Volume 1

An historical survey of the county of Cornwall: to which is added, a complete heraldry. Of the same: with numerous engravings / [Charles Sandoe Gilbert].

  • Gilbert, Charles Sandoe, 1760-1831.
Date:
1817-1820
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An historical survey of the county of Cornwall: to which is added, a complete heraldry. Of the same: with numerous engravings / [Charles Sandoe Gilbert]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    British bloud was called Candorus.” It was near the Land’s End that the Cornish made their final stand for liberty, and were overthrown by Athelstan, in a terrible battle, the theatre of which is still preserved in the name of Bolloit, (a place of slaughter) which lies a little to the southward of the road to the Land’s End. Before this event, the Cornishmen “bare equal sway in Exeter with the English.” These contests between the Cornish Britons and Saxons lasted more than 560 years, with a noble fortitude and perseverance on the part of the former, notwithstanding the dispro- portion in numerical force and military discipline, that well warranted the following eulogium: “ The Britons were a hard and obstinate nation, inflexibly fond of liberty, and implacable against all conquerors. They knew not how to acknowledge themselves subdued, and after a defeat, only waited till the victor had disappeared, in order to reinstate their affairs, and rob him of the fruits of his victory. Their struggles to preserve their independence against Egbert, were the struggles of men who knew how to estimate the true value of liberty.” When Athelstan became complete master of Cornwall, he imposed a yearly tribute on it of 20 li. in gold, 300 li. in silver, and 25 oxen, besides bondage and banishing. In 997, the Danes sailing about Penwith- steort, landed in several places in Cornw all, foraged the country, burnt the towns, and destroyed the people. At the Norman invasion, in 1060, William the conqueror either annexed Cornwall to his other dominions, or found it already done to his hands. In his expedition to England, William was accompanied by Richard de Granville, who was present with his brother, Robert Fitz Hamon, at the battle of Hastings, where Harold lost his life and crown. At this period, one Condor is said to have possessed the earldom, and to have paid homage for the same: but it w ould seem that he held it only until the appointment of Robert, half brother of William, by Herlotha, their mother.* The natives of Cornwall participated largely in the wars and crusades against the infidels, and established, wherever they went, a high reputation for military renown. In 1063, eight years after the Norman conquest, Godwin, and Edwin Magnus, sons of Harold, after defeating the forces opposed to them, ravaged Devon and Cornwall, and then retired with their booty to Ireland. In 1113, when Henry I. invaded Wales, one of the three portions of his army w as composed principally of Cornish soldiers. In 1147, the Cornish took a distinguished share, under the celebrated Don Alonzo, in the expulsion of the Moors from Lisbon, an event more than once alluded to in the *This circumstance seems to be involved iu doubt. Speed says, “ But William the bastard, created Robert (his halfe brother by Herlotha their mother) the first earle of the Norman’s race.” Carew says, that Condor “ had issue another Condor, whose daughter and heir, Agnes, was married to Reginald, earl of Bristol, base son of kin» Henry the first,” Camden calls Condor, Cadoc, and states farther, that Robert Morton, brother to William the conqueror, by his mother Herlot, was the first earl of Norman blood, and that his son William succeeded him, who taking part with Robert against Henry I, thereby lost his honour, with which Henry- invested the beforementioued Reginald. He dying without issue, Richard I, bestowed the earldom on his brother John.