2982 THE COMMON SEALS OF CORNWALL. 
that sprung up upon their estates. Therefore to trace the origin 
of popular rights we should have to go back to very much earlier 
dates than most of these quoted. If we find a borough. with a 
parliamentary representation hundreds of years before it received 
a royal charter, we are not to assume that it had then no powers 
of local self-government. Some such powers, in fact if not in 
name, were exercised in feudal times at courts-leet and courts- 
baron, although manorial courts and portreeves are now but 
shadows of their former selves. Many of the places to be men- 
tioned are corporate no longer, although their glory has not so 
long departed as that of Crafthole, Stratton, and Boscastle, which 
once had a claim to be included in the list. 
The majority of the seals of the religious houses are of the 
thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, seeing that they were sup- 
pressed in the sixteenth. Among the municipalities the oldest 
seal is clearly that of Bodmin. No other appears to be earlier 
than the 16th century ; there are several of the 17th; and others 
of even later date. In some corporations new seals, generally on 
the pattern of the old ones, were provided at the time of passing 
the Municipal Reform Act. All the municipalities had seals; itis _ 
only some of the unincorporated parliamentary boroughs—and 
not all of them—that were without. 
Of late years a number of Local Boards have been formed, the 
seals of which have no claim to be included in the general list ; 
but the devices of some of them are worthy of note. Thus the 
Falmouth Local Board has the 15 bezants and the triple plume ; 
that of Hayle a rude steamer, in allusion to the connection of the 
port with early steam navigation ; Newquay, a pilchard ; Phillack, _ 
the interlaced triangle with floriated Greek cross ; Padstow, the 
device of the extinct corporation—a ship; St. Aneel a tricusped 
trefoil, bearing a crown, the triple plume, and the county arms; 
St. Columb, the 15 bezants surmounted by a bird. 
The list is as follows : 
BODMIN. 
BoroucH.—Bodmin was incorporated in the reign of Henry 
II; and has sent representatives to Parliament since 23 Ed. I. 
The present seal is ancient ; but not so old as the earlier date. 
Vesica shaped, 142 in. x 1,°,. Device: a king seated. Legend: 
SIGILL, COMVNE BVRGENSIVM BODMINIE, 
