• Statistics
• “Online Parish Clerk”
• Links
• The Domesday Book (1086)
• Tonkin’s Natural History of Cornwall (1739)
• Lysons’ History & Topography (1814)
• The Topographical Dictionary of England (1831)
• Kelly’s Directory (1856)
• Blight’s Churches of West Cornwall (1864)
• Lake’s Parochial History (1868)
• Kelly’s Directory (1883)
• Kelly’s Directory (1893)
• Detailed Map of the Parish
• The Parish in Context (44K)
• Gazetteer
• Picture Gallery
• Baptism Registers
• Marriage Registers
• Burial Registers
• Parish Chest (Transcript of Bastardy Bonds 1760–1820)
• Monumental Inscriptions
• Methodist Chapels (Transcript of Baptisms, Wesleyan Methodist Chapel 1855–84 see also Transcript of Baptisms, Marazion Wesleyan Methodist Circuit 1868–1910)

Statistics

The 1868 measurement of 4544 acres accords well with the modern measurement of 4541 acres [ GENUKI 1997].

The later figures were obtained from from the Country Socio-Economic Statistics as the sum of Canonstown & Whitecross, Crowlas & Ludgvan and Long Rock sub-parishes.

Online Parish Clerk

A new (Jan 2001) initiative that has started in Cornwall is the Online Parish Clerk. One person is encouraged from the CORNISH-L or CORNISH-GEN-L mailing list to be the custodian of historical records, including transcripts of registers, for each parish and will supply extracts to researchers as they need them. This person may be geographically distant from the parish, but their heart will be there. Parish information

Links

The Images of England project has photographs around the churchyard (including some notable monuments) and the Old Rectory.

SOSKernow (friends of Cornwall) have a detailed history of Ludgvan church.

Transcript of the Journal (Link broken Sep 2005) of James Letcher during his journey from Ludgvan to Ballarat, Australia in 1857.

See also the general West Penwith Links.

Domesday & other notes

Domesday Book, folio 122d, chapter 5, section 3, paragraph 27 [James 1861].

Translation — He [Richard son of Thorolf] also holds LVDVHA [Ludgvan, from the Count of Mortain]. Alwin held it in the time of King Edward [before 1066], and paid tax for 1 hide [120 acres]; 3 hides there, however. Land for 15 ploughs or 30 ploughs; 3 hides 12 ploughs there [with, perhaps, 8 oxen each]; 9 slaves; 14 villagers and 40 smallholders. Pasture, 300 acres. Formerly 100s; value now 60s. Exon Domesday says “3 hides of land there; it paid tax for 1 hide. 15 ploughs there. Richard holds for the Count”, that 1 virgate [30 acres] and 3 ploughs were held by the lord, the remainder by the villagers and that there were “27 unbroken mares; 22 cattle; 17 pigs; 140 sheep”. [Thorn 1979].

Tonkin’s Natural History of Cornwall—1739

The following description is quoted from [Tonkin 1739] and must be read in the context of that date. The extract is taken from [Polsue 1868]. Other extracts are available online.

Ludgian is situated in the hundred of Penwith, and hath to the west, Maddern; to the north, Lelant and Towednack; to the east, S. Erth and S. Hilary; to the south, Gulval and the Mount’s Bay.

Mr. Gwavas derives the name from Lug Van, the high or hilly placed tower. To which the situation of this church does wry well agree.

This is a rectory valued in the King’s book at £30 11s. 6d. The patronage in the Duke of Bolton.

At the taxation of Pope Nicholas, in 1291, this church is valued at £7 a year, having never been appropriated; and it is there called Ecclesia de Ludewon.

The chief place in this parish, on which stands the church, is the manor of Ludgian Lease, that is Ludgian place, or enclosed land. In Domesday Book it is called Luduham, being one of the manors given by William the Conqueror to his half-brother, Robert Earl of Morton.

Lysons’ History & Topography—1814

The following description is lifted directly from [Lysons 1814]. It must be read in the context of that date.

Ludgvan, in the deanery and in the west division of the hundred of Penwith, lies about three miles north-east from Penzance, which is the post-office town, and nearly the same distance north-west from Marazion. The principal villages in this parish are, Bowgyhere, Carvoffen-Downs, Crowliss, Ludgvan-Lees, and Tornewidden. About half a mile below the church-town, crossing the road to Marazion, is a vallum, thrown up in the civil war by the parliamentary forces, when they besieged St. Michael’s Mount.

The manor of Ludgvan-Lees was granted by Richard Earl of Cornwall to the family of Ferrers, from whom is passed by successive female heirs, to those of Champernown and Willoughby (Lord Brooke). The coheiresses of the latter brought it to Pawlet and Blount (Lort Montjoy): it now belongs to the coheirs of the late Duke of Bolton. The barton of Tremenhere is the property of John Rogers, Esq., of Penrose, who has the occasional residence at Traffow or Treaffow, in this parish.

In the parish-church lies buried the learned Dr. Borlase, author of “The Natural History and Antiquities of Cornwall, and Observations of the Scilly Islands^t,” who was for 52 years rector of this parish, as appears by a Latin inscription on his tomb, already partly obliterated. Dr. Borlase communicated several papers to the Royal Society, which are printed in their Transactions; and had prepared for the press, and began printing, a treatise concerning the Creation and Deluge. Dr. Borlase was also for 40 years vicar of his native parish, St. Just: he died August 31, 1772, in the 77th year of his age. The advowson of the rectory is an appendage of the manor of Ludgvan-Lees. There were chapels, formerly, at Trewell, Ludgvan-Lees, and on the tenement of Collurian^u: the latter, of which there are some small remains, was dedicated to St. Thomas, and acquired the corrupted name of Tubmas-Chapel.

The sum of 61l. per annum, being the interest of monies bequeathed to this parish for charitable uses, has been long appropriated to the teaching of poor children.

Dr. Oliver, and eminent physician at Bath, who wrote on the waters of that celebrated place, and died in 1764, was of the family of Oliver of Treneere, and a native of this place.

t See p. 4. [Borlase 1758]

u Dr. Borlase’s MS. Collections, from the registers of the see of Exeter.

Topographical Dictionary of England—1831

The following is from [Lewis 1831] and must be read in the context of that date.

LUDGVAN, a parish in the hundred of Penwith county of Cornwall, 2 miles (N.N.W.) from Marazion, containing 1839 inhabitants. The living is a rectory, in the archdeaconry of Cornwall, and Diocese of Exeter, rated in the King’s books at £30. 11. 0½. The Duke of Bolton was patron in 1791. The church is dedicated to St. Paul; in it lie the remains of the learned antiquary, Dr. Borlase, fifty-two years rector of the parish. There are two places of worship for Wesleyan Methodists. Amey Hill, in 1745, and Hugh Rogers, in 1763, each left a trifling sum for teaching poor children. The parish lies on the margin of Mount’s bay. Across the road leading to Marazion is an earthwork thrown up in the civil war by the parliamentarians, during the siege of St. Michael’s Mount.