Trewan Hall

Coordinates: 50°26′41″N 4°56′35″W / 50.4447°N 4.9431°W / 50.4447; -4.9431

Trewan Hall frontage

Trewan Hall (pronounced Trew-an) is a historic manor and campsite, in the parish of St Columb Major, Cornwall, England, UK. The surviving Jacobean style manor house is located one mile north of the town. The house with its campsite grounds and garden has been privately owned by its current owners since 1960. Although the site is not open to the public, it holds annual open days as part of the National Gardens Scheme. It was the ancestral home of the Vivian family until it was sold in 1920.

The Vivian family

Several generations of the Vivian family lived here. John Vivian of Trewan, was Sheriff of Cornwall from 1680–1681

In 1697, Mary Vivian,^[1] of Trewan Hall, St Columb Major, married a distant cousin Sir Richard Vyvyan, 3rd Baronet of Colan, Cornwall. This uniting two branches of the family which had been separated for three centuries Some members of the Vivian family of Trewan also becames members of parliament: Thomas Vivian (1617–91),^[2] Francis Vivian (1649–90),^[3] and John Vivian (1647–91),^[4]

John Vivian (I)

He was the brother of Prior Vivian of Bodmin

John Vivian (II)

Purchased Trenoweth manor from the Denzell family. He married Alice Tresaster.

Thomas Vivian (1547 - 1617)

Lived at Trenoweth at the time John Norden wrote his 'Survey of Cornwall'. He was married to Anne Lower. He was buried in the North isle of St Columb Church, where there is a mural tablet in memory of Thomas Vivian and Ann, for forty years his wife. He died 18 May 1616. She died 25 March 1635.^[6]

John Vivian (III) (1583 - 1647)

He firstly married Frances Buller, daughter of Francis Buller of Tregarrick in Pelynt. He married secondly Mary Cavell, the daughter of William Cavell of St Kew. They had 10 sons.

• John (Below)
• Thomas Vivian of St Martin's in the Fields, Middlesex. He married Ann Povey dau of Justinian Povey, widow of William Blathwaite of Detham. Ancestor of the Vivian & Sons of Swansea and Hussey Vivian, 1st Baron Vivian ^[7]

John Vivian (IV)

He married 3 times. Firstly to Ann, daughter of Sir John Trelawny. She died 17 March 1638. There is a Mural tablet for Anne, wife of John Vivian, at St Columb church. John then married Mary, daughter of Sir John Glanville of Kilsworthy in Devon, by whom he had Thomas, John, Francis, Anne and Jane. Thirdly he married a daughter of Speccott. He served as Sheriff of Cornwall at the time of Charles II and he was also a magistrate in Cornwall.^[8]

Thomas Vivian

He was the eldest son of the above married Frances Blaythwayte of Dyrham Park in the County of Gloucester. Her brother was William Blathwayt, Secretary of War to James II and William III. Frances died 1707 and her memorial is in St Columb church. He married secondly Sarah Dodson, but no issue. His heir was his brother John Vivian (below).

John Vivian (V) (1647-91)

Son of John and Mary, above. Was a Barrister in Law, married Ann, daughter of Matthew Hals of Efford near Plymouth, by whom he no issue. He married secondly Mary, Daughter of Joseph Sawle of Penrice, by whom he had 3 children; John, Thomas and Mary. He was set upon and killed after 'speaking somewhat in favour of the tinners' outside the houses of Parliament

Francis Vivian (1649-90)

Son of John above. A captain in the Army and third son of John Vivian (IV) above. He married Ann, daughter of Henry Myners, Gent and sole heiress to her mother Bridget, the only surviving daughter of Sir Samuel Coswarth, by whom she had only one daughter Mary. In 1689 he was member of parliament for Mitchell, Cornwall^[3]

Mary Vivian

She inherited all the estates of Vivian, Coswarth and Miners. She married Sir Richard Vyvyan of Trelowarren. They had 6 sons. Following Jacobite uprising in Cornwall of 1715, Mary and her husband, Richard were imprisoned in the Tower of London. While there, Mary gave birth to a daughter called Anne.^[9]

• Francis
• Richard Vyvyan was born 1701 and married Philippa Piper. Ancestors of the Vyvyans of Withiel. Many became rectors there.
• Charles
• Thomas (Below)
• John
• James

Also 4 daughters;

• Loveday
• Bridget
• Anne (Born in the Tower of London)
• Frances

Thomas Vyvyan

4th son of Sir Richard inherited Trewan. married Loveday, daughter of Nicholas Bogan. They had three sons

• Thomas (below)
• Nicholas
• Robert

and three daughters

• Loveday
• Prudence
• Bridget

Thomas Vyvyan

Was Sheriff of Cornwall in 1779. Lived at Trewan. he married a daughter of Peters, but no issue,. Left estate to nephew, Richard Vivian

Richard Vyvyan

Nephew of Thomas above. He married Anne Downe, daughter of John Downe of Borough house. He was Vicar Lamerton.

Richard Vyvyan

He married Jane Ballard. He was Lieutenant-Colonel. Married 2nd Margaret Anne, daughter of Hugh Edwards, He was Justice of the Peace (J.P.). He was Deputy Lieutenant. He lived Trewan.

Richard Henry Stackhouse Vyvyan

was born on 3 December 1832. He was the son of Richard Vyvyan and Jane Ballard. He died in 1882, without issue. He was Justice of the Peace. He was Deputy Lieutenant He lived Trewan until his death in 1881, when it was left to his cousin the Rev. Sir Vyell Donnithorne Vyvyan of Trelowarren, 9th baronet

Sir Vyell Donnithorne Vyvyan (1826 - 1917)

Son of Rev Vyell Francis Vyvyan. Lived at Trewan. He was Curate of Churchstoke, Montgomeryshire, 1854–55.^[10] Rector of Winterbourne Monkton in Dorset, 1855-66. Vicar of Broad Hinton, Wilts. Diocesan Inspector, 1866–77, and Withiel, Cornwall, 1877-9.^[11] He married Louisa Bourchier of Brook Lodge, Dorset. On his death in 1917 his second son Richard, who was a major in the army, inherited Trewan.

Richard Walter Comyn Vyvyan

Richard Walter Comyn Vyvyan was born on 16 September 1859, at Monkton in Dorset. He was married Mary Foster, daughter of Edward Foster of Dowsby, Lincolnshire. He died on 10 September 1931 at age 71 and was buried at St Columb church. He was Justice of the Peace in Cornwall. He was Lt-Col In the Welch Regiment. Children of Richard Walter Comyn Vyvyan and Mary Foster were as follows

• Walter Drummond Vyvyan b. 20 Mar 1887. He was killed in World War I.^[12]
• Muriel Alice Vyvyan b. 1890, d. 1891
• Sir Richard Philip Vyvyan, 11th Bart. b. 21 Nov 1891, d. 15 May 1978

In 1920 Major Richard Vyvyan sold Trewan to a Mr. Hawkey and this was the end of its connection with the Vyvyan family of nearly three hundred years.

The Manor House

The existing main house dates from circa 1633, and was built by the Vivian family as a replacement for the former manor house at Trenoweth,^[13] a short distance from Trewan. According to English Heritage, the original house with attached garden walls are of 15th century origins, with later alterations. Eighteenth century alterations and restoration of circa 1870 were made by William White.^[14]

The Camp site

There is a privately owned Camping and Caravan Club site in the grounds

See also

The following were junior branches of the Vivian family of Trenowth and Trewan:

• Baron Vivian
• Baron Swansea

References and notes