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on us by our former excellent President, Dr. Barham, was, in fact, 

 long since recognized by the Institution.* As early as 1862 Mr. 

 Thomas Quiller Couch, with the same object in view, had already 

 begun to collect materials. These he kindly placed at our disposal ; 

 and thenceforward he cooperated with Mr. Chorley and the 

 Officers of the Institution in preparing a Preliminary Catalogue ; of 

 which copies were forwarded in 1865 to parties from whom 

 assistance towards completing the undertaking might have been 

 expected. At much the same time when Mr. Couch commenced 

 his labours, yet without concert or, so far as I am aware, without 

 knowledge of his purpose, Mr. G-eorge Clement Boase, of Penzance, 

 undertook a similar task. The materials collected by Mr. Couch, 

 Mr. Chorlejr, and the Officers of the Institution, an enormous 

 mass of other rare and valuable matter obtained by Mr. Kinsman 

 of Penzance, and smaller contributions from other persons, have 

 lately been entrusted to Mr. Boase and Mr. William Prideaux 

 Courtney ; and I believe the manner in which they exercise their 

 editorial duties proves how wisely this important task has been 

 assigned. The work (put to press by Mr. ISTetherton, the printer of 

 our Journal) has already reached the letter C ; and the editors 

 hope that tvv^o or three years will suffice for its completion. 

 Having been privileged with a sight of the work during its pro- 

 gress, I can speak with confidence of the labour and research 

 already bestowed on it, and of the zeal and industry with which 

 it is pursued. 



* " No greater service could be rendered to those who may occupy 

 themselves in researches on the subject than to bring into one central 

 depositary., . .a full collection of tjie works, records, and drawings relating 

 to the history of the county ; . . . . and as a preliminary — in itself a most 

 valuable acquisition to the student — a complete catalogue of such documents 

 may be at once prepared. Indeed considerable progress has been already 

 made in the collection of materials for such a work, by Mr. T. Q. Couch, of 

 Bodmin, who has kindly placed them at our disposal." — Report of the Royal 

 Institution of Cornwall, XLV (1862), p. 10. 



" The design of the Bibliotheca Cornubiensis, the projected catalogue of 

 all writings relating to Cornwall .... has been vigorously followed up. Mr. 

 T. Q. Couch has been diligently prosecuting his voluntary editorship, and 

 Mr. Chorley has actively devoted himself, with your officers, to the business 

 arrangements." 



Journal of the Royal Institution of Cormoall, Vol. I (No. I), p. xvii. 



" A great deal of labour has been spent on the Bibliotheca Cornubiensis 

 during the past yeay, by Mr. Couch and Mr. Chorley especially ; and, about 

 six months ago, a Preliminary Catalogue, with Short Titles, was printed and 

 sent to certain parties from whom aid towards its completion might be looked 

 for. Measures are now being taken for collation of our materials with the 

 Catalogue of the Bodleian Library at Oxford." — Ibid, Vol. II (No. V), p. ix. 



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