John Trehenban
Encyclopedia
John Trehenban (1650–1671), of St Columb Major
in Cornwall
, United Kingdom
, was a murderer sentenced to imprisonment in a cage
on Castle An Dinas downs
and starved to death.
The murder of the two young girls is recorded in the Parish Register.
23 June 1671
Anne daughter of John Pollard of this Parish and Loveday Rosevear (aged 17), daughter of Thomas Rosevear of St Enoder were barbarously murdered on the day before in the home of Captain Peter Pollard at the bridge by one John Trehenban the son of Humphrey and Cissily Trehenban of this Parish at about 11 O' clock in the forenoon upon a market day.
St Columb Major
St Columb Major is a civil parish and town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. Often referred to locally as St Columb, it is situated approximately seven miles southwest of Wadebridge and six miles east of Newquay...
in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, was a murderer sentenced to imprisonment in a cage
Gibbet
A gibbet is a gallows-type structure from which the dead bodies of executed criminals were hung on public display to deter other existing or potential criminals. In earlier times, up to the late 17th century, live gibbeting also took place, in which the criminal was placed alive in a metal cage...
on Castle An Dinas downs
Castle an Dinas, St. Columb Major
Castle an Dinas is an Iron Age hillfort near St. Columb Major in Cornwall, UK and is considered one of the most important hillforts in the southwest of Britain. It dates from around the 3rd to 2nd century BCE and consists of three ditch and rampart concentric rings, 850 feet above sea level....
and starved to death.
The murder of the two young girls is recorded in the Parish Register.
23 June 1671
Anne daughter of John Pollard of this Parish and Loveday Rosevear (aged 17), daughter of Thomas Rosevear of St Enoder were barbarously murdered on the day before in the home of Captain Peter Pollard at the bridge by one John Trehenban the son of Humphrey and Cissily Trehenban of this Parish at about 11 O' clock in the forenoon upon a market day.
Legends attached to the murder
- Trehenban pretended to help in finding the murderer riding on horseback following the bloodhounds. His hat blew off and the dogs wouldn't leave it. Eventually he confessed.
- The lane where the bloodhoundBloodhoundThe Bloodhound is a large breed of dog which, while originally bred to hunt deer and wild boar, was later bred specifically to track human beings. It is a scenthound, tracking by smell, as opposed to a sighthound, which tracks using vision. It is famed for its ability to discern human odors even...
s picked up the scent is still known as 'Tremons lane'. - He was placed in a cage which sat on a large rock. This rock is still to be seen and local people used to say that if you ran around this rock fifty times you would hear his chains rattle.
- Tremmon begged a passing woman for some food. All she had were a few tallowTallowTallow is a rendered form of beef or mutton fat, processed from suet. It is solid at room temperature. Unlike suet, tallow can be stored for extended periods without the need for refrigeration to prevent decomposition, provided it is kept in an airtight container to prevent oxidation.In industry,...
candles which he ate ravenously. - According to local historian Marshel ArthurMarshel ArthurMarshel Arthur was a china clay worker and historian from Cornwall, UK.After the death of his father Marshel left school at the age of ten in 1889 and began work as a tool boy under his older brother Tom, at Lower Goonamaris China Stone Quarry in January 1890...
, local people used to refer to a no-gooder as 'a right Tremmon'.