LANYHORN CASTLE. 427 



With regard to the tenures themselves, some were merely 

 nominal, as a red rose or a grain of cummin, others again were 

 of more value, as a geld spur, a silver salver, or a tun of wine> 

 and others by such service as bearing a banner in the king's 

 army, keeping a pack of hounds, &c. 



Thus the manor of Truro was held by Thomas de Prideas 

 by the service of j)resenting an ivory bow at the Castle of 

 Launceston ; and Lanyhorn manor itself was held of the honour 

 of Launceston Castle by the service of presenting a brace of 

 greyhounds. 



There is a great difficulty in identifying the early Erche- 

 deknes, and the military writs of service cannot be appropriated 

 with certainty, the earliest pedigree I have met with* commenc- 

 ing with Odo le Archdeacon, who married Matilda [in 



appendix 1 , I have given the pedigree as far as I can trace it 

 from the best evidence.] In 1308, Thos. Lercedekne was one of 

 the Conservators of the Peace for the County of Cornwall, and in 

 the following year was one of the Collectors of the Tax, and 

 again the year after served in Scotland on military service ; in 

 1311, he was one of the supervisors of array for the county; in 

 the next year he was governor of Tintagel Castle, and Knight 

 of the Shire in 1313. 



In 1314 Thomas Erchedekne was in the woeful fight of 

 Bannockburn, and was there slain amongst the ten thousand 

 knights who lost their lives, and of whom the Border ballad 



runs : — 



" Maidens of England long may ye moui-n 

 For your lemens ye have lost at Bannockburn." 



Of Odo le Erchedekne I can glean little, he is mentioned as 

 possessing part of the manor of Elerky in 1303. 



In 1313 he was one of the Knights of the Shire, as also in 

 1318 and the succeeding year. 



After this date I find no notice of him, and it is probable 

 his death took place about this epoch, although no Inquisition 

 as to the lands he held is at the Public Eecord Office. 



* Harleian MS. 4031, Appendix I, 



