Truro is situate in the hundred of Powder, and is surrounded to the
south, west, and north, by Kenwin, and to the east by St. Clement’s,
being washed on each side by two rivulets (of which that which comes
from St. Allen is the principal), and which joining together at the
bottom of the town, fall into an arm of Falmouth Harbour, and form a
beautiful basin and key there. This takes its name from the town, as
that does from the three principal streets of which it consists, Tri,
three, and Ru, a street, turned to Truro, euphoniæ gratiâ. [See below
concerning this Etymon, which is adopted from Camden, and is obviously
absurd, as the town must have had a name long before it forked out
into three streets; and indeed from the first moments of its existence
as a town, as a parish, or as a manor. W.]
This church, which is dedicated to the blessed Virgin Mary, is a
rectory, valued in the King’s Book £16; the patronage in the
Honourable Richard Edgcombe, esq.; the incumbent Mr. Joseph Jane,
who in 17―― succeeded Mr. Simon Paget, as this last did Mr. Samuel
Thomas.
In an. 1291, 20 Edw. I. this church was valued (Tax. Benef.) at
liij_s._ iiij_d._ having never been appropriated.
Leland (Itin. vol. III. fol. 11) speaketh thus of this town: “This
Creke of Truru afore the very toun is divided into two partes, and
eche of them hath a brook cumming down, and a bridge, and the toun of
Truru bytwixt them booth. The White Freres house was on the west arme
yn Kenwyn Streate.
“Kenwen Streate is severed from Truru with this arme, and Clementes
Streat by est is separate on the est from Truru with the same arme.
“One paroche chirch in Truru; Kenwen, and Clementes Streates have
several chirchis, and bere the name of the Sainctes of the paroche
chirchis.
“Coynage of tinne at Midsomer and Michaelmas at Truru.
“Truru is a borow toun, and priviledged. There is a Castelle, a
quarter of a mile by west out of Truru, longing to the Erle of
Cornwale, now clene doun. The site therof is now used for a shoting
and playing place. Out of the body of Truru creake, on the est side,
breketh a crek estwarde a mile from Truru, and goith up a mile ――――,
perhaps to Kigan, and thens to Tresilian Bridge.”
Nothing can be better described than the situation of this town is
here by Leland; only as to the castle, it is so far from being a
quarter of mile out of the town that it is in it at the head of St.
Pancras-street, to the left hand of the way as you go to Kenwyn
church, which by the bye is no Saint as Leland has here made it, or
ever called St. Kenwyn. [The difference between Mr. Tonkin and his
author concerning the castle, is no difference at all. Mr. Tonkin
forgets the interval of time between Leland’s writing and his own. At
that time the castle was assuredly out of the town; St. Pancras-street
then going up but a little way from the open area by the church-yard,
and the castle being now “at the head” of this street.] It lies
very pleasantly, and from it you have a view of the whole town, the
country around it, and the river, or rather arm of the sea, which,
when the tide is in, looks like a fine canal of two miles in length,
[and in coming up the canal by boat, the town with its new spire
below, and the church of Kenwin with its new vicarage-house above,
form a most pleasing view]; but the castle itself is more like an old
Danish camp or round, than a place that had been once inhabited, there
not being the least sign left of any wall, &c.
At the last visitation of this county (Heralds’ Office) it is said
that “the town and borough of Truro was incorporated by the name of
mayor and burgesses by Reignald Earl of Cornwall, natural son to Henry
I. which as appeareth by record, was done by Richard Lucy alias Lacam,
testibus Rogero de Valitort, Roberto de Edune Anvilla, Ricardo de
Raddona, Aldredo de S^{to}. Martino, sealed with an ancient seal with a
man on horseback.
“And at the time of this present visitation, the 9th of October 1620,
was Gregory Frignis Major, Thomas Burgess, Richard Daniell, James
Lawarren, William Catcher, aldermen, Everard Edmonds, Henry Williams,
Edward Kestell, William Avery, Walter Penarth, Germaine Grees, Francis
Noseworthy, Francis Gregor, Cuthbert Sidenham, Humphrie Sidenham,
Gawen Carverth, Thomas Burgess, jun., Richard Hill, John Adlington,
Nicholas Paule, Edward Grosse, Robert Kemp, Nicholas Stephens, John
Pernall, and William Cosens, burgesses, Hugh Boscawen, esq. recorder,
and John Michell, town-clerk of the said borough and corporation.
“We find also that the Mayor of Truro hath always been, and still is,
Major of Falmouth, as by an ancient grant now in the custody of the
said Mayor and Burgesses doth appear.”