378 SPRING MEETING. 



The other gives us a list of the possessions granted to the 

 Black Prince, as Duke of Cornwall, — his castles, &c., in the 

 county being mentioned, with many details. 



"With regard to the former document I would remark that a 

 clear identification of King Alfred's property is being sought. 

 He bequeathed ''lands at Straetneat, or Stratnet, in Triconsehire. " 

 Most likely Stratton'''' in Cornwall is meant, Trigg-shire having 

 it seems been more extensive than the district known as Trigg, 

 Trigg-major and Trigg-minor, of later time. Stratton and 

 Lesnewth I find were included in it. It is not likely that, 

 by Stret-neat, St. Neot was meant, for altho' the saint is known 

 to have been one who was connected with Alfred, and that king 

 is said to have visited the parish now called by his name, it was 

 known then as St. Guerryer's, and was called Hamstoke, Neot- 

 stoke, Neotstow, and St. Neot's, afterwards f. 



Whilst on the subject of documents let me here observe that 

 old dusty accumulations are sometimes of more value than some 

 people suppose. I once found in a deserted loft in Bodmin an 

 extensive collection of papers, some loose, others tied in bundles, 

 which had fallen through the decayed fioor and lay on the ceiling 

 of a large room below. A mason had already carted away many 

 of them and had shot them as rubbish into a quarry. I examined 

 what were left, separating them from the numerous stiffened 

 bodies of dried-up rats which were mingled with them. On 

 sorting the papers I found that they related chiefly to two 

 families which had long been resident in the town, and included 

 also several Wills, Codicils, and a variety of legal documents 

 which had been borro *ved from the Court of Probate, and had 

 not been returned (in consequence of the death of the borrower). 

 I allotted them to those who appeared to have a claim to them. 

 The official deeds I restored to the proper authorities, after 

 shewing them to Sir John Maclean. Some papers were merely 

 curious, and no special owner was indicated. They formed a 

 strange medley. Of this class some displayed interesting seals 

 and signatures, and others contained prices of commodities (tea 

 one guinea a pound), &c., also quaint details of squabbles, 



* See Stubbs's Constit. Hist., paragraph 45 in i, 100, (1874). 



t Michell's St. Neot, p. 5, 



