THE ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY CE OLD PLYMOUTH. 321 
counties are concerned, it is now impossible for one man to attempt 
to write the history even of a single one. The work is too great for 
any person to hope that, even if he lived to complete his task, it 
would be accomplished in anything like a satisfactory manner. 
And it is for this reason that we must all hail with satisfaction 
the publication of Sir John Maclean's contributions towards the 
history of a part of the west country. Long before I was aware 
that he contemplated such a work, I had thought of dealing with 
the Deanery of Plympton in the same way as he has with the 
Deanery of Trigg Minor, and I hope, if time, opportunity, and 
health are given me, that I shall be able to proceed with my inten- 
tion. It was while making some notes and extracts with a view 
to this, that I thought a paper on the Ecclesiastical History of 
the most important town in the Deanery would be of some interest 
to the members of our Society. I shall have to repeat much of 
what has been already said in substance, and better than I can 
hope to do, by Mr. AVorth in his most interesting "History of 
Plymouth," by Mr. Hine, and by others who have taken pleasure 
in similar researches. My chief authorities are Tanner, Dugdale, 
the works of Dr. Oliver, the manuscript history of Plymouth by 
Mr. Henry Woollcombe, in our library, the publications issued 
under the direction of the Master of the Rolls, besides other 
smaller works unnecessary to refer to. I have also seen some 
extracts made from notes penned by a person called Harris, about 
the year 1805, containing his recollections of men and things. 
The volumes in which these notes were made passed through 
several hands, and became much mutilated. From them have been 
made from time to time copious extracts, if not full copies, and 
there are some things in them which may prove to be of value ; but 
as the originals are, I believe, now in the hands of Mr. Jewitt, I 
refrain from saying more about them, as doubtless when his 
promised History of Plymouth is published we shall have a full 
account of whatever is interesting in the volumes. I thought 
these notes would have been of some assistance to me ; but on 
attempting to verify two or three statements, I find that they are 
not borne out by facts, and I am not sure that implicit confidence 
is to be placed in all that Mr. John Harris says in the volumes he 
calls, "An Essay toward the History of Plymouth; consisting of 
Yestiges collected and recollected, with neglected Biography of some 
Characters who have conducted themselves with honour in the 
