Notable in Medlin Line

The BLEWETT family of Cornwall is believed to have originated from the thirteen sons of Francis and Elizabeth BLEWETT of Colan, a town located a few miles inland from Newquay. Historical records, including a memorial in the parish church and the Visitation of Cornwall, confirm the family’s presence in the area. The sons were born between 1530 and 1560, predating the start of parish registers, so their names remain unknown. Francis BLEWETT was the son of Richard BLEWETT of Holcombe Rogus in Devon.

Early Cornish parish registers indicate a strong concentration of the BLEWETT surname around Colan, specifically within the triangle formed by Colan, Bodmin, and Camelford. Of the surviving registers from the last quarter of the 16th century, the BLEWETT name appears in only six parishes, all within this defined triangle.

Further evidence from the 1641 Cornwall Protestation return, which essentially lists all Cornish males over 18, supports this concentration. Out of 33 BLEWETTs listed, 23 (70%) resided within the Colan-Bodmin-Camelford triangle.

Elizabeth Blewett of Colan was the daughter of Tristram de COLAN. Both Tristram and Colan were adopted by the Blewett family as given names. The unusual nature of these names suggests a direct lineage from the Colan BLEWETT family. The parishes where these names have been found, along with their first occurrence dates, are:

• Tristram: 1577 St Tudy; 1579 St Breward; 1631 Camborne; 1641 St Allen
• Colan: 1611 Boyton; 1615 Egloshayle; 1625 Colan; 1662 St Just in Roseland
• Blanch: 1613 Madron; 1627 Colan

Parishes like St Tudy, St Breward, Egloshayle, and Colan show early BLEWETT presence. The appearance of Colan descendants in Boyton, located in the northeast corner of Cornwall, indicates early geographical expansion. By the 17th century, a westward movement within the county is evident, with the names appearing in Camborne, St Allen, St Just, and Madron.