“There runneth also a tale amongst the parishioners, how one of the Daunyes’ ancestors undertook to build the church, and his wife the barn adjoining; and that, casting up their accounts upon finishing of their works, the barn was found to have cost three halfpence more than the church: and so it might well fall out, for it is a great barn, and a little church.” The advowson belongs to Mr. Carew’s descendant, the Rt. Hon. R. P. Carew, of Anthony.
The barn, or what remains of it, almost adjoining to the church, adds to the very singular appearance of the whole group. Scarcely any remains of the mansion house, the residence for several ages of a family so distinguished as the Dauneys, can now be discovered.
The principal village in this parish is Crofthole, situated on what was till very lately the turnpike road from Tor Point to Leskeard, and just at the point where the road branches off to Looe and Fowey.
This village stands nearly on the brow of a lofty cliff, down which the road to Looe descends by repeated turnings. Mr. Lysons says the ancient name was Croftilborowe, and that it possessed a weekly market on Wednesdays, granted to Nicholas Dauney, then Lord of Sheviock, with a Fair for three days at the Festival of St. James. The market has long been discontinued. The village is at this time far from large, or from presenting any appearance of opulence. Mr. Carew says it then contained but twelve dwellings, and adds one of those coarse tales, which are usually applied as jokes against any small place, endowed with privileges or immunities above what its importance would seem to justify.
On the edge of the sea, nearly under Croftshole, is a small pier protecting a narrow beach of sand between rocks, called Porth Wrinkle: it gives shelter to fishing boats and small vessels. The ancient pier, which had stood
during a great number of years, was destroyed by the violent storm of Feb. 2, 1822. It is however replaced.
Trethil belonged for some time to the family of Wallis.
The family became represented by two brothers—
John Wallis, who had an only daughter married to Admiral Sir John Thomas Duckworth; and Samuel Wallis, Captain in the Royal Navy, the celebrated circumnavigator and discoverer of Otaheite. This gentleman married Miss Betty Hearle of Penryn, and has also left an only daughter, now the widow of the late Samuel Stephens, esq. of Tregenna in St. Ives. Most of the recent monuments are connected with this family.
Sheviock measures 2122 statute acres.