Part of The Acorn
Archive
Rosemorran
(Gulval) and the
SS Rosemorran
of Newcastle
(a Temperley
ship)
Norden’s
Injustice, The John family,
the connection
to the Millett family and the Grylls family
Not
too far north from Vellanhoggan, past another mill (which was owned by the
Bazeleys, who also owned the shipping company based in Penzance), is
Rosemorran. A beautiful house and associated cottages and farm.
Rosemorran
appears on Norden’s map as Rosmorran, described as “a hamlet”; Norden began the
survey of Cornwall in 1584, compiled his survey in 1597, although it was not
published until 1728. I will digress here on an
important part of printed history, one about which I feel very strongly. Norden
had been accused of plagiarism and so his manuscript had been held back in
favour of Carew’s Survey of Cornwall.
The matter of copyright was a burning issue at that time and one guided by
having the King’s ear. Carew was not himself free of lifting other’s work,
although he properly credited Mr Camden; Richard Carew first published the
Survey of Cornwall in 1602. Although encouraged to revise and broaden his
Survey, to include corrections and some oversights, Richard Carew does not
appear to have left any such manuscript (after 14 years of being under such
notice and not having produced anything, I have my own thoughts on that
subject). As such, the edition that I have is dated 1723 and remains as it
originally was written. The much maligned John Norden however, suffered the
loss of his Survey, to my mind unjustly, for his Survey is of a much wider
concept and set out in greater detail. John Norden was born in 1548 of humble background,
a scholar, he became Surveyor to the Duchy of Cornwall from 1605 to 1626, he
had a distinct and intimate knowledge of the county, unlike Richard Carew, of
the gentry and of Antony. It appears that a copy of Richard Carew’s manuscript
had been passed to John Norden in 1602 for comment, and John Norden is thus accused
of deliberately copying parts of Richard Carew’s work. The dates do not justify
these claims. Could it have been that Richard Carew could have read John
Norden’s 1597 manuscript and had used that in the 1602 manuscript, who knows?
However, unlike Richard Carew’s Survey which remained intact and published,
John Norden’s manuscript became stored, split, passed and copied. John Norden’s
presentation copy was completed in 1604 and presented to King James I. It was
at this point that Richard Carew placed a ban on the publication of Norden’s
Survey. The manuscripts were then held in the Royal Library until 1642. The
result of this was to deny the general public of access to a wide and detailed
history and particulars of the county of Cornwall. This only added to the
misunderstandings already prevalent as to the Cornish and of Cornwall. There
then followed a series of sales and copies and divisions of the manuscripts and
the maps. Finally (after an edition by Christopher Bateman was printed in 1728
by William Pearson) a set of manuscripts was lodged with the British Museum in
1753, as part of the Harleian Collection; however the original manuscript maps
(loaned to the 1728 publishers) remained from 1720 with the Roger Gale’s copy
(made in 1680), that copy with original maps went to Trinity College Library
Cambridge in 1738. There was a third copy made of the text only but that
disappeared from 1710. Christopher Bateman sums up a great deal as he opens his
notes as preface to the 1728 edition “It has been just matter of complaint in
all ages, that those who have most eminently distinguished themselves in behalf
of Mankind, have generally met with unworthy treatment; having been forced to
an unequal combat with neglect and poverty while living, and even when envy against
their merit has ceased, the memorial of their virtue has been buried in the
same grave.”. John Norden died 1625. The next significant Survey of Cornwall
after Norden appeared with Lyson’s in 1814.
To return …..
Rosemorran
came into the ownership of the Harris family of Kenegie, and it was all sold
off (after the last male of the line died), in 1796 to George John, together
with Resoon, Trenow, Poniou, Pleming & Hellnoweth, all a part of the
ancient Manor of Linisley (formerly known as Landicle). Why the interest? Well,
besides the fact that I have worked on designs at Rosemorran and that, later,
cousins live there, there is the small question as to just why a ship owned by
the Temperleys of Newcastle should have been named the same as this little group
of buildings in the back of Gulval. The name has later been copied
elsewhere, it has to be said, and even
found in Australia but, at that time, it was the only one, after all it dates
from before 1584. Briefly the SS Rosemorran was built in 1888 for J Temperley
& Co of Newcastle, by Palmers SB & Co Ltd of Newcastle. The connection
deepens, for Samuel John (partner in the solicitors George & Samuel John of
Penzance in 1812) on 23rd January 1810 married Mary Millett Grylls,
daughter of Thomas Grylls of Helston. So now the question is also, is there any
connection to the Rev Henry Grylls of St Neot? Around 1810 Samuel John built
The Orchard, a house still standing in Alverton today, Penzance. George and
Samuel John were the leading lawyers in Penzance. The brothers were the sons of
William John and Catherine (nee Williams), who had 14 children, in all. George
John was born 24th August 1759, became Town Clerk and Mayor in 1812
and 1818. Rosemorran became his home and he invested in mines of the region,
which resulted in him gaining a vast fortune. He married Jane Arundell Harris
of Kenegie. They had seven children. Their second child, a daughter, Wilmot
married John Robyns of the Treneere Manor, and their only child Wilmot Robyns married
the Rev Richard Malone. George John died 28th October 1847, his son
George Dennis John (in life described as being a tall handsome man) having died
21st September 1847; Jane John died 4th August 1850,
leaving the estate in legal uncertainty. It was to the Malone family that
Rosemorran passed, around 1880, amidst a lengthy legal dispute.
Father
of Mary Millett Grylls, Thomas Grylls (baptised 5th June 1760) was
the 3rd son of Richard Gerveys Grylls. Thomas Grylls built Bosahan
House (another house that I have worked on). Thomas married Mary Millett,
daughter of Humphry Millett 8th May 1786 at Madiera. They had seven
children including Humphrey Millett Grylls [partner with John Borlase, John
Vivian and William Trevenan; he died 1834, the arch at Helston bowling green is
to his memory] and Thomas Grylls (born 19th November 1790), who was
baptised 3rd March 1791 in Helston and married Sarah Willyams 4th
January 1815. Their eldest, James Willyams Grylls married on 14th
September 1848 at Camberwell, Caroline Jane Millett (born 1st
October 1822, eldest daughter of Rev John Curnow Millett, of Penpol (Hayle),
father of John Curnow Millett of Penzance, thus JL Vivian Millett and Mabel
Millett were well aware of aunt Caroline Jane, uncle James Willyams Grylls, and
uncles Samuel John (of The Orchard) and George John (of Rosemorran). James
Willyams Grylls died at Camborne and was buried 14th November 1861;
Caroline Jane Grylls (nee Millett) re-married later to William Haworth of
Mexico. Go to the Hearts of Oak index, and visit
the pages on Captain J L Vivian Millet, and his family; his sister Mabel
married Joseph Temperley.
One
of the heroes, upon the loss of the SS Amazon, was Lt Charles Grylls [full name
Charles Gerveys Grylls], son of Reverend Henry Grylls of St Neot and grandson
of Rev Richard Gervys Grylls, and great nephew of Thomas Grylls (baptised
1760). I have no doubt that cousin Charles Gerveys Grylls came into the
conversation, on more than one occasion, in the Millett and Temperley
households. Go to the Hearts of Oak index, and
visit the pages on the SS Amazon.
The
development of Penzance Harbour is an interesting and lengthy subject.
The
part that George John played in that story was taken up from the proposals in
1809, to extend the pier a further 150 feet. It was completed between 1811 to
1813, and presented a further protection from the sea, and extra quay space. The
borough too the opportunity to revise the harbour dues, as since 1728, very
little change had taken place. It was said to cover the new forms of cargo and
handling necessary. And here is the reason for a ship being Measured and
Registered, for the purposes of calculating dues and taxes. Penzance had fought
hard to prevent other harbours being built or extended, and now she faced
difficulties in preserving the use of the harbour, as so many disputes were
raised. The dues were raised by 50% and much objection was raised by the
business people in the town, who were on the paying end of the charges. An Act
of Parliament was sought to settle the Dues as being Right and Legal. George
John (an Alderman) was asked to make the application; assisting the matter in
Parliament was Davies Gilbert (formerly Giddy) the MP for Bodmin, a great man
of Penzance. More backing was provided in The Lords by Viscount Falmouth.
George John had to make two visits to London, each took four or five days each
way, for it was before the advent of the Railway of 1859, and his fees amounted
to £850. And so winning the case, the Harbour Dues Bill was introduced in 1817.
Work continued in 1817 on the pier, encouraged by the donation of a dram to the
workers to press on during the Spring tides, despite the coldness of the
weather. Pollard & Son were paving the quay, but were pressing for more
money than was considered reasonable by the Mayor. 13th May 1817
consultations were commenced with Edward Hamilton to construct the house for
the Geological Museum and on the 23rd May 1817; advice was given in
a letter from George John that the tariff bill had been passed and had been
read for the first time in The Lords, the 26th May the letter from
George John confirmed the passing of the Harbour Dues Bill in The Lords, and
the next day it was announced to the Town. George John having returned to
Penzance, an Excise meeting was held on the 4th June 1817, where he
laid forth his full report on the passing of the Harbour Dues Bill.
Raymond
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