THE

HISTORY

OF

CORNWALL,

FROM THE EARLIEST RECORDS AND TRADITIONS, TO THE PRESENT TIME.

COMPILED BY

FORTESCUE HITCHINS, Esq.

AND EDITED BY

MR. SAMUEL DREW OF ST. AUSTELL.

IN TWO VOLUMES.

VOL II.

HELSTON:

PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY WILLIAM PENALUNA ;
And Sold by Edwards, 53, Newgate-Street, London.

MDCCCXXIV.

THE

HISTORY OF CORNWALL.

General Observations on the Number of Parishes, a List of which is given.—Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction; Ancient Religious Houses; and Progress of Population.

ALTHOUGH nothing can apparently be more simple, than to ascertain the number of parishes in a county, it is obvious from the various statements that have been given respecting those of Cornwall, that the fact itself will admit of different modes of calculation. Carew in his Survey asserts, that this county contains 161 parishes; in which opinion he is supported by Camden, although he admits that others have augmented the number to 180. Hals, in his Parochial History, extends his calculation beyond either of the former, making the whole amount to 203; while Martyn in his alphabetical list, fixes them at 202; notwithstanding others have even given the names of 204.

To account for these variations may at first view appear difficult; but a minute inspection will easily reconcile these apparent inconsistencies. From the number of Carew and Camden, all those parishes must have been excluded, in which subordinate churches had been erected, of which there are many in Cornwall, uniformly known by the name of daughter-churches; while the parishes themselves must have been included in the parent parish, and thus have followed the regulations of the churches, Thus, St. Blazey being a daughter-church to St. Austell, was accompanied with its parish, and both were swallowed up in the latter, in the same manner as the churches and parishes of Cury, Germoe, and Gunwalloe, were all incorporated in their parent Breage. Hals, on the contrary, who extends his number to 203, admits not only those parishes and churches which were deemed subordinate, as distinct parishes, but he takes in also Bridgerule, Helston, and St. Thomas near Launceston, to complete his list. Whereas Martyn, whose number coincides nearly with that of Hals, adds,