small shoals of pilchards were generally allowed to escape. On November 1, 1639, the first mayor was chosen for St. Ives; the town having been governed previously by a Portreve, elected annually from amongst the burgesses. The first mayor was elected mainly through the exertions of Francis Bassett, Esq. (afterwards created a baronet), of Tehidy, then M.P. for the borough. In the following year he presented to the corporation a handsome silver cup, with a richly gilt Around the stand of the cup are the fol cover. lowing lines: The If any discord 'twixt my friends arise, FRANCIS BASSETT, 1640. cup still exists in a good state of preservation, and passes, with the town seal and insignia of office, from mayor to mayor. It is filled upon all occasions of the corporation meeting at the mayor's house, with mulled wine; and it was usual formerly for the members and other gentlemen assembled to drink out of the cup itself; but of late years a silver ladle has been placed in the cup, with which the wine is first poured into glasses, and then drunk. Relating to the town of Merther, which is situated about five miles from Truro, a Latin deed, it is recorded, is yet extant; although the present vicar says, 'I have never heard of the Latin deed; if it exists, it is not in my custody.' It was drawn up between Bar-Combe, VicarGeneral to Dr. Peter Courtenay, Lord Bishop of Exeter, 1480, under seal of the diocese, and John Fullford, perpetual vicar of Probus, of the one part; and Thomas Tresithney, John Halloose, 'Thomas Webber, and others of the eight men of the parish of Merthyr, on the other part, 6 wherein those premises are converted or regu'lated; and, moreover, therein a confirmation, 'covenant, or agreement made and established 'between them, according to ancient custom, that ' in case the said eight men, and their successors, 'should annually pay to the vicar or curate of the 'said parish of St. Cohan Martyr or Merthyr, for ever, annually, the full and just sum of twenty marks, lawful money of England, that then the ⚫ lands of the said parish, and every part and parcel 6 'thereof, should be exempt and free from all pay'ment of small tithes in kind, oblations, or obven tions, to the vicar thereof for ever.' The present vicar writes: It is the fact that I receive a modus, in lieu of tithes, amounting to 137. 6s. 8d., which is the value of twenty marks. A similar modus is payable in the parish of Cornelly, another of the daughter-parishes of Probus, and there amounting to thirty marks.' Carew, in his 'Survey of Cornwall,' p. 144, mentions a custom which formerly existed at LadyNant's Well, in the parish of Little Colan. He says On Palm Sunday, idle-headed seekers resorted with a palm crosse in one hand, and an offering in the other. The offering fell to the priest's share, the cross they threw into the well which, if it swamme, the party should outlive that yeare; if it sunk, a short ensuing death was boded, and perhaps not altogether untruly, while a foolish conceyt of this halsenyng (i.e. omen) might the sooner help it onwards.' To the holy-well of St. Roche, village maidens are wont to repair on Holy Thursday, to throw in pins and pebbles, and thus to predict coming events by the sparkling of the bubbles which rise to the surface of the waters. A short time before the days of Mr. Carew, a strange custom prevailed at Lostwithiel. Upon Easter Sunday, the freeholders of the town and manor, either in person or by their deputies, assembled together; when one among them, each in his turn, gaily attired and gallantly mounted, with a sceptre in his hand, a crown on his head, and a sword borne before him, and respectfully attended by all the rest on horseback, rode through the principal street in solemn state to the church. At the churchyard stile, the curate or other minister approached to meet him in reverential pomp, and then conducted him to church, to hear Divine service. On leaving the church, he repaired with the same pomp and retinue to a house previously prepared for his reception. Here a feast, suited to the dignity he had assumed, awaited him and his suite; and, being placed at the head of the table, he was served kneeling, with all the rites and ceremonies that a real prince might expect. This ceremony ended with the dinner; the prince being voluntarily disrobed, and descending from his momentary exaltation to mix with common mortals. On the origin of this custom but one opinion can be reasonably entertained, though it is difficult to trace the precise period of its commencement. It seems to have originated in the actual appearance of Richard, King of the Romans, who resided at Restormel Castle in former ages, and kept his Court there. At Mevagissey, we find a custom connected with the fishery. All pilchards taken in this parish are liable to tithes, which are payable to the vicar, and have amounted in some years to much more than the ordinary income of the living. In the year 1724 no less than sixteen thousand hogsheads were taken here. The present vicar writes: As regards my fish-tithes, the vicar of Mevagissey has the tenth of the men's share of all pilchards taken by the "seines" (viz. the nets). In former times, this has amounted, I am told, to upwards of 1,000l. a year. year. For many years it averaged 500l. to 600l. Of later years, the laws for regulating the pilchard fishery having been disregarded, the fish have been driven away from the coast. The "driving boats" have ruined the "seine fisheries." The driving boats formerly paid twenty-one shillings tithe each, yearly, to the vicar. The collection having been neglected, |
