RECORDERS OF PLYMOUTH. 23 



in the reigns of Charles I., during the Commonwealth, 

 and the reign of Charles II., and was honourably dis- 

 tinguished in 1684, when the infamous proceeding 

 took place of the charters being surrendered to the 

 King, and a new one obtained with more limited 

 power, reduced numbers, and the names of men in- 

 serted who were more pliant and congenial to the 

 arbitrary disposition of the court. In this charter 

 Serjeant Maynard's name was omitted as the Recorder, 

 and his connection with the town ceased for a time ; 

 but upon the revolution taking place, notwithstanding 

 his great age, he was returned as one of our represent- 

 atives in the House of Commons, and so continued 

 until 1690, when he died at the age of eighty-seven. 

 An anecdote is related of him, which illustrates his 

 opinion of the measures of Charles II. and James II. : 

 When Sergeant Maynard was introduced to William 

 III., at Court, his majesty, seeing so venerable a law- 

 yer, and knowing his high character, remarked that he 

 must have outlived all his cotemporary lawyers : " Yes, 

 your majesty, and, but for your happy arrival, I had 

 outlived the law itself." 



In the new charter John, Earl of Bath, the Govern- 

 or of the Citadel of Plymouth, where his lordship 

 generally resided, was appointed also the Recorder of 

 Plymouth, and continued to hold the office until the 

 restoration of the old charters, by a new one from 

 William, was obtained, in which charter Sir Francis 

 Drake, Bart, was appointed the Recorder, he having 

 been very instrumental in procuring the restoration of 

 the old charters, and being a supporter of the princi- 

 ples which seated William and Mary on the throne. 

 Sir Francis ^was the third baronet of that family, then 

 resident at Buckland Abbey ; he held the office until 

 his death in 1717. At this period the Rogers family 

 possessed great influence in the Corporation, and being 

 resident in the town, and Sir John Rogers, the second 

 baronet in that family, being one of its Representatives 

 in Parliament, was elected the Recorder on the 20th. 

 January, 1717, and held it until his death in January, 



