160 NOTES OF MINUTES DUCHY OF CORNWALL COUNCIL. 



hospitality, even before the advent of the Prince, appears from a 

 Petition of the Prior of Plympton to the Bishop of Exeter, in 

 1338. The Petition states that the Priory was so impoverished 

 by its hospitalities — " preeipue projpter contiguatum portus de 

 Plymorae cotidie exerescentis adeo graviter et supra vires 

 onerantur," — that they besought the Bishop for assistance, in the 

 grant to the Prior of an Advowson. Possibly this impover- 

 ishment of the Priory was one of the motives for the Prince 

 making Eestormell his residence for a brief period in 1362— 

 rather than burden the Priory with expenses on his account. 

 Assuming that the route taken by the Prince in entering 

 Cornwall, in 1353, was from Exeter through Chudleigh, to 

 Launceston, and then to Eestormell, he would have at least a 

 partial view of the Forest of Dartmoor, belonging to the Duchy, of 

 which not long after he appointed a keeper, and in which, from 

 the tenor of the entries, it would appear that there were Deer. 



The entry relating to the removal, in 1363, from Pestormell of 

 the Prince's furniture, viz. — Pewter and the Provisions left 

 behind — is noticeable as shewing some of the domestic habits 

 of that date. 



It will be observed that there is no mention of Silver Plate. 

 Parker (" Domestic Architecture of the Middle Ages,") notices 

 that in the 14th and 15th centuries Pewter constituted the 

 ordinary Dinner Garniture. There are two or three instances in 

 the Minutes of Grants by the Prince of " Tin " to some of his 

 Household or Council. On 10th August, 31 Edward 3, the 

 Comptroller of the Prince's Household, and the Eeeeiver of 

 Cornwall have orders to grant "to the Prince's chere chaplain. 

 Sir Richard de Wolveston, Clerk, 100 lbs. of Tin, free of coinage 

 dues, to make vessels for his domestic purjDoses." Salted 

 provisions were largely used. The Prince, whilst residing at 

 Bordeaux, sent orders to John de Kendall to forward to him 

 considerable quantities of salted Venison and Salmon from his 

 parks and fisheries in Cornwall, as well as other Sea Fish. 

 Although there were oftentimes sumptuous Banquets in these 

 days, by royal and noble personages, it is probable that their 

 ordinary fare was such as would at the present time be con- 

 sidered as exhibiting a very poor cuisine. 



