98 THE CHUBCH GOODS OF CORNWALL 



But little plate appears froni tlie inventories to have been 

 stolen, hut the parishioners themselves chiefly alienated the 

 redundant pieces, selling it, as the entries often tell us, with the 

 consent and assent of the whole parish, the money being con- 

 verted to the common use, and doubtless in many cases the sale 

 of discarded ornaments was resorted to, in order to meet the 

 necessary expenses in the new fittings and alterations in the 

 churches required by the Eeformation. At Penryn we find the 

 Market House was partly built from the proceeds of the sale of 

 jewels from Grluvias Church, and at Morwinstow £6 was 

 " borrowed" on the plate in order to finish the tower windows. 



At the end of the separate inventories for the Hundred of 

 Kerrier is a list bound up with it, headed " Coopes, Vestaments, 

 Alterclothes as follow eth;" this appears to have been restored to 

 the Public Eecord Office with the returns for the before- 

 mentioned Hundred : it is evident on inspection, from the 

 magnificence of the vestments and altar cloths, that the inven- 

 torj; is that of the goods of a monastery, large church, or collegiate 

 establishment. There is nothing to define to what church it 

 belongs, and it may have been Glasney College, Penryn ; it 

 appears, however, to be of sufficient interest, when its position is 

 considered, to deserve a place in a paper dealing with this 

 subject, if only for the purpose of showing the magnificence of 

 the vestments of a rich Church in those days, it therefore follows 

 the Kerrier return as Appendix 3, and will be found deserving a 

 careful perusal by those specially interested in the subject 



We now come to a further commission, like to the foregoing 

 in its scope, but presenting new features of interest: it was issued 

 in January, 1553, for the conversion of such of the redundant 

 plate, jewels, etc., as could be conveniently turned into money, 

 and converted to the King's use. The directions to the Com- 

 missioners were, that they should take a just view, survey, and 

 inventory of all goods, plate, jewels, bells, and ornaments; they 

 were to take possession of the ready money, plate, and jewels, 

 and to pay it into the Jewel House, leaving, however, in every 

 Cathedral or Collegiate Church, one or two chalices, at their 

 discretion, in a great parish one or two chalices, and in a small 

 parish or chapel one, in fact all necessary for the decent per- 

 formance of the ceremonies of the church. After the honest 



