LANYHORN CASTLE. 431 



In 1383 Walter Archdeacon was sheriff of Cornwall; in 

 1385 an inquisition was held on the lands of Warin Lereedekne ; 

 and in 1396 another on John son of Odo Archedekne, and in 

 1471 John Lerchedeken held Launceston Castle, Trebeweth, and 

 Talgollan Manors. 



So much as to the family, and I will now turn to their 

 Castle. 



The earliest mention of this is by Leland, who says in his 

 Itinerary about 1540 — ThatLanyhorn Castle was once a castle of 

 seven towers, but was then decaying for " Lak of coverture." 

 Tonkin states* that in his time one of the seven towers only was 

 standing, which was very large, and at least 50 feet in height, 

 but was puUed down in 1718 by the rector Mr. Grrant, who 

 having obtained leave from the Lord to do so, erected several 

 houses with the materials. Six of the seven towers were stand- 

 ing also within thirty j' ears of the date at which Tonkin wrote — 

 Whitakerf suggesting that four towers were thrown to the 

 ground in the great storm of November, 1703, whilst two of the 

 towers remained adjoining the water within the memory of some 

 living in 1780. 



Tradition states that the whole castle spread over the higher 

 ground immediately to the north, and a second court, of which no 

 traces whatever remain, extended to the north of the road leading 

 from the Church to the Mill, but this tradition was faint in 

 Whitaker's time and now is entirely lost. 



Tradition says also that the tower mentioned by Tonkin was 

 round, and appears to have been the keep. 



In 1780 some lofty remains stood near the brook of Kuan 

 which were known then as " The Dungel." A thick remnant of 

 the Castle says Whitaker shoots up into a kind of lofty gable 

 at least forty feet high, and in this are a couple of stone 

 chimneys. Close to the chimney on the south was a kind of 

 funnel in the wall about two feet wide and five deep, descending 

 to an unknown depth in the earth. 



* Appendix 2. 

 t Appendix 3. 



