PARLIAMENTARY HISTORY OF TRTJRO. 215 



Elizabeth's last parliament was a very short one ; it met at 

 "Westminster, 27th October, 1601, and was dissolved 1 9th December, 

 in the same year. In his way, each of the two men who sat in 

 it as member for Truro was an interesting personage. Thomas 

 Harris, who sat for Callington, in 1584, and for Bossinney in 

 1593 and 1597, formerly lived in Hertfordshire, but afterwards 

 at Cornworthy, in Devonshire. He was one of the most 

 celebrated lawyers of the day, and was raised to the dignity of 

 serjeant-at-law, in 1589. The earliest mention of the Daniell 

 family, one that held a most prominent position in the little 

 town for more than two centuries, occurs in connection with this 

 parliament, William Daniell being associated with Harris in the 

 representation of the constituency ; nothing further respecting him 

 seems to be known : he was not one of the original members of 

 the reformed corporation, and his fame as foLinder of the house 

 has been eclipsed by the greater celebrity of his decendants. 



To the first parliament of James I. Truro sent two local 

 gentlemen, Thomas Burgess and Henry Cossen. At this period 

 the Burgess family was quite as influential as that of the Daniells, 

 and it is a very remarkable circumstance that in so small a town 

 as Truro then was, there shoiild have been such a large number 

 of prosperous merchants ; in addition to those just mentioned, the 

 Michells, Eobartes, Lewarnes, Sydenhams, and others were all 

 successful business men and took prominent positions in local and 

 national affairs. Burgess was the first mayor under Elizabeth's 

 charter, and one of the four men " o^it of the better and more 

 honest burgesses, of the twenty-four Capital Burgesses" who 

 were elected aldermen. Cossen resided at Eoseveth, in Trega- 

 vethan ; he also was an original member of the reformed 

 corporation, was mayor in 1614, and left a sum of money for the 

 delivery of an annual "gift sermon " at St. Mary's church. 



James' second parliament met at Westminster, 5th April, 1614, 

 but after an existence of only two months was dissolved (6th June). 

 All the official returns of this parliament are wanting, but Hals 

 inaccurately refers to -Sir Hichard Eobartes, Bart., and John 

 Arundell as Burgesses for Truro. Browne Willis (Notifcia 

 Parliamentaria, III.,pub. 1750) gives "Thomas Harris (?)" only, 

 the lawyer who represented the town in 1601. A list preserved 

 at Menabilly also gives Harris as the only, representative, and it 



