THE KNIGHTS HOSPITALLERS

IN CORNWALL

TREBIGH

In the heart of Cornwall, nestled near the modern village of St Ive, lies the historic estate of Trebeigh (also recorded as Trebythe or Trebyghen) — once a thriving centre of the Knights Templar’s presence in the region.

A Royal Gift: Foundation of the Camera at Trebeigh

In 1150, King Stephen granted the lordship of Trebeigh Manor to the Knights Templar, establishing their authority in eastern Cornwall. From here, the Templars managed lands, collected rents, supported religious obligations, and likely provided shelter to travellers and pilgrims journeying across Cornwall to places like St Michael’s Mount or overseas via Fowey.

Following the dissolution of the Templars in 1312, the estate passed to the Knights Hospitaller (Order of St John), who maintained and expanded its functions.

The Estate at Trebeigh in 1185

As Recorded in the Templar Inventory

In the 1185 report of Templar holdings, Trebeigh is listed with detailed income and assets, reflecting its significance within the Order's holdings in Cornwall. The Latin entry reads:

Est ibidem unum mesuagium cum gardino et colum bario, et valent per annum xvj s. iij d. Item unum molendinum aquaticum, et valet x s. viij d. Item cc. acre terre et pasture, pretium acre iij d., valent. Is. Item iij. acre prati et dimidia, que valent iij s. Item de redditu assiso ibidem xxx Et gleba ecclesie Sancti Ivonis iij d Item de gleba Sancti Maderni ix d. Item de gleba Sancte Clare j marca. Item de pensione vicarii ecclesie Sancti Maderni . . iiij marce Item de ecclesia Sancti Maderni appropriata xliiij marce Item de ecclesia de Trebyghen appropriata xxviij marce Item confraria ibidem solebat valere xxxij marcas, et nunc in presenti vix possunt levari xxviij marce Summa totalis recepti et proficui dicte bajulie cxiij marce iiij s. viij d

Translated Breakdown of the Trebeigh Estate (c. 1185):

1 messuage (dwelling house) with garden and dovecote, valued at 16 shillings 3 pence per year.
1 water mill, valued at 10 shillings 8 pence annually.
200 acres of arable land and pasture, valued at 3 pence per acre, totalling 50 shillings.
3½ acres of meadow, worth 3 shillings.
Assized rents from tenants: 30 shillings per year.
Income from glebe lands (church land) of:
- St Ive – 3 pence
- St Maddern – 9 pence
- St Clare – 1 mark
From the pension of the vicar of St Maddern: 4 marks
From the appropriated church of St Maddern: 44 marks
From the appropriated church of Trebeigh itself: 28 marks
Confraternity dues (alms and offerings): formerly 32 marks, now just 28 marks
Total income from the bailiwick (estate): 113 marks, 4 shillings, and 8 pence

This extensive list demonstrates that Trebeigh was not just an agricultural holding, but a multi-functional estate with ecclesiastical revenues, mills, structured rent, and spiritual income.

The Water Mill at Trebeigh: Likely Site at Bicton

The water mill recorded in the 12th-century estate inventory may correspond to what is now known as Bicton Mill, located on the River Lynher within the parish of St Ive. The site sits roughly 1–2 km east/northeast of Trebeigh Manor, and is recorded in Cornwall’s Historic Environment Record. The mill wheel still survives in situ, attached to a converted house.

OS Grid Reference: SX 3215 7000
Historical continuity: While the recorded structure is 19th-century, many Cornish mills trace their origins to the medieval period.

From Preceptory to Private Estate

By the 17th century, after the Reformation and the dissolution of the Knights Hospitaller’s estates, the manor at Trebeigh was converted into a private residence for the Wray family, incorporating parts of the original medieval structure. Today, it remains a manor farm, located near Trebeigh Wood and close to the main Liskeard road.

Though its days as a preceptory are long past, the landscape still bears traces of its Templar and Hospitaller legacy — in the form of ancient boundaries, place names, and surviving architecture.

The manor of Trebeigh became the administrative centre of the Knights Hospitallers’ estates in Cornwall. In the mid-15th century, the commandery here was united with that of Ansty in Wiltshire, reflecting the order’s wider network across England. A reminder of this heritage can still be seen today: on the northwest wall of the present farmhouse, lintels embossed with Maltese crosses bear witness to the Hospitallers’ enduring presence.

COVE

THELE

ST IVES - Church

The Knights Hospitallers and the Church of St Ive

The history of St Ive parish is bound up with the great medieval military orders of the Knights Templar and the Knights Hospitaller.

In 1150, the farmhouse of Trebeigh, just beside the church, was granted to the Knights Templar, who established a preceptory (a local monastic-military house) there. When the Templars were suppressed in 1312, their lands passed smoothly to the Knights Hospitaller of St John of Jerusalem. Trebeigh then became a commandery, serving as the centre of the Hospitallers’ Cornish estates.

Alongside the commandery stood the parish church, dedicated to St Ivo. The church’s patronage has long been linked to these orders, though the details are sometimes unclear. Even the identity of St Ivo is debated. Some traditions describe him as the eldest son of Brychan of Brecknock and brother of St Keyne, one of Cornwall’s most venerated saints. Others identify him as Ivo (or Hyvo), a Persian bishop, said to have travelled through England in the 7th century preaching the Gospel — a dedication that may have been introduced here by the Knights Templar. Another theory suggests that the name may be a corruption of a dedication to St John the Baptist (Sancta Ivonis).

Today, the church still stands above the former Hospitaller commandery at Trebeigh. Local legend tells of a hidden tunnel linking the church to the manor house site — a reminder of the mystery and enduring fascination surrounding the Templars and Hospitallers in Cornwall.

ST CLEERE - Church

Nestled on the southern fringe of Bodmin Moor, the parish of St Cleer boasts one of Cornwall’s most fascinating and historic churches—rich in medieval heritage and deeply tied to the legacy of the Knights Hospitaller.

Origins and Early History

The Church of St Cleer, dedicated to St Clarus, is said to have first been established as early as 800 AD. Though no visible traces of that Saxon church remain, its enduring spiritual significance is unquestionable. The present structure dates mainly from the 13th century, a period of substantial rebuilding and expansion across Cornwall’s ecclesiastical landscape.

Hospitaller Patronage: 1239 and Beyond

In 1239, a major shift occurred in the church’s history. Ingeram de Bray, Lord of Rosecraddoc (then known as ‘Recradoch’), granted the advowson (the right to appoint the parish priest) of St Cleer to the Knights Hospitaller, also known as the Order of St John of Jerusalem. The Church was linked to the Preceptory at Trebeigh, and recorded in the 1338 report of Philp de Thame to the Grand master as Item de gleba Sancte Clare j marca or Also, from the land of Saint Clare, 1 mark.”

The grant was made “in right of his wife”, suggesting that the de Bray family had inherited patronage rights through marriage, a common medieval practice.

From that point until the Reformation, the Knights Hospitaller held the church and likely:

Exercised ecclesiastical patronage
Collected tithes and land income
Supplied clergy and maintained the building
Enhanced the church with new architectural features during the 14th and 15th centuries

Templar Connections?

While no definitive records exist of the Knights Templar formally holding St Cleer, there is speculation that they may have had temporary patronage, or rights to income from the church or surrounding lands—possibly prior to the Hospitaller grant in 1239.

Such arrangements were common in the 12th and early 13th centuries, when Templars held scattered assets across Cornwall, including nearby Temple, Trebeigh, and Launceston. It’s possible the Templars benefited from donations or tithes linked to the church before their suppression in 1312, at which point all their assets were transferred to the Hospitallers.

The Holy Well of St Cleer

One of the most distinctive and treasured features of the parish is the Holy Well of St Cleer, a rare and beautifully preserved medieval well-house located just outside the churchyard.

The stone well-house is a Grade I listed structure and a Scheduled Ancient Monument
Dating from the 15th century, the granite building is open-fronted like a porch, with arched openings, carved capitals, and a sense of quiet reverence
The well basin inside was once accompanied by a bowssening pool—an open area used for healing immersions, especially for the mentally ill

The well functioned as a pilgrimage site and shrine well into the post-medieval period, combining Christian ritual with older traditions of folk-healing and holy water veneration.

A Church Through the Ages

Over the centuries, the Church of St Cleer has been altered, restored, and reimagined. Yet its Hospitaller legacy remains clear:

The medieval structure, with its later additions, reflects the period of Hospitaller control (1239–1530s)
The church's architecture, location, and associated holy site speak to its importance as a spiritual and community centre on the rugged edge of Bodmin Moor

During the Reformation, when the Order of St John was dissolved in England, the Hospitallers lost control of the church. However, their influence had already shaped St Cleer’s religious landscape for nearly 300 years.

Visiting Today

Today, St Cleer Church continues to serve its local parish while also welcoming heritage visitors and pilgrims alike. Nearby, the well-house remains one of the finest examples of its kind in Cornwall—a tranquil, granite-framed reminder of medieval faith, healing, and the enduring legacy of the Knights Hospitaller in the Cornish landscape.