PARLIAMENTARY HISTORY OF TRURO. 211 



1819) that "Mr. John Vigurs, of Penzance, whose wife's maiden 

 name was Melhuish, has in his possession an excellently preserved 

 portrait of her ancestor, John Melhnish, a physician, living in 

 1554." This physician was, probably,* the representative of 

 Truro, although he is described in the official records as a 

 merchant. He was a man of fearless and independent action, 

 and the conduct of the Court in endeavouring to restore the 

 E>oman Catholic religion, roused him to active opposition; a band 

 of thirty-seven members, which included Melhuish and five other 

 Cornishmen, was formed to resist this attempt, and, to mark their 

 displeasure, they took the extreme step of leaving the House in a 

 body. The Court, indignant and alarmed, instructed Edward 

 Griffith, the Queen's Attorney Greneral, to indict them at the 

 Queen's Bench. Six of them submitted to mercy, and paid the 

 fine imposed on them; but while arrangements were being made 

 for the trial of the remainder, the Queen died and the proceedings 

 were dropped. 



To the parliament of 5 Elizabeth, 1562-3, Truro sent John 

 Carminow and John Mychell. The Carminows, of FentongoUan, 

 St. Michael Penkivel, were a family of enormous wealth and 

 unbounded hospitality. John Carminow inherited his uncle's 

 property, as well as that of his father, and represented the county, 

 West Looe, and Truro, successively; he was also sheriff of 

 Cornwall in 1559. His colleague, Mychell, was a merchant of 

 Truro ; he married Jane, eldest daughter of John Killigrew, and 

 obtained KiUigrew, in St Erme, the ancestral estate of the family, 

 by mortgage from his father-in-law. Mychell suffered severely 

 from the depredations of French pirates, who were emboldened 

 by the unprotected state of the western shores, to venture into 

 the creeks aud harbours in search of booty. Three of his ships, 

 one being of 90 tons burden, were "lost into France by French 

 pirates," he " followed the same thence to his utter undoing, and 

 could never get justice at their hands, so as he is able to make 

 good accompte by proof e of £3,000 that he hath lost within this 

 seven years by French pirates, and yet to this daye, never received 

 a penny recompense." (State Papers, Domestic, Elizabeth, Yol. 

 47.) Notwithstanding his losses, Mychell took a prominent part 

 in municipal affairs, as well as in imperial politics. He was one 



* The grounds of probability are very slight. — Ed, 



