SOUTH PETHERWIN or PEDERWIN.

HALS.

The manuscript relative to this parish is lost.

TONKIN AND WHITAKER.

South Pederwin is in the hundred of East, and is bounded to the west by Trewenn, Altarnun, and Lewanick, to the north by St. Stephen, to the east by St. Thomas, Lanceston, and Lawhitton, to the south by Lezant.

This parish takes its name [from], and is dedicated to, St. Paternus, who was descended from an ancient family in Armorica, from whence he sailed into Ireland, and living there some time incognito, went from thence into Wales; here his piety and conduct raised him such an interest that the princes of that country, then at variance, laid down their arms at his application. Camden in Cardiganshire tells us, that St. Patern resided there, and had a church there dedicated to his memory, called Llan Badern Vaur, the church of St. Patern the Great.

St. Patern hath likewise two churches here and in Devon dedicated to him, this and North Pederwyn; and having done great service to religion in Wales, he returned into his native country of Armorica, at the instance of his countrymen, where he was received with great respect by Sampson the younger, Archbishop of Dole. The French Bretons keep three holidays in honour of his memory, one upon the day he procured peace among the Welsh princes, the second upon his going into orders, and the third upon the anniversary of his death, which happened about the year 540, and is, I suppose, the day on which the church celebrates his memory, viz. Nov. the 12th.

In anno 1291, 20th Edward I. (Tax. Benef.) the rectory of this church was valued at £6, and was then appropriated to the priory of St. German’s, as it is now to the University of Oxford; and the vicarage at £40. The prior of St. German’s did also receive out of the said vicarage a pension of 13s. 4d.

THE EDITOR.

There is but little to add respecting this parish, which is one of the very few livings held by the University of Oxford, only five in all, with one lectureship.

The church is spacious, and contains several monuments. It stands with a lofty tower on an elevated station; and, being quite surrounded by trees, the whole is conspicuous and beautiful.

There are some annual fairs kept in the church town; and the parish has three other villages, Trecroogo, Tregallen, and Trethevy.

Several of the farms were in former times the property and the residences of small gentlemen.

The principal places are,

Trebersey, where resided the family of Gedy, of whom Richard Gedy was Sheriff of Cornwall in the year 1623, the 21st of King James the First. His daughter and heiress became the wife of Sir John Eliot the celebrated patriot, and in their descendants the property remained till the decease of Mr. John Eliot, about thirty years ago. This gentleman, who was Sheriff in 1776, devised his property to Mr. William Eliot, of Port Eliot, his distant relation. Mr. Eliot took down the old house, and built a large and handsome mansion at some little distance from the former; but, succeeding to Port Eliot and the family property, on the death of his elder brother, he disposed of Trebersey to David Howell, Esq. who has made it his residence.

The Editor has grounds for believing that his father, the Rev. Edward Giddy, was a descendant in the fourth degree, from a nephew of Mr. Richard Gedy of Trebersey, who settled in the West of Cornwall.

Tresmarrow, a seat of the Pipers, previously to their occupying Madford, adjoining to Launceston, came with the heiress of that family, to a younger son of Sir Richard Vyvyan of Trelowarren; their son, Mr. Philip Vyvyan, having married Mary, the daughter of Sheldon Walter, Esq. acquired Tremeal in the same parish, where he resided. Mr. Vyvyan left two sons and a daughter: Vvol, the eldest, succeeded to the family property, on the decease of his father’s first cousin, the Rev. Sir Carew Vyvyan. The second son married, but died without a family. The daughter, Harriot, married Stephen Luke, Esq. M.D.; and on the sale and division of Mr. Philip Vyvyan’s landed property, Dr. Luke acquired Tresmarrow, which is now become a farm house.

Tremeal has been noticed above. Mr. Philip Vyvyan

either rebuilt or greatly improved the house. After his decease, it was sold to Mr. Archer, brother to Mr. Archer of Trelaske, who resided here for some time: but, experiencing one of the most severe afflictions to which human nature is exposed, by losing the dearest of all friends, he reduced the house to a fit dwelling for one who should occupy the farm, and abandoned a place deprived of all its attractions and of all its charms.

A very different picture is presented to the mind by a monumental inscription in the churchyard, which has been frequently copied on account of its strange absurdity.

Beneath this stone Humphry and Jone

Together rest in peace:

Living, indeed—they disagreed,

Now here all quarrels cease.

South Petherwin measures 4710 statute acres.

£.s.d.
Annual value of the Real Property, as returned to Parliament in 1815500500
Poor Rate in 1831626150
Population,—
in 1801,
699		in 1811,
733		in 1821,
914		in 1831,
988

giving an increase of 41 per cent. in 30 years.

Present Vicar, the Rev. R. S. Stevens, presented by the University of Oxford in 1824.

GEOLOGY, BY DOCTOR BOASE.

This parish is entirely situated on rocks of the calcareous series, consisting of a blue argillaceous slate, more or less fissile, of lamillar calcareous schist, and black limestone; so that its geological composition is in all respects similar to what is found in the adjoining parishes of Launceston, Lawhitton, and Lezant.