LEWANNICK.
HALS.
The manuscript relating to this parish is lost.
TONKIN.
Lewannick is in the hundred of East, and hath to the west and north Alternun, to the east South Pederwin, to the south North Hill.
The right name of this parish is Lanwennock; and it is dedicated to the same Wennack as Landewednack. It is a vicarage valued in the King’s Books at £7. 18s. 2d. The patronage in the Crown.
This is but a poor parish, and hath not many noted places in it. The most considerable is the manor of Trelask, Trelask, that is the burnt town, from such an accident I suppose happening there.
I take this to be the most ancient seat of the Lowers in this county; who in the last century were a flourishing family, divided into several branches, though now the females have carried off the estates into other families, and there are very few of the males remaining.
On the death of Edward Roper, Esq. this manor fell to —— Plowden, Esq. descended from the famous lawyer of that name, who is the present lord of it.
THE EDITOR.
The parish church is distinguished by some remains of Gothic ornaments, and by its lofty tower. Within the church are some recent monuments to the Archers of Trelask,
and one to the Rev. W. A. Morgan, the late vicar. There are also several ancient monuments, but greatly defaced.
The villages in this parish are small, and the houses are generally constructed of the least durable materials. The principal are Hick’s Mill, Pollyfont, Trenhorne, and Trevadlack.
The manor of Trelaske, having originally belonged to a family of the same name, came to the Uptons. It is stated by Mr. Lysons that two co-heiresses of the Upton family married two brothers of the Lowers, between whom the property was divided. One half passed to the family of Plowden; and the other half was sold by Thomas Lower, Esq. who died in 1703, to John Addis, Esq. whose son purchased the share of William Plowden and others. In 1741, William Addis, Esq. bequeathed the whole to Nicholas Swete Archer, Esq. in whose collateral heirs it still remains. Trelaske is a handsome gentleman’s seat, and surrounded by extensive woods. Mr. Nicholas Swete Archer married a sister of the late Mr. Francis Basset, of Tehidy, and resided chiefly at Truro in a house the property of Mr. Enys, of Enys, who had married another sister of Mr. Francis Basset; this gentleman dying without children, left Trelaske to his nephew, whose son greatly improved the house and the place; but has recently been taken out of this life at an early age, leaving a numerous family amply provided with the gifts of fortune, and consoled by the recollection of a parent universally respected and esteemed.
The manor of Tinney Hall belonged to the family of Beaumont; the last possessor of that name, Mrs. Dorothy Beaumont, bequeathed it to her nephew Mr. John Speccot, of Penheal, from whom it passed to his relation Mr. Thomas Long (see Egloskerry), and the manor now belongs to his heir-at-law the Rev. Charles Sweet.
The etymology given by Mr. Tonkin for Trelaske does not seem to be very probable. The verb Losgi is in
Cornish to burn; but it does not approach nearly to the sound of laske, and the derivation has not any support from tradition at this place, nor in Cubert, nor in Pelynt, where the name occurs.
The manor of Pollyfont was heretofore a parcel of the priory of Minster near Botreaux Castle[1] , and has been annexed to the rectory of Minster parish. Some remains of a chapel are still to be seen at this place.
The great tithes belonged to the family of Gedy or Giddy, of Trebersey, from whom they descended to Mr. John Eliot, heir-at-law of the celebrated patriot Sir John Eliot, who married the heiress of that family; and they were by him devised, with the whole of his property, to Mr. William Eliot, second brother of Lord Eliot, of Port Eliot, now Lord St. Germans, who has parted with them to Mr. William Hocker, of Trewanta in this parish.
Lewanick measures 3,516 statute acres.
| £. | s. | d. | |
| Annual value of the Real Property, as returned to Parliament in 1815 | 3773 | 0 | 0 |
| Poor Rate in 1831 | 431 | 8 | 0 |
| Population,— | |||
| in 1801, 548 | in 1811, 563 | in 1821, 623 | in 1831, 643 |
giving an increase of 17 per cent. in 30 years.
GEOLOGY, BY DR. BOASE.
The geology of this parish is similar to that of Alternun; this parish, however, merely touches the granite on its western corner, whilst the latter is situated on that rock through a considerable extent.
[1] See Carew, p. 125. Lord de Dunstanville’s edition.