In the middle of the fourteenth century, in the reign of Edward the Third (1312-77, King 1327-77), there was living in Cornwall, five miles east of St. Agnes Head and twenty miles southwest of Bodmin, a family of Penhollows. The head of the family was John Penhollow and at the time and for many generations, the Penhollows lived there on their own estate of Penhollow in Cornwall. The name of Penhallow or Penhollow, as it is spelled now, is of pure Cornish origin. Pen means in Celtic "A conical top in a range of hills." The following old couplet shows the frequency of this word in Cornish surnames:

"Judge Penhollow had a strong mind and was distinguished for firmness and perseverance in lines of duty. He filled many of the most important offices in the government and discharged the duties attached to them with great integrity."

His attachment to the government increased with his residence in it and he used his constant endeavor to promote its best interests. His firmness and perseverance were essential qualities in a person concerned in administration of government in that turbulent time in which he lived and the public reaped the benefit.

There were a good many quotations in the history of the Penhollows taken from the book Samuel wrote on the wars of New England and the eastern Indians which are very interesting. This is one:
An express came from Northampton saying that about break of day a company of French and Indians fell on a fortified house in Passonerick where no watch was being kept. The people were alarmed in their beds by the noise of the enemy rushing on the house and before the inhabitants could rise, the Indians had gotten their guns in the portholes and shot those that first appeared and killing some and wounding others. The surprised people made what resistance they could, firing briskly on the enemy, but the house being soon set on fire, they were forced to yield themselves prisoners. Fearing a pursuit, the enemy sent back a messenger with the word that if they were pursued, they would kill all they had captured. They were, however, pursued; they escaped, eight rescued, nineteen starved and three carried to Canada.

Samuel and Mary had thirteen children:

Hannah was born May 31, 1688. She married James Pemberton, a merchant of Boston.

Mary was born December 1689 and married Hon. Benjamin Gamble, Judge of Probate.

Samuel was born October 4, 1691, went to England and married there and did not return.

John was born January 13, 1693.

Phoebe was born January 14, 1695 and had four husbands.
Her first husband was Mr. Gross; her second, Mr.Leonard Vassal. He was very wealthy. After his death, she married Mr. Grieves. He died and she married the father of John Borgland, the husband of her daughter. he was a man of very large property.

Elizabeth was born December 21, 1697.

Lidia (Lydia) born September 11, 1699, married Henry Sloper.

Deborah, born January, 1702, married William Knight.

Joshua, born September 2, 1706, died unmarried.

Susan (Susannah), born January 10, 1708 married William Winkley.

Joseph, born January 1710, went to England and did not return.

Olompyia (Olympia), born in 1712, died unmarried.

The wife of President Cutt, Hannah Starr, was a gentle woman of sweet temper and singular piety, daughter of Dr. Comfort Starr, an eminent physician of Boston, one of the first settlers who left his own country for the sake of religion and brought over with him a very plentiful estate. His daughter Mary was born in Portsmouth, December 17, 1669.
When she was five years of age, her mother died and before she was twelve, her father died but such was his prudent care, that he left her in the care of Trb. Mr. Moody. She was in her eighteenth year when she married Samuel Penhollow and inherited from her father a large estate. She was pleasant in her family, affable with her neighbors, well skilled with pen and her needle, reserved in company, expressing herself with a modesty bordering on bashfulness, a good accountant and able to take any sermon in shorthand as it was delivered. Her attire was always neat and handsome, an utter enemy to anything gay, but she was not so modest as to be first in fashion, neither was she so singular as to be the last out of it. In sickness she was tender and showed like care to her servants and also taught them to read the Bible. She died in 1712--her sermon was preached by Nathaniel Rogers.
In 1714 Samuel Penhollow married his second wife, Abigail Osborn, who had two husbands before her marriage to Samuel. Her first husband was Captain William King, the enterprising young ship master. They moved into a house on Daniel Street built for him by his grandfather, Mr. Vaughn. They had seven children. Her second husband was John Sparhawk. She had one son by Samuel Penhollow, named Richard. He was born December 30, 1715 and died in 1740. Being unmarried, he left his estate to a half sister named King. Samuel Penhollow died in 1728 and was buried by the side of his wife Mary in the family burying ground in Portsmouth.
John Penhollow was the only son left, as two went to England and three died. He was graduated from Cambridge and took his father's good name and favor in the community. He married young, his first wife being Elizabeth, daughter of Hon. Jacob Wendon. He was a clerk of the Superior Court of New Hampshire and later went with his brother-in-law, James Pemberton, a merchant in Boston and afterwards connected in business with John Watts under the firm name of John Penhollow & Co., doing business with the West Indies and England. He also had business connections with Captain Oliver Hayes in vessels. For his second wife, he married Elizabeth, widow of his former partner, Mr. Watts. A great deal of trouble was being had with the Indians. They were barbarous and for two or three years he spent much time in helping to bring a better condition of things with the Indians. A letter belonging to John is still preserved and letters there copied are of great interest. The struggle with the Indians was at that time intense, and his letters to Governor Wentworth entreating his assistance to drive them away became more frequent.

Elizabeth, his wife, wrote in 1721 before her marriage to John, to her kinsman Sir Bike Lake in England, saying "We have found many dis- couragements in this settlement." The following, written by John Penhollow shortly afterward, is interesting: "The Indians began their hostilities on nine or ten families. They used them barbarously." Cattle stealing and burning of houses and barns seems to have been frequent. John Penhollow was greatly interested in trying to civilize the Indians. His efforts were rewarded so that on December 25, 1725, a treaty of peace was signed and not until after this were the settlers free from the ravages of the Indians, and now they could pursue their business without fear of molestations. Mr. Penhollow interested himself in providing them with religious teachings as will appear from the following letters written to Captain Samuel Renny to be communicated to the people of Ogenauesk:

Many years ago someone sent me a paper with the poem, "Lady Wentworth," written by Longfellow. This was before his death. He died in 1888. I could not find who sent it but it was not any of my family. As the Penhollows were guests at the governor's banquet, I intended to write to Longfellow and ask what he knew of them, but he died shortly before I wrote. He is my favorite poet and the poem is historical as well as interesting, so I copied it:

Genealogy of Iowa Penhollow Descendents:

John Penhalow de Penhollow: Chamond Penhollow, 13th generation.
Samuel Penhollow came to colonies in 1686, his son,
John Penhollow--only son left of 13 children.
Richard Penhollow, born 1746? (If 78 in 1817, he was born in 1739 or 1740). Married Huldah Canfield June 13, 1780. She died in Chautauqua County, New York in 1851 at age of 95 years. Huldah was his second wife. First wife probably Millicent Hardy, whom he married in Boston, March 4, 1760. Both from Woburn, northwest Boston.
Children of Richard Penhollow and Huldah Canfield:
Richard, born March 31, 1781 (Norwich VR, Lisbon, Conn.)
John, born April 8, 1782 (Norwich VR, Lisbon, Conn.)
Samuel, born Oct. 30, 1783 (Norwich VR, Lisbon, Conn.)
Daniel, born May 17, 1785 (Norwich VR, Lisbon, Conn.)
Mary, born June 2, 1787 (Franklin, Conn. VR)
Thomas, born Sept. 2, 1789 (Franklin, Conn. VR)
David, born 1790-1800 Chautauqua Co., NY, 1830 Census
Reuben, born April 11, 1796 (D.A.R. record, National No. 370634)
Nathan, born August 1, 1798 (His last Will and Testament)
Hiram, born 1800-1810 1830 N.Y. Census lists him 20-30.
These children, except Richard and Samuel, still living at the time of Huldah's death in March, 1851, Chautauqua Co., N.Y. Her letters of administration mentions all but Samuel, and lists following children of her son Richard, deceased:
Richard, living in Iowa.
Edna (Mrs. Charles) Richardson, living in Iowa.
Phoebe (Mrs. Artemus) Stone, Chautauqua Co., N.Y.
Maria (Mrs. Samuel) Case (Chase), Ellington, Chautauqua Co., N.Y.
Polly (Mrs. Justin) Wood, Ellington, Chautauqua Co., N.Y.
Clarissa (Mrs. Henry) Palmer, of Busti, Chautauqua Co., N.Y.
Amanda Wilcox, Chautaqua Co., NY a minor.

Richard Penhollow, a son of Richard and Huldah (Canfield) Penhollow married Abigail House December 7, 1808, according to Eastbury, Connecticut church records. Richard was shown as Richard Harlow. About 1850 the name Penhollow was changed to Harlow but Richard resumed the name Penhollow as an adult. His children all carried the name Penhollow. Abigail was the daughter of Abner and Chloe (Hollister) House, and was born March 16, 1790. Their children are listed above.

Children of Richard and Mercy (Bates) Penhollow, who moved to Iowa in 1851: George W., Emily E., Helen P., Amanda M., Richard H., Roswell B., Ansel, Jason H. (House), William H., Mercy, Leander, Miranda M., Dora A., Ernest L.

Children of Henry and Clarissa (Penhollow) Palmer, Iowa 1852:
Franklin and Francis, twins, Eugene (Henry), Charles, Richard, Whitman, Burdette, Edna, Lucy, Emma, Henry (John). (Amos twin of Whitman).

Children of Edna Penhollow and husband Charles Richardson:
Elizabeth, Sarah, Richard H., Charles E., George E., Frederick W., Charlotte N., Alfred H. (Alfred H., born Iowa, others Illinois and Michigan.)

Phoebe Penhollow and husband Artemus Stone came to Iowa in early 1850s.

Polly Penhollow and husband Justin Wood. Children were Samuel, Walter and Abigail (Wood) Stottard/Stoddard.

Maria Penhollow and husband, Samuel Chase.