Trewan Hall facts for kids

Trewan Hall frontage

Trewan Hall (say Trew-an) is a very old house in Cornwall, England. It's a special type of house called a manor house. You can find it about one mile north of the town of St Columb Major.

For over 300 years, Trewan Hall was the home of the Vivian family. Later, their name changed to Vyvyan. The family sold the house in 1920. Since 1960, a private family has owned the house and its large gardens, which now include a campsite.

Even though the house isn't usually open to everyone, it has special open days each year. These days are part of the National Gardens Scheme, where people can visit beautiful gardens.

The Historic Manor House

The main part of Trewan Hall that you see today was built around 1633. The Vivian family built it to replace their older home nearby. Experts believe that parts of the original Trewan Hall, like its garden walls, might be from the 1400s. The house was changed a bit in the 1700s and then fixed up around 1870 by an architect named William White.

The Campsite Fun

There is a private campsite located on the grounds of Trewan Hall. It is part of the Caravan Club. This means families can enjoy camping holidays right next to the historic manor house.

The Vivian Family Story

Before Trewan Hall was built, the Vivian family lived in a place called Trenoweth. Many generations of the family lived there.

In 1697, a young woman named Mary Vivian from Trewan Hall married her distant cousin, Sir Richard Vyvyan, 3rd Baronet. This marriage brought two parts of the family back together after 300 years. It also meant the family name for this branch became Vyvyan.

Over the years, some members of the Vivian and Vyvyan families held important jobs. For example, some were Sheriff of Cornwall. This person was like a chief officer for the county. Others became Members of Parliament, helping to make laws for the country.

Important Vivians and Vyvyans

Let's look at some of the key people from the Vivian family who lived at Trewan Hall.

John Vivian (II)

John Vivian (II) bought the Trenoweth manor from another family. He married a woman named Alice Tresaster.

Thomas Vivian (1547 - 1617)

Thomas Vivian lived at Trenoweth. He was married to Anne Lower. There is a special stone tablet in St Columb Church that remembers Thomas and Anne.

John Vivian (III) (1583 - 1647)

John Vivian (III) was the one who moved the family from Trenoweth to the new Trewan Hall around 1633. He had two wives: Frances Buller and Mary Cavell. John and Mary had ten sons!

One of their sons, Thomas Vivian, later became an ancestor of the Vivian & Sons company in Swansea.

John Vivian (IV)

John Vivian (IV) was also an important person. He was married three times. His first wife, Anne Trelawny, has a memorial in St Columb's church. With his second wife, Mary Glanville, he had five children.

John Vivian (IV) was the Sheriff of Cornwall from 1667 to 1668. He also worked as a magistrate, which means he helped with legal matters.

Thomas Vivian

Thomas Vivian was the oldest son of John Vivian (IV). He married Frances Blaythwayte. Her brother, William Blathwayt, was a very important person who worked for King James II of England and King William III of England.

John Vivian (V) (1647-91)

John Vivian (V) was a lawyer. He had three children with his second wife, Mary Sawle. Sadly, he was killed near the Houses of Parliament after speaking up for tin miners.

Francis Vivian (1649-90)

Francis Vivian was a captain in the Army. He was also a Member of Parliament for Mitchell, Cornwall in 1689.

Mary Vyvyan (née Vivian)

Mary was the only child of her parents. She inherited all the family's lands. When she married her distant cousin, Sir Richard Vyvyan, 3rd Baronet, the family name at Trewan Hall became Vyvyan.

Mary and Richard faced a difficult time. They were put in the Tower of London because they supported James Francis Edward, Prince of Wales'. He was trying to become king, and they were part of a group that tried to help him in Cornwall in 1715. While in the Tower, Mary gave birth to their daughter, Anne.

Mary and Richard had six sons and four daughters. Their son Francis inherited the main family estate, while their son Thomas inherited Trewan Hall.

Thomas Vyvyan (I)

Thomas Vyvyan (I) was the fourth son of Sir Richard and Mary. He inherited Trewan Hall. He and his wife, Loveday Bogan, had three sons and three daughters.

Thomas Vyvyan (II)

Thomas Vyvyan (II) was the Sheriff of Cornwall in 1779. He lived at Trewan. He did not have any children, so he left the estate to his nephew, Richard Vivian.

Richard Vyvyan (II)

Richard Vyvyan (II) was a Lieutenant-Colonel in the army. He was also a Justice of the Peace, which means he helped keep law and order. He lived at Trewan Hall.

Richard Henry Stackhouse Vyvyan

Richard Henry Stackhouse Vyvyan was born in 1832. He also served as a Justice of the Peace. He passed away in 1881 without having any children. He left Trewan Hall and its lands to his cousin, Sir Vyell Donnithorne Vyvyan.

Sir Vyell Donnithorne Vyvyan

Sir Vyell Donnithorne Vyvyan was born in 1826. He went to St John's College, Cambridge. He worked as a church minister in several places. When he died in 1917, his second son, Richard, inherited Trewan Hall.

Richard Walter Comyn Vyvyan

Richard Walter Comyn Vyvyan was born in 1859. He was a Justice of the Peace in Cornwall and a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Welch Regiment. He had three children with his wife, Mary Foster. Sadly, his son Walter was killed in World War I.

In 1920, Major Richard Vyvyan sold Trewan Hall to a Mr. Hawkey. This ended the Vyvyan family's connection with the house after almost 300 years.