“As I am obliged to attend at the assizes, I must earnestly recommend the care of the parish in my absence to you, and hope that you will do your endeavours to prevent the very great expense and mischief which must otherwise fall upon us; although you do not at present seem to perceive the danger that threatens us; for the outrage and murder which happened in our parish have justly alarmed the government, and induced his majesty to issue out a proclamation, wherein he offers a reward of two hundred pounds for apprehending Henry Rogers, and one hundred pounds for each of the other offenders, together with a pardon to any who shall discover and apprehend them. He likewise commands all civil magistrates, upon pain of his majesty’s displeasure, to be diligent in suppressing this riot, and bringing the authors of it to the punishment which their crimes deserve. In obedience to this, I think myself obliged, in the faithful discharge of my duty for the preservation of the public peace, and the good of our own parish in particular, to admonish you and the principal inhabitants of it, to give me your aid and assistance in this dangerous and troublesome affair. His Majesty, as he declares in the proclamations, being firmly resolved to put an effectual stop to such enormous practices, hath by his warrant from the Secretary of War, sent orders to the commanders of regiments of soldiers at Exeter, to send to the Sheriff so many soldiers as he shall require and think sufficient
to suppress this notorious violation of the laws of the land, and which certainly will be done by force of arms, if it cannot be stopped by a gentle and careful process. This is a true and exact state of cause; and whoever considers it with due temper, must be filled with the most melancholy apprehensions of the mischief that must happen, if every good subject and Christian does not endeavour to keep off this evil, by endeavouring, as far as his influence can prevail, to make the usual method of bringing crimes to justice effectual. It is for this reason I now write this letter to you, which I hope you will read with serious attention more than once, that it may have a good effect upon you. I myself can foresee, and I wish you likewise could, the dreadful inconvenience and expense of a regiment of soldiers sent down and quartered upon us; particularly this parish, being the unfortunate place of this disorder, must, in a much heavier manner, feel the burthen of it. Consider the charges and the trouble of having every house in the parish filled with soldiers; consider what must be the consequence of abetting and supporting Rogers, whose house will be fired about his ears, and those lives which may be lost if he continues in his extravagance. Take notice, that I have done my duty as justice of the peace and a parishioner; and if you all likewise do yours, by encouraging a proper subjection to authority, and aiding the civil magistrates in discovering and bringing the offenders to justice, these dismal calamities may be prevented. I think more reasonable to advise you of this, because there is too general a mistake and prejudice, or rather vicious encouragement shown, and that too by many who should and do know better, to the unhappy author of this disturbance. To pity the unfortunate is a virtuous character, even to those whose vices have made them so; but at the same time we ought to detect their crimes, and it is for the public good they
should be punished; and this consideration ought to prevail over the concern we may feel for a private person. Murder is a crime of the basest nature, and what the law in common cases never forgives; but when it is committed on any officer in the execution of his duty, and in supporting the usurpation of another’s right, and what the law shall determine such, it is certainly a more complicated guilt. Whosoever abets a murderer, or does what he can to conceal and defend him from justice, is in the eye of God a murderer himself in cold blood. To justify a murderer is the strongest indication of a most base temper; and whosoever does not cry out against the misguided spirit of the people in behalf of Henry Rogers, deserves that character. Whilst the lawsuit was depending all people were at liberty to weigh on either side. It does at first sight seem a little hard that one brother should give away an estate from another; and there must be some strong provocation to make it appear reasonable; but the circumstances of the whole case are not known, and therefore no man is able to form a true judgement of it; not even to pass harsh censures on particular persons; but when the law has determined right, all people must submit to that determination; otherwise no man is secure in his property, but a number of idle resolute fellows may wrest it from him, and declare that in their opinion he has an unjust title to it. So that if you give your estate by will unequally among your children, as they may have behaved more or less dutiful to you, that which has the least may take the other’s part from him; or another relation may possibly hire such another mob, to take away the whole from them. We shall not at such times see property determined by judge and jury, but by force of arms; and the richest and most powerful man will be able to swallow up all the estates of his lesser neighbours. The law is the only protection of our lives and
estates, and if that is once set aside, we must hold them only by the base sanction of a giddy rabble. The law therefore should be strictly maintained by all such who have any possessions. The inferior people indeed, who have nothing to lose, will be at all times for breaking down the fences, that they may have some share of the common plunder. I should mention one instance. Suppose any of you had bought this estate of the late Rogers, being advised by your lawyer that he had the power to sell it, (which he certainly had, as the law has declared he had a right of giving it away,) you would then think it very hard that the present Rogers, with his wicked crew, should come and take it away by force, and afterwards keep it as he now does. Suppose the money you paid him for it he gave to his widow; should you in such a case agree that ’tis his brother’s right to have the estate? Let every one make this his own case.
“I believe you all honest men, and wo’nt suspect any one of you of justifying this affair; but I have put these arguments into your mouths to warn other people from this vicious way of thinking, and that you may exert yourselves in keeping this hardship from the parish, from which I could never learn this Rogers deserved so much kindness as to suffer on his account; for he never paid church, priest, or poor, when he was in possession of the estate, and withheld from many their just due. The character of the honest and just man is to relieve the poor, to pity the unfortunate; but to use their utmost endeavours to punish the guilty, and to recommend and enforce an obedience to the laws of the land, which are the only protection of our lives and properties.”
I am, gentlemen,
Your friend and servant,
John St. Aubyn.
The church of Crowan was given, by William Earl of Gloucester, to the priory of St. James in Bristol (which was a cell to Tewkesbury Abbey), and confirmed by Henry II. It contains a series of monuments to the family of St. Aubyn, which are engraved in thirteen plates in Mr. Polwhele’s History of Cornwall. There was formerly a chapel of ease at Binnerton, of which there are no remains. The charity-school in this parish was endowed with the interest of 100l. by the St. Aubyn family, about the year 1830.
This parish contains 6742 statute acres.