St Gennys Churchtown - viewed from the North West
The Trease family history in the parish of St. Gennys on the north coast of Cornwall and in the surrounding area begins with the marriage
of Peter Trease to Joan Sharp (Generation 16) in St. Gennys on
28th October 1740. Although the exact location where they lived is not definitely known it is thought most likely to have been in the
south-western side of the parish, in the vicinity of Rosecare.
Their eight children (Generation 17) were all born and baptised in St Gennys. Of them three remained living in the parish, John, Mary and
Michael whilst three William, Peter and Samuel moved away: information at present being lacking concerning Grace and Richard.
John (Generation 17) married Ann Smeeth in St Gennys. Their
daughter
Ann (Generation 18) was born, baptised and twice married in St
Gennys, first to John Stacey and second to John Broad. John and Ann Smeeth's son
William
(Generation 18) moved away from the parish probably around the time of his marriage to Martha Uglow and birth of their
first child.
Mary
(Generation 17) was married in St Gennys to Thomas Marshall.
Michael Generation 17) married Mary Jollow in St Gennys and
they had only one son, Thomas who was born and baptised in St Gennys.
Thomas (Generation 18) married Mary Elson and they had one son
and one daughter: -
Oliver Padel states in his book 'Cornish Place-Names' that the traditional pronunciation of St. Gennys is like 'Guinness'. However William
Trease (Generation 20) writing in 1864 spelt it 'Guineas' (the plural of the English unit of currency equal to £1. 1s., now £1.05). The
latter is thought to be closest to the correct pronunciation for St. Gennys.
During 1973 Mr Roger Parnall, a Launceston solicitor whose family had lived in St. Gennys for several generations, published a parish
history of St Gennys entitled "Wreckers and Wrestlers" (H E Warne Ltd., St. Austell, Cornwall.) This book is particularly useful for its
account of the original four manors of the parish (St. Gennys, Crackington, Dizzard and Treworgie), for place names, for family names
(including several who married into the Trease family), and for the list of churchwardens (including Treases) from 1711 to 1861. This
book should be read in conjunction with a good map, such as the 1:25000 scale Ordnance Survey Explorer 111, ‘Bude, Boscastle and Tintagel’.
The first written reference to the parish of St. Gennys appears in the Domesday Book, which tells us that in 1086 the Manor of Sanwinas
(or Sanguinas) was held by Earl Mortain, and from him by his tenant Jovinus. However this should not be thought of as the earliest evidence
of human occupation because within St. Gennys Parish there are a cliff Castle, three other earthworks and a series of round barrows dating
from ‘prehistoric’ times.
St. Gennys Parish is situated on the north coast of Cornwall, a few miles north east of Boscastle and extends to approximately 5,500 acres.
It has remained relatively unchanged through the centuries, partly due to its location lying far to the north of the main route into
Cornwall from Exeter by way of Launceston and Bodmin, now the A30 Trunk Road. The lesser ‘East-West’ route through North Cornwall, via
Stratton and Camelford, only touches the extreme south-eastern boundary of the parish: this route known previously as the A39 Trunk Road
has recently been re-named somewhat grandiosely as ‘The Atlantic Highway’
That part of the St. Gennys parish is typically at about 550 feet above sea level and close to the watershed. [On the St. Gennys side the
streams rising there run a relatively short distance, about 2½ miles before reaching the sea on the north coast of Cornwall at Crackington
Haven whereas the streams rising on the other side of this road eventually discharge into the sea about 35 miles away, via the River Tamar
into the English Channel at Plymouth Sound on the south coast of Cornwall and of Devon.]
The sea coast of the parish consists of precipitous sea cliffs exposed to the Atlantic wind and waves: that at the south-western end of
the parish, known as High Cliff, reaches 730 feet above sea level, the highest cliff not only in Cornwall but in the whole of England. The
only major break in this sea cliff in the parish is where the stream enters the sea at Crackington Haven. On the north-eastern side of the
beach at Crackington Haven the valley side forms what is probably the most impressive part of the sea cliff in the parish, Penkenna Point,
which rises about 400 feet near vertically above sea level. The steep sided valley of this stream effectively divides the parish into two
halves between which there has always been friendly rivalry.
Another principal determining factor for St. Gennys and other parts of the coastal area of North Cornwall is the Atlantic Ocean. It is because of the
force of the Atlantic gales and the salt-laden air beating in from the sea that so much of the parish is barren of wood today, and so many
of the trees and shrubs are made to turn their tops away from the wind. In the more exposed positions thorn bushes can be seen growing at
right angles to their stocks, the wind singeing off all attempts at any growth upwards. Those who enjoy teasing the Cornish point out that
'even the shrubs and bushes look towards Devon'!
Many of the fields in the parish are ‘ancient’, being enclosed several hundreds of years ago, as can be seen by the shape of the fields and
by their Cornish language names. In addition, large areas of open moorland, which were previously unenclosed, were hedged in for corn
production in the middle of the 19th century. In the same period and for the same reason, the steep sides of the coombes were brought into
cultivation, but these have since mainly reverted to furze-brake.
Unlike most parishes St. Gennys has no principal village. The 'Churchtown' consisted only of the Church, school and school-house, a
farmhouse and farm buildings plus cottages and the vicarage, though formerly there were other habitations there including almshouses for
the aged and poor of the parish. Nowadays most of the farm and school buildings have been converted into letting holiday
accommodation/second homes and the vicarage is now a private dwelling.
Every parish in former times had its quota of local craftsmen and small tradesmen, but St. Gennys by reason of its distance from any town
and because of its mineral resources and situation on the coast was blessed with more than most parishes. Agriculture has always been, and
indeed remains, the primary source of livelihood, but slate quarrying, mining and the trade brought by coasters have also played their part.
In its heyday there were Blacksmiths at Churchtown, Cleave, Coxford, Rosecare, Pencuke, Wainhouse Corner, Mineshop, Tresparrett Post and
Trevigue, wheelwrights at Trevelyan and Higher Crackington and millers at Crackington Haven, Trencreek and Bastard Mills. Today there are
none.
What about famous residents of St. Gennys at about the time that Peter and Joan (nee Sharp) Trease lived? The nearest seems to be Laurence
(sometimes Lawrence) Braddon, a son of William Braddon who was a staunch supporter of the Parliamentary cause in the Civil War and had
bought the Manor of Treworgie in St. Gennys Parish during 1650.
Laurence Braddon became a Member of Parliament since 1651, and he had been called to the Bar of the Middle Temple. He appears to have
worked without any special claim to public notice until 1683. After the death of the Earl of Essex in the Tower of London, Laurence Braddon
was accused of ‘disseminating rumours’ that the Earl of Essex had been murdered by the King’s men and provided strong evidence to prove it.
As a result he was sentenced by Judge Jefferies, fined £2,000 and committed to the King's Bench prison until he could find sureties for his
good behaviour for life. This he appears to have been unable or unwilling to do and he remained in prison for six years, until 1689 when
King James had to make way for the Prince of Orange, William III.
Fortunately ‘he kept his head’ during this turbulent and savage period and on being released from prison Laurence was once again able to
pursue his charge of murder with the undiminished fervour by republishing the 'Enquiry'. During the next year, 1690, he published a fresh,
more explicitly titled pamphlet 'Essex's Innocency and Honour Vindicated, or Murther, Subordination, Perjury, and Oppression, justly on the
Murtherers of that Noble and True Patriot Arthur (late) Earl of Essex'. In many respects this affair seems no different to various
‘conspiracy theories’ concerning the deaths of several prominent people during the past century!
Whether partly as a financial or other recompense for his stance, during 1695 Laurence was appointed Solicitor to the Wine Licence Office.
Later Laurence devoted his energies in other directions. He became a champion of the poor, for example, directing his energies as a
pamphleteer to persuade Parliament to institute measures for their relief. The title of one of the pamphlets was 'The Miseries of the Pore,
a National Sin and Shame'. This was published in 1717. In 1722 after no action had been taken, he published another on 'Particular
ansers to the most material objections made to the proposal humbly presented to His Majesty for relieving, reforming and employing all the
poor of Great Britain’.
Unfortunately the principal historians of Cornwall’s past, Drew, Lake, Davies, Polwhele and the Lysons brothers, although mentioning his
father, ignore Laurence and his fights for justice and on behalf of the poor. [For a more detailed report, paricularly of the Essex affair
see Nigel Tangye 'Voyage into Cornwall's Past' (William Kimber 1978)].
Laurence Braddon died in his sleep on Sunday, 29th November 1724. At that date Peter Trease would have been about 12 years old.
The first known member of the 'Treise family' is a William Treise mentioned in a 'Inquisition Post Mortem' of 1622. He was then living at
Castle Milford in the parish of Tremaine, just within Cornwall and only about a mile from Pattacott where the Trease family are recorded in
leases as living during the 16th and 17th century. [A William Trees, thought to be the same person, is also recorded as living there in a
1589 list of Rentals of Penhale Manor.] Some relationship between the Treise family and the Trease family seems possible.
During the next five generations this Treise family prospered greatly but eventually died out in the direct male line during 1780. They
held land in many parts of Cornwall including St. Gennys, although it seems unlikely that they ever lived in this parish. The six
generations in the male line from William Treise of Castle Milford to Sir Christopher Treise were as follows:-
Sir Christopher Treise, who was M.P. for Bodmin between 1762 and 1768, died unmarried and the large Treise estates passed to his sister
Olympia, who had married William Morshead. Sir Owen Morshead who died in 1977 and was librarian at Windsor Castle was descended from
Olympia.
Concerning the Treise lands in St. Gennys:-
Leonard Treise (see above section ‘St. Gennys and the Treise Family’) was a friend, lawyer and executor of the Sir John Eliot who died in
the Tower of London during 1632. Later Eliots were patrons of St. Gennys. Parson George Thomson, who was instituted to the parish in 1727,
was a relation of the Mr Eliot who was then patron. Thomson gave good service to the parish for about 50 years. [He was thus vicar at St.
Gennys not only when Peter Trease married Joan Sharp there in 1740, when their children were christened there and when Joan was buried
there during 1755 but also when their grandchildren were born there including
William Trease of the Excise Service.]
Parson Thompson was one of the few Anglican clergy who gave support to John Wesley (1703-1791). John Wesley preached in St. Gennys during
1745, 1747, 1750 and 1751 and his brother Charles Wesley stayed with Parson Thomson in 1746.
The following document, dated 1759, deals with property in St. Gennys and a dispute between Christopher Treise (later Sir Christopher) and
John Trembath. This John Trembath was Wesley's first lay preacher. He was a natural orator, but seems to have been corrupted by his success
and this caused Wesley considerable anxiety. An extract from this document (Chancery Proceedings 1759, b B9) reads:-