TRTTR0 GRAMMAR SCHOOL. 421 



gratuitously instructed the youth living near Tregothnan in St. 

 Michael Penkivel churchyard, where Hals, our gossiping Cornish 

 historian, was one of his pupils. — (" Cornish Worthies," i. 192). 

 Amongst other similar cases, the pious John Evelyn records that 

 he received most of his education in the large porch of the 

 church at Wootton, Surrey, which stands in the family domain. 



It seems not unreasonable therefore to suppose that, looking 

 to all these circumstances, the spacious south porch of St. Mary's 

 Church, Truro, may have been the cradle of the Truro Grammar 

 School. The connexion between the Church and the School has 

 always been of an intimate character ; some of the incumbents 

 of St. Mary's (as we have seen) have been masters of the School 

 — and a portion of the sacred fabric was allotted to the boys. 

 Moreover, on speech days, a sermon in St. Mary's Church always 

 preceded the elocutionary displays in the School. 



It is also interesting to note, from the Chantry Certificate 

 just quoted, how early was the connexion between the Mayor and 

 Burgesses of Truro and the School : a connexion which possibly 

 still exists — the Corporation contributing £25 per annum to the 

 school revenues. 



But it is time to consider Polwhele's account, which also 

 incidentally affords some pleasant peeps at old Truro, and is in 

 that writer's own characteristic, diffuse method. To condense 

 what he says : — The free-school at Truro is reported to have 

 been founded by one of the Borlases, for the express purpose of 

 classic education. In 1730, as appears by the inscription over 

 the master's seat, the northern part of the present school-room 

 was built. At that time, there was a dwelling house appropri- 

 ated to the master, contiguous to the school, and in a line (?) with 

 the other houses in the street.* This was pulled down to enlarge 

 the school-room in 1731 ; hence the necessity of the two pillars 

 in the middle of it, which stand where the south (? north) wall 

 of the first erection stood. The pillars and pilasters in the 

 schoolroom are of the Corinthian order ; the dimensions of the 

 room are 46 feet by 32 without, and 42 by 28 within ; the height 

 within, to the moulding, 12 feet 8 inches ; to the top of the 

 ceiling 18 feet 6 inches. The library is 11 feet by 11 feet. 



* In 1729, an order was issued by the Mayor of Truro, that the wall dividing 

 the School premises from those of Wm. Hallamore is to be taken down, and a new 

 School- house built. 



