Transcriber Note:
Abbreviations have been expanded using the titleattribute. Users of screenreaders may wish to switch to this mode ofreading. Other users may hover the cursor over an abbreviation to seethe expanded word.
THE
PAROCHIAL HISTORY
OF
J. B. NICHOLS AND SON, 25, PARLIAMENT-STREET.
THE
PAROCHIAL HISTORY
OF
CORNWALL,
FOUNDED ON THE MANUSCRIPT HISTORIES
OF
MR. HALS AND MR. TONKIN;
WITH ADDITIONS AND VARIOUS APPENDICES,
BY
SOMETIME PRESIDENT OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY,
F.A.S. F.R.S.E. M.R.I.A. &c. &c.
AND D.C.L. BY DIPLOMA FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD.
IN FOUR VOLUMES.
VOL. I.
LONDON:
PUBLISHED BY J. B. NICHOLS AND SON;
AND SOLD BY
J. LIDDELL, BODMIN; J. LAKE, FALMOUTH; O. MATTHEWS, HELSTON;MESSRS. BRAY AND ROWE, LAUNCESTON; T. VIGURS, PENZANCE;MRS. HEARD, TRURO; W. H. ROBERTS, EXETER; J. B. ROWE, PLYMOUTH;AND ALL OTHER BOOKSELLERS IN CORNWALL AND DEVON.
1838.
Having read in the earliest portion of my lifethe small part of Mr. Hals’ Parochial History publishedabout the year 1750, I entertained from thattime a strong desire for seeing the remainder alsoin print; this desire grew up with my years, increasedperhaps by an understanding that themanuscript had disappeared, no one seemed toknow in what way, and that it might possibly havebeen destroyed.
At last, the manuscript was recovered by themost justly celebrated Mr. Whitaker, from a booksellerat Exeter, who had retained the papers as apledge for some debt; from Mr. Whitaker theyhave come to his son-in-law Richard Taunton,Esq. M.D. who has with great liberality placedthem in my hands; mutilated, however, as to thehistories of several parishes, from want of care andof attention on the part of the individual holdingthem as a deposit, although he must have deemedthem to be of pecuniary value.
Mr. Tonkin’s papers were preserved by his nieceMiss Fosse, who died more than fifty years ago,at a place that may now be termed, without offence,the village of Michell. This lady must havebeen the last of Mr. Tonkin’s near relations; for,although the property left at her decease couldiinot have amounted to anything of importance,the funeral was attended by many scores of persons,claiming shares of whatever could be found.Under such circumstances every moveable wassoon converted into money, and the manuscriptof the Parochial History, complete as Mr. Tonkinleft it, got into the possession of Lord Dunstanville,