However, notwithstanding this instance of that Reverend Bishop’s, I know no medicinal waters in Cornwall that are constantly and universally sovereign for any disease, but only to some particular persons, at times and seasons.
Alvorton, alias Alverton, in this parish, was the Voke lands of a considerable manor heretofore pertaining to the Kings and Earls of Cornwall, and under that jurisdiction and name this district of Maddern was taxed, 20 William I. 1087, as also Paul Parish; it consisted, temp. Edward III. of eighty-four Cornish acres of land. Carew’s Survey of Cornwall, page 46, that is to say 3600 statute acres. (Page 131 of Lord Dunstanville’s Edition; the Cornish Acres 64).
Within the confines of this parish, or the said manor,
stands Mayne Screffes, that is to say, the written or inscribed stone, being a monument set up of a rough perpendicular stone, in memory of a famous Cornish-British Prince or King, that probably lived and died here, and was interred near the same, in which stone are yet extant these British and Latin words: “RIALOBRAN CUNOWALL FIL:” [id est, Rialobran the son of Cunowall] which contracted Latin word fil. for filius, shows that it was made and erected there since first the Romans came into this land, for the Britains before had no knowledge of the Latin tongue; which words, if not monosyllables, are compounded either of those particles Rial-o-Bren-Cunowall fil: Extraordinary Royal or Imperial Prince King of Wales son; or rather it ought to be thus read, Rial-o-Bren-Cornowall filius, viz. the extraordinary Royal Prince or King of Cornwall’s Son. For as Rial in British answers to Regalis, Regius, Augustus, Regificus, Basilicus, in Latin, so -o- by itself to nimius, id est, much, excessive, overmuch; and Bren, Brene, to Princeps, a Prince, Ruler, or Chief Governor. However, let it be remembered, in favour of the second etymology, that one Bletius (son to Roderick King of Wales and Cornwall, anno Dom. 700,) was Prince of Wales and also King or Prince of Cornwall. But this funeral monument stone must have been erected before that time; for afterwards it became lawful to bury dead human creatures in towns and cities, lastly in churches and churchyards, though not before. [See Dr. Borlase’s Antiquities, 2d edit. p. 391, and the plate in Lysons’s Cornwall, p. ccxxi. Editor.]
Landithy. Landegey, Landigey, in this parish, contiguous with the church, which signifies the temple church, was formerly the lands of the Knights Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem, now —— Flemen, gent.
In this parish, at —— liveth Francis Seynt Aubyn, esq. sometime Commissioner for the Peace, who married —— Arundel, of this place, whose lands it was, and Crocker of St. Agnes, and hath issue. He is a younger
son of John Seyntaubyn, of Clowens, esq. by Godolphin of Treveneage.
Upon the south part of this parish, at the head of St. Michael’s Mount’s Bay, on a little promontory of land shooting into the sea, is situate the market and coinage town of Pensance, or Penzance, which stands now rated in the Exchequer as a noun substantive, or distinct jurisdiction from Maddarne; whereas the borough of Camelford is taxed under Lenteglos, Mitchell under Newlan, and St. Enedor-Bosithney under Dundagell.
The old chapel, and the whole town of Penzance, the 20th July 1595, was burnt to ashes by five Spanish galleys, that then came into St. Michael’s Mount’s Bay for that purpose, of which fact there is a large history to be seen in Mr. Carew’s Survey of Cornwall, page 156, (page 381, Lord Dunstanville’s edition); since which time the new chapel hath been founded and beautified as it now stands, and the old town comparatively all new built of brick and stone, and augmented with a greater number of houses than before.
It was incorporated by charter from King James the First, with the jurisdiction of a court leet, by the name of the Mayor, Aldermen, or Magistrates, before whose tribunal all pleas of debt and damage, within the precincts of that borough, are judged and determined by the said charter; it is also made the fifth town for coinage of tin, at the usual times of the year, by the Duke of Cornwall’s officers, as also with a weekly market on Thursdays, and fairs yearly, on Thursday before Advent Sunday, and also on Trinity Thursday.