The Cornish Base-Cruck Truss

Abstract

Four Cornish buildings with base-cruck trusses are described, part of a distinctive group that share the feature of having the blades passing the tiebeams to clasp the arcade plates. They have been dated, using a combination of ring-width and stable-isotope dendrochronology, to between the late thirteenth and late fourteenth centuries, making them the earliest known secular buildings in Cornwall. The paper discusses how these trusses relate to the development of the base-cruck form nationally and sets the buildings into their broader historical context.

Keywords:

• Cornwall
• base-cruck roofs
• tenure
• economy

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We thank particularly Carole Vivian, for initiating this research and supporting it in many ways, and the owners of the buildings surveyed for allowing us access. Oliver Padel and Joanna Mattingley have been unfailingly helpful in answering Cornish historical questions, as has Eric Berry for information on buildings. We also greatly appreciate the support of the Vernacular Architecture Group for making generous grants for the dating work, carried out by Martin Bridge and Neil Loader. The many others who have contributed information are mentioned in the notes.

Supplementary data

Supplementary data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/03055477.2021.1976479.

Notes

1 Previously, the earliest Cornish dates were those for the church at St Veep (1453–78d; VA 37, 111) and Cullacott, Werrington (1472–81; VA 26, 60). Our dates are reported in VA 50, 105–6 and in “Stable Isotope List 3,” this volume, **–**. For base-cruck dates, see Meeson, “Base Crucks,” 76–8.

2 See Miles et al., “Stable isotope dating of historic buildings,” 78–87.

3 The lowest horizontal member can be regarded as either a tiebeam or a collar (or can be given the hybrid name tie). We follow Meeson, “Base Crucks” in using the term tiebeam.

4 See Alcock et al., Cruck Building, 3 for the proposed similar distinction between raised crucks and principals with curved feet.

5 Jope, “Cornish Houses,” 193, 200. Both Dartington Hall and the Law Library had been visited by the Royal Archaeological Institute at its summer meeting in 1957.

6 Mercer, English Vernacular Houses, 78, 84, 143. The building was then called Frenchman’s Creek Café.

7 Pelynt Tithe Map, KK, TM/173; TA/173.

8 Dr Oliver Padel, personal communication. The name has numerous variant spellings, and that used by the Ordnance Survey has been adopted as standard. The same name (or variants) is also found in St Clement, Illogan, St Pinnock, Tywardreath and St Wenn parishes.

9 Within the porch, what appears to be the original doorway has a shouldered door-head.

10 See Jope, “Cornish Houses,” 199.

11 One of the ceiling beams has a series of diagonal cut-outs for a later partition, removed in the 1980s.

12 KK, R/4076.

13 VA, 50 (2019): 106.

14 These joints might also be described as bridled scarfs.

15 Hereditament 12 on map TNA, IR 128/5/631; Field Book IR 58/71929. The latter also notes that it was sold to Bryant for £2,400 in 1911.

16 Pelynt Tithe Map, KK, TM/173; TA/173. The summary table appears to include Pennellick as leasehold from the executors of Revd Sir Harry Trelawney, but other evidence indicates that this is an error. A smaller farm, Little Pennellick, immediately east of Pennellick is identified in 1840, but had been incorporated into the adjacent Trevathick farm by 1910.

17 KK, R/1697–1704.

18 KK, R/4080.

19 KK, X1031/1. ‘Morton’ indicates that the ultimate tenure of the holding was from the Honour of Mortain (as for most of Cornwall). The 1s. rent was presumably that still being paid in 1910.

20 RIC, TA/3/11.

21 E.g. BL Add. Roll 64556, court of 11 October 1616.

22 TNA, C 142/90/23 (1550).

23 Foot of Fine, TNA, CP 25/2/55/402, 23, one of a large number of sales made by Stephen Vyvyan in 1550–2 (CP 25/2/: 55/402, 09; 23; 31; 36; 39; 40; 50; 55/403, 20; 23).

24 TNA, C 1/368/66, dated to 1504–15 from the name of the Chancellor. The bill of complaint gives no further information and in particular does not identify if the property was in Pelynt parish. It seems likely that Cecilia Fox was William’s widow, though no earlier records for the Vyvyan or Fox families at Pennellick have been identified.

25 Bodleian Library, MS top.Devon.5, ff. 101–101v. See also Grigson, Freedom of the Parish, 94–5. The deed is undated, but must be after 1247, when Newenham Abbey was given the manor of Pelynt, and the absence of a dating clause suggests that it is pre-1300.

26 Inf. Oliver Padel (citing TNA, E 315/87/7 m.15).

27 Gilbert, Parochial History, III (1838), 267.

28 This volume, ** xx **.

29 Historic England List, no. 1141453. The list description states that the corrugated asbestos roof replaces thatch.

30 The section drawings have been modified from those in Alcock and Barley, “Medieval Roofs,” 132, correcting details and the roof pitch.

31 Some of the joints between the base cruck blades and upper principals are angled, as drawn in Figure11, but others are horizontal.

32 Hingeston-Randolph, Registers of Walter Bronescombe, 43–4. For the fair, see Letters, “Cornwall.”

33 Davies, “Brantingham, Thomas.”

34 For Bishop’s Clyst, see Alcock, “An East Devon Manor,” Parts I and II; “Medieval Buildings of Bishop’s Clyst.” For the dating of the barn, see VA 28 (1997): 164. Unfortunately, the building of this barn falls into a gap (1383–94) in the series of Bishop’s Clyst manorial accounts.

35 Hale and Ellacombe, Account of the Executors, 18, 41, 137; Hingeston-Randolph, Register of Walter de Stapledon, 573; Collier, Trevelyan Papers, 11 (for the valor).

36 Alcock, “An East Devon Manor,” Part I, 167, 171.

37 Gairdner and Brodie, Letters and Papers, 696–730.

38 KK, T/2336. This large number suggests that the entire Cornish estate may have been organised under the umbrella of Cargoll manor.

39 KK, BRA1682/1; J/1/1873.

40 KK, X690/7, a yearly lease of Cargoll Farm (363ac) in 1933.

41 A full discussion of the historical evidence with references is given in The History of Haveners: Research by Nat Alcock and Joanna Mattingley, 2021, included in the Supplementary Data for this paper, or available from the authors on request.

42 TNA, IR 58/71745–8: it included hereditament 40 (occupied by Box himself), 331 and 137, which were sub-let to different tenants, and also two shops (hereditament 41 within 40 and 88 within 331); the entry for hereditament 40 includes a sketch showing the overall layout. The Treffry family of Place House, Fowey, were one of the two main landowners in Fowey, the other being the Rashleighs of Menabilly.

43 Deed and assignments of lease between Edward Treffry, the St Blazey Co-operative Society and the Fowey Borough Council (copies on KK, BLOS/413, microfilm of Fowey Borough Council records).

44 The plan is based on plans submitted to Cornwall Council for alterations to the block, in particular the Heritage Statement in Application PA16/01421.

45 The 1993 work apparently included the removal of the main chimneys (visible on the early photographs); the gable that had remained after the demolition of the Cottage was also removed and replaced by a hip.

46 The building is described with drawings in Mercer, English Vernacular Houses, 78, 143. See also Historic England archive, BF029914 and MD93/00327–8, notes on its recording in 1972. The trusses have not been resurveyed, though it seems that the RCHM drawings are inaccurate in some respects. Trusses A and B are shown as significantly unsymmetrical, leaning to the west, even though the feet of trusses AA and A on this side are clearly in their original positions; however, truss B has probably subsided to the west. The RCHM long section drawing shows the ridge piece level but in the cross sections it is higher towards the south.

47 Mercer, English Vernacular Houses, 143.

48 See this volume, 77–78.

49 Not now visible, but shown on the RCHM drawing.

50 It is omitted from the RCHM drawings.

51 Among several references to the mansion, an 1815 lease (KK, TF/1697) describes a house standing on a site which was formerly part of the Mansion House, bounded on the east by George Croker Fox’s lands (i.e. the former Dolphin).

52 BL, Cotton MS Augustus I i 38 (reproduced in Lysons, Magna Britannia, 3, 109).

53 Drawn by Willem Schellinks on 24 August 1662. https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1856-0809-3. See also P. H. Hulton, “Drawings of England in the Seventeenth Century.” Part one: Introduction and Catalogue, 1–64; Part two: The Plates, i–vii, which illustrate the final version of this drawing and also of the corresponding view from the south.

54 Smith, Itinerary of John Leland, Vol. 1, 203–4.

55 TNA, IR 58/71908.

56 Information from David Savage.

57 Very similar balusters from 1676 and 1687 are recorded in Alcock and Hall, Fixtures and Fittings, 2.

58 Drawing by John Walker kindly made available to us.

59 Hughes, List of Sheriffs, 21; for his position as steward, see, for example, KK, AR/37/4 (1283).

60 Maxwell Lyte, Calendar of Patent Rolls, 1281–92, 176. An inspeximus of the agreement by Bishop Quinil (or Quivil) to the alienation is Exeter Cathedral Library, D&C1218.

61 Inspeximus by Bishop Brantingham in 1388: Hingeston-Randolph, Register of Thomas de Brantingham, 106.

62 Hingeston-Randolph, Register of Walter de Stapeldon, 237.

63 Hingeston-Randolph, Register of John de Grandison, 748–9; Page, “Hospitals: St John the Baptist, Bridgwater.”

64 Valor Ecclesiasticus I (Cmnd, 1810), 209; the vicar’s income was £13 10s. 8½ d. Ibid., II (Cmnd, 1814), 404.

65 TNA, C 66/704, m. 36 (Latin text translated); L & P Hen VIII, vol. 16, 878/69, p. 426.

66 Calendar of Patent Rolls, 1550–3, 248.

67 KK, AR/2/1289 (1524 account roll of Dinham lands).

68 KK, ARD/TER/85 (1603); ARD/TER/336 (pre-1639).

69 See DHC, Z10/20, including copies of several of these deeds.

70 1840 Morwenstow Tithe Map, KK, TM/158. The rights to the tithes remained with the Trefusis (Clinton) family.

71 National Trust deeds, refs 870 and 870/1, kindly produced by John Dearlove.

72 Jope, “Cornish Houses,” 199, 201. John de Trethiul is listed in House of Commons Parliamentary Paper, 1878, Return of the Names of Every Member returned to serve in each Parliament, 75. Later owners include the Nance family and a branch of the Arundells.

73 TNA, PROB 11/139/557; WARD 7/58/45 (Will and Inquisition post mortem of Richard Kendall); KK, R/1328–33 (1547–1743); LR/58 [1766]).

74 We thank Robert Waterhouse for information on this building; further study of the complicated roof is still needed.

75 DHC, DEX/8/a/270.

76 Coulton, “A Visitation,” 118, itself based on BL Harl MS 862. The guest chamber may have been in a now derelict building behind the main house, comprising a kitchen and undercroft (probably with chamber over).

77 Nicholas Giffard: PRO, Index of Placita de Banco, AD 1327–1328 (New York: Kraus, 1963), Lists and Indexes, 32, Part I, 65, citing TNA, CP 40/268–275; TNA, C 241/136/63; /73 (1357). Two other families, of Helland and St Kew, are discussed in detail in Maclean, Deanery of Trigg Minor, II, 34ff and 151ff; Robert Giffard from the St Kew family was dealing in tin in 1305–6 (ibid., 154).

78 TNA, C 1/680/41 (c. 1530, citing the marriage of Jane Giffard and Robert Downe, many years earlier).

79 Lysons, Magna Britannia, 326.

80 Will of John Leigh (Alee), 1639. In Raymond, “Seventeenth–Century Week St Mary,” 225.

81 Information from Eric Berry.

82 Notes by Nat Alcock, summer 1973; the destruction of the roof is noted in Historic England List, no. 1328906.

83 KK, T/685–97.

84 From field notes by Nat Alcock, summer 1973.

85 Thomas, “Rosewarne Manor House,” 260–2.

86 Lysons, Magna Britannia, 54; KK, B/1/21/102 (1725). Several men with this name are recorded in the fourteenth century, but it is never clear whether they were from Rosewarne Wollas (Lower) or Wartha (Higher).

87 Information from Eric Berry.

88 Meeson, “Base Crucks,” fig. 4.9.

89 Bishop’s Clyst is discussed under Cargoll, above.

90 For a broader discussion of this topic, see Meeson, “Base Crucks,” 81–4.

91 Alcock and Barley, “Medieval Roofs.”

92 Meeson, “Base Crucks,” fig. 4.8f.

93 Handsacre Hall (Meeson, “Base Crucks,” fig. 4.10); Stanway Barn and Glastonbury Abbey Barn (Alcock and Barley, “Medieval Roofs,” fig. 7A).

94 James, “Cruck Construction,” 232–4.

95 Meeson, “Base Crucks,” fig. 4.9. See also Alcock and Miles, “The Earliest Base-Cruck House” (for Alcester).

96 A charter issued at Restormel in 1290 suggests that the castle was complete by then (Ashbee, Restormel Castle, 31; TNA, E 36/57, f. 66v). Pounds, “The Duchy Palace,” 205. For Edmund’s wealth, see Vincent, “Edmund of Almain.”

97 Ashbee, Restormel Castle, 15.

98 Chesher, The Cornishman’s House, 25.

99 Hatcher, Rural Economy, 101

100 Hatcher, “Non-Manorialism,” 14.

101 The earldom of Cornwall only became a duchy in 1337 but for convenience is referred to as Duchy throughout.

102 For Cargoll, see above, pp. 5–8. For the chronology of the demise of direct demesne farming, see Fox, “Devon and Cornwall,” especially 172–4.

103 Hull, Cartulary of Launceston Priory, xxxiii, xxxix, cartulary nos 168, 200, 447.

104 Whetter, The Bodrugans, 15, 16, 19; Fox and Padel, The Cornish Lands of the Arundells, lix, lxix, 4, 16, 53.

105 Hatcher, “Non-Manorialism,” 6.

106 Kowaleski, Havener’s Accounts, 68–74; Gerrard, Early British Tin Industry.

107 Drake, Cornwall, especially ch. 5.

108 Drake, Cornwall, 16. He provides an analysis of the various level of gentry and quasi-gentry status at 11–17.

109 Drake, Cornwall, 13.

110 Alcock and Barley, “Medieval Roofs,” 134–9; Meeson, “Base Crucks,” 72 and appendix, 93–6.

111 Rowe, Cornwall Feet of Fines, no. 431. The sums of money given in the fines were probably not realistic values. The 1327 Fowey lay subsidy (TNA, E 179/87/7, rot. 12) has been tabulated in Drake, “Pirates and Pilchards,” 29. The first name is written ‘Maco’, but clearly ‘Marco’ was intended, since Marco Bagga de Fawe is named in a lawsuit in 1333 (TNA, SC 2/161/74, m.2); we thank Oliver Padel for this reference.

112 TNA SC 6/811/12 cited in Kowaleski, Havener’s Accounts, 111–12.