Bossiney
Encyclopedia
Bossiney is a village in north Cornwall
, United Kingdom
. It is north-east of the larger village of Tintagel
which it adjoins: further north-east are the Rocky Valley
and Trethevy
.
as 'Botcinnii, a manor held by the Count of Mortain from St. Petroc's Church., the manor at this time including Trevena. From ca. 1552 two members were elected to the unreformed House of Commons
by the burgesses of Bossiney and Trevena, until the Reform Act 1832
stripped it of its representation as a rotten borough
. Bossiney was the Parliamentary seat of Francis Drake
who in 1584 gave his election speech from Bossiney Mound. The mace and seal of the borough are still preserved and show the name of the borough as 'Tintaioel' (they are thought to be from the 16th century).
To the east of Bossiney lie the remains of an earthen ringwork and bailey, which were discovered during archaeological excavations during the 1840s, and these date to ca. 1150. Almost certainly this castle was built by Reginald
, the illegitimate son of Henry I of England
who made him Earl of 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...
. It is north-east of the larger village of Tintagel
Tintagel
Tintagel is a civil parish and village situated on the Atlantic coast of Cornwall, United Kingdom. The population of the parish is 1,820 people, and the area of the parish is ....
which it adjoins: further north-east are the Rocky Valley
Rocky Valley
Rocky Valley is a small valley with spectacular scenery in north Cornwall, United Kingdom .The valley is carved by the Trevillet River in Trethevy around one mile east of Tintagel. At their highest point the slate canyon walls tower over seventy feet above the river below...
and Trethevy
Trethevy
Trethevy is a hamlet in north Cornwall, United Kingdom.It is situated midway between the villages of Tintagel and Boscastle in the civil parish of Tintagel. Trethevy has a number of historic buildings and is an early Christian site...
.
History
Bossiney was mentioned in Domesday BookDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
as 'Botcinnii, a manor held by the Count of Mortain from St. Petroc's Church., the manor at this time including Trevena. From ca. 1552 two members were elected to the unreformed House of Commons
Unreformed House of Commons
The unreformed House of Commons is the name generally given to the British House of Commons as it existed before the Reform Act 1832.Until the Act of Union of 1707 joining the Kingdoms of Scotland and England , Scotland had its own Parliament, and the term refers to the House of Commons of England...
by the burgesses of Bossiney and Trevena, until the Reform Act 1832
Reform Act 1832
The Representation of the People Act 1832 was an Act of Parliament that introduced wide-ranging changes to the electoral system of England and Wales...
stripped it of its representation as a rotten borough
Rotten borough
A "rotten", "decayed" or pocket borough was a parliamentary borough or constituency in the United Kingdom that had a very small electorate and could be used by a patron to gain undue and unrepresentative influence within Parliament....
. Bossiney was the Parliamentary seat of Francis Drake
Francis Drake
Sir Francis Drake, Vice Admiral was an English sea captain, privateer, navigator, slaver, and politician of the Elizabethan era. Elizabeth I of England awarded Drake a knighthood in 1581. He was second-in-command of the English fleet against the Spanish Armada in 1588. He also carried out the...
who in 1584 gave his election speech from Bossiney Mound. The mace and seal of the borough are still preserved and show the name of the borough as 'Tintaioel' (they are thought to be from the 16th century).
To the east of Bossiney lie the remains of an earthen ringwork and bailey, which were discovered during archaeological excavations during the 1840s, and these date to ca. 1150. Almost certainly this castle was built by Reginald
Reginald de Dunstanville, 1st Earl of Cornwall
Reginald de Dunstanville , Earl of Cornwall , High Sheriff of Devon, Earl of Cornwall, was an illegitimate son of Henry I of England and Lady Sybilla Corbet.Reginald had been invested with the Earldom of Cornwall by King...
, the illegitimate son of Henry I of England
Henry I of England
Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
who made him Earl of Cornwall.