476 JOURNAL OF THE PLYMOUTH INSTITUTION. 
Itm paide to John Woolcombe towardes the a- 
mendinge of new bridge which the leate brake 
downe [marginal note: This M* Drake must 
paye] . lijt vj* vuyt 
Itm paide for a eines for St J ohn Hele mt? 
Crymes and m* Drake when they were here 
abowte the water Course ‘ av ve 
These entries point distinctly to a claim of some sort set up by 
Thomas Drake, who, by the way, as a member of the Corporation 
was behind the scenes, which had to be settled by the visit of a 
Commission. Its exact nature is not clear, but it is not unim- 
portant to notice that just before this the town had been deprived 
of certain of its muniments. The entry referring thereto, under date 
1601-2, is very curious :— 
Itm rec of Nicholas Goodridge of Totnes m‘chaunte 
vppon an agreement made between the Towne & 
him for an offence Comitted by him the. said 
Nicholas in burning of a Cheste in the Councill 
Chamber wherein were Contayned divers evidences 
and writings Concerninge the Towne ; OOF 
What is still more important is that we have here distinct state- 
ment of the “purchase of the water course””—whether that may or 
may not mean the Warleigh Mill Leat, or whether it was made 
under the claim set up by Thomas Drake, or at any other time. 
What the Corporation had it paid for. It is to be observed too, as 
before noted, that in addition to the leat mills, Thomas Drake and 
his successor Francis, the first baronet, held the ancient mills at 
Millbay (which Thomas first rented in 1600-1) up to the year 
1630-31, the date of the sale of the lease to the Orphans Aid. 
Altogether about £30 = £150 is recorded as the cost of these con- 
troversies with Crymes and Thomas Drake. 
It will be of interest to show what the Corporation did with the 
water when they got it, and the way in which they at once pro- 
ceeded to utilize it. 
One of the first things was to convey the water to Cockside, 
which was carried out in 1591-92, as shown by the following 
entry :— 
Itm pd to M* Spearcke maio* for the charge of 
Carraidge of the water a Cocke syde . xiij? vjé viije 
