RECORDERS OF PLYMOUTH. 21 



as we have only two names in that long period, it is 

 evident there must have been many others of which no 

 record remains. The gentleman now named is Andrew 

 Hillersdon, but, as his death is mentioned in this year, 

 we are not informed how long he had held the office prior 

 to his death. Neither do we know who Mr. Hillersdon 

 was, though we may conjecture that he was a member 

 of the family of that name then resident at Membland, 

 in this neighbourhood, whose property afterwards came 

 by marriage to the Bulteels. Andrew was a name 

 used in that family, for we find an Andrew Hillersdon, 

 of Membland, was the Sheriff of the county, in the 

 reign of Henry VI. Mr. Hillersdon was succeeded in 

 this office by Mr. Courtenay, but to which branch of 

 that ancient family he belonged is not known, nor how 

 long he held the office. 



In 1564, it appears, in a MS. preserved in the 

 British Museum, being a record of a visitation of the 

 Heralds in that year, that Thomas Williams, Esq. was 

 then the Recorder of Plymouth : of this gentleman, 

 his name being a common one, we have no trace, nor 

 do we know how long he continued in office. In 1609 

 we find John Hele, of Plymouth, Esq., elected to it, 

 probably the second son of Sir John Hele, of Wem- 

 bury, Kt., a Serjeant at law, one of the numerous 

 branches of that family in this county ; Mr. Hele held 

 the office a very short time, for on the 15th of August, 

 1611, we find Sir William Strode, of Meavie, Kt., ap- 

 pointed by the Mayor and Commonalty, with an 

 annual fee of 53s. 4d. to be paid at Michaelmas, this 

 appointment was during pleasure. This good knight, 

 of the ancient and respectable family of Strode, held 

 the office until the llth of September, 1620, when he 

 resigned it ; and John Glanville, Esq., a Barrister at 

 law, was elected to it ; this gentleman was of the anci- 

 ent family of that name, then resident at Tavistock, 

 being a son of Judge Glanville ; and afterwards became 

 illustrious himself, and was well known in the annals 

 of his country as Serjeant Glanville; he represented 

 the town in Parliament for many years, and became 



