© All of the content of the Week St. Mary website is the copyright of David Martin & Linda Cobbledick except where stated - 2006, 2007, 2008
 tower of Week St. Mary persistently pushing itself into view, can imagine a Norman Baron finding hereabouts a good place on which to build his castle. This is what certainly happened. The field adjoining the Churchyard on the west is still known as “Castle Ditch,” and in it is a large mound, which marks the site of an old building, and which from its shape tells us that it was a Norman Castle. Under the shelter of this castle we may suppose was built the Church of “Our Lady of Week” on the same site as the present Church. The Castle, together with the Manor and Borough of Week, belonged in 1085 to the powerful Baron FitzTurold, Lord of Cardinham. A member of his house settled here, and about 1171, Osbert, Prior of Tywardreath, with eight of his monks, witnessed a deed by which Walter de Wick and Aliz, daughter of Richard de Wick, granted to the Priory the right of the advowson “in ecciesia beate Marie de Wick” (“ in the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Wick “). It is plain therefore that the family called “de Wick” took its name from Wick St. Mary. The monks of Tywardreath did not long retain the patronage, for at an early date the manor of Week came into the possession of the Blanchminster family. Ralph de Blanchminster, of whom there is a monumental effigy in armour in Stratton Church, died in 1348. In 1393, Guy de Blanchminster, Rector of Lansallos, released all his right in the manors of Stratton, Week St. Mary, etc., to Sir John Coleshill, a connection by marriage, who was killed in the battle of Agincourt. That Week St. Mary was still considered a place of some importance may be inferred from the following story: Richard Buvyle, Rector of the neighbouring parish of Whitstone, died in 1358, slain either by his own hand or by some enemy. He was doubtless buried at cross roads. Rumour had it that he was a saint, and some remarkable cures having taken place at his grave, the body was translated to Whitstone Church. Meanwhile the “cult” of this new saint had taken hold of all North Cornwall and Devonshire. Bands of people kept nightly vigils at the first place of his burial, saying prayers for his soul. These, with the friends who brought them victuals, turned the place into a regular fair, resulting in such behaviour that Bishop Grandisson felt bound to interfere. He ordered the 'cultus' to cease until due enquiry into the alleged cures had been made. In 1361, a jury consisting of three vicars, three curates and six laymen was specially summoned at Week St Mary for the purpose, and they sent to the Bishop a certificate of ten cures performed on five men and five women. After this the matter seems to have died a natural death, for we hear no more about it. A writer in 1799 says: “The Churchtown is in all ancient records called the Borough of Week St. Mary, and the occupiers of certain fields are still called Burgage holders. The custom of electing a mayor is still kept up, but his office is merely nominal. In process of time the manorial rights were transferred from Week St. Mary to Swannacott, for we find that in 1620 Sir Warwick Hele held the Manor of Swannacott and Week St. Mary Burgh as parcel of the same. Papers in the possession of the late Col. I’ans show that certain families held different estates by lease which were tributary to the Crown; and in particular the honour and fee of Week St. Mary was a part of the inheritance of the Duchy of Cornwall. Christopher Pollard, Esq., after having granted leases of several burgage tenements, sold the fee to Prince Charles, afterwards Charles I, in a warrant dated February, 1616, and addressed to the free tenants of the Manor of Swannacott and Week St. Mary. In 1637 an order was issued for the steward and bailiff of Week St. Mary to appear “within goat skin mantles” and account before the court. This custom still continues, and when the Prince of Wales visited Launceston in 1920 the owner of Swannacott appeared before him arrayed in a fine goat skin mantle. The descendants of the Blanchminsters and their connections including such famous names as Tresillian, Granville, Earl of Bath, Carteret, continued to be patrons of the Living of Week St. Mary until 1786, when, by agreement with the Master and Fellows of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, Lord Carteret exchanged it for that of Wilshampstead, which was close to his family seat near Bedford. The manor of East Orchard Marrais or Marhays in the north of the parish, belonged to the ancient family of Marhays. In ‘39’ a licence for a private chapel was granted to the Lord of Marhays: and in 1727 the estate of Marhays was responsible for the upkeep of an altar in the south aisle of the Church.