In this parish, on the lands of the manor of Arwynick (the Icta and Island of Diodorus Siculus aforesaid), upon
a lofty peninsula or promontory of land, stands the famous and impregnable Castle of Pendennis, for which the Crown pays annually to the lord of the manor aforesaid, out of the Exchequer, about 13l. 6s. 8d. rent, as I take it. For the compound name Pen-den-is Castle, it is British, and signifies that it is the head or chief man’s castle, viz. the King or Earl of Cornwall. Otherwise, if the true name thereof be Pen-dun-es Castle, it signifies that it is the head or chief fort or fortress castle. This castle of old consisted only of a treble intrenchment of turf, earth, and stones, after the British and Roman manner, upon the top of the highest hill in those parts, abutting upon the west side of the mouth or entrance of the harbour of Falmouth, and containeth about twenty statute acres of ground within the lines. Repaired and indifferently fortified by Henry the Eighth, in the latter end of his reign, in the French war, with allowance of a petty garrison, whose daughter, Queen Elizabeth, in her Spanish wars, raised the new fort, and bettered the old fortification, as they are now extant; so that it is looked upon as one of the most invincible castles in this kingdom, having had in it above one hundred pieces of cannon mounted, and some thousands of foot arms. After Queen Elizabeth had thus fortified and munified the Castle of Pendennis, she placed therein a band of 100 soldiers, and over them placed as her Governor Sir Nicholas Parker, Knt. (a Devonshire gentleman, as some say, though his arms, a fess fretty or chequey,[2] differs from the arms of Parker of Burrington,) of whom thus speaks Mr. Carew in his Cornish Survey, p. 150: “He now demeaneth himself no less kindly and frankly towards his neighbours for the present, than he did resolutely and valiantly against his enemies when he followed the wars, where-through he commandeth not only their bodies by his authority,
but also their hearts by his love, to live and die in his assistance, for their common preservation and her Highness’ service.” He died without issue, anno Dom. 1608, and lies buried in Budock church. His successor in the government of this castle was Sir Nicholas Hals, of Fentongollan, Knt. (a domestic servant to Prince Henry, eldest son of James the First,) son of John Hals, of Efford, Esq. in Devon, who died Governor thereof in 1637; and was succeeded in that dominion by Sir Nicholas Slanning, of Marstow, in Devon, Knt. who was slain on the part of his master Charles the First against the Parliament army at the battle of Bristol, 6th July, 1643. After his death his widow (daughter of Sir James Baggs, of Plymouth, Knt.) was married to Richard Arundell, of Trerice, Esq. son of John Arundell, of that place, Esq. commonly called John of Tilbury, for that he was an officer under Queen Elizabeth when she was encamped there with her army, in expectation of the Spaniards landing, 1588.
Which gentleman, (John Arundell,) was by Charles the First made Governor of Pendennis Castle; during whose command there happened a tragical siege thereof by the Parliament army under Colonel Fortescue; wherein the besiegers and the besieged showed unparalleled valour and conduct for about six months’ space, when at length it was surrendered upon honourable conditions, the soldiers going forth with their arms mounted and colours flying, more consumed with sickness and famine within the walls than destroyed by their enemies from without, having been driven to that extremity that the governor, soldiers, and many other gentlemen and ladies therein, were forced for some time to eat horseflesh, for want of other victuals; as being hemmed in by the Parliament frigates at sea on the one side, and surrounded with their army at land on the other, so that no relief of men or provisions could be brought into the garrison, whereby it was forced to capitulate and surrender as aforesaid 1647, (before which time all other castles in England, except Ragland in Wales,
were yielded up to the Parliament,) and the hunger-starved soldiers of Pendennis, that came out thence, feeding too freely on victuals and drink, brought themselves into incurable diseases, whereof many died; so that here, as in many other places, it was observed that more men and women died by two frequently putting their hands to their mouths, than by clapping their hands to their swords; as the Jews did on surrender of Jerusalem to the Romans, after the siege and famine there.
After the surrender of this castle, as aforesaid, by Colonel John Arundell, he was succeeded in that dignity by Colonel Fortescue, and he was succeeded by Captain Fox; as after the restoration of Charles the Second, Fox was succeeded by Richard Lord Arundell, and he by the Earl of Bath.
One Mr. Thomas Killigrew, of this Arwinick family, was Jester or Master of the Revels to Charles the Second, who, (to give but a single instance of his wit and humour,) having been at Paris on business, went to Versailles to see the French Court for diversion; where, being well known to many French courtiers who had been in England, he was by them introduced into Louis the Fourteenth the King of France’s presence, who had a long time had a desire to see him whom fame reported the wittiest man in England. But at that time Killigrew was politically out of humour, and spoke very little, out of a desire he had to hear the wisdom of the French Court, and what little discourse he had it was trivial and of no consequence; whereupon King Louis told the noblemen that gave him such encomiums of his wit, that he looked upon him as a very dull fellow. Whereupon the courtiers told him, notwithstanding what his Majesty’s opinion was, assuredly he was a most ingenious and witty man. Whereupon, soon after, the King resolved to make a further trial of him, and therefore led him into a long gallery, where were many fine pictures, and asked Killigrew what they were? And amongst the rest of those draughts showed the picture of
our Saviour upon the Cross; and then again asked Killigrew if he knew what it was? To which, as to the former demands, he pleaded ignorance, and answered, “No.” “Why, then,” said King Louis, “Monsieur Killigrew, “I will tell you what they are. The picture in the centre is the draught of our Saviour on the Cross, and that on the right hand of him is the Pope’s picture, and that on the left hand of him is my own.” To which Killigrew replied, “I humbly thank your Majesty for the information you have given me, for though I have often heard that our Saviour was crucified between two thieves, yet I never knew who they were till now.” Which sharp repartee convinced that King of his wrong opinion of Killigrew’s wit in satire and ridicule, especially it being at the time when the Pope and French King grievously persecuted the French Protestants, and either dragooned them to mass or drove them out of France.
Mr. Thomas Killigrew is further said to have put under the candlestick where Charles the Second supped, five small papers, on which he had written the word ALL. The King, on sight thereof, asked him what he meant by these five words of one signification. “Your Majesty’s pardon granted, I will tell you, sir,” said Mr. Killigrew; which being promised, he said, “The first All signified that the Country had sent all; the second, the City had lent all; the third, that the Court had spent all; the fourth, if we did not mend all; the fifth, that it will be worse for us all.”
This was reflected on the royal family of William the Third, “That he was William Think-all; his Queen Mary, Mary Take-all; Prince George of Denmark, George Drink-all; and the Princess Ann, Ann Eat-all, which ill habit diminished her health and hastened her death.”