THE MAYORALTY OF TRURO. 387 



qualify for the position of mayor, to which he was called at the 

 same meeting of the corporation. 



The elections, 9 October, 1732, were distinguished by the 

 determined opposition of Samuel Foote, Esq., and Mr. Zachary 

 Williams to all the nominations of the majority of capital 

 burgesses. John Prowse, who had won the esteem of the towns- 

 folk generally during his mayoralty, 1711 — 1721, was now an old 

 man, and the corporation had determined to do him honour by 

 placing him once more in the mayoral chair ; he was accordingly 

 elected alderman and mayor against the wishes of Messrs. Foote 

 and Williams, the former of whom voted for Robert Coster, and 

 the latter for John Hickman. Both Prowse and Hickman died 

 before the former's term of office expired ; and this is the first 

 instance on record of the death of the mayor of Truro during his 

 mayoralty. The capital burgesses, at a meeting held 13 August, 

 1733, unanimously elected James Michell, one of the four alder- 

 men of the borough, to be mayor in the room of John Prowse 

 until the ninth day of October following, and from thence until a 

 new mayor should be elected and sworn. Sixteen signatures 

 were appended to the minute, but Messrs. Foote and Williams 

 were absent. 



Stephen Tippett was elected mayor in 1735 (in opposition to 

 the wishes of Williams) and again in 1749. His father, John 

 Tippett, had married Mary Honeycome, and had settled at 

 Bosvisick farm, Kenwyn, where Stephen was born, 26 August, 

 1693. He maintained an active connection with the corporation 

 until 9 October, 17G1, when he vacated the office of alderman. 

 Twelve months later he had the satisfaction of seeing his son, 

 Peter Tippett, elected to the mayoral chair, and in May 1764, he 

 died. Peter Tippett was collector of customs at Truro, where he 

 had be enborn 28 August, 1733. By his wife, Elizabeth Collins, 

 second daughter of Edward Collins, vicar of St. Erth, he had 

 nine children, one of w'hom, Edward Tippett, was rector of St. 

 Allen. 



In 1736, and again in 1751, the capital burgesses elected as 

 niayor a very distinguished townsman, named Michael Eussell. 

 Although not a native of Truro, being possibly a son of Michael 

 Eussell, of Bideford, he had settled in the town as a physician. 



