EDMOND PRIDEAUX & ST.
EVAL CHURCH
The splendid 60 foot church
tower, built before 1620, had collapsed to the foundations
around 1690; and was re-built
during the summer of 1727.
To quote from Lyson's Magna
Brittania - Cornwall [1814]
"St.Evall, in the hundred
and deanery of Pyder, lies about five miles north-west from St.Columb, which is the post office
town, and in the same distance southwest
from Padstow.......
The tower of the parish church
haying fallen down towards the commencement of the last century, was re-built
from the foundation, and completed in 1727.
The expence, which amounted to
nearly £400, was defrayed by collections in the county, aided by a contribution
from the Bristol merchants, to whose vessels navigating the northsea, it is,
from its loftiness, a conspicuous sea-mark. ..."
THERE IS A BRIEF IN THE EXETER
DIOCESAN PAPERS......
Re-building of St.Evall Tower
in 1725 ( completed 1727 )
A petition addressed to the
Bishop by The Vicar John Webber, The Church Wardens William Ivy and Richard
Reynolds and the chief inhabitants, Simon Leach, William Trevithick, Thomas Mitchell, James Arthur, Samuel Maye.
The church had become ruinous
owing to its exposed situation. The South Hall had been re-built from the
foundations and the roof of the south aisle also. The Tower had fallen down to
the foundations and must be rebuilt - being a Sea-Mark of great service to
mariners. The inhabitants had raised £90, of which Edmond Prideaux was
treasurer. The whole cost, however will be £300 at least, they beg a Brief of
the Bishop.
The Petition is also
subscribed by The Rectors of St.Columb, St.Mawgan, St.Ervan, St.Breocke and
Little Petherick and The Vicars of St.Merryn, Padstow and St.Issey; also by
Edmond Prideaux; John Peter and Warwick Mohun.
▬▬▬▬▬▬
Refer
to Edmond Prideaux’s Cash Book pages
for
more information on his travels to Padstow from Norfolk 1724-1727.
▬▬▬▬▬▬
There
is another MSS in which Edmond Prideaux has written on the fly page,
“This
MSS written by Mr:
Trevithick
who travell’d with Sam:
Rolls
Esqr. of Heanton Devon:
Mr:
Trevithick was a Cornish
:man
and lived at a place called Tre:
:vimedar
in the Parish of St:Evall.”
The MSS describes the journey
through Europe, which The Reverend William Trevithick took, regrettably his
writing is not very clear, so makes for very hard reading, quite the opposite
of Edmond Prideaux’s clarity.
Thomas
Trevithick of Great Trevemeder, St.Eval had two children.
A daughter, Eleanor; she
married Simon Leach, son of Christopher Leach of Trevemeder, St Eval. Eleanor
was buried 12th Nov 1687, Simon leach was buried 19th Mar
1672.
A son, The Rev. William
Trevithick MA, born 1613 and died 15th March 1693 – there is a monument at
St.Evall church, he was pastor of Petrockstow ( Devon ). He went on the Grand
Tour, c1663, with Samuel Rolle, as a guardian and tutor. I feel certain that
Edmond Prideaux, on reading this MSS from his father’s library, when he settled
at Prideaux Place, was inspired to follow, on his own Grand Tour.
▬▬▬▬▬▬
Samuel Rolle was son of
Colonel Robert Rolle of Heanton, Devon.
Henry Rolle was of Padstow, ( he was the 4th
son [ of twenty children! ] of George Rolle and Eleanor Dacres and he
was buried at Petrockstow church, Devon ).
Henry Rolle married Mary Yeo ( heiress of Robert
Rolle ) of Heanton ( Devon ); Mary Rolle died 5th Jan 1591. They had
six daughters. Phillippa Rolle married John Molesworth of Pencarrow. Grace
Rolle married Sir Richard Carew, Bart, of Anthony. Sir Samuel Rolle was born 1590.
Robert Yeo of Sheabeer married Elizabeth, the
daughter of Fulke Prideaux of Adeston and Theuborough, by whom he had a son
William.
Robert Yeo, heir, married Mary, the daughter of
Bartholomew Fortescue, of Philleigh, by whom he had an only daughter, Margaret,
who married Henry Rolle.