THE PEESIDENT's ADDRESS. 143 



However useful to the genealogist or valuable to the 

 possessors of property the records may be, they are soon made 

 to vanish when the work begins, and thus it has happened of 

 late years in Cornwall that much evidence has been needlessly 

 and wantonly destroyed. I have often directed attention to the 

 prevalence of this improper practice, and in certain instances 

 have pleaded not altogether in vain for the preservation of some 

 portions at least of the stone book of the parish. 



Collections of Manuscripts relating to Cornwall next caU 

 for special notice, several of considerable interest and value, as 

 already announced, having been recently added to our Eoyal 

 Institution Library. 



The various manuscripts now in our hands are for the most 

 part connected more or less with the printed editions of the 

 writings of Carew, Hals, Tonkin, and other authors. The 

 compilations, as far as they were issued through the press, 

 supplied much information concerning the County. Tonkin's 

 written volumes, however, as also Whitaker's and Taunton's 

 documents, the jottings and memoranda of Wallis, Freeth, and 

 Bannister, taken in association with the published works, greatly 

 extend our literary stores. The manuscripts contain interesting 

 matter hitherto unpublished concerning Cornwall, its inhabitants, 

 and ancient language. Some of the works and writings, or 

 portions of them, have come into our custody at different times 

 by gift : — Amongst the donors being the Eev. P. W. Pye, Rector 

 of Blisland ; Sir John Maclean, F.S.A. ; the late Mr. Freeth 

 of Duporth ; Mr. Basset of Tehidy ; Mr. Stokes, Clerk of the 

 Peace ; and others. Some portions of the manuscripts we have 

 bought. Mr. Eashleigh of Menabilly gave us his advice and 

 aid in connection with the sale of the Borlase Library in London, 

 he being there at the time, and had we not persevered in making 

 the somewhat costly purchase,* which we effected, and which 



*The principal purchase consisted of Lot 593, Two Volumes of Thomas 

 Tonkin's Parochial Antiquities of Cornwall (Autograph manuscript), Vol. 1, A 

 to I, (by Hals and Tonkin), Vol.2, K to O, (by Tonkin). Both differ from 

 D. Gilbert's version of the Hals and Tonkin extracts, and contain unpublished 

 portions. Vol. 3, P to Z, had already been presented by Mr. Pye to the Eoyal 

 Institution Library, Truro. 



The first two Volumes were owned successiTely by W. Sandys, Messrs, 



