ST. MICHAEL PENKEVIL.
HALS.
St. Michael Penkevil rectory is situate in the hundred of Powder, and hath upon the north and east Merther and Lammoran, and is otherwise wholly encompassed with the sea arm of Falmouth harbour, that extends towards Tregony, Truro, and Tresilian bridges. At the time of the Norman Conquest there was an endowed church extant in this place, for then this district was taxed under the
jurisdiction of Penkevil, of which more under. Neither had it any other appellation at the time of the Inquisition into the value of Cornish Benefices, so often mentioned, 1294, than Ecclesia de Penkevill, in decanatu de Powdre; and was valued at 40s. Which probably was extant, as aforesaid, before the Norman Conquest, and held its name to that time; but afterwards, when the present church was rebuilt or augmented in the place thereof in the form of a cross, and was one of the quarter cathedrals of the Cornish diocese, it was then dedicated to God in the name of St. Michael the Archangel, and is commonly called St. Michael Penkivell church, as under. In Wolsey’s Inquisition, 1521, it was valued for its first fruits £9. 14s. 0½. The patronage formerly in Tregago, Trenowth, Carmenow, Hals, now Boscawen; the incumbent Hillman; and the parish rated to the 4s. per pound Land Tax, 1596, temp. William III. £83. 8s. by the name of St. Michael Penkivell. This church of St. Michael was endowed by the Fentongollans, or de Tregagos, lords of the manor of Fentongollan, upon whose lands it was built (out of which is since taken the manor of Tregothnan), who also at their own proper cost and charges, built the south chapel or aisle thereof, as a peculiar to them and their families, and obliged those lands for ever to repair the same, (both over and under) as they still do. Besides this they founded in this church a chantry, together with a convent house in the churchyard still extant, for the chanter’s residence; and endowed the same with competent lands for their subsistence, to pray for the souls of them and their ancestors, that after death they might be delivered from the flames of purgatory, and transported into heaven; now these funeral songs or offices for the dead are commonly called obits.
By the statute 27 Henry VIII. also 1 Edward VI. all chantrys, colleges, free chapels and hospitals, were given to the king; at which time John Carmenow, esq. obtained by gift or purchase the grant of this chantry from the crown, and annexed it, together with its lands and revenues, to the manor of Fentongollan, out of which at first
it was taken; all of which at length John Hals, esq. lord of the manor, together with the patronage of this church, sold to Hugh Boscawen, esq. temp. Charles II.
Fenton-gollan, Venton gollan, was and is the voke lands of a considerable manor, which heretofore comprehended the whole parishes of St. Michael Penkevil and Merther; except the tenements of Penkevill, Tregothnan, (Treganyan, Penhell, Eglesmerther, and some others,) now as above subdivided into the manors of Tregothnan and Fentongollan; which latter had heretofore upon its lands many large and commodious houses, as halls, parlours, and dining rooms, a notable tower and bell, three stories high, and a chapel adjoining thereto for divine service, and two large gatehouses at each end of the town, which fabric the writer hereof hath often seen in his youth, when his grandmother lived in it, and enjoyed the same lordship, together with the manor of Bohurro, alias St. Anthony, as her jointure or freehold for life. But now, alas! since her death, those lands have been sold and transferred to several persons by her son John Hals, and those houses are all pulled down, and the chief stones thereof carried to build the gates and houses of Tregothnan.
This lordship, as I have been informed, soon after the Norman Conquest passed from the family from thence denominated de Fentongollan, to that of Tregaga, or Tresaga aforesaid, who for many generations were gentlemen of great fame and wealth, and in all probability were so denominated from Tregaga, or Tregage, house and tower, or castle, yet extant at Ruan Lanyhorne.
In the rector’s chancel or chapel of this church is yet to be seen a marble tombstone, with this inscription on it: Here lieth the body of John Trembraze, Master of Art and Law, and sometime rector of this church, who departed this life 12 November 1503, upon whose soul Jesus have mercy. Trembraze is a place in Leskeard parish.