The Parochial History of Cornwall, Volume 3 (of 4) — John Shaqi
The Parochial History of Cornwall, Volume 3 (of 4)
History
The Parochial History of Cornwall, Volume 3 (of 4)
Cornwall (England : County) -- History; Geology -- England -- Cornwall (County)
Mr. Willis continues: “In this town is an admirable conduit of water
(this Leland too mentions), which plentifully supplies the streets
about the market-place, which lies in a bottom about the middle of the
borough; and from thence branch several other streets, divers of which
lie on steep ascents. The town is near four furlongs over every way,
and in some parts the houses stand scattered, though the streets are
generally broad. This is one of the towns for coinage of tin (but
there are hardly ―――― blocks of tin coined here in a whole year, the
works in its neighbourhood being rather neglected than worn out); and
was remarkable, anno 1642, for the defeat of the Parliament army by
Sir Ralph Hopton, a memorial of which was put up in the church. The
market, in Leland’s time mentioned to be observed on the Monday, is
now kept on Saturday. The town hall stands on stone pillars, and is a
good building. At the top is a clock-turret, having four dials. It was
erected about the year 1707, by Mr. Dolben, one of the Members for
this town, at near £200 expense. There has been given also to this
corporation very handsome presents of plate, with two large silver
maces well gilt, as are several of their silver cups, round one of
which, in most constant use, is this engraved:
‘Qui fallit poculum, fallit in omnibus.’”
THE EDITOR.
Leskeard still continues a place of considerable trade, and
distinguished by its excellent market, although in relative importance
it does not maintain the station among towns in the county assigned to
it a hundred years since by Mr. Tonkin. Of late years, several persons
possessed of large properties have decorated the environs with
excellent houses; and one gentleman of the town, Mr. Lyne, has brought
home from successful trade and speculation, conducted at Lisbon by
himself and his uncles during two-thirds of a century, a fortune that
may be denominated princely. Leskeard has benefited beyond most other
towns by the recent improvements of roads, and by a canal from the
port of Looe, which affords a cheap and easy conveyance for lime, the
most important of all manures in that district.
This town has been the residence, if not the origin, of several
distinguished persons.
Dr. William Jane, Regius Professor of Divinity at Oxford in the time
of Charles the Second, was from hence. And I believe that Mr. Jane,
for many years master of the grammar-school at Truro, was his nephew;
and this gentleman’s son, first a student at Christchurch, and
afterwards Rector of Iron Acton, in Gloucestershire, bore a
conspicuous part among the learned divines of his day.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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