LUNDY ISLAND. 187 



turning pirate, did great damage, on which the king^ 

 sent over, and had him executed on an elevated 

 part ; and Sir Thomas Moore mentions, that Ed- 

 ward the second, during the period in which he was 

 hurried by his disaftected nobles, from one part of 

 the kingdom to the other, had thoughts of retiring 

 hither for safety. 



About the middle of the last century, it was pur- 

 chased of government by anoblen.an, who entrusted 

 the care of it to a person named Benson, a notorious 

 smuggler. This man, though a representative in parH- 

 ament, finding it admirably adapted to his vocation, 

 having obtained possession, refused a^ain to surrender 

 it, and for some time carried on an illicit traffic in to- 

 bacco, and other articles. Being at length detected 

 in making false insurances, guilt urged him to a 

 precipitate flight; and he went to Lisbon, where it 

 is understood he assumed the order of priesthood. 



The next proprietor of this island was Sir John 

 Borlase Warren, who built a small house on it, and 

 appears to have let the ground on leases of twenty- 

 one years, which are now about expired. Sir John 

 sold it, about the year 1781, to John Cleveland, Esq., 

 some time since member of parliament for Barn- 

 staple, for the sum of £1200., but, as appears from 

 some of the public prints, it has been lately repur- 

 chased by government. 



The whole rent of the island is £70. per annum. 

 No taxes are paid ; nor can it maintain any revenue 

 officer, the duties in seven years scarcely amounting 

 to five pounds. The number of houses is only 

 seven : and that of inhabitants, in the year 1794, 

 was not more than tvienty-three. The winds are 

 violent, but not cold in proportion, even in winter; 

 and the place is healthy. 



The chief antiquities are what is termed Morisco's 

 Castle, and the ruins of St. Anne's Chapel. The 

 castle is near the south-east end, and was strongly 

 fortified with large out-works and a ditch : a few old 

 dismounted cannon occupy the battlement, beneath 



