In the Inquisition of the Bishops of Lincoln and Winchester, 1294, Ecclesia de Sancto Constantino, was valued to first fruits 10l. Vicar ejusdem 40l. in Decanatu de Kerryer. In Wolsey’s Inquisition, 1521, Constantine Vic. was taxed to first fruits 19l. 8s. 10½d. The patronage in the Dean and Chapter of Exeter; the incumbent Perry; the rectory in Robert Quarme of Creed; and the parish rated to the 4s. per pound Land Tax, 1696, 168l. 16s. 8d. by the old name of Constenton. The titular guardian of this church, St. Constantine, Emperor
of Rome, was the first emperor in the world that professed Christianity. He was the son of Constantius Chlorus Emperor of Rome; first an officer of war under the Emperor Aurelian, against Coill or Coillus, King or Duke of Colchester in Britain, (called by some writers Caer-Collyn, Caer-Col-lyn, i. e. the city or castle on the neck of the lake, or bosom of waters, it being situate on the confluence of the Medway river), which Coil, having refused to pay the tribute due to the Senate of Rome, caused that province to revolt; but Constantius forced him into a submission, when soon after he died; and Constantius is said to have married his only daughter and heir Helen, by whom he had all her father’s lands and territories, Anno Dom. 289. By her he had issue Constantine, who followed the wars in his father’s time against Maxentius; and lying on his bed, before a battle, a dream or vision appeared to him in shape of an angel, holding in his hand a shining red cross, and calling to him with a loud voice “Constantine! Εν τουτῳ νικα, in hoc signo vinces, i. e. under this sign or banner thou shalt have victory.” Whereupon he commanded a red cross to be pourtrayed in all his banners, called the labanum, and soon after gave battle to Maxentius at Pont Milvium, in Italy, where his [the latter’s] army was routed, and himself drowned in that river. The success of which battle so wrought upon Constantine that he forthwith turned Christian, and was baptized by Pope Silvester, Bishop of Rome.
In this parish, at Tre-warde-vi, as taxed in Domesday Roll, (i. e. the shining or flying guard town, or the indignation, or wrath guard town,) is the dwelling of John Trewren, Esq. i. e. the wren’s town, who married Vyvyan of Trelowarren; his father Rice; and giveth for his arms, Azure, three Besants. The present possessor —— Trewren, Esq. that married Prisk of Helston.
In this parish is the dwelling of Edward Chapman, Gent. that married Bligh of Botadon.
This gentleman received from God’s holy angels a wonderful preservation in the beginning of the reign of William III. when returning from Redruth towards his own house about seven miles distant, with his servant, late at night, and both much intoxicated with liquor, (as himself told me,) nevertheless having so much sense left as to consider that they were to pass through several tin mines or shafts near the highway, on the south-east side of Redruth town, alighted both from their horses, and led them in their hands after them. The servant went somewhat before his master, the better to keep the right road in those places, which occasioned Mr. Chapman’s turning aside somewhat out of the way, whereby in the dark he suddenly fell into a tin mine above twenty fathom deep, at whose fall into this precipice his horse started back and escaped; in this pit or hole Mr. Chapman fell directly down fifteen fathoms without let or intermission, where meeting a cross drift (above six fathom of water under it), he in his campaign coat, sword, and boots, was miraculously stopped, where coming to himself, he was not much sensible of any hurt or bruises he had received, through the terror and horror of his fall; when, considering in what condition he was, he resolved to make the best expedient he could to prevent his falling further down, (where, by the dropping or reesing of stones and earth moved by his fall, he understood there was much water under,) so he rested his back against one side of the mine, and his feet against the other, athwart the hole, and in order to fix his hands on some solid thing, drew his sword out of its sheath and thrust the blade thereof as far as he could into the opposite part of the shaft, and so in great pain and terror rested himself.
The suddenness of this accident, and the horse’s escaping in the dark as aforesaid, was the reason why Mr. Chapman’s servant, who went before him, did not so soon find him wanting as otherwise he might, which as
soon as he did, he went back the road way in quest of him, calling him aloud by his name; but receiving no answer, nor being able to find the horse, he concluded his master had rode home to his house some other way, whereupon, giving up all further search after him, he hastened home to Constantine, expecting to have met him there; but, contrary to his expectations, found he was not returned. Whereupon his servants, early next morning, went forth to inquire after him, and suspecting (as it happened) he might be fallen into some tin-shafts about Redruth, hastened thither, where, before they arrived, some tinners had taken into custody his horse (with bridle and saddle on) which they found grazing on the Wastrell Downs. Whereupon, consulting together about this tragical mishap, it was resolved forthwith that some of those tinners, for reward, should search the most dangerous shafts in order to find his body either living or dead; accordingly they employed themselves that day till about four o’clock in the afternoon without any discovery of him. Finally, one person returned to his company, and told them that at a considerable distance he heard a kind of human voice under ground; to which place they repaired, and making loud cries to the hole of the shaft, he forthwith answered them that he was there alive, and prayed their assistance in order to deliver him from that tremendous place; whereupon, immediately they set on tackle-ropes and windlass on the old shaft, so that a tinner descended to the place where he rested, and having candle-light with him bound him fast in a rope, and so drew him safely to land, where, to their great admiration and joy, it appeared he had neither broke any bone, or was much bruised by the fall; verifying together the attribute of Divine Omnipotence that nothing is impossible with God,—and that old English proverb, that drunkards seldom take hurt; for, as the tinners said, if he had fallen but two or three feet lower, he must inevitably have
been drowned in the water. But maugre all those adverse accidents, after about seventeen hours stay in the pit aforesaid, he miraculously escaped death and lived many years after, and would recount this history with as much pleasure as men do the ballads of Chevy Chase or Rosamond Clifford.
In this parish is the dwelling of James Trefusis, Gent. that married Worth; his father Penarth, originally descended from Trefusis of Trefusis in Mylor, as I am informed.
Moreover, it must be remembered in this place, of St. Constantine, that he was the first prince that ever endowed Christian churches beyond the seas with standing rents, lands, and revenues, and also gave to the church the tenth part of all lands and goods he possessed himself, whereupon the clergy claimed tithes therein by a law. And such officers or publicans as gathered it were called Decumani, (as Appian saith); for before that time tithes were only taken by the Senate of Rome and Emperor for the supply of the legions and armies in time of war, and not otherwise. Afterwards, Constantine made a law that all princes under his dominion should give the tenth part of their revenues towards the maintenance of churches and temples, as himself had done.