranges

• Near East and Anatolia
  Early Bronze Age: c. 3300–2100 BCE; Middle Bronze Age: c. 2100–1600 BCE; Late Bronze Age: c. 1600–1200 BCE.
• Aegean (Greece and Cyclades)
  Early Bronze Age: c. 3000–2000 BCE; Middle Bronze Age: c. 2000–1600 BCE; Late Bronze Age: c. 1600–1100 BCE.
• Central and Western Europe
  Broad Bronze Age: c. 2300–800 BCE; subdivided (Early/Middle/Late) roughly as Early c. 2300–1500 BCE, Middle c. 1500–1200 BCE, Late c. 1200–800 BCE.
• British Isles (including Devon and Cornwall)
  Broad Bronze Age: c. 2500–800 BCE; Early Bronze Age often starts c. 2500–2000 BCE (after Late Neolithic/Beaker horizons), Late Bronze Age ends c. 800 BCE.
• South Asia (Indian subcontinent)
  Indus-related Bronze Age/Harappan: c. 3300–1300 BCE (mature Harappan c. 2600–1900 BCE); local Bronze-using traditions continue and overlap with early Iron use.
• East Asia
  Bronze Age in China: roughly c. 2000–771 BCE (Xia-Shang-Zhou sequences; Shang c. 1600–1046 BCE is strongly bronze-rich).
• The Americas and parts of Sub-Saharan Africa
  No true widespread Bronze Age phase comparable to Old World sequences; metallurgy often appears much later and in different forms.

Practical guidance for mapping and gazetteer work

• Use region-specific ranges rather than a single global boundary.
• For ambiguous or single-site reports, prefer relative labels: Early Bronze Age, Middle Bronze Age, Late Bronze Age, or Bronze Age (broad)with a numeric range (e.g., Bronze Age c. 2500–800 BCE).
• Where chronology is uncertain, record both: cultural label(Bronze Age) and confidence/precision(e.g., high if radiocarbon dated; low if typological only).
• Include key local markers in metadata: metallurgy present; Beaker/urnfield/bronze-ritual features; radiocarbon dates range; typology links.
• Allow fields for overlapping phases (e.g., “Late Neolithic / Early Bronze Age transitional”) and for caveats like reuse or later disturbance.

Why ranges differ and how to communicate that

• Start and end dates depend on: first local alloy production; availability of tin or copper sources and trade; cultural adoption of bronze technologies; and the arrival of ironworking.
• Use wording that communicates variability: “Bronze Age (regional: c. 2500–800 BCE)”or “Bronze Age — British Isles convention: c. 2500–800 BCE”.
• When precision matters, attach dating evidence: radiocarbon ranges, stratigraphic context, or diagnostic artefact types.

Short recommended labels for database fields

• Period label: Bronze Age
• Region qualifier: e.g., British Isles
• Numeric range: e.g., c. 2500–800 BCE
• Subdivision: Early / Middle / Late (if known)
• Dating confidence: High / Medium / Low
• Dating evidence: Radiocarbon; typology; stratigraphy; historical reference

The suffix ‘ton’ constitutes a sort of test word,” says Mr. Isaac Taylor, “ by which we are able to discriminate the Anglo-Saxon settlements.”1 “A tun or ‘ton ’ was a place
surrounded by a hedge, or rudely fortified by a palisade”

The passage you quoted is part of the author’s argument that Plympton’s name is unmistakably Anglo‑Saxon, and that the key to recognising this lies in the suffix ‑ton. The PDF you have open confirms this discussion in its treatment of early Plympton history .

🏰 What ‑tonActually Signifies

The core point is that ‑ton(Old English tūn) originally meant:

• An enclosed place— literally a fenced or hedged area

• A defended homestead or settlement— often with a palisade

• A farmstead that could grow into a village or manor

So when you see a place‑name ending in ‑ton, you are almost always looking at:

• A Saxon foundation, or

• A Saxon renamingof an older site they took over.

This is why Isaac Taylor calls it a “test word”: it reliably marks Anglo‑Saxon occupation or administrative control.