Penwith Hundred facts for kids
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The Penwith Hundred was an old way to divide land in Cornwall, England. Think of a hundred as a large area of land, bigger than a village but smaller than a county. Penwith was one of ten such areas in Cornwall.
The name "Penwith" has a few interesting meanings. Some people think it means "the last promontory" or "headland on the left." Another idea is "the headland of slaughter," which might suggest that important battles happened here long ago.
The ancient Penwith Hundred was actually larger than the modern local government area called Penwith (which existed from 1974 to 2009). Part of the eastern side of the old Penwith Hundred later became part of the Kerrier District.
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What Was Penwith Hundred?
A "hundred" was a traditional way of dividing land in England for administrative purposes. This means it was used to help manage the area, collect taxes, and deal with legal matters. Penwith Hundred was a significant part of Cornwall's history.
Who Owned Penwith Hundred?
Most of the hundreds in Cornwall belonged to the Duchy of Cornwall, which is a special estate owned by the British royal family. However, Penwith Hundred was different. It belonged to a powerful family called the Arundells of Lanherne.
The Arundell family sold Penwith Hundred to the Hawkins family in 1813. Then, in 1832, the Hawkins family sold it again to the Paynters.
Owning the "Lordship of Penwith" meant having many special rights over the entire area. These rights included:
- Being able to hold courts to decide certain types of legal cases.
- Appointing a jailer to hold people who were arrested.
- Collecting special payments from the lords of the main estates in the area.
- Claiming rights over rivers and harbors.
- Taking profits from royal gold and silver mines.
- Claiming things like shipwrecks, lost property, and items found that had no owner. They could also claim property from people who had broken serious laws.
Important Places in Penwith
The main town in Penwith Hundred was Penzance 50°07′01″N 5°32′17″W / 50.117°N 5.538°W. This is where many of the important activities for the hundred took place.
Towns and Villages
Other important towns and villages within the Penwith area included:
Old Buildings and Courts
The main offices and buildings for Penwith Hundred were first located in the parish of Gwithian. But by 1771, they had to move to Penzance. This move happened because of large amounts of sand blowing in and covering the original location.
Records show that Penwith Hundred had several important institutions:
- A Hundred Gaol: This was a jail mainly used for people who owed money and couldn't pay their debts.
- A Hundred Pound: This was a special enclosure where stray animals were kept until their owners claimed them.
- A Hundred Court: This was the court where legal cases for the hundred were heard.
Parishes of Penwith Hundred
The Penwith Hundred was made up of many smaller areas called parishes. Each parish had its own local church and community. The parishes that were part of Penwith Hundred included:
