The Thousand-Strong Mule Train
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The mule train came early in the forenoon, the rumble of the hundreds of hooves could be heard for a long way,
the cries of the boys who led them, six or eight at a time, the laughter and the calls of the drovers who
walked along beside them swinging their sticks. In summer, clouds of dust rose and lingered long after they
had passed, leaving a smell of leather and warm flesh.
There were anything from five hundred to a thousand mules in the train, and they took an hour or more to
pass on the rough track roads. The mules had panniers on their backs, and some carried fodder for their
'comrades'. In cold weather one mule would have dry firewood in his baskets so that the men could have
a fire to sit around while they ate, and perhaps heat up what they had brought with them. On the return
journey the men and the boys would ride on the mules.
This was Gwinear in the 1600s and 1700s. What they carried was tin ore, collected from the mines at
Drannack, Herland, Relistian (the biggest and most extensive mining operation in Cornwall) and Rosewarne.
All this ore from around Gwinear parish was taken to Hayle, to the smelters they had there, and to the wharves where
the sailing ships lay. A lot of the tin ore was exported.
1613 What the minister and parishioners recorded at Rogation-tide
.-( WITH MAP AND TRANSLATION)
Gwinear Parishe xx die 8 m Anno DOM 1613 Gwinear parish second millenium? 8th day of May in the year of our Lord 1613
A certificate of the limits and boundes of the saide parishe w{hi] ch were st-ewed (stewed can mean 'studied
closely') by the minister and the parishioners of the saide p[a]rishe at the Last Rogation weeke in manner
and forme followinge (8 illegible words)
firste on the east side divided from Crowan p[ar]ishe by
a stone standings on a Borrowe in Trenowith
moare( moor) adjoyning unto a moare called Catebedron
moore & from thence devided from Crowan by a
river running Between a tenement called Geare and
Halegoose. And from thence to Cronsellowe gate, and
so by a banke on the south side, runninge into a stone
on the downs called mensowe kirte, from thence to
Lambo the Lane, so to Goosengrosse adjoyning with
St Earth p{ar]ishe, so west warde by a lane deviding
St Earthe, Phillacke and Gwinnyar p{ar]ishes, And so to Bandower thence (from there) by a runninge streame unto
vellan vrane bridge, thence to three stones on Connor downe moore the burrowes, then on the
north side topitt Anwollan in the south downe thence by the boundes of Roseworthy to Pool meadowwe to
a river their where the boundes of three p{ar]ishes meet vis Camboorne, Gwethyan and Gwynnyar so- tpe
a longe by the said runninge river to Halgosse to a headweare of Roseworthy mill adjoining w{it]h pke
Roger, thence- the river to Borripper bridge And so a longe the river between Halgarracke & Busprawell
unto a stone in the -ellgear in Penhale moare, And so to the firste bounde in Trenowther moore.
1632 The will of Thomas Howell mentions the day of resurrection and "my friend John Trefusis. He is
acknowledging a Puritan friend.
1636 .In 1636 William Franc was excluded from this Living by the Puritans.
In the parish register of 1633 there is a note signed by Major Ceely, a Puritan Cromwellian.
1641 The protestation return, 134 men between 16 and 60 years of age. Parish population about 603.
1642-49 The Civil War
1646 The royalist army surrendered to Fairfax at Tresillian Bridge on 12th March
1646-7 Plague in Cornwall at St Austell and St Ives
1648 Exeter College Thirteen Fellowes were appointed by the Parliamentary visitors. Ten of these
vacances occurred because of expulsions of Fellows for Royalist sympathies.
Francis Howell of Gwinear was appointed Fellow and Greek Reader at Exeter College.
1649-78 Cornish vicars ejected from their livings, including those from St Erth, Camborne and Phillack.
The Will of William Lanyon Gent
I William Lanyon Gent in the parish of St Gwinear being sick in body but in my perfect
memory praise be to Almighty God; do at this time make my last will and testament in manner and
form following. First I do bequeath my Soul to Almighty God in hope of a joyfull resurrection at the
last day and my Body to the earth.
Item: I give and bequeath unto the poor of the parish of Gwinear to ---ayne (maintain?) the parish
stock forty shillings.
Item; I give unto my so Tobias Lanyon twelve pence. Item: I give to my daughter Constance Veale
twelve pence. Item: I give unto my daughter Elizabeth Lanyon twelve pence. All the rest of my
goods and chattels moveable and immoveable I do give to my wife Elizabeth Lanyon whom I do
make my full and whole Executrix. Witness my sign and seal the day and year first above written.
William Lanyon. Sealed, signed and delivered in the presence of these. Renatus Trenwith;
Wil Stevens; the sign of Henry Stevens.
The will was proved at London the seventeenth day of February in the year of our Lord God one thousand six hundred fifty and four. Before the Judges for Probate of Wills and granting administration lawfully authorized. By the oath of Elizabeth Lanyon the relict and sole Executrix named in the said will to whom admon of all and singular the goods chattels and debts of the said deceased was committed. She being first sworn by Commission truly to Administer the same.
1664 Church seating plan
1665 The death of Otto Polkinhorne the last male Gwinear Polkinhorne.
Polkinghorne
Polkinghorne Farm is of great historic interest. The Polkinghorne family (later the name seems to have been
changed to Polkinhorne) were established here from the year 1290, and took and active part in Cornish and
national life through the centuries. They were saved from dying out by recognising female succession and using
the device of permitting the bridegroom to assume the family name.
The present house is chiefly of 18th century construction, but stands upon the remains of an ancient Tudor
building. The charming porch is probably of 17th century date, but the onlty relics of the Tudor mansion are some
blocks of cut stone built into the barn near the house.
The house is now occupied by the Laity family, proud of their dairy herd. Laity is said to be a Breton name and
methinks it is appropriately linked to lait, the French word for milk.
His Heiress Mary married Thomas Glynn of Helston.
Their son Otto Glynn married Elizabeth Pandarves of Taskus.
1674 Windmill erected on Relistian Down to pump water from Relistian mine.
1676 Compton census. 302 persons over 16. Parish population about 500.
1681 Rock fall at Relistian mine caused death of 24 miners working underground.
1686 Relistian windmill destroyed by fire.
1696 The Tye, Wall
The area known as 'The Tye' in Wall has an interesting history. It is part or a very old open case mine
going back to Elizabethan times. Relistian, a very ancient tin mine was known as far back as 1502,
and on the Lanhydrock Estate Map it is shown in 1696 as the Relistian Tin Works in the manor of Drinnick.
The famous Cornish historian Dr.Borlase described Rellistian in 1760 as the largest open work he had ever seen.
The waste rock that had been thrown out formed an immense ridge which gave to the locality the name of GWALL
or Wall. At the west end of it was a huge trench, then it split into two very deep channels with a sharp ridge
between them. The south trench was subsequently planted with trees and shrubs.
At the west end of the sett the workings were excavated to a depth of 240 feet by 1843, and 66 feet in width with
near vertical sides. it must have been ab extraordinary sight. The 17th century working was for tin. but copper
discovered early in the 18th century and was exploited by Bristol merchants.
The mine closed in about 1720, but it was re-opened and worked for ten years. Then it was again re-opened and
was active between 1823 and 1842 when 12,000 tons of tin ore, and 1,000 tins of copper ore were taken out.
The last known working was in 1852.
The letter of thanks to the loyal Cornish from King Charles the Second hangs on the north wall just inside the church
entrance. (Still to be copied for the website)