22 RECORDERS OF PLYMOUTH. 



the Speaker o/ the House of Commons. He was a 

 man of eminent attainments, not only in the profes- 

 sion of which he was a distinguished member, but as 

 a politician, as may be seen by reference to " Prince's 

 Worthies of Devon," where a full account of him is 

 given. It appears from the following curious letter, 

 still extant, that he resigned the office in 1 640 : 



" Mr. Mayor, I received letters from you and your 

 bretheren, dated the 24th of the last month, full of 

 respect and courtesy towards me, especially in declar- 

 ing your resolution, at my request and upon my resign- 

 ation, to accept my good friend, Mr. John Maynard, 

 to be your Recorder in my stead : you will please 

 therefore to take notice by this, my letter, that I have 

 resigned, and do most fully and willingly resign, my 

 place of Recordership of your town, so as you may 

 presently proceed to a new election of Mr. Maynard, 

 in whose service I wish you all happiness and content- 

 ment ; and do assure you, that though my remote 

 habitation and other engagements render me unfit to 

 serve you longer as your Recorder, yet I shall never 

 abolish the memory of your great affections and severell 

 grateful 1 presentations which I keep by me as testimo- 

 nies of your loves, and intend to transmit them to my 

 posterity with command that they take all opportuni- 

 ties, as I will, to acknowledge and satisfy that obliiru- 

 tion, by which I hold myself and them bound to do 

 you all possible service. So, with my love to yourself 

 and bretheren, desiring to be still accounted, as in af- 

 fection I am and ever will be, one of your town and 

 Corporation. I remain, 



Yours, to be commanded, 



Jo: GLANVILL. 



Exon, 5th Aug. 1640. 

 To the Right Worshipful and my very 

 loving friends, Mr. Robert Gubbes, 

 Mayor of Plymouth, and his breth- 

 eren present, these " 



The Mr. Maynard alluded to in this letter was a 

 barrister ; he is better known in the annals of his coun- 

 try as Serjeant Maynard. He held the Recordership 



