3 8 NATURAL HISTORY 
cholas Ifiand, in Plymouth Sound, for the eaftern boundary. This 
River, by the appointment of King Athelftan, the Saxon, (A. D. 
938.) was to be the general boundary of the Cornifh Britans ; but 
when the Normans came in, and the Kingdom became fubdivided 
into Lordfhips and Manors, (thofe little Kingdoms within a Kingdom) 
Barons, jealous of the extent, rights, and honours of their Manors, 
procured their lands on the borders, to be appropriated to the 
county in which their domains and chief places of residence were 
fixed \ Hence it happens that this Saxon law of Athelftan in four 
inftances has given way to the fucceeding regulations of the Normans, 
and though the River is reckoned in Cornwall 31 , yet Devonshire 
intrudes for feven miles in length and three in breadth at Werington, 
and claims the two parishes there of Werington and North Pedher- 
wyn, as it does alfo the manfion, domain, and park of Mount Edg- 
cumbe, at the Tamar s mouth. This laft incroachment upon the 
general boundary was owing probably to the powerful mtereft of the 
Valtorts (a noble family of large revenues in Cornwall, but ufually 
refident in Devon) antiently proprietors of the place now called 
Mount Edgcumbe ; and, as I imagine, the former was owing to 
the like intereft and application of the Abby of Tavyftock in Devon, 
which had the property of Werington, and (as Leland fays, vol. III. 
page 1 1 5.) “ had fair landes thereabout.” But though thefe places 
were, by the interpofition of their Lords, fubjedted to the civil au- 
thority of Devon, yet care was taken to preferve the rights or the 
Clergy inviolate : they are taxed as belonging to the Hundreds of 
Cornwall in the Lincoln taxation, made in the 1 6th of Edward I. 
A.D. 1288, and they ftill continue fubjed to the jurifdidtion of the 
Archdeacon of Cornwall. On the other hand, Cornwall alfo exceeds 
its antient limits near North Tamarton, having a fmall flip of land 
of about two miles fquare on the eaftern bank, but why, I am not 
informed : again, over againft Saltafh, it claims a fmall portion of 
land not a mile fquare, owing, as I imagine, to the application of 
the Lords of Saltafh, and the Caftle of Trematon adjoining. 
River Lyn- The next confiderable River is the Lynher, called fo from the 
her - Lake it makes before it joins the Tamar at Hamoze It rifes 
on the hills of Altarnun parifh, about eight miles Weft of Lancefton, 
coafts down to the South South Eaft through the parifhes of North- 
hill, Linkinhorn, and South-hill ; and palling about a mile from the 
w There are fome inftances of this kind in 
other counties, and indeed in foreign countries, 
particularly in Germany, where all the pofleffions 
of the Houfe of Auftria are accounted in that 
circle, let them lie within what other circle foever. 
Plot, Oxfordfhire, chap vi. feet, lxxxv. 
x “ The jurifdiftion of the Water doth wholly 
appertain to the Dutchy of Cornwall, and may 
therefore be claimed as a part of that County.” 
Carew, page 99. which is confirmed alfo by the 
profits of the paflage at Saltafchc, the tax on all 
boats and barges that pertain to the harbour yearly, 
and the anchorage and foilage of all ftraunger {hips; 
all belonging to the borough of Saltafche in Corn- 
wall.” Norden, page 98. 
y See Leland Itin. vol. V. p. 79. 
borough 
