S. Ives

The manor of S. Ives and Treloyhan was appropriated by Bishop Bronescombe with the church of Lanante or Lelant, to the canons of Crediton in Devon. The bishop’s grant, dated October, 1272, contains the following paragraph:—Porro unam acram Anglicanam terre in villa de Penbegel que vulgari ydiomate Erumarnt dicitur et quam ex dono et concessione dictorum prioris et conventus ut prediximus (Crediton) una cum prefata advocacione dudum fuimus assecuti et ipsum jus patronatus in signum tituli nostri proteccionis warantie seu defensionis nostre nobis et sucessoribus reservamus. The manor was afterwards for many years in the family of Praed, of whom it was purchased in or about the year 1807, by Sir Christopher Hawkins, Bart. It is now the property of Henry-Richard-Charles Wellesley, first Earl Cowley, K.G., G.C.B., etc. The great tithes of the parish have been invariably attached to this manor.

The manor and barton of Trenwith, the Trenwit and Trenuwit, of Domesday, belonged in the days of Edward the Confessor to Sitric abbot of Tavistock, and temp. William I. to the Earl of Cornwall. In the days of John of Gaunt it became the property of his son John de Beaufort; and it continued in his family till the attainder of Edmund Beaufort, Earl of Somerset, in 1471. This manor, which comprised the parishes of Lelant, S. Ives, and Towednack, has long been merged in the manor of Lelant and Trevethow.

The barton of Trenwith, temp. Henry VIII. became the property of a family who assumed its name. Their original name was Baillie [Bayliff - Hals]. Thomas Baillie was living at Tregenna in this parish 45 Edward III. 1371; and at that time had issue by Johan his wife, Henry and Agnes; who after the death of their father, obtained a grant of considerable 1anded property in and near S. Ives. Among those lands were the manor and barton of Trenwith, Planfennenif, Penbegal-Wolas, and Penbegal-Wartha.

Henry Baillie removed to Trenwith, designated himself Henry de Trenwith, and evidently became the ancestor of the family who flourished there for upwards of four centuries. He married Honor, daughter of Thomas Rosemoddress, and by her had Peter, his heir, and Otho. The latter died temp. Edward IV., and was buried in the chancel of the church; his monumental brass has been removed for preservation to the Trenwith aisle. Peter married Elizabeth, daughter and heiress of Vincent, and had issue three sons, William, Henry, and Thomas; the last died without issue. William married Johan, daughter and heiress of Tredynye, and had issue Thomas, who married, first, Honor, daughter of John Beville; and secondly, Margery, daughter of James Erisey, who after his decease, remarried to Trefusis. This Thomas left no issue, and his uncle Henry, before named, became his heir; he had married Johan, daughter and heiress of Robert Leide, of Kent, and had an only son, named Matthew, who became heir to the family estates.

Matthew Trenwith married Elizabeth, daughter and heiress of James Caskeys, and was by her father of Thomas, James, Henry, and William.

Thomas succeeded his father at Trenwith, and married one of the six daughters and coheiresses of Militon of Pengerswick Castle, by whom he had issue, William, Richard, and Matthew. His widow remarried with Arundell and Hearle.

William, the eldest son, married Loer or Lora, daughter of John Treffry, and had a son named John, who died without issue; and Thomas who succeeded him. Also four daughters, Elizabeth, Jane, Wilmot, and Anne.

Thomas married Joan, daughter of Ezekiel Grosse, and by her was father of Renatus, Edward, and Ezekiel.

Renatus married Joan, daughter of William Lanyon, by whom he had issue, Thomas his heir; Renatus who died without issue; Henry; and a daughter named Joan.

Thomas Trenwith married Rebecea, daughter of John Lanyon of Gwinear, and had issue Renatus, and Thomas; and two daughters, Rebecca and Mary.

Renatus married Elizabeth, daughter of Richard Williams, of Trewithian, in Probus, and had an only daughter named Elizabeth, who died unmarried.

Thomas married Dorothy, daughter of Sidney Bligh, of Penryn, and had issue Thomas, born at Mylor, August 29, 1711; Sidney, Henry, and Rebecca.

Thomas Trenwith, a lieutenant R.N., dying without issue in 1796, the male line of this ancient family became extinct, and the barton of Trenwith became successively the property of the Landers, Chellews, and Rosewalls.

The manor of Porth-Ia Prior is situated partly in this parish, and partly in S. Anthony in Meneage, and other parishes. It formerly belonged to the Priory of Tywardreath, and was one of the manors annexed to the Duchy of Cornwall by Henry VIII. in 1540, in lieu of the honour of Wallingford.

In the survey of the convent property at Tywardreath, 11 Edward III., 1337, this manor is thus set down, Item de Porthia x^li.; and in the return of 26 Henry VIII., 1534, Poathea Prior cum 8d. de perquisitis curie £5. 11. 9.; and in the roll of 31 Henry VIII., in the Augmention office;—

Porthea Prior, redditus assise	£2	8	4
Porthea Prior, redditus liberorum tenentium	8	13	2
Porthea Prior, perquisita curie	0	3	0
	£11	4	6

The manor of Porth-Ia Prior has latterly become the property of the Stephens family of Tregenna Castle, whose representative, John-Augustus Stephens, Esq., is the present proprietor.

Another manor of Porth-Ia was for sometime in the family of Hele, and was sold by John Hele, Esq., in 1655, to John Earl of Radnor, of Lanhydrock. It was afterwards purchased, together with the manor of Dinas-Ia, and that of Lelant and Trevethow, of Vere Hunt, Esq., who represented the Robartes family, by one of the ancestors of the Stephens family of Tregenna Castle, whose representative is the present proprietor.

The manor of Ludgvan-Leaze, or as it is sometimes called Ludgvan-Lees, was granted by Richard Earl of Cornwall to the family of De Ferrers, whose heiress carried it in marriage into the family of Champernowne, and the heiress of Champernowne into that of Willoughby Lord Broke. The coheiresses of the last named carried it into the families of Powlett and Blount Lord Montjoy, from whom it was inherited by the Duke of Bolton.

By the marriage of John fifth Earl of Sandwich, in 1772, with Lady Mary Powlett; and that of William-Henry third Earl of Cleveland, in 1787, with Lady Katherine-Margaret Powlett, daughters and coheirs of Harry, sixth and 1ast Duke of Bolton the manor of Ludgvan-leaze became the property of those noble families, whose representatives are the present proprietors.

Tregenna Castle the property and residence of the opulent family of Stephens, was erected by Samuel Stephens, Esq., about the year 1773, from designs, and under the supervision of Mr. Wood, architect, of Bath. It is built in the castellated style, and occupies a most commanding position, from which the sea view is magnificent.

For more than a century the family of Stephens have held unquestioned superiority in the town and borough of S. Ives. The family, although merchants up to the decease of John Stephens, Esq., in 1764, had long been in possession of landed property in the locality, and their position in society may be correctly understood from the following receipt, the original of which, given at the accession of James I., is still in existence.

XXII^O die Octobris, An^o. Dom^i. 1603.

Received of John Stephens of the Burrough of St. Ives in the Hundred of Penwith, within the county of Cornwall, Gent., for his composition with his Maies. Commissioners for his not appearing at the Coronation of our said Souvraigne Lord the King, for to receive the Order of Knighthood, according to his Highness’ proclaymasion in that behalfe, the sum of sixteen pounds.

I saye received............. XVI^li

Fra. Godolphin, Coll.

Mr. John Stephens married Mary, one of the three daughters of Mr. Samuel Phillips, of Pendrea in Gulval. He added largely to his landed property by purchases in the immediate neighbourhood. He acted for many years as an agent to the Earl of Buckinghamshire in managing the political affairs of the borough; but at last broke off the connexion by getting his son, Mr. Samuel Stephens, elected.

Mr. John Stephens had a large family; his eldest son went to Holland for the purpose of continuing his father’s mercantile concerns. Samuel, the next son, became a member of the University of Cambridge, to prepare for the church, but the death of his elder brother caused this to be relinquished.

He married Anne, daughter of Mr. Seaborn, of Bristol; and on the death of his father about the year 1764, he disposed of everything connected with the trade and fishery of S. Ives, and having abandoned the sect of the Presbyterians, to which all his family and relations had been strongly attached, he pulled down the chapel, and withdrew his support from its minister; proceedings remembered to his disadvantage on subsequent occasions.

In 1774, and again the succeeding year he was unsuccessful at the poll, and on a petition, for the representation of the borough. He died in March, 1794, leaving three sons; John, rector of Ludgvan, who died Oet. 23, 1834; Samuel, to whom he devised a large portion of his estate; and Augustus; and three daughters, Anne, Maria, and Harriet. All the sons died in the year 1834.

Samuel, the second son, married Betty, only daughter of Capt. Wallis, the discoverer of Otaheite, and coheiress of the families of Hearle and Paynter. He was M.P. for S. Ives in 1807, 1810, and 1818; and died Feb. 25, 1834, leaving five sons, and one daughter. Of the sons, Samuel-Wallis, Francis-Hearle, and Henry-Lewis, are dead Ferdinand-Thomas is rector of Mawgan in Pydar, and John-Augustus Stephens, Esq., is the present proprietor of Tregenna Castle.

The daughter married the Rev. Charles-William Davy.

The family of Tregenna, anciently of Tregenna in this parish, are supposed to have become extinct so early as the reign of Charles I. In 1603, John Tregenna, Esq., of this place, was elected M.P. for the borough. This was done, it appears, chiefly to oppose the tyranny of a Mr. Tregosse, of S. Ives, who had rendered himself odious to the inhabitants by his arbitrary conduct, and among other litigious actions had arrested several persons for walking over his grounds when on the look out for fish. Mr. Tregenna discharged his duties in parliament so satisfactorily, especially in destroying the powers exercised by Mr. Tregosse, that the inhabitants paid all his expenses while in London, with his travelling charges, amounting altogether to £140.

The arms of Tregenna are, Or a chevron azure between three Moors’ heads couped, in profile, sable, banded about the temples.