This place lies high and very pleasantly.
After the Williams’s had flourished for some time at Trewithan, Courtenay Williams, when he had foolishly squandered away a pretty estate, and a good fortune too, which he had with his wife Elizabeth, the eldest daughter and coheir of the Rev. —— May, also M.D. sold this barton for £2700 to Philip Hawkins, esq. brother to the Rev. Dr. Hawkins of Pennance, and a member in this present Parliament (1730) for Granpont. He now resides here, has very much improved this seat, new built a great part of the house, made good gardens, &c.
THE MANOR OF WALVEDEN, GULDEN, OR GOLDEN.
There flourished for a long series of years a family of the
same name, the last of which, John Walveden, esq. had only two daughters and coheirs, of whom the eldest having married —— Tregion, esq. brought to her husband this and several other fair estates. The other sister, Catherine, married Nicholas Carminow, esq. of Trenouth in this parish. On the decease of his father-in-law, which happened in the year 1514, Mr. Tregian settled himself here, and lived in great splendour. Leland mentions the house as building, and Carew says, Walvedon, alias Golden, fell into Tregion, by match with the inheritrix thereof.
Their son married an Arundell of Lanherne. Their grandson with the Lord Stourton’s daughter.
The arms of Tregion are Ermine, on a chief Sable, three birds Or, beaked and legged Argent.
But Mr. Carew, though it happened in his time, does not mention the great misfortune which befel their grandchild, Francis Tregian, esq. though it was not long before (twenty-five years) and ended in the total ruin of this wealthy and flourishing family; in giving an account of which I will be as brief as the thing will bear. Mr. Camden has touched on it in his Annals of Queen Elizabeth, (A. D. 1577, Reg. 19): “Hactenus serena tranquillitas Pontificiis in Angliâ affulsit, qui quâdam misericordi conniventiâ sua sacra inter privatos parietes, licet illa legibus interdicta, pecuniariâ mulctâ inflictâ, quodam modo impune celebrarant, nec Regina vim conscientiæ afferendam censuit. Verùm postquam illud fulmen excommunicationis Romæ in Reginam fuisset ejaculatum, in nubes et tempestates serenitas illa paulatim abiit, legemque elicuit anno 1571, contra eos, qui ejusmodi Bullas, Agnos Dei, et grana benedicta, papalis obsequii tesseras, in regnum intulerint, aut aliquum Romanæ ecclesiæ reconciliarint, ut diximus. Primus hâc lege tenebatur Cuthbertus Mainus sacerdos, qui Pontificiæ contra Principem potentiæ assertor pervicax,” without any overt act, as far as appears here, against the new law, by bringing in any bulls, &c. or by reconciling any to
the Church of Rome, “ad fanum Stephani (Launston vulgo vocant) in Cornwalliâ supplicio affectus, et Trugionis nobilis qui eum hospitio acceperat” [only had entertained him in his house], “fortunas eversus perpetuoque carceri adjudicatus.” And that you may see what a noble fortune he lost, it being his hard hap to be the first, as Cuthbert Maine to suffer death, so he to lose his estate and liberty by this severe law; and being besides myself descended from this gentleman’s sister, Jane Tregian, married to Thomas Tonkin of Trevaunance, I shall here set down an abstract of an exemplification of the inquisition taken at Lanceston, 5 Car. I. in the lands, &c. of the said Mr. Tregian, of which I shall give only the substance. Inquisitio indentat. capt. apud Lanceston in com. prædict. on Monday the 1st of March, anno 5 Car. before William Wray, knight, Walter Langden, knight, James Bagg, knight, Nicholas Borlase, esq. Peter Hussey, esq. and William Stowell, gent. Commissioners, &c. on the oaths of Sampson Manington, esq. Robert Dodson, esq. Nicholas Leach, esq. Christopher Pollard, gent. Humfrey Lower, gent. James Hoskins, gent. Richard Bettison, gent. Digory Prouse, gent. John Rawlyn, gent, and Roger Edgcumbe, gent. That the said Francis Trugeon, in the said commission named, was indicted, convicted, and attainted of præmunire, as in the said commission is contained, on the said 20 April, 19 Elizabeth, and also on Monday aforesaid, in the said fourth week in Lent, anno 21 Elizabeth, was seized