LANCESTON, or LAUNCESTON,
ST. MARY MAGDALEN PARISH.
HALS.
The manuscript relating to Lanceston is lost.
TONKIN.
Lanceston is situated in the hundred of East, and is bounded to the south by South Pederwyn, as likewise to the west, to the north by St. Thomas, to the east by St. Stephan’s and Lawhitton.
It is well known that this town and parish took their name from an ancient priory and church here, now demolished, dedicated to St. Stephan, being called by the Cornish Lan Stephadon, the church of Stephan.
The present church is dedicated to St. Mary Magdalen, and is not valued in the King’s Book.
As for what Mr. Carew says, that the Cornish men called it Lesteeven, that is no other than an abbreviation of Lan Stephan.
But before I go on with the account of this town and parish, it will be necessary to observe, that, although Norden (whose authority is indeed of no great weight, even in the description of those things which he had seen himself, and gives draughts of, which for the most part are very erroneous) with many others, call this town, or rather castle, here Dunhevet; yet it is most certain that the ancient town of Dunhevet stood at about half a mile distance to the south-south-west of the present town of Lanceston, in a moorish piece of ground facing the west, at the bottom of
the hill on which Mr. Samuel Line has built his pleasure house and inclosed a bowling-green, (from whence is a very pretty prospect of the vale under it to the east, and the course of the river Tamar) being parcel of the commons belonging to the freemen of Lanceston. I went on purpose to view the ruins of the said town this present year 1731, having before this been led aside by the vulgar opinion, of which every boy I found in the town could satisfy me to the contrary. On the place where the said ruins appear are three wells, which I suppose are from the same spring, being pretty close together; and are, (as I take it) the head of that small river which runs by Tresmorrow, Lanleke, Landew, &c. below which it hath a handsome stone bridge, and soon after falls into the Tamar. So that the said town had, in this respect, the advantage of the new one, as being well supplied with water, which is much wanting in this last. By the ruins it doth not appear to have been of very considerable bigness; though indeed there be no judging well of it, by reason that all the stones of any value have been from time to time carried off to build the present town, and the rest employed to make small inclosures of meadows there.
This place fell to decay, I suppose, on William Earl of Morton building a castle, or rather repairing the old one and putting it in the present form, in the beginning of the Norman times; for, by tradition, this castle has been, from remote antiquity, a seat of the Princes of Cornwall. This William Earl of Morton being also Earl of Cornwall by descent from his father Robert, who was half-brother by his mother to William the Conqueror, drew over the inhabitants of Dunhevet to this place, by granting great privileges to this his chief seat in this county.
But before we go on with the history of this town, let us see what Leland, Camden, and Carew say of it.
Leland.—“After that I had passed over Aterey, I went up by the hill through the long suburbs until I came to the town wall and gate, and so passed through the town, ascending
the hill until I came to the very top of it, where be the market-place and the parish church of St. Stephan, lately re-edified. The large and ancient castle of Launceston standeth on the knappe of the hill by south, a little from the parish church. Much of this castle yet standeth; and the moles that the keep standeth on are large, and of a terrible height; and the arx of it having three several wards, is the strongest, but not the biggest, that ever I saw in any ancient work in England. There is a little pirle of water that serveth the high part of Launceston. The priory of Launceston standeth in the south-west part of the suburb of the town, under the root of the hill by a fair wood side; and through this wood runneth a pirle of water coming out of a hill thereby, and serveth all the offices of the place. In the church I marked two notable tombs, one of Prior Horton and another of Prior Stephan; one also told me that Mabilia, a countess, was buried there in the chapter house; one William Warwist, Bishop of Excester, erected this priory, and was afterwards buried at Plympton priory, that he also erected. Warwist, for the erection of Launceston priory, suppressed the collegiate church of St. Stephan, having Prebendaries; and gave the best part of the lands to Launceston priory, and took the residue himself. There yet standeth a church of St. Stephan, about half a mile from Launceston, on a hill, where the collegiate church was. Gawen Carew hath the custody of the priory. There is also a chapel by west-north-west, a little out of Launceston, dedicated to St. Catharine; it is now profaned.” So far Leland.
Mr. Carew is more particular (p. 274 Lord Dunstanville’s edition). “Those buildings, commonly known by the name of Launston, and written Lanceston, are by the Cornish men called Lesteevan (Lez in Cornish signifieth broad, and these are scatteringly erected) and were anciently termed Lanstaphadon, by interpretation Saint Stephan’s Church: they consist of two boroughs, Downevet
and Newport; that, perhaps, so called, of down-yielding, as having a steep hill; this, of its newer erection. With these, join the parishes of St. Thomas and St. Stephan. The parish church of Launceston itself fetches its title of dedication from Mary Magdalen, whose image is curiously hewed in a side wall, and the whole church fairly built.
“The town was first founded, saith Mr. Hooker, by Eadulphus, brother to Alpsius Duke of Devon and Cornwall; and by its being girded with a wall, argueth in times past to have carried some value.
“A new increase of wealth expresseth itself in the inhabitants’ late repaired and enlarged buildings. They are governed by a mayor and his scarlet-robed brethren; and reap benefit by their fairs and markets, and the county assizes. The statute of 32d Henry VIII. which took order touching sanctuaries, endowed this town with the privilege of one; but I find it not turned to any use.
“To the town there is adjoinant in site, but sequestered in jurisdiction, an ancient castle, whose steep rocky-footed keep hath its top environed with a treble wall; and in regard thereof, men say, was called Castle Terrible. The base court compriseth a decayed chapel, a large hall for holding the shire assizes, the constable’s dwelling-house, and the common gaol.
“About sixty years past (i. e. about 1540) there were found certain leather coins in the castle wall, whose fair stamp and strong substance till then resisted the assault of time as they would now of covetousness.
“A little without the town were founded a friary, and anno 1128 an abbey, furthered by Reginald Earl of Cornwall.” Thus far Mr. Carew.
Having now done with what former writers have said of this place, I come to give my account of it; and herein I shall begin with
THE CASTLE.
This is seated to the west-south-west of the town, so that you have a full prospect of it from the western road. Below the wall is a large and deep graff, which formerly surrounded it, and is still very visible on the western side; the rest being taken up partly by the highway, and partly by gardens and buildings, which on the eastern side come home along to the castle walls. The west gate is in a manner all in ruins; neither are there any remains of the chapel, the hall, or the constable’s house, there being now no other building remaining therein but the house which now serveth for the common gaol; whereas the old one, as the townsmen say, was over the north-east gate, which is still kept in good repair, though no one lives in it.
At the north-east end stands the keep, on a high tapered mount, which I once thought was artificial, though I am now satisfied to the contrary, there being a quarry of stones almost at the very top of it; though there has been some art used nevertheless to bring it to the form that it now has. A covered way formerly led you by steps of stone of an easy ascent, to the top of it, which steps are now carried off as well as the roof, and the whole in a ruinous condition; and truly it moveth compassion to see the woful plight of this so pleasant a seat, accommodated with a fine park, formerly well wooded, with a small rivulet of water running through it. The whole being now held for lease on lives by Hugh Piper, Esq. who by virtue thereof is likewise constable of the castle and keeper of the gaol, the which was granted to his grandfather Sir Hugh Piper, Knt. together with the lieutenant-governorship of Plymouth by King Charles the Second, as a reward for his sufferings and exemplary bravery in the Civil Wars, in one of the battles during which the said Sir Hugh Piper was left for dead in a field for a whole night; being found the next morning, he was put into a warm bed, and carefully looked to. He lived after this to a good old age, as
may be seen by the inscription on his monument in the church.
I had forgotten to say anything of Mr. Willis’s account of this borough, which I shall therefore now insert.
Robert Earl of Morton, and his successors Earls of Cornwall, having their chief residence at this castle, the town increased much in buildings and riches, and had certain privileges and liberties conferred upon it.
There were burgesses inhabiting or belonging to the castle of this town in the reign of King Henry the Second, and the reign of King Henry the Third. The town was by its then lord, Richard Earl of Poictiers and of Cornwall, the King’s brother,[14] made a free borough, who granted to it by his charter, without date, power to choose their own bailiffs, who were to answer the farm of the borough, which was to himself 100l.; to the prior of St. Stephan 65s. 10d.; and to the lepers of St. Leonard, of Lanceston, 100s. of his alms. He granted them also to erect a guild of merchants in the said borough to hold of him and his heirs, which privileges (as may be seen by divers charters and letters patent of the Kings of England, reciting by inspeximus) were frequently confirmed, and with additional liberties. And in the 10th year of Richard the Second, upon the petition of these burgesses, complaining that the last assizes and sessions had been detained from them and held at Lostwithiel, the King grants that these should be kept no where else in the county of Cornwall but at Launceston.
This Prince’s father[15] had, on his being created Duke of Cornwall, inter alia, the castle, borough, and honor of Launceston, assigned to him and the heirs of his body, eldest sons of the Kings of England, in whom accordingly this manor has been vested ever since; and is now held in fee farm by the heir-apparent to the Crown of England, being by birth Duke of Cornwall.
The corporation consists of a mayor, recorder, and eight aldermen, who, with the free burgesses, being in number
about 130, elect the members of Parliament. Its present establishment of incorporation is owing to a charter of Queen Mary, A. D. 1555. At the last Visitation of the Heralds, held on the 27th of Sept. 1620, the entries were,
Thomas Morton, mayor, Sir Anthony Rous, Knt. recorder; John Genis, Richard Estcot, Arthur Pinard, Nicholas Baker, Hugh Vigures, Henry Cary, George Hext, Orwald Cooke, aldermen; and Philip King, town clerk.
Mr. Willis goes on to say, That this was an ancient market town, may be seen by the Pipe Rolls in King John’s time, in whose reign the men of Launceston gave a fine of five marks to change the market from the Lord’s Day, whereon it was formerly kept, to Thursday, although it hath since undergone a second alteration, and is now kept on Saturdays.
THE EDITOR.
No one can approach Launceston, and more especially from the eastward, without being struck by the magnificent remains of the ancient castle.
Mr. Edward King, in the third volume of his Munimenta Antiqua, treats much at large of the fortresses erected in remote times throughout Cornwall; and he particularly dwells on this at Launceston, assigning to it the most remote antiquity on account of its not bearing any resemblance to castles built by the Romans, Saxons, Danes, or Normans, and from its agreement with various of the Phœnician, Syrian, and Median castles, and especially with those in Asia Minor.
Mr. King says, the keep (unlike all Norman keeps) instead of being of great diameter and spacious, is very small, although there was evidently space enough on the top of the rock to have made it as large as Norman magnificence could demand, had it been erected, as some have hastily conjectured, by that people. It is only eighteen feet and a half
in diameter within, and it is quite round. On the contrary, Trematon, in the same county, which may with good reason be concluded to have been built by Robert Earl of Morton, is a true Norman structure; and there cannot be a greater contrast than there is between it and Launceston. Like Tunbridge castle, it is placed, not on a high natural rock, but on an artificial mound, and is no les than sixty feet in diameter on the inside. See Dr. Borlase’s Antiquities, 2d. ed. p. 354.
The wall of the keep at Launceston is exceedingly strong, being at least ten feet thick; and within its thickness is a staircase, ascending up from one side of the passage of the doorway, without any winding, excepting that of the mere curvature of the wall itself.
The present height is thirty-two feet, the upper part being somewhat broken down; and it contained, as its only apartments, a sort of dungeon on the ground, which had no light at all, and two rooms over it, one above the other. The lowermost of these, or the room immediately above the dungeon, was nearly as dismal and dark as the dungeon itself, and appears obviously, therefore, to have been intended merely to be used as a place for store, or a sort of treasury; but in the uppermost apartment there appear to have been two large windows (now broken down) commanding a most extensive view, one to the east and another to the west; and also a fire-hearth, with a passage for the smoke carried up through the thickness of the wall towards the north, all which plainly indicate this room to have been intended as a sort of state apartment for the actual residence of the chieftain.
Such is this tower; and its close surrounding works are no less extraordinary, for we find it encompassed by a second munition still stronger than itself.
About six feet, or a little more, from its outside, is an encircling wall twelve feet thick, and nearly equal in height with the floor of the uppermost apartment of all.
Beyond this second wall is again a second surrounding
area in like manner with the first, only six feet wide, and which was further inclosed by a third encircling wall, forming a sort of parapet.
Beyond all these was an external wall with a deep ditch.
Mr. King then goes on to compare this castle with ancient descriptions of those in the east, and satisfies himself of their identity.
Respecting the name, Dun or Doon, is unquestionably a hill, and thence derivatively a fortress; but no plausible conjecture has been formed in regard to the second syllable.
A similar observation may be made respecting the name of the town. Lan occurs as a prefix, in the sense of indicating a church, eleven times in Cornwall; but it seems difficult to derive “ceston” from Stephan. Yet if the Celtic pronunciation of Stephan was really Staveton, Lanstaveton may have easily glided, through Saxon pronunciation and misapprehension of the terminating syllable into Lanceston.
The priory of Launceston appears to have been a foundation of no small magnitude. The list of its possessions, in the Augmentation Office, exhibit a considerable revenue; and Leland describes its church with handsome monuments: not a trace remains. No one more sincerely rejoices at the downfall of superstition, originating in ages of darkness, than the Editor of this work, and above all at the approaching annihilation throughout Europe of monastic institutions, promised by the regular and steady current of events; but the sudden and indiscriminating devastations of the sixteenth century, sweeping every thing before them like whirlwinds, destroying for the mere sake of wanton destruction, or at the very best—from a desire of obliterating all former remembrances; these stamp on the mind very different impressions; and when it is felt that the storm was urged forwards by the fury of an individual, by the avarice of those occupying the highest stations, and by the purposely inflamed passions of the multitude, it is impossible not
to experience the forebodings of Scipio on the fall of Carthage; and to exclaim with him
Εσσεται ἡμαρ ὁταν ποτ’ ολωλῃ Ιλιος ἱρη,
Και Πριαμος, και λαος ευμελιω Πριαμοιο.
The registers and cartularies of this monastery have disappeared; for these were systematically destroyed. Fragments, however, exist in ancient transcripts; some, formerly in the possession of William Griffith, and referred to by Bishop Tanner, are now preserved in the Lansdowne Collection. Among these the following document may be found relative to the foundation of the priory by William Warlewast, Bishop of Exeter, from 1150 to 1159:—Noscat præsentis temporis ætas, quod Radulfus Ecclesiæ sancti Stephani de Launcestone decanus decanatum mihi Willielmo Episcopo reddidit. Et ego canonicis regularibus, quos in eadem constitui, totum dedi. Testes sunt,
Osbertus, Abbas de Tavistoca.
Gofridus, Prior Plymptoniæ.
Will. de Augo, Archidiaconus Cornubiæ.
Clarenbaldus, Capellanus Regis.
Magister Odo.
The charter from King Henry the Third, also extant, is a fair specimen of the times, and contains some local descriptions of property:—
Henricus Rex Angliæ, &c. salutem. Inspeximus cartam Domini Johannis Regis Patris nostri in hæc verba.
Johannes Dei gratia Rex Angliæ, &c. salutem. Sciatis nos concessisse, dedisse, et hac presenti charta confirmasse Deo et Ecclesiæ Sancti Stephani de Lanstaveton et canonicis ibidem Deo servientibus, pro salute animæ nostræ, et pro anima Henrici Regis Patris nostri, et pro animabus omnium antecessorum et successorum nostrorum, viginti solidatas terræ in manerio nostro de Climerston, et preterea viginti nummatas terræ in eodem manerio. Scilicet, dimidiam acram, quam Eggerus de Holrode tenet. Hæ autem sunt metæ terrarum illarum. Scilicet, a termino terræ
Radulphi Pitlenam sicut rivus descendit in magnam aquam de Eny, et usque ad terminum terræ prædicti Eggeri de Holrode, ex parte orientis et meridiei. Item ex parte occidentis et septentrionis a Wideslade, sicut rivus currit et descendit in magnam aquam de Eny in terram de Climerston et terram de Treuris. Et preter hoc dimidiam acram terræ in Norton quam Warinus tenet. Confirmamus etiam eisdem canonicis omnia subscripta, sicut eis rationabiliter data sunt. Scilicet, ex dono Richardi de Raddon unam virgatam terræ, quæ vocatur Trewenta, quietam et liberam ob omni servitio, præter quindecim denarios, quos reddere debet ad Tidlaton, de quadam consuetudine, quæ vocatur Motiled. Et ex dono Roberti filii Alkitilli, concessu comitis Reginaldi domini sui, terram quæ vocatur Trenchicot. Et ex dono comitis Reginaldi partem Hamelini presbiteri de Capella de Castello, cum omnibus libertatibus et rebus parti illi pertinentibus. Et quadraginta solidos per annum de firma de Castello de Dunheved, et Ecclesiam Sancti Andreæ de Stratton, cum pertinentiis suis; et unam carucatam terræ de dominico manerii de Stratton, uxta alteram terram ejusdem ecclesiæ, cum quadam area Salmarii Elfordiæ, salvo dignitate capellæ nostræ de Castello de Lanstaveton; et Molendinum quod est sub Castello de Dunheved, cum eisdem pertinentiis, et consuetudinibus, quas habebat dum erat in manu Comitis Reginaldi; et terram de Karnedon, quæ est membrum de Kidlacton. Ita quidem quod de reliqua parte ipsius manerii de Kidlacton perficiatur eis tantum; quod bene et plenarie habeant centum solidatas terræ, sicut Comes Baldewinus de Redevers eis concessit et assignavit, et carta sua confirmavit; et ex dono Osberti de Bikesleya viginti solidatas terræ in manerio de Treuris, scilicet villam quæ vocatur Tregof, et terram quæ fuit Luffe, et terram Warnii juxta pontem; et unam acram in villa quæ vacatur Carsbroc, cum hominibus et omnibus quæ ad præfatas terras pertinent; et partem nemoris apud orientem, sicut via dividit usque ad aquam; et ex dono Bernardi Clerici duas acras terræ, quas tres homines tenent et
reddunt Deo et Ecclesiæ Sancti Stephani, inde quinque solidos annuatim, quæ sunt subtus viam Trebursi; et ex dono Willielmi de Henemerdon totam terram de Pech. Hæc quidem omnia cum omnibus pertinentiis suis concessimus eis et confirmavimus dum essemus Comes Moreton, sicut ea rationabiliter possident, et sicut cartæ Donatorum suorum testantur.
Datum per manum H. Cantuariensis Archiepiscopi cancellarii nostri, vigesimo octavo die Junii, apud Aurivallem anno regni nostri primo (1199).
Nos igitus has donationes, &c. confirmamus, &c. Insuper concedimus et confirmamus eisdem canonicis et eorum successoribus, pro nobis et hæredibus nostris, donationem quam Reginaldus Regis Filius, consul Cornubiæ, eis fecit in incrementum Ecclesiæ suæ de Lanstaveton, de Ecclesia de Leskeret, et de Ecclesia de Lankinhorn, in die translationis Reliquiarum et canonicorum ipsius Ecclesiæ de villa de Lanstaveton ad vadum, sicut carta ipsius Reginaldi Regis filii, quam inde habent, rationabiliter testatur.
Hiis testibus,
H. de Burgo, comite Kantii, Justiciario Angliæ.
Philippo de Albiniaco.
Thoma Basset.
Willielmo Basset.
VALOR ECCLESIASTICUS 26 HEN. VIII.
Prioratus de Launceston.
Unde Willielmus Warwest, quondam Episcopus Exon. est Fundator.
| £. | s. | d. | |
| Summa Valoris tam Spiritualium quam Temporalium Prioratus prædicti | 392 | 11 | 2¼ |
| Reprisa | 38 | 10 | 3 |
| Valet clarè ultra repris’ per ann’ | £354 | 0 | 11¼ |
ABSTRACT FROM THE AUGMENTATION OFFICE.
Nuper Prioratus de Launceston.
Launceston, defended by its Acropolis, and important as a frontier town, probably remained in all respects the capital of Cornwall so long as that little state retained its separate existence. Lestwithiel afterwards became the residence of its nominal Earls, took from Launceston the sheriffs’ court, and acquired the technical appellation of the county town.
The assizes, however, continued at Launceston, and the quarter sessions were opened there; and then, for the convenience of the western population, adjourned to Truro. Here also was the only county gaol; till at last the inconvenience and expense became so great, that about the year 1780, a new, extensive, and commodious gaol, with every recent improvement, was constructed at Bodmin, where the summer assizes had been removed under the authority of an act of Parliament 1st Geo. I. c. 45, rendered necessary by the charter of King Richard II.
But Launceston, only two miles from the boundary of Cornwall, and so remote from the mining districts, which comprehend the great masses of population and of litigible property, as to render a journey there in one day impossible, has been long considered wholly unfitted for the holding of any court having jurisdiction thoughout the county; while on the other hand judges and counsel feared to extend their winter’s progress over the bad roads and hills of Cornwall. The roads are now improved, and the hills are avoided; and in this year (1834) an order has been made for holding both assizes in future at the town adjacent to the prison, nearly in the centre of the county, and where an increased inducement will be afforded for providing the accommodation requisite on such occasions.
Launceston itself has received more improvement than almost any other place as a thoroughfare; the great London road crossing it from east to west, and one of considerable importance from north to south.
The exit from the east gate was about ten years ago made safe, and even convenient, from being dangerous in a very high degree; and in the present year (1834) a road from the north
has been wound round the castle at a very easy ascent, and avoided altogether a hill so steep as almost to prohibit the use of wheeled carriages.
Launceston not only sent two Members to Parliament; but the long street, or suburb extending from the foot of the hill at the north gate, sent two members more under the name of Newport. By the act of Parliament of 1832, they are both included in a district, returning one member. Launceston is so amply described by recent writers of the county history, that it would be useless to repeat what they have given. The general view of the place is magnificent; and especially from the new iron bridge, completed this year, across the Tamar at Polston.
The parish of St. Mary Magdalen measures 1090 statute acres. The present Minister is the Rev. John Rowe, appointed by the Corporation in 1808.
| £. | s. | d. | |
| Annual value of the Real Property, as returned to Parliament in 1815 | 3900 | 0 | 0 |
| Poor Rate in 1831 | 736 | 0 | 0 |
| Population,— | |||
| in 1801, 1483 | in 1811, 1758 | in 1821, 2183 | in 1831, 2231 |
giving an increase of 50 per cent. in 30 years.
GEOLOGY, BY DR. BOASE.
Doctor Boase observes on the geology, that clayslate, calcareous schist, limestone, and other rocks belonging to the calcareous series, constitute the substrature of this parish.
It is quite obvious that the conical mound supporting the keep, as well as the whole extent of the bass court, are composed of eminences favourable for defence but improved by art, being scarped in some places and elevated in others.
[14] King of the Romans. Ed.
[15] The Black Prince. Ed.