Mena-guise-y vicarage is situated in the hundred of Powder, and hath upon the north St. Mewan, east St. Austell, south the British Channel, west Gurran. For the modern name it may be interpreted either the hill custom; otherwise, Mena-gusseg, after the Welsh, is the hill and waves or surges of the sea.
I know Mr. Carew, in his Survey of Cornwall, (contrary to this etymology) tells us that this church is called Menaguisey from its two tutelar guardian Saints, Meny and Isey; query who they are or were, for in the Agonal, or Legend, I can find no such Saints; besides, in the Inquisition of the Bishops of Lincoln and Winchester, into the value of benefices in Cornwall, 1294, Ecclesia de la Mor-ike, in decanatu de Powdre, (which must be this church) that is to say the church of the sea cove, lake, or creek place, is valued at 40s. In Wolsey’s Inquisition, 1521, it is called Menage-zey church, with the appellation of Saint, and rated £6. The patronage formerly in Bodrigan, now Edgecumb; the incumbent Mitchell; the rectory I take it in Edgecumb; and the parish rated to the 4s. per pound Land Tax, 1696, £151. 13s.
In the Domesday Book, 1087, this district or parish was taxed either under the jurisdiction of Pentewan, or Goran, now on the east and west side thereof.
Penwarne in this parish heretofore, if not now, the voke lands of some manor, (as I take it still it is,) gave name and original to an old family of gentlemen, surnamed de Penwarne; whose daughter and heir, together with herself, carried those lands to Cosowarth, by whose heiress it passed to Otwell Hill, Esq. that married Denham, descended from the Hills of Lancashire; who gave for his arms, Gules, a chevron between three garbs Ermine; from whose heir it passed, by sale or descent, to John Carew, merchant, that married Hellman, who by her had issue only five daughters: 1. married to Lewis Tremayne, of Halligan, Esq.; 2. Candia, to Hugh Trevanion, of Treligan, Esq.; 3. Grace, the youngest daughter, was married to Robert Hoblyn, of Nanswiddon, Esq.; 4. to his second brother Richard Hoblyn, of Antron, Esq. barrister-at-law; 5. to Edward Hoblyn, of Bodmin, attorney-at-law.
The which gentlemen, in order to raise their marriage fortunes, sold those lands to Arthur Fortescue, of Filleigh, in Devon, Esq. lineally descended from Sir John Fortescue, Knight, Lord Chief Justice and Lord High Chancellor of England, temp. Henry VI. 1442.
Tre-levan, or Tre-lauan, was formerly the lands of Trewoolla, of Trewoolla, in Gorran; it is now the dwelling of Henry Vincent, Esq. barrister-at-law, and member of parliament for the borough of Truro.
TONKIN.
The church, which is a very indifferent low building, consists of a nave only, with one north aisle and a cross aisle to the south. There was formerly a square tower at the western end with three bells, which being something out of repair, they pulled it down in the rebellious times, and sold the bells, which turned (as all such sacrilegious actions ought to do) to the utter undoing of all those concerned in it; there remaineth however one bell in that part of the tower which is standing, even in height with the roof of the church.
THE EDITOR.