MANUSCEIPT MATERIALS FOR CORNISH HISTORY. 



By E. N. worth, F.G.S., Cor. Mem. 



Although Cornwall is richer in the number of County 

 Histories than almost any other division of the kingdom of 

 eqiial importance, it is undoubtedly wanting in extended 

 histories of a more local character, and an enormous mass of 

 detail remains yet to be worked out. We have histories of 

 Bodmin, of Liskeard, of Falmouth, and graphic sketches of 

 Penzance and of a few other localities, and a History of 

 Launceston is now in the press. But neither of these, so far as 

 they are publicly known, are upon a scale to meet the demands 

 of the modern topographer and local historian ; and for the 

 greater part of Cornwall the general county histories supply our 

 only available information. And even they are far, in many 

 respects, from fulfilling the modern idea, and of meeting modern 

 needs ; while, with all their excellences, they fall very short of 

 the standard set by Sir John MacLean in that model parochial 

 record — The History of Trigg Minor. 



I am not sure, however, that the delay which has perforce 

 occurred in carrying out the detail work of historical research 

 within our county, is altogether to be regretted. We have all 

 of us seen churches which were among the fi.rst victims of 

 what became the mania of restoration ; and we have all of us 

 regretted the damage done by zealous but unskilled hands, and 

 wished unavailingly that the work had been left to the fuller 

 knowledge of a later time. And something of the same 

 feeling must attach to the perusal of the results of historical 

 labours, patiently and perseveringly continued, and wanting 

 nothing to attain the chronicler's perfection hut the solid basis 

 of ascertained fact. We have already so much to undo, that we 

 may be thankful there is no more. 



It has only, indeed, of very late years, since the treasures 

 of the Eecord Office have been made widely available, and 

 still more, so far as local history in particular is concerned, since 

 the Historical Manuscripts' Commission has been pursuing its 



