WARLEGGON.
HALS.
Warleggan or Warleggon rectory is situate in the hundred of West, and hath upon the north Temple, east St. Neot, south St. Pineck, west Cardinham.
In the Domesday Book 1087, this place was distinguished and taxed by the name of Cabell-an, id est, the chapel, (ab-Capella-an, Cornish Latin) or Neot’s-ton, and at-Cabillian, now Cabilla, i. e. the chapel in this parish tempore Henry III. and Edward I. Petrus filius Ogeri tenet quadraginta acras terræ per serjantiam in Cabillian, in com. Cornub. per unam capam de gresenge, in adventum dicti Regis in Cornubiam, i. e. a grey cape coat with a cape or capouch.
At the time of the Inquisition of the Bishops of Lincoln and Winchester into the value of Cornish Benefices 1294, Ecclesia de Warliggan was rated xxs. In Wolsey’s Inquisition 1521, Warliggan was valued 5l. 17s. 6d. The patronage is in Gregor, in right of his manor of Warliggon; the incumbent Trigg; and the parish is rated to the 4s. per pound Land Tax of one year, by the name of War-liggan, 55l. 4s.
Tren-Gove, alias Tren-Goffe, in this parish, synonymous words signifying a stout, strong, robust, or courageous smith, so called for that some such mechanic person heretofore lived in this place, or was lord thereof, gave name and original to an old family of gentlemen, from thence surnamed de Trengoffe, according to Verstegan’s rhyme, by me set down under Angove in Illogan parish:
“From whence came Smith, let him be Lord or ’Squire,
But from the smith that forgeth in the fire?”
One of whose posterity sold those lands to Tubb, in whose issue it remained for several descents; till by them sold to Parker, whose son or grandson sold the same to John Trengoff, alias Nance, Esq. now in possession thereof, some time Commissioner for the Peace and Taxes; a younger branch of those Trengoves or Trengoffs that sold this barton to Tubb aforesaid, and were so transnominated from living at Nance in Illogan, whereof they had a lease. This gentleman married Chester, his father Heale; and giveth for his arms, Argent, a cross hammed (i. e. couped) Sable.
TONKIN AND WHITAKER.
Worleggon, in the hundred of West, hath to the west Cardenham, to the north Temple, to the east St. Neot’s, to the south Bradock.
As for the name, I take it to be an abbreviation of Warth-la-gan, the higher place on the downs, or the higher downy place, which will agree very well with the situation of this church and parish, which lies high, and mostly coarse ground, though some of it be now much improved. [War Le Gan, upon the down, forms a nearer etymon. W.]
This is a rectory, valued in the King’s Book £5. 18s. 6d. the patronage in Francis Gregor, Esq.; the incumbent Mr. Daniel Bandry; [who was succeeded by Mr. Samuel Gurney, of Tregoney. W.]
In an. 1291, 20 Edw. I. this church was valued (Tax. Benef.) at xxs. having never been appropriated.
THE MANOR OF WARLEGGON,
[Which gave name to the parish, and took it from its own house, being built upon a down. W.]
Mr. Lysons states, that the manor of Warleggon, carrying with it the advowson of the rectory, has been long in the Gregor family. Another manor of the same name, belonging to the Corytons, was purchased by John Trengove, otherwise —— Nance, Esq. in the year 1680, from whom it has descended to James Wyard Gooch, Esq. of Orford in Suffolk.
The manor of Carborro or Carburrow has been for a considerable time in the family of Arscott Bickford, Esq. of Deansland in Devonshire.
The church and tower of this parish suffered most severely from lightning so recently as in the year 1818, when on Saturday the 14th of March, according to the accounts then published, the tower was almost shivered to pieces, and a part falling on the church, nearly destroyed the whole interior, as well as the roof.
The improvidence and carelessness of mankind, in respect to contingent dangers, more especially when they are unconnected with individual interest, is not in any instance more manifestly displayed than in what regards precautions against the tremendous effects of lightning. Tower after tower has been struck in the county of Cornwall, and scarcely one is provided with a simple metallic rod, which would obviate all danger; and, more astonishingly still, vessels of war, with hundreds of persons on board, and merchant vessels, laden with the richest cargoes, are allowed to proceed on voyages, exposed to the danger of utter destruction from this cause, on account of a reluctance to incur an expense almost imperceptible in the general outfit, if no value were placed on human life. On this subject the reader may be desired to consult the writings of William Snow Harris, Esq. F.R.S. of Plymouth, one among the distinguished natural philosophers of modern times.
Warleggon measures 1807 statute acres.
| £. | s. | d. | |
| Annual value of the Real Property as returned to Parliament in 1815 | 1,127 | 0 | 0 |
| Poor Rate in 1831 | 175 | 16 | 0 |
| Population,— | |||
| in 1801, 166 | in 1811, 228 | in 1821, 296 | in 1831, 274 |
giving an increase of 60 per cent. in 30 years.
Present Rector, the Rev. D. Clements, instituted 1833; the net income of the living in 1831 was £125.
THE GEOLOGY, BY DR. BOASE.
This parish, like the adjoining and parallel parish of Cardinham, commences in the northern part on granite, and in proceeding southward gradually passes from rocks of the porphyritic series into those of the calcareous series.