THE EXPANSION OF TRURO. 311 



At first, the area now included in tlie parish of St. Mary 

 formed pai-t of the parish of Kenwyn, and the towJi lay along 

 the river Kenwyn ; but as it grew, and houses were built nearer 

 the Allen, it was thought advisable to form the area between the 

 rival's into a separate par-ish ; this was done, and in A.D. 1259 

 the parish church, dedicated to St. Mary, was erected.* Doubt- 

 less a few houses already stood near the site on which the churcli 

 was built ; but naturally the existence of the church would result 

 in the erection of more houses in the neighbourhood, and so the 

 High Cross, St. Mary's Street, King Street, and various offshoots 

 fi'om them would be built. 



It is probable that these building operations were also 

 encouraged by the development of the mining industry, Avhich 

 was now established on a more business-like basis. Truro had 

 long enjoyed the distinction of being a coinage town, and in 

 a Stannary Uoll of 1305-6 we find that at one of the coinages in 

 Truro in that year, 26,796 lbs. of tin were stamjied, the value of 

 which was £53 12s. lid., and the names of thirty-eight persons 

 are given in connection with the industry. 



It was during this period that Truro was first represented in 

 Parliament ; Henry Bailly and Robert Maynard having been 

 summoned to meet in the Parliament of 1295. These circum- 

 stances seem to indicate that in the thirteenth century Truro 

 rapidly advanced in importance, and the rate of progress was 

 maintained, until in 1339 — only eighty years after the building 

 of the church — we find that next to Bodmin it was the largest 

 town in the county, the third place being taken by Lostwithiel. 



This period of prosperity was followed by one of adversity ; 

 the town suffered greatly at the hands of jiirates, and from the 



*The words of Bronesconibc's Register are "Anno eodem (1259), die Dominica in 

 Vig-ilia Sancti Michaelis, dedicavit Capfllam Sancte Marie de Tnuieru." The day 

 before, the P.ishop dedicated " Ecclesiani de Keynwen juxta Truueru." and on the day 

 following he dedicated " /Ccck<il((m Fratruni Predicatorum de Truueru." There is 

 nothing in the record about a "parish church" in Truro. In 1279 (g Jan.) Sir 

 Nicholas de Castello, Chaplain, was instituted " ad Ecdesiam sire CajieJIam Sancte 

 Marie de Triueru." In the Taxacio of Pope Nicholas IV (i2gii "ecclesia de Treueru" 

 is taxed. In Stapeldon's and Grandis.son's Registers it is frequently spoken of as 

 " ecclesia," but sometimes neither as church nor chapel as when 6 November, 11)28, 

 " Dominus dedicavit Majus Altare de Truru." The first occasion on which we' have 

 found it called a "Parish Church" is in the In</insicio Nonarum of 1340, " parochia 

 ecclesia de Treueru.— Ay, 



