SOME EXTINCT CORNISH FAMILIES. 
323 
Budock Church, and he was a most intimate friend of Sir John's. 
Not a particle of evidence remains against him. It would not be 
worth enquiring into this ancient scandal except to clear the 
innocent ; but I may add that the State papers show that Sir 
John wrote in 1626 to Secretary Conway, appealing to him to 
remove Captain Bonython from the command of Pendennis 
Castle on account of his misconduct, principally of a private 
nature, against Sir John. Even this is not proof positive as 
against Bonython. 
To resume the narrative. The last Sir John, to whom I have 
been referring, distinguished himself as a most active man, and 
but for the litigation and domestic troubles referred to would 
probably have earned a very high position amongst Cornishmen. 
He obtained a license from James I. for building four houses at 
Falmouth — then called Smithick — and in spite of the opposition 
of the town of Penryn, the jealousy of which was fully aroused, 
because it had always enjoyed the profit of supplying vessels 
seeking the shelter of Falmouth haven, as well as of all mercantile 
pursuits. At that period it was not permitted to build even a few 
houses without royal license ; and Sir John had to make several 
journeys to London about it at great expense (as the family MS. 
informs us), and the record goes on to say that when the troubles 
of Charles I. came, the buildings were increased beyond the 
license ; " but this was not minded when the prerogative of the 
Crown was disregarded," and soon the big town of Falmouth 
sprang up. There can be no doubt of the natural advantages of 
Falmouth over Penryn ; but it is equally certain that but for the 
fostering care of the Killigrews this town would not have been 
built and incorporated more than 200 years ago. 
Then this Sir John, in January, 1619, obtained another patent 
from King James for erecting a lighthouse on the Lizard 
Point, and kept the light burning from 1619 to 1624 at great 
pecuniary loss. His brother, Sir William Killigrew, vainly tried 
to get this patent renewed in 1633. This is one of the earliest 
cases of a lighthouse being locally established; and I think it 
goes against the currently received opinion that the Cornish 
were fond of procuring shipwrecks on their coast. I believe there 
is an entire absence of proof of any ship having ever been lured 
to destruction on the coast of Cornwall. 
I do not say that the Cornish have not been as prone to stealing 
