Ertach Kernow - John Norden, travels around Powder Hundred 

John Norden - Map Cornwall

John Norden, travels around Powder is the next chapter for one of the historic travellers we are following around Cornwall who recorded something of our Cornish history in their journeys. Norden a cartographer produced some wonderful maps during his Cornish travels in about 1584, these however weren’t published until 1728. His plan was to survey besides Cornwall all the English counties in a series entitled ‘Speculum Britanniae’ or Mirror of Britain. His idea was to do this as he termed it through ‘chorographical descriptions’ maps with additional text covering each mapped area.

Norden had split his maps and itinerary into the separate historic hundreds of Cornwall, previously Ertach Kernow has written about his travels around West Wivelshireand, the Easte Hundred.  Here we look at the hundred of Powder of which he gives the following opening description as to its position in Cornwall. ‘The hundred of Powder is of greate circuite, lying between two hauens, Toy on the Easte, and Famouth on the weste, the Britishe sea bounding it on the South , and the hundred of Pydar on the North; and is a plentiful Shyre for all comodities; full of villages and Principall townes, and consequently well peopled.’ A positive start to Norden’s opinion of this part of Cornwall. A number of towns were mentioned by Norden in good detail and these included Fowey, Lostwithiel with its castle especially and Truro along with a number of villages and houses of the good and great families.

Of Fowey or Foy as it was known then Norden begins ‘so called of the hauen and the hauen of the Riuer Foath. It is a pretie market towne, forefied and fenced to some measure, and guarded with some Ordnance.’ He goes on to give some historic background as to the great service men of Fowey gave at sea to Edward I and Edward III. The blockhouse fortifications he states were ordered to be built by Edward IV and that during the reign of Henry III Fowey men gave aid to ships from the Cinque port of Rye which were in distress. However, Norden tells us that men of the town managed to upset Edward IV by cutting off the ears of his steward. He retaliated by taking away the great chain that stretched between the block towers which was laid across the river and could be raised to prevent ships entering or exiting the harbour. He also mentions a Mr Treffry who’s family had resided in Fowey for a long period, that their ancient house was well fortified resisting past foreign incursions, and which had artillery. This is where Place House, still the home of the Treffry family, stands today.

Town Haven Castle Fowey engraving by J. Newton. Published by S. Hooper in 1787 with later hand colouring
Entrance to Fowey Harbour - Engraving from drawing by J M W Turner showing blockhouses
Lostwithiel c1813 by Joseph Farington

In previous articles we noted a number of other visitors to Fowey, who have all seen something different to comment on about the settlement or record in art. Previous to Norden John Leland in the 1530’s had written about the blockhouses built to protect the haven. Just over a hundred years after Norden, Celia Fiennes would describe the steepness of its access road, thirty years after Celia, Daniel Defoe was most descriptive and positive about Fowey. In the early 19th century J M W Turner would paint the entrance to Fowey harbour and its defences. All these visitors and more add to the story of Fowey and other places they visit throughout Cornwall.

During this period of Cornwall’s history Lostwithiel was still a major town with Restormel Castle a decaying feature on its outskirts. In fact, Norden goes on at some length and is obviously sad at the decline of this once important castle. An extract from his outpouring; ‘The whole castle beginnith to mourne, and to wringe out harde stones for teares, that shee that was once embraced, visited and delighted with greate princes, is now desolate, forsaken, and forlorne’. Norden describes Lostwithiel as a market town and says that ‘in the time when the Earls and Dukes of Cornwall did make their abodes at Restormell Castle, this town was famous and glorious; but since it was depriuved of the Dukes presence it hath lost also her beautye, as appeareth by the ruyns of many decayed howses’. The fact that during the late 16th century it held a Stannary gaol, county court and remained one of the towns ‘priuiledged for the Coynage of tynn’ meant that Lostwithiel retained some importance within Cornwall, albeit much reduced from earlier times.

Norden speaks highly of Truro, which he informs us was called Trusco in the Cornish Language. He describes it as ‘seated between to riuers, a pretty compacted towne, well peopled and wealthye marchauntes.’ Again this was one of the towns that had the privilege of having tin coinage rights. The administration was by incorporation and governed by a mayor as its chief officer and a place for meetings relating to the south and west of Cornwall. Norden tells us ‘ther is not a towne in the west part of the Shyre more commendable for neatnes of buyldings and for being serued af all kinds of necessaries’. Well, it looks as if Truro was the place to live and be seen in the late 16th century and was really up and coming. Although little remains of the 16th century Truro of Norden’s time it has maintained many fine later buildings. Sadly, there was a period when Truro was less than proactive in retaining its historic buildings than perhaps it is today and much was lost. In 1967 following a runaway lorry smashing into the Red Lion Hotel in Boscawen Street this 16th century building was demolished, although photographs do not indicate terminal damage.

Truro East View 1816
Historic 16th century Red Lion Hotel Truro 1967
The Manor House, Golden

Along with these larger towns Norden mentions a number of places he found interesting and worthy of more than just a brief mention. He mentions the various parishes and also larger houses and the families that owned them, along with some of those then in ruin and those people who had held them in past times. One house mentioned by Norden was Polruddon; ‘the ruynes of an auntient howse, somtymes the howse of John Polruddon, who was taken out of his bed by the Frenche in the time of Henr, the 7 and caried away with violence; and then began the howse to decay. This event was later memorialised in the 20th century poem entitled ‘John Polruddon’ by the famous Cornish poet Charles Causley.

The house at Golden near Probus formerly the house of Francis Tregian is mentioned by Norden. This is where the catholic martyr Cuthbert Mayne was captured whilst posing as Tregian’s steward. Tregian lost his house, lands and freedom, being imprisoned for some 20 years. Cuthbert Mayne lost his life being hung, drawn and quartered at Launceston. He was beatified in 1886 and canonised as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales in 1970.

The hermitage at Roche Rock is mentioned in some detail by Norden. ‘A uerie high, steepe, and craggie rocke, vpon the top wherof is placed a cell or heremitage , the walls wherof are partly wrowghte and that with greate labour, out of the obdurate rock.’ Obviously much taken by this, even in his time an ancient building, he further tells readers the roof was gone and that the force of nature was taking its toll on the abandoned structure.

Norden visited the more modern St Mawes Castle one of the two Henrician fortifications built between 1539-1545 to guard the entrance to Carrick Roads. He emphasises the importance of its purpose in defence from a maritime attack by writing ‘It is situate very low at the foote of a hill, fitter to offende Shipps entringe in hostilitye than to defend itself from hostile surprise, standing vunder a hill which so absolutely comaundes it’.

North View of Roche Rock and Hermitage by J Farington c1813
St Mawes Castle c1734 engraving by S & N Buck
St Clement's Church mentioned by Norden

Only a small number of now historic medieval churches within the Powder Hundred are mentioned by Norden, nowhere as many as might be thought. Perhaps he only included those which made an impression upon him. These included the church at St Clement, which is a very pleasing place to visit. Also, that at Creede which Norden notes belonged to Grampound, St Stephens ‘a church standing amonge the moarishe hills’ and the stained glass in  the church at Fowey. Perhaps there was some political reason for not mentioning certain churches at that time, or for example that of St Mary’s in Truro. This church first mentioned as early as 1259 was demolished in the early 16th century and was perhaps still being rebuilt. Remains of the earlier church were found when demolition for the Cathedral was taking place in the 1880’s.  

Norden’s text includes many stories and speculative ideas as well as small mentions of interest relating to occupants of various houses, places where pilchards for caught and landscape references. All of these along with his maps really help give a flavour of Cornwall during the late 16th century through the eyes of a traveller.

John Norden's travels around Powder
Ertach Kernow - John Norden's travels around Powder
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