THE MAYORALTY OF TRURO. 389 



In 1745, 1 757, and 1766, James McCai-mick, a wine merchant, 

 and a man of great influence, was maj'^or. Of his two daughters, 

 one became the wife of Sir Michael Nowell ; and the other, 

 Philippa, was married to John Allen, son of Michael Alleyne or 

 Allen, of Seviock ; his misdeeds will be noted later on. 

 McCarmick's distinguished son, was mayor in 1771. lie was a 

 Tory, and, at the elections for the pailiament of 1784, succeeded, 

 with William A. S. Boscawen, in defeating the Whig nominees 

 of Sir Francis Basset; but he resigned his seat in 1787 on being 

 appointed lieutenant-governor of Cape Breton Island. He twice 

 married ; his first wife being the heiress of Bowen, of Wales ; 

 his second, Catherine, daughter of James Buller, of Morval. 

 By the former marriage he had no issue ; by the latter, only two 

 daughters remained alive in 1820 (C. S. Gilbert). At his 

 decease, which took place rather suddenly at West Looe, 20 

 August, 1815, tlie male line became extinct. Polwhele says, 

 "his life has be3n marked by various events. In that life we 

 see honour, spirit, integrity, and Christian piety most eminent." 

 In his "Traditions and Recollections," Polwhele again referring 

 to him, gives the following summary of his life: — " General James 

 [sic- — in error for William) McCarmick succeeded his father as 

 wine merchant at Truro ; he bought Penhillick [re-naming it 

 'Penmovmt '], and rebuilt the mansion house on the summit of 

 the hill ; he pulled down almost every hedge about the place, flung 

 open his doors to all, attractingthe high and low by politeness, 

 and gaiety, and festivity; through a lucky liit was returned j\[.P. 

 for Truro ; raised a regiment of whicli Jamaica was the grave ; 

 was governor of Cape Breton ; printed a volume of sermons for 

 the use of his government ; and, with all his vanitj^ and all his 

 profusion, had a truly good heart, and died as he lived, an 

 unshaken believer in Revelation." 



One of the General's friends in Truio was Dr. Wolcot 

 ("Peter Pindar"), who practised for some years in the town as 

 a physician. Wolcot was both feared and detested by the 

 leading inhabitants, owing to the satirical, and often offensive, 

 jests of which he made them the subjects ; and once in conver- 

 sation with McCarmick, he went so far as to provoke a challenge 

 to a duel. I give the story in Wolcot's words : " We had passed 

 the previous afternoon together, wlien something I said more 



