Book captures Tudor Cornwall

Custom of the County reveals Cornwall during the Tudor times

A new book by Nick St Aubyn reveals the truth behind a famous wreck during Tudor times.

The Santo Antonio, a Portuguese warship foundered on the rocks near the home of Nick's ancestor, Thomas Seyntaubin.

Custom of the County, weaves a fascinating tapestry out of the remnants of historical evidence.

The book which is out now, reveals an epic struggle between Cornish pride and Tudor power.

Nick St Aubyn says: "My family has been here a long time and I have heard what they did 100 years ago, but I had never heard about the early history of the family.

"When my father died he left me some books from his library.

"I started pouring over these and an amazing story emerged about how our ancestor Thomas Seyntaubin had been deeply involved when this priceless treasure was wrecked on the Cornish rocks."

The book asks several questions: Why has so little of the priceless royal booty on board ever been discovered?

Who were the three Cornish magistrates who believed they could foil three of the Kings of Europe?

What was their connection with the secret Spanish plot of 1527 to overthrow Henry VIII?

Drawing on his unique insight into private family papers and national archives, Nick St Aubyn's first novel aims to answer those questions and more.

St Aubyn is the direct descendant of the Bassets, the Godolphins and the Seyntaubins whom he writes about with such conviction.

During many years in Cornwall, between farming and business ventures, Nick St Aubyn stood for Parliament three times, including the County's only by-election in a lifetime, before serving as MP for Guildford.

An early draft of Custom of the County was shortlisted for the Winston Graham Prize and Nick has already embarked on the sequel.

The book is published by Red & Black Press and is out now in both hardback and paperback.