This family appears to have been greatly benefited by the confiscations of those times, since the Devonshire branch acquired all the ecclesiastical possessions of Bodmin Priory, and what had been held under lease from the monastery about Padstow, became converted into freehold; and soon after the possession could be considered as assured, Mr. Nicholas Prideaux built this house, which continues to be one of the most handsome and imposing of all the gentlemen’s houses in Cornwall. The exterior retains its original appearance, the interior has received various and recent improvements; a splendid staircase is understood to have been brought from Stowe in Kilkhampton. The late Mr. Charles Prideaux went into holy orders during the life of his elder brother; and afterwards assumed the name of Brune in addition to Prideaux on his succeeding to the estate of that family. He married Miss Patten, sister of Mr. Peter Patten Bowles; they have left one son, who is married to Miss Glynn, and three daughters, the eldest married to Mr. Sawle, of Penrice.
The church is handsome and spacious, and is said to have been built by Thomas Vivian, Prior of St. Petroc’s, Bodmin, and titular Bishop of Megara in Greece. It contains
several monuments to the Prideaux family, and to others.
The town is not large, and the harbour is so surrounded by rocks and obstructed by sand, that vessels even of a small size are unable to find shelter there when the wind blows on the shore, and security is much wanted. Plans have been suggested for constructing a mole from the eastern side of the harbour, near its entrance, so as to greatly narrow the opening, and by so doing give power to the very extensive back-water to deepen the channel, and this work, with the removal of some rocks, would, it is believed, make Padstow a safe place of refuge for all ships navigating St. George’s Channel or the Severn sea; but the expense must far exceed all that could be contributed to a private undertaking, and therefore no hope can be entertained of such an improvement being made, unless the forming of a safe harbour in such a situation should be deemed worthy of becoming a national work.
A considerable trade was brought to this part about the middle of the last century by Mr. William Rawlings, who, emerging from a shop at St. Columb, raised himself, and conferred benefits on all around him by an union of talent, industry, and integrity. He was succeeded by his son Mr. Thomas Rawlings, who served the office of Sheriff in the year 1803, and built a large house just out of the town, named Saunder’s Hill; but various concerns having proved less successful in the latter part of his life, and leaving a large family, the property has been sold, and the house taken down.
It is a curious and singular occurrence respecting the tithes of this parish, that they have been split; probably in consequence of leases granted by the priory of St. Petroc. The Prideaux family have continued to possess the tithe of fish, and some other advantages, while the general tithes of the parish belong to a gentleman of the name of Hall.
There are said to have been several chapels in the parish; one dedicated to St. Sampson, not to the Jewish
Hercules, but to a native of Glamorganshire, born in the fifth century, who after spending years in solitude, converting whole nations, performing miracles, and in Britany raising a man from the dead, founded the splendid abbey of Dole in Franche Comté, where he died on the 6th of July in 564. This chapel is believed to have been built on the ruins of St. Petroc’s monastery, destroyed by the Danes in 981, and therefore on the spot now occupied by Mr. Prideaux’s house, which would be called Padstow Place, but for the alliteration.
Another chapel stood in a direction from the town, now distinguished by one of the most beautiful walks any where to be seen, when the high water overflows the sand of this extensive estuary.
This chapel, called St. Saviour’s, in common with various others in similar situations, was dedicated by navigators to our Lord, in a capacity very limited with respect to that of the Redeemer of the whole world from the destruction caused by original sin; they made it only as a votive offering in return for their own temporal preservation from shipwreck.