Ludgvan

An ancient legend is connected with the parish; S. Ludgvan, an Irish missionary, who is said to have founded the church, brought a stream of water under the church stile for the purpose of bestowing on it certain miraculous qualities, among others, that no person baptized with it should ever expiate any of his crimes through the medium of a halter; consequently no Ludgvan man ever suffers this disgrace, and the inhabitants of the neighbouring parishes have been known to carry it away for baptismal uses.

Treassowe, a considerable estate, was for many generations a seat of the Rogers family before they removed to Penrose. It is said that it became their property partly through descent from the Bawdens; this however is doubtful as the Rogers family were settled here before any marriage connexion with that family existed. It is now the property of J. J. Rogers, Esq., of Penrose.

At the back of Treassowe and annexed to the estate is Castle-an-Dinas, the most lofty hill in the district, being 735 feet above the sea; its embankments and ditches may yet be traced. From this elevated situation twenty-four parish churches, and the north and south seas may be seen.

“Castle-an-Dinas,” writes Borlase, “consisted of two stone walls, one within the other in a circular form, surrounding the area of the hill. The ruins are now fallen on each side of the walls, and show the work to have been of great height and thickness. There was also a third or outer wall, built more than half way round. Within the walls are many little inclosures of a circular form, about seven yards in diameter, with little walls round them of two or three feet high ; they appear to have been so many huts for the shelter of the garrison. The diameter of the whole fort from east to west is 400 feet, and the principal ditch 60 feet. Towards the south the sides of the hill are marked by two large green paths about 10 feet wide. Near the middle of the area is a well almost choked up with its own ruins; and at a little distance a narrow pit, its sides walled round, probably for water also, now filled up?”

A tower was built on the site of the outer wall about seventy years ago, by Mr. Rogers, of Penrose. The first inclosure of the old castle is a mound of earth alone, about 8 feet high surrounded by a ditch. Within this a second ditch encircled the outer wall, which is about 5 feet thick and 4 feet high, excepting towards the south-east, from which part the materials for building the tower were taken. A vallum separates this wall from another 13 feet in breadth at the top. The circular area within this wall is 254 feet in diameter. A third wall appears to have existed within this space, and reduced the diameter to 190 feet.

The area within is uneven, and has near the centre a small round inclosure 22 feet in diameter without an entrance. There is a well within the castle said to be never dry. The diameter of the whole fortification from north to south is 436 feet.

On digging the ground within the inner circle of the fortress for planting, some years ago, two stone weights were found, through each of which was a hole apparently much worn by friction. One weighed l7½lbs. the other about 3lbs. Some pieces of stone vessels, two ancient swords, and a large gold ring, with the arms of Pendarves, and the initials and date J. P., 1587, were also found.

The manor of Ludgvan-Lees, the Luduham of Domesday, has been of great consequence and extent. It embraces lands in several parishes, and holds as appendages the advowson of the rectory, and the high lordship of S. Ives, where certain perquisites are paid to the lord of this manor for ships entering the port; and on holding the annual court in that town the corporation maces are borne before the steward. As previously stated under S. Ives, this manor is the property of the Duke of Cleveland and the Earl of Sandwich; it is also called Ludgvan-Leaze.

On the farm of Trewal or Trowell, which formerly belonged to the Godolphins, was the remarkably productive copper mine, called Huel Fortune, the profits of which enriched the Lemon family.

Collurion is the name of another farm, on which there was a well, destroyed by the mines, possessing chalybeate qualities. The water obtained a reputation for relieving weak sight, and many hundreds resorted to it for the purpose of bathing their eyes. The farm has borne its present name from time immemorial. It is strange that it never occurred to the historians of its virtues, not omitting Dr. Borlase, that the name of the well is Greek, the word KOLLURION meaning medicine for the eyes.

In June 1793 a Roman urn was found by some labourers in digging a trench on the border of the parish near the sea. It was buried in the sand two or three feet under the surface, and the coins it contained were considerably corroded, probably from their proximity to salt water; they were chiefly of the reigns of Gallienus, Yictorinus, Tetricus, etc.

The barton of Tremenheere, formerly the property of John Rogers, Esq., is now vested in Seymour Tremenheere, Esq.

About half a mile below the Churchtown, crossing the road to Marazion, are the remains of an entrenchment thrown up in the civil war by the parliamentary forces when besieging S. Michael’s Mount.

Varfell, formerly a seat of the Davy family, the ancestors of the celebrated Sir Humphry Davy, Bart., is now the property of the Duke of Cleveland and the Earl of Sandwich.

The sum of £125, called Hill, Godolphin, and Rogers’s charities, is invested in the Helston turnpike trust at £3 per cent. ; the interest, £3 15s. Od., is applied by the rector and churchwardens to educational purposes.

Near the church is a substantial school premises, inscribed “Ludgvan National School, H. E. Graham, rector, 1835.”

There were formerly ancient chapels at Trewal, Ludgvan-Lees, and on Collurion; the last mentioned was dedicated to S. Thomas, and acquired the corrupted name of Tubmas chapel.

Of the family of Oliver of Treneere was Dr. Oliver, a native of this place; he became an eminent physician at Bath, and wrote on the qualities of the mineral waters of that place. He died in 1764.

The Dissenters have a great number of places of worship in this parish;—the Wesleyan Methodists have a large and convenient chapel at Crowlas; a chapel at Whitecross, built in 1858; a chapel at Trenowin; one at Newtown; and another at Canonstown. The Primitive Methodists have chapels at Lower Quarter; Cockwells, built in 1858; and at Boswase. The Bible Christians have a chapel at Batreva.

The chief villages beside the Churchtown, are Crowlas; Lower Quarter where there is a fair on October 12 ; Cockwells; Whitecross; Canonstown; and Manwinion.

The principal landowners are J. J. Rogers, Esq., the Duke of Leeds, and the Duke of Cleveland and Earl of Sandwich.

The parish feast is kept on the nearest Sunday to S. Paul’s day, January 25.

The northern corner of the parish is situated on granite, one variety of which abounds in mica. Much of this micacious granite may be seen in the more ancient houses at Penzance; the spot however, from which it was procured is at present unknown, though it is locally termed Ludgvan granite.

Between the granite and the sea shore a considerable portion of the schistose rocks is covered by a marsh, and banks of sand. These rocks are made up of compact felspar, sometimes nearly pure, at others intimately united with hornblend or actynolite; they are traversed by courses of felspar porphyry, as may be seen on the sea shore.

Dr. Borlase notices a curious kind of green stone found in Huel Fortune mine, which came very near in its properties to the turkois, and for which it had been mistaken by naturalists. He also speaks of a singular kind of dove-coloured granite; and another species having a red ground, and possessing many singular properties.

The Dr. also speaks of a yellow sandy clay, near the Long Bridge, good for bricks and plaster. It is thickly charged with white quartz pebbles, slightly mixed with flints.