EARLY TOPOGRAPHY OF FALMOITTH. 153 



remembered to have been once all covered with, thatch." The 

 house in question was probably the most southern of the middle 

 row in Market Street, recently demolished, and adjoining Mr. 

 Grose's present house : for the ledge of rock was cut away 

 immediately opposite, and we can thus explain the present sharp 

 angle and bend in the street. The hotel is now called the 

 " King's Arms." 



I will extract a further description of the growth of the 

 village-town from the same authority : "It was, however, 

 only a double (? single— H.M.J.) line of houses, probably as being 

 all at Smithwick, facing equally to the sea, and to the land, 

 running from the Smith's house, the custom-house, and the 

 market house, along the verge of the harbour, pushing out into 

 the tideway itself, yet looking (like the smith's house and the 

 market-house) only across the harbour. All this low range of 

 ground, at the foot and side of the steep hill, was apparently 

 considered then as the beach of the sea, the Market Strand still 

 lying at one end' and the Fish Strand at the other. A little on 

 the northern side of the Fish Strand, in sinking a well a few 

 years ago, was found, about fifteen feet from the surface of the 

 street, a layer of pebbles ; the layer, about two feet in thickness, 

 and the pebbles evidently rounded by the dashing of the waves." 

 — (Whitaker MSS., E.I.C., p. 220b.) 



In 1646 the village of Smithickwas of sufficient size to give 

 quarters to the greater part of two regiments : Smithick and 

 Penryn were also estimated to be capable of accommodating two 

 thousand soldiers. 



The following passage is extracted from a letter from an 

 officer evidently high in command, dated Truro, March 19th, 

 1646 :— 



" In the way the Generall went into Arwinkle, Sir Peter Killigrew's house 

 where and in the village of Pennicomquicke we had quartered two Regiments for 

 the blocking up of Pendennis Castle on the land side. The da.y before the Generall 

 sent thither those two Regiments, the enemie in the Castle set on fire Sir Peter's 

 house, and burnt a great part thereof downe to the ground, and would have done 

 thf^ like with Pennicomequicke, had not our mens unexpected comming prevented 



them in the t astle the man of w.ir that hath 40 pieces of ordnance in him 



which lyeth aground on the North side of the Fort let us passe very quietly 

 through Pennicomquicke and to Arwinkle, which lyes within half musket shot of 

 the enemies outwoikes but is blinded by the houses and trees, so that they cannot 

 see those that are on the other side of the house ; but when we came off and were 



