132 THE president's address. 



Elsewhere in Bodmin, through a different cause, other relics 

 have been unearthed, which form part of the ancient Priory of 

 St. Mary the Virgin and St Petroc. During alterations in the 

 grounds of Col. Gilbert's residence, substantial walls, portions of 

 window stones and tracery, doorways, fireplaces, a newel- 

 staircase, paved water-way, roof-slates, ridge-tiles, a circular 

 dove-cote, &c., have been found ; also articles of bronze or latten, 

 iron keys, &c., pottery and glass; together with numerous horns 

 of oxen and large quantities of oyster shells. The most 

 interesting discovery of all was a small chancel floor, 17ft. 9in. 

 by 8 feet, laid with 13th century tiles and supporting the base 

 of a stone Altar, 6ft. Sin. long. Of this Altar the killas masonry 

 was rough but it had finely dressed free-stone angles. Steps 

 led to the tiled floor and altar. One of the stones serving for a 

 step had formed part of an older building, — upon its concealed 

 end and under-surface a grotesque Norman gargoyle having 

 been carved. The upper surfaces of the tiles are inlaid and 

 glazed, displaying sacred, heraldic, and other devices. 



One detached fragment found in the ruins affords evidence 

 in favour of the present insignia or Armorial Badge of Liskeard 

 Borough, some details of which have, of late years, been called 

 in question. 



Col. Gilbert and his son Mr. W. P. Gilbert having kindly 

 placed in my care most of the portable objects found, (with a 

 view to their being eventually deposited in our County collections 

 of antiquities), I hope ere long to publish an illustrated account 

 of them with a plan of the old foundations. 



The original Priory of Bodmin, occupied by an English 

 congregation of Augustinian Black Canons Regular, stood at the 

 east end of the town. The modern Priory, inhabited by a con- 

 gregation of Augustinian White Canons Pegular of St. John 

 Lateran, Pome, is situate at the west end. 



The Tiles and Altar stones (of what was probably the 

 domestic Chapel of the old house) have been presented to the 

 Prior and his brethren of the existing Convent, and were 

 removed by them on the last day of last year (Dec. 31, 1886), to 

 their present chapel. 



