The Parochial History of Cornwall, Volume 2 (of 4)
History
The Parochial History of Cornwall, Volume 2 (of 4)
Cornwall (England : County) -- History; Geology -- England -- Cornwall (County)
The manor of Helston in Trigg is of very considerable extent. Mr.
Lysons says, that the ancient site or barton of the manor is supposed
to have been at Michaelstow Beacon, called St. Syth’s, where vestiges
remain of a camp. Besides the town of Camelford, this parish abounds
in villages: Fenterwarson, Fooda, Helston, Trefrew, Treegoodwell,
Tremagenna, Trevia, and Trewalder.
At Fentonwoon in this parish was born Capt. Wallis, celebrated for his
voyage round the world and the discovery of Otaheite.
The right of voting for members of Parliament having been declared by
a Committee of the House of Commons, reported on the 10th of November
1796, “to be in the freemen, being inhabitants and paying scot and
lot; and that the capital burgessess as such, have not the right;” it
became important to acquire as much as possible of the property within
the borough to secure political influence; and after various sales and
transfers, Lord Darlington at last succeeded in acquiring the whole.
The civil corporation hold the manor, mentioned by Mr. Tonkin to have
been given by Charles the First, in the capacity of lord of the manor;
but the freemen are persons presented by the homage in the Lord’s
Court. It is almost needless to add that, when the whole property came
into a single hand, and that residence with the payment of scot and
lot were requisite to complete the power of voting in one presented by
the homage, the Borough became what is well understood by the term
“quite close,” and that it continued so till its extinction in 1832,
since which the property has been sold in parcels.
When Mr. Thomas Pitt, of Boconnock, received in 1784 the grant of an
hereditary seat in Parliament, and it became necessary, according to
the established custom, to create an imaginary office for the purpose
of bestowing on him a new appellation, Camelford was feigned to be a
barony.
Mr. Macpherson, the author, editor, or paraphraser of Ossian,
represented this borough in several Parliaments. This gentleman made a
considerable figure in his day, and excited universal attention,
chiefly from his publishing what are called the Poems of Ossian. He is
now perhaps best remembered by his correspondence with Doctor Johnson,
who argued with the force always exerted by his mighty genius, against
the authenticity of this work; and Mr. Macpherson, probably unable to
meet the reasoning, attempted to establish his case by recurring to a
practice almost as obsolete as the achievements of his supposed
heroes, which was by reviving the ordeal or wager of battle, as the
best mode of ascertaining truth; and with this view, according to the
modern phrase, he wrote a challenge to Doctor Johnson, and obtained
the following answer:
“Mr. James Macpherson,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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