TWELVE MEN'S MOOR


Twelve Men's Moor is the western part of the parish on the treeless expanse of Bodmin Moor. Its name is derived from the twelve men to whom the right to graze animals on the moor was granted by Launceston Priory.

 

Three Impressions of Twelve Men's Moor

(Click on the images to read the associated documents)

Trewortha & Twelve Men’s Moor
Robert Cooper (1987)

Robert's dissertation written at the end of his university course with special regard to prehistoric features on the moor.

The Story of Twelve Men's Moor
John Gask (2006)

The history of the moor, the land use and the Inquisition into the Luskey Dispute of 1758.

Reminiscences
Victor Menhennet (2020)

The story of how the rugged beauty of the moor and friendship have shaped the memories of Victor.

 

Presentation boards used at NHLHG’s open day in 2012.

2.3mb pdf - click the image above to view

 

The 1758 Dispute Between Vincent Darley and Richard Luskey Over Grazing Rights on the Moor.

After some years of local dispute between the other farmers on Twelve Men's Moor and Richard Luskey, the matter was eventually referred to Parliament to resolve. Richard Luskey had been keeping more animals on the moor than his allocation allowed and, therefore, overgrazing it to the detriment of his neighbouring farmers. The case was taken forward by Vincent Darley.

The Stint, or the extent, demonstrates the allowance and by how much Richard Luskey exceeded it.

The case that was put before Parliament was an Inquisition Admeasurement and Stint on the Pasture of Twelve Men's Moor. The document was transcribed by Jack Budge in 1917.

Archaeological dig at Kilmar Tor - newspaper cutting - 1891.

 

Bastreet Water Works
Bastreet Water Works under construction in January 1939 Bastreet Water Works on completion in March 1939 Bastreet Water Works being shown to the Minister of Health in 1939

Newspaper cutting from 1968 featuring place names in and around Bastreeet.

(Click for a larger image)

 

The Cross On the Moor

In 2000 AD the memorial cross on Twelve Men's Moor was repaired. The history of the cross and the story of its repair can be read here. (Document supplied by Bill & Mary Budge).

 

Views of Twelve Men's Moor
Hawks Tor Hawks Wood and Bearah Tor

 

1903 Petty Sessions case concerning Shooting Rights on the Moor

James Sargent's family lived at Botternell from the 1860s. Following an altercation in January 1903 at Trewartha Tor with the Trebartha Estate's "trapper", Alfred Johns, which spilled over into the Ring o' Bells a few days later, two cases were brought before the Petty Sessions in Launceston. There were two cases; one concerned the shooting rights on Twelve Men's Moor and the other an assault on James Sargent by Alfred Johns.

The two cases were reported in the "Cornish & Devon Post" and can be seen by clicking on the pdf link.

 

The image at the top of the page shows Twelve Men’s Moor.