LADOCK, commonly pronounced LASSICK.

HALS.

The manuscript relating to this parish is lost.

TONKIN.

Ladock is in the hundred of Powder, and confines on

the west to St. Erme, on the north to St. Enodor, on the east to St. Stephan’s in Branwell, on the south to St. Probus.

This parish takes its name from Saint Ladoca, whom I take to be an Irish Saint; and probably she came over with St. Breage.

This parish is a rectory, valued in the King’s Books at £18. The patronage in Kelland Courtenay, and Thomas Pitt, Esqrs. Governor Pitt, grandfather of Mr. Thomas Pitt, purchased this alternate right of the Lady Mahon, together with all the Mahon property in Cornwall. The incumbent Mr. Wm. Wood.

The manor of Nansoath, in this parish, signifies the fat (i. e. fertile) valley, the name being compounded of nans, a valley, and soath or soa, fat, tallow, &c.

To the north of Nansoath is Hay. This was the seat of the Randyls, and was sold to Mr. William Tregea, of Lambrigan, who did not keep it long, but parted with it to Richard Bone, Gent. who dying without being ever married, left it by will, with several other estates, to his kinsman Richard Bone, Gent. who now lives there, and hath married Anne, the daughter of Mr. John Andrew, of Trethurfe, by whom he has issue. Mr. Randyll’s arms were, Gules, on a cross Argent, three mullets pierced Sable. Mr. Bone’s are, Ermine, a fess indented Sable.

Joining with Hay is Boswaydel, usually called Boswidle, which I take to signify a house in an open place, or one easy to be seen from.

The manor of Bedocke or Bessake. Francis Tregian, Esq. forfeited this manor, with his other lands (see Probus). To the east of this is the church and rectory house; and the manor of Trethurfe or Tretherf. This was anciently, perhaps before the Norman Conquest, the seat of a very eminent family of the same name, who gave for their arms, Azure, a buck’s head cabouched Argent. John Tretherfe was one of the Knights returned to Parliament for this county in the 15th year of King Henry VI. Reginald

Trethurf married Margery, the second daughter and coheir of John St. Aubyn, Esq. by Catharine his wife, the daughter and heir of Sir Robert Challons, of Challons Legh in Devonshire, as appears by a bill in the Treasury, of 7 Henry VI.

THE EDITOR.

In the Taxation of Ecclesiastical Benefices by the Bishops of Lincoln and Winchester, under the authority of Pope Nicholas, will be found:

Taxatio.Decima.
Ecclesia de Sancto Ladoca£6000120
In Wolsey’s Valuation, Ladocke18001160

Besides the church town there is one considerable village in this parish called Bedock or Besock, after the manor of which it forms a part.

Mr. Pitt not only acquired the alternate presentation to this rectory by purchase from the family of Mahon, as is stated by Mr. Tonkin, but also the manor of Ladock, which had previously belonged to the Carminows and Courtenays. The barton of Trethurfe has passed by the heiresses of Kelland Courtenay to the families of Poyntz and Boyle. The barton of Nansaugh is the property and the residence of Mr. Andrews.

Hay, noticed by Mr. Tonkin as belonging to Mr. Richard Bone, came by purchase to the Hearles of Penryn, and in the division of the lands belonging to that family, it has fallen to Mrs. Stephens, of Tregenna.

The manor of Bessake was acquired by Mr. Francis Tregian, son of the gentleman from whom it had been seized, but soon afterwards it passed by sale to the Arundells, from them by gift to the Moncktons, who have added the name of Arundell; and finally Robert Monckton Arundell, Viscount Galway, sold it in 1780 to the late Sir Christopher Hawkins.

The Rev. John Eliot, rector of this parish, and of Truro,

who died in 1760, founded two exhibitions at Exeter College for young men from Truro school.

The vale, extending from north to south quite across this parish, is one of the most beautiful in Cornwall: it was, however, little known beyond the immediate neighbourhood, till the line of road forming the great communication from Falmouth, and the whole western part of the county, with London, was carried through it in the year 1830. The church and tower, which are handsome in themselves, stand on a commanding situation, and are seen to great advantage from the new road.

Ladock measures 4,859 statute acres.

£.s.d.
Annual value of the Real Property, as returned to Parliament in 18154,56600
Poor Rate in 183131020
Population,—
in 1801,
542		in 1811,
651		in 1821,
806[8]		in 1831,
761

giving an increase of 40 per cent. in 30 years.

GEOLOGY, BY DR. BOASE.

This parish is entirely situated on rocks belonging to the slate series; its northern corner, however, approaches very near to the boundary of the granite.

Its different kinds of slates are the same as those of the adjacent parishes of St. Enoder and St. Erme; the rocks of its northern and eastern boundaries resembling those of

St. Enoder, the southern part corresponding to those of St. Erme.

Most of the vallies have been excavated for stream tin, and these have yielded some of the largest pieces of gold that have been found in Cornwall.

[8] This parish presents a very singular anomaly in respect to its Population Return. It would obviously occur that the 8 might possibly have stood for a 7 in the place of hundreds in the return for 1821; but that return at large, as printed by the House of Commons, has

Families employed in Agriculture.Families employed in Trades, &c.Other families.Males.Females.In all.
901915418388806

This gives however 6½ for each family.

If the rate of increase had continued for the last ten years, as it did in the former twenty, the final number would have been 983, with an increase at the rate of 81 per cent. in 30 years.