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Warleggan People & Property Population Counts
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Inhabited houses
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Uninhabited houses
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Families
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Persons
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1801
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1811
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1801
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1811
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1801
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1811
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1801
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1811
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37
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43
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1
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2
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43
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49
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166
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228
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Magna Britannia 1814
The manor of Warleggon, together with the advowson of the rectory, has
long been in the family of Gregor, and is now the property of Francis
Gregor, Esq., of Trewarthenick. Another manor of Warleggon belonged to
the Coryton family, of whom it was purchased, in 1680, by John Trengove,
otherwise Nance, Esq., by whose descendant, James Wyard Gooch, Esq.
(some time of Trengoffe, now of Orford in Suffolk), it was alienated, in
1803, to Edward Angove, Esq., who at the same time purchased the barton
of Trengoffe, (formerly esteemed a manor,) which had been successively
in the families of Molins, Hungerford, and Hastings. This manor has been
lately offered for sale. Trengoffe or Trengove gave name to an ancient
family, by whom the barton was sold to the Tubbs: in Norden's time, it
was the seat of John Tubb, Esq.: after continuing in this family for
some descents, it was sold to the Parkers, and by the latter to John
Trengove alias Nance, said to have been descended from a younger branch
of the family, who sold this barton to the Tubbs. (fn. 11)
The manor of Carborro or Carburrow, and the barton of Trevedoe, have
been for a considerable time in the family of their present proprietor,
Arscott Bickford, Esq., of Dunsland in Devonshire. Part of the old
mansion is inhabited as a farm-house; the remainder is reserved for the
purpose of holding the manor courts.
A Topographical Description of England, 1838, Thomas Moule
WARLEGGON, 6 miles E. from Bodmin, and 8 miles N.W. from Liskeard,
contains 50 houses and 296 inhabitants, including the hamlet of Bofindle.
The church, dedicated to St. Bartholomew, is a rectory, value £5.17s.
6d.
A Topographical Dictionary of England, 1848, Samuel Lewis
WARLEGGON (St. Bartholomew), a parish, in the union of Bodmin, hundred
of West, E. division of Cornwall, 5¾ miles (E. N, E.) from Bodmin;
containing 277 inhabitants. It comprises 1900 acres, of which 500 are
common or waste; the surface is hilly, the soil peaty, and in many parts
encumbered with slate. The living is a discharged rectory, valued in the
king's books at £5. 17. 6., and in the gift of G. W. F. Gregory, Esq.:
the tithes have been commuted for an annual rent-charge of £170; there
is a parsonage-house, and the glebe contains 9 acres.
The Parish of Warleggan
The Parish of Warleggan is a fairly small one as moorland parishes go -
only 2,800 acres. It lies between the two very large parishes of
Cardynham and St Neot. The boundaries are largely rivers: on the east,
the river Dewy; in the south the river Fowey; and, on much of the west,
the river with another lovely name -Bedalder.
The village of Warleggan itself has been described in one guidebook as
"the loneliest village on Bodmin Moor". It is not bleak, as are some of
those further north, but it is still hard to reach until the connecting
road to the A30 was built not very long ago, it must have been even
harder. The main centre is the village of Mount, through which the
mail-coaches used to rumble on what was once the main road from Bodmin
to Liskeard.
"Warleggan", originally "Worlegan", is similar to a Welsh word meaning
"a high place". The highest: point in the parish is Carburrow Tor, not
far north of the church: it is 912 ft.
The first recorded Lord of the Manor of "Wrlegan" is Roger of Deviock -
a farm in Cardinharn - in 1260. Slightly earlier, Roger granted some of
this land to "William the Smith". The annual rent was 2d, or one pair of
spurs, at Michaelmas. The chief house in the parish was for centuries
the magnificent Trengoffe Barton, burnt down not long ago. It was
progressively the home of the Tubbe, Parker, Nance and Angove families.
Other Bartons are Trevorder, Bofindle, Dewy, Holtroad, Tor and Carhurrow
Panter's Bridge, the lovely little bridge on the road from Mount to St.
Neot, was once (1238) Pontyesu - Jesus' Bridge, a beautiful name. There
were once very large tin workings in the parish. The Treveddoe mines and
quarries are extensive, and were partly worked till 1945. They are
dangerous to visit.
A hundred years ago, the population of the parish was twice its present
figure.
The Church
The church is dedicated to St Bartholomew, not to a local saint like
those of its neighbours, St Neot, and St Meubred at Cardynham. The
original building is therefore post-Conquest. It was probably a
converted manorial chapel. The nave is the oldest part of the church,
built in the eleven-hundreds. The north wall (beside the pulpit) is a
rubble one. Though the builders of those days could work "moor stone"
(granite), as the ancient crosses show, they did not build in it till
the 15th century, when the rest of the church was finished: the five
irregular arches and the south aisle (where is the organ). In the north
wall is a Norman window (near the tower), which was moved east at some
time, and traces of a stopped-up door.
The interior of the church was restored in the 19th century. Though we
may not admire their taste, we are glad they did the work when they
could afford it. The font is 15th century. The very large organ is a
First War memorial. In the floor beyond it is the mark where an ancient
brass was stolen long ago It would have been exactly like the
magnificent one still in place in Cardynham church. On the pillars are
various simple devices which are probably the badges badges ("rebus") of
families which helped to pay for the work; the "Bear's head couped"
would be the Beres of Treveddoe.
The rather strange shape of the tower is the result of its having once
mounted a steeple unusual in Cornwall. In March, 1818, this was struck
by lightning and fell on the church, doing very much harm. To pay for
repairs, two of the three bells were sold, leaving us our one survivor.
The church, though at present protected by beeches, is in fact very
exposed and high above sea-level, nearly 800 ft. Outside the porch is an
ancient cross, long used as a gatepost at Carburrow. It is, perhaps, 8th
century. In the church, opposite the door, is a fine Norman capital
(head of a pillar) which may have come from the former Bodmin Priory.
Some Clergy
Like other small parishes in Cornwall, Warleggan was sometimes neglected
by its priests. John Wak (1244), the first recorded Rector, had many
parishes and lived in none.
The second, John Tremur, was away in Oxford from 1328 to 1331. The
Bishop gave him permission because he was so clever, and because his
predecessor had let the church and house decay. His son, Ralph, was a
"near-heretic, denying the Real Presence and burning the Host". He was
left free because he too was very clever, and spoke so many languages.
Daniel Baudris, of 1706, was a French refugee; he tended the parish
well. He reported that there were 26 families and no dissenters.
Samuel Gurney, of 1746, lived far away at Tregony, had two other
churches and ran a Grammar School. Francis Cole, curate in 1774, and
vicar of Luxulyan, is said to haunt the road outside Trengoffe. His
carriage wheels are said to be still audible.
The Patrons of the living were, from 1480 to 1860, the Courtenays of
Deviock (till 1660) and then the Gregors of Trewarthenick. Now, the
Diocesan Patronage Board appoints the Rectors. Warleggan is an
independent parish with its own Rector, whom it shares with the parish
of St Neot.
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