Trethurffe, Ladock

Trethurffe in the parish of Ladock, near Truro, in Cornwall is an historic estate.^[1]

Descent

Trethurffe

Arms of Trethurffe: Azure, a buck's head cabossed argent attired or^[2]

It was held for many generations by the Trethurffe family (originally de Trethurffe) which took its name from the estate. The later descent is given in the Heraldic Visitations of Cornwall as follows:^[3]

• John Trethurffe, whose wife was of the Trenowith family.
• Reynold Trethurffe, son and heir, who married Margaret St Aubyn, youngest daughter and co-heiress of John St Aubyn.
• John Trethurffe (d.20 June 1510), son and heir, who married Elizabeth/Isabel Courtenay,^[4] one of the four sisters of Edward Courtenay, 1st Earl of Devon (d.1509) of Tiverton Castle in Devon, and a co-heiresses in her issue of her great-great-nephew Edward Courtenay, 1st Earl of Devon (d.1556) (Her brother's great-grandson), who died unmarried and without progeny, the last of the mediaeval Courtenay Earls of Devon seated at Tiverton Castle.
• Thomas Trethurffe (1477-1529), son and heir, who married Maud Trevisa, daughter and heiress of ... Trevisa of Trevisa in Cornwall.^[5] He died without male progeny, leaving two daughters and co-heiresses. His will reveals that he owned several "tin works" in Cornwall, which are listed in his will, transcribed in Testamenta Vetusta by Nicholas Harris Nicolas(1826).^[6] as follows:

"issues and profits of all my tynne-works in Whele Ankeye, Whele Flatt, Whele en duse gentill, and Whele Liana, Whele Angrovose, within the parish of St. Agnes, Whele Peyse in Elezar bonnale vine, within the parish of St. Peran, Beanie, quifer8, Penwinnas, within the parish of StAustell, Trewilke Whele, within the parish of St. Mewan, Dogowise and Trethillan, within the parish of St. Stephen in Brannel, and St. Enoder Beanne, within the parish of St. Columb, and elsewhere within the county of Cornwall".

He bequeathed much of his property to a certain "Alice, the wife of William Christopher", whom Nicolas suspected was his mistress: "It would perhaps be difficult to explain the motive which induced the testator to bequeath the chief part of his property to Alice, the wife of William Christopher, in a manner creditable either to his memory or her virtue".^[7] His will states:

"I will and bequeath all my tin-works, wheresoever they be, as be within my several grounds, or in waste ground, or elsewhere within the shire of Cornwall, to Alice Christopher, the wife of William Christopher, during her life ... to have and to hold to the said Alice ... during her life, and after her decease I will and bequeath all the said tin-works to the Warders of the Shrine of St. Enoder, and their successors for ever, to the intent that the said wardens and their successors shall cause yearly my soul to be prayed for, my father and mother's souls, and all Christian souls".

His daughters and co-heiresses were:

• • Elizabeth Trethurffe (born 1501), eldest daughter, wife of John Vivian (d.1562) "Senior"^[8] of Trelawarren, Cornwall, whose son was John Vivian (d.1564) "Junior" of Arralas, who married a certain Johanna and died without male progeny leaving two daughters and co-heiresses.^[9]
  • Margaret Trethurffe (1503-1576^[10]), younger daughter, who married thrice:^[11]
    • Firstly to John Boscawen (1494-1524) of Tregothnan and Tregarrick^[12] in Cornwall, by whom she has a son Thomas Boscawen who died without issue. John's younger brother and heir Hugh Boscawen was the ancestor of Hugh Boscawen, 1st Viscount Falmouth (d.1734).^[13]
    • Secondly to Edward Courtenay, son and heir of Edward Courtenay (d.1509) of Landrake in Cornwall, by whom she had issue,^[14] to which descended Trethurffe.
    • Thirdly to Richard Buller (d.1556),^[15] by whom she had progeny, Buller of Shillingham and later of Morval, which latter family came to great national prominence from the 18th century and ended in the male line with the Boer War hero General Sir Redvers Buller VC, GCB, GCMG (1839-1908) of Downes House, near Crediton in Devon.

The Courtenay Faggot

Arms of William Courtenay, 10th Earl of Devon (d.1511), of Tiverton Castle, above the south porch of St Peter's Church, Tiverton, next to the Castle. Part of the Greenway Chapel, built in 1517 by the wealthy Tiverton merchant John Greenway (d.1529), whose initials are seen above the Courtenay arms. Above and between two White Roses of York appears the very rarely seen^[16] heraldic badge of the Courtenays: A falcon rising holding in its claws a bundle of sticks. This is possibly a reference to the "Courtenay Faggot" described by Richard Carew (d.1620) in his Survey of Cornwall.^[17] The imagery is however reminiscent of the "Eagle of Jupiter" holding in his claws a thunderbolt, the emblem of that deity, as commonly seen on ancient Greek and Roman coins

The Trethurffe's inheritance of part of the Courtenay estates was supposedly foretold by the Courtenay Faggot being "againe sub-divided into other twayne". The Courtenay Faggot was a mysterious naturally mis-shapen piece of wood split at the ends into four sticks, one of which again split into two, supposedly kept as a valued possession by the Courtenay Earls of Devon. It was later interpreted as an omen of the end of the line of Courtenay Earls of Devon via four heiresses. It was seen by the Cornish historian Richard Carew (d.1620) when visiting Hall, then the dower house of Margaret Reskimer, the widow of Sir William Mohun (d.1588),^[18] MP, of Hall, the great-grandson of Elizabeth Courtenay, who described it in his Survey of Cornwall as follows:^[19]

"A farre truer foretoken touching the Earle of Devon's progeny I have seen at this place of Hall, to wit, a kind of faggot, whose age and painting approveth the credited tradition that it was carefully preserved by those noble men. But whether upon that prescience or no, there mine author fails me. This faggot being all one peece of wood, and that naturally growen, is wrapped about the middle part with a bond and parted at the ends into foure sticks, one of which is againe sub-divided into other twayne. And in semblable maner the last Erle's inheritance accrued unto 4 Cornish gent(lemen): Mohun, Trelawny, Arundell of Talverne and Trethurffe. And Trethurffe's portion Courtenay of Ladocke and Vivian do enjoy, as descended from his two daughters and heires".

Courtenay

Monumental brass of Edward Courtenay (d.1509/10) of Landrake, Cornwall, 2nd son of Sir William I Courtenay (d.1485) of Powderham. Landrake Church^[20]

Edward Courtenay

Edward Courtenay, husband of Margaret Trethurffe, heiress of Trethurffe. He was the son and heir of Edward Courtenay (d.1509) of Landrake in Cornwall (whose monumental brass survives in Landrake Church), the second son of Sir William I Courtenay (d.1485) of Powderham in Devon, Sheriff of Devon in 1483,^[21] by his wife Alice Wotton (d.1533), daughter and heiress of John Wotton of Wotton^[22] in Landrake.^[23] The monumental brass of Edward Courtenay (d.1509) of Landrake is inscribed: "Pray for the soule of Edward Cowrtney esquyer secunde son of Sir William Cowrtney Knight of Povderam, which dyed the fyrst day of March Anno domini MV^CIX^o[24] on whose soule ihesu have merci".^[25]

Peter Courtenay (1536-1606)

William Reskimer of St Tudy, a Groom of the Bedchamber to King Henry VIII, portrait circa 1532/4 by Hans Holbein the Younger (1497/1498–1543), Royal Collection, Windsor Castle

Arms of Courtenay of Powderham: Or, three torteaux a label of three points azure each charged with three plates

Peter Courtenay (1536-1606), eldest son and heir, a Justice of the Peace for Cornwall. His share of the inheritance from the Courtenay Earls of Devon included an eighth part^[26] of the advowson of St Peter's Church in Tiverton (next to Tiverton Castle), to which he appointed a rector in 1559 and 1593.^[27] He married Katherin Reskimer (born 1546), a daughter and co-heiress of William Reskimer of St Tudy, a Groom of the Bedchamber to King Henry VIII, whose portrait by Hans Holbein the Younger (1497/1498–1543) survives in the Royal Collection at Windsor Castle.^[28]

John Courtenay (1556-1615)

John Courtenay (1556-1615), eldest son and heir, who in 1595 married Ann St Aubyn, a daughter of Thomas St Aubyn of Clowance. The marriage was without surviving progeny and having survived her husband she remarried in 1620 to John Trevillian (alias Trevelyan) of Nettlecombe Court^[29] in Somerset.

Edward Courtenay (d.1622)

Edward Courtenay (d.1622), younger brother and heir, who in 1622 sold the family's one-eighth share of the advowson of Tiverton. In 1614 he married Elizabeth Gorges (d.1629), eldest daughter and co-heiress of Tristram Gorges of Budockshed (alias Budshead^[30])^[31] in the parish of St Budeaux, near Plymouth in Devon. She survived her husband and remarried twice, firstly in 1623 to William Bligh and secondly (as his 3rd wife) to Sir Ferdinando Gorges^[32](1565-1647), sometime Governor of Plymouth, the "Father of English Colonization in North America",^[33] the founder of the Province of Maine in 1622.

Sir Peter Courtenay (1616-1670)

Sir Peter Courtenay (1616-1670), eldest son and heir, of Trethurffe, who was knighted at York on 28 June 1642.^[34] he married twice:

• Firstly in 1638 to Alice Rashleigh (1619-1659), a daughter of Jonathan Rashleigh of Menabilly, near Fowey in Cornwall. A "release in trust" deed survives in the Cornwall Record Office dated 25 May 1661, summarised as follows:^[35]

Peter Courteney of Trethurffe, Kt., to Jonathan Rashleigh of Menabilly, Esq., Henry Squire of Northill, Esq., and Jonathan Sparke (possibly the father of John Sparke (died 1680), MP^[36]) of Plymouth Esq. Manor of Nordon near Kingsbridge, Devon, Trethurffe in Ladock, advowson of Ladock Church, Nansawsyn Mills, and Nankelly in Ladock, and manors of Trethurffe, Nansough, Tredrym in St. Just and Gerrans, Trevilveth in Veryan and Cuby, moiety of Treverbyn in Probus and other lands".

By Alice Rashleigh he had progeny one son and four daughters including Anne Courtenay (1645-1677) who married Jonathan Rashleigh (1642-1702) of Menabilly, Sheriff of Cornwall in 1686/87,^[37] and twice MP for Fowey 1675-1681 and 1689-1695.

• Secondly he maried Amy Courtenay, daughter of Peter Courtenay of Penkivel in Cornwall. She survived her husband and remarried to Sir Peter Fortescue, 1st Baronet (1620-1685) of Wood in the parish of Woodleigh, Devon.^[38]

William Courtenay (1647-1683)

William Courtenay (1647-1683), of Trethurffe, only son and heir, by his father's first wife Alice Rashleigh. He died without progeny and left his estates to his brother-in-law Humphry Courtenay of Tremere, the husband of his sister Alice Courtenay (1641-1684).^[39]

Present day

In 2016 the remnant of the mansion house is a farmhouse with five acres of grounds, operated as a holiday let.^[40]

Sources

• Vivian, John Lambrick, ed., The Visitations of Cornwall: comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1530, 1573 & 1620; with additions by J.L. Vivian, Exeter, 1887, p. 497, pedigree of Trethurffe of Trethurffe

References

1. See image of surviving part of mansion house
2. Vivian, 1887, p.497
3. Vivian, 1887, p.497
4. Pole, Sir William (d.1635), Collections Towards a Description of the County of Devon, Sir John-William de la Pole (ed.), London, 1791, p.346; Vivian, Lt.Col. J.L., (Ed.) The Visitation of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620, Exeter, 1895, p.748
5. Vivian, 1887, p.497; Vivian, 1895, p.748
6. Nicolas, Nicholas Harris, Testamenta Vetusta: Being Illustrations from Wills, of Manners, Customs, &c.,, Vol.2, London, 1826, pp.643-7
7. Testamenta Vetusta, p.643, note
8. Vivian, 1895, p.245, note; p.748
9. Vivian, 1895, p.749
10. Date of deth per Vivian, 1887, p.117
11. Vivian, 1887, p.497
12. Vivian, 1887, p.117
13. Vivian, 1887, pp.47 et seq.
14. Vivian, 1887, p.117
15. Vivian, 1887, p.56
16. One on the Greenway Porch, two inside the church sculpted on the chancel arch, more on the Greenway Almshouse (1517) in Gold Street, Tiverton, and one on the screen of the Speke Chantry Chapel of John Speke (1442-1518) in Exeter Cathedral
17. Carew, Richard (d.1620), Survey of Cornwall, pp.133-4
18. http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1558-1603/member/mohun-william-1540-88
19. Carew, Richard (d.1620), Survey of Cornwall, pp.133-4
20. Dunkin, E.H.W. The Monumental Brasses of Cornwall, 1882, pp.24-5 & plate XXI
21. Vivian, p.246
22. Vivian, p.246
23. Dunkin, E.H.W. The Monumental Brasses of Cornwall, 1882, pp.24-5
24. MV^CIX^o = M + (V*C) + IX = 1509; "in the year of Our Lord the one thousand five hundred and ninth"; the final superscript "o" (akin to the English "th") represents the last letter in the Latin ordinal millensimo quingentensimo nono ("in the 1,509th")
25. Dunkin, E.H.W. The Monumental Brasses of Cornwall, 1882, p.24
26. Vivian, 1887, p.117, re Edward Courtenay (d.1622), who sold it
27. Vivian, 1887, p.117
28. Vivian, 1887, p.117, the portrait was at Hampton Court Palace in 1887
29. Vivian, 1887, p.117
30. Pevsner, Nikolaus & Cherry, Bridget, The Buildings of England: Devon, London, 2004, p.678
31. Risdon, Tristram (d.1640), Survey of Devon, 1811 edition, London, 1811, with 1810 Additions, p.209
32. Vivian, 1887, p.117
33. John Franklin Jameson, Henry Eldridge Bourne, Robert Livingston Schuyler, The American historical review, Volume 4:P683
34. Vivian, 1887, p.118
35. Cornwall Record Office, R/3626
36. Vivian, 1895, p.856
37. Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry, 15th Edition, ed. Pirie-Gordon, H., London, 1937, p.1891, Rashleigh of Menabilly
38. Vivian, 1887, p.118; Vivian, 1895, p.357
39. Vivian, 1887, p.118
40. See image