Lestwithiel, In Powder hundred, 245 miles from London, is supposed, by Camden and Dr. Borlase, to be upon the site, or nearly so of the ancient Uzella; but there has hitherto been no actual discovery of any Roman remains to support the conjecture.

Camden says, "The town stood on the high hill, where, is now the ancient castle of Lestormin (Restormel,) but is now removed into the valley. Vechel, in British, signifys high and lofty, whence Wuxellodunum, in Gaul, has its name." —But of this ancient town, in the situation Camden places it, no remains of walls or buildings have been discovered to confirm his conjectures; and its occupation by the Romans, as a military station, cannot, by any known evidence, be correctly ascertained. In Leland's Itinerary we find, "Lostwithiel having a market, is the shire-town of Cornwall; for there the shire is kept by the shrive once in the month : also at this town ys quynag (coinage) of tynne twyce a year, and by the shire-hawl appereauncyent buyldings." The town at present consists of about 132 houses, disposed in two parallel streets, narrow and roughly paved, running from the river to the bottom of a steep hill. Here are 825 inhabitants. All the buildings are of stone, and covered with slate, which is got at little expense and in great plenty in the neighbourhood. The church is small, consisting of one large and two small aisles, with a tower of slate-stone, about 50 feet high at the west end, and on it an elegant gothic lantern, nine feet high, above which is a handsome spire. The church is dedicated to St. Bartholomew, and there is to be seen in it a curious octangular font, composed of one large block of freestone, supported on five clustered columns, and covered with rude and ill-executed carved work, representing a huntsman strangely accoutred, two lions, an ape's head, with a snake twirled round it, a dog seizing a rabbit, a bishop's head, and the crucifixion, with a figure standing on each side.

The external walls of an ancient building, called the Palace, being formerly the residence of the Dukes of Cornwall, are to be seen near the church, on the south side. The building is now converted into a place of security for prisoners brought here for trial at the sessions holden at Christmas and Midsummer.

Lestwithiel is a very ancient corporation, and has enjoyed for many centuries considerable privileges, conferred upon it by Richard, king of the Romans, who by charter constituted this town and Pinknek, a place adjoining, into one free borough, granting its burgesses the liberty of a guild mercatory. The anchorage dues of Fowey harbour, and various duties on coal, salt, corn, malt, and other commodities, brought into that port, belong to the burgesses of Lestwithiel. The corporation consists of a mayor, six capital burgesses, and seventeen assistants, or common-councilmen, who are chosen annually by the mayor and burgesses. The right of electing the members of parliament belongs to these twenty-four persons.

About a mile north of Lestwithiel, upon the summit of a high hill, are the magnificent ruins of Restormel Castle, in very early times the principal residence of the Earls of Cornwall. Richard, king of the Romans, and his son Edmund, kept their court here. It is impossible to view these venerable remains, surrounded as they are by the most beautiful scenery, without feeling the mind strongly impressed with the idea of the former grandeur of this ancient seat of royalty.

The castle and manor of Restormel, with its demesne, were part of the inheritance of the Dukes and Earls of Cornwall, annexed to it by Edward the Third. A mansion, formerly part of the estate named Trinity House, has since become the property of Lord Mount Edgecumbe, and is occupied by his tenant.

Leland, in his account of Restormel, says, "The park of Restormel is hard by the north side of the town of Lostwithiel. Tynne-works and good wood in this park. There is a castle on an hill in this park, where, sometymes, the Earls of Cornwall lay. The base court is sore defaced; the fair large dungeon yet standeth. A chapel, cast out of it, is a newer work than it, and now unrofid. A chapel of the Trinite, in the park, not far from the castelle. The little round castelle of Lostermel standyth in the King's Park, ny to Loswithiel." In the neighbourhood of Lestwithiel is Boconoc House, the seat of the late Lord Camelford. The house is more remarkable for its convenience than its magnificence. The furniture is rare and valuable; among which the following articles are particularly entitled to notice, viz. a beautiful antique cabinet of tortoiseshell,inlaid with silver, representing all the principal subjects of Ovid's Metamorphoses; a small table, and a pair of carved chairs of ebony, made out of the cradle belonging to the children of James the First; and a very elegant assemblage of curious old china.

Among the paintings are several good portraits by Sir Godfrey Kneller, Sir Peter Lely, and Sir Joshua Reynolds.

The house stands upon a lawn of nearly 100 acres, adjoining the park, in which are the traces of very ancient lead-mines, one of which is said to have been worked in the reign of Charles I. and again in 1750; but soon after relinquished, it not being rich enough to defray the expenses. The grounds in the neighbourhood of the house are varied, well wooded and watered, and the rides through them, to the extent of about six miles, are very pleasant.

LOSTWITHIEL, anciently “Lost-uuidiel” (Teut. lust or lyst), “the Manor of Withiel” (Brit. Pen-Uchel-Coed), the “lofty hill on the wood,” and the “Uzella” of Ptolemy, is a municipal borough and market town on the river Fowey, with a station on the Great Western railway, and is 6 miles south-south-east from Bodmin, 11 west-south-west from Liskeard, 23 north-east from Truro and 277 ½ from London by rail, in the South Eastern division of the county, east division of the hundred of Powder, petty sessional division of West, Bodmin union and county court district, rural deanery and archdeaconry of Bodmin and diocese of Truro. The town consists of the parish of Lostwithiel and a considerable part of Lanlivery, consolidated as a civil parish under an Order of the Local Government Board, dated March 25, 1896. The town received its first charter from Edward II. 1325 ; this charter was confirmed or modified by Richard II., Henry IV., V. and VI., Edward IV., James I. and in 1732 by George II. whose charter continued in force until the passing of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1835 ; it was formerly governed by a recorder, seven capital burgesses and seventeen assistants, the latter electing annually one of the capital burgesses to be mayor for the ensuing year, on the first Tuesday in October: but under the provisions of the Municipal Corporations Act of 1883 (46 and 47 Vic. c. 18), a new charter of incorporation, dated June 9, 1885, was granted, and the town is now governed by a mayor, 4 aldermen and 12 councillors. Power was granted March 23, 1895, to appoint overseers, and on February 10, 1896, to appoint assistant overseers. On Sept. 1, 1869, an order was made by the Board of Trade for the management and improvement of the harbour and river of Fowey, vesting all the rights and privileges in the Fowey Harbour Commissioners. The river Fowey is here crossed by an ancient and narrow bridge of eight pointed arches, erected in the 14th century; the bridge is strongly buttressed and over each buttress is an angular niche. The jurisdiction of the corporation over the river and harbour ceased in 1869: an annual payment was received up to 1885, but that has now lapsed. The Cornwall Minerals railway, running from Fowey to Newquay, is worked by the Great Western railway and forms a junction at St. Blazey with Par on the Cornwall railway: the line from Lostwithiel to Fowey, after having been disused for some years, was reopened for traffic in July, 1896. The town is lighted with gas from works at the town end of the moors, the property of the Lostwithiel Gas Light and Coke Company Limited; and is supplied with water from works, erected in 1895—6, at Ford, Lanhydrock, and belonging to the Corporation; connected with the works is a small filtering tank with a capacity of 40,000 gallons. The church of St. Bartholomew is a highly interesting edifice of stone, chiefly in the Gothic style of the 13th century, and consists of quasi-chancel, clerestoried nave of five bays, aisles, north and south porches and a western tower, with spire, containing a clock and 5 bells: the east window, 34 by 14 feet, is Early English, and there is a piscina in the quasi-chancel; in the north wall of the aisle of St. Elizabeth and in the south wall of the St. George’s chapel aisle: the communion table, pulpit, prayer desk and lectern were gifts at the restoration in 1879: the font of Pentewan stone, an extremely curious example, has an octagonal basin on a pedestal of five clustered shafts ; the sides of the basin are enriched with carvings of figures and other subjects, now considerably mutilated : in 1644, whilst this place was occupied by the Parliamentary forces under the Earl of Essex, it is said that a horse was brought into the church by some soldiers, and in contempt of the church and the king was christened from this font by the name of “Charles”: over the western arch of the nave is a carving in relief in alabaster, 1 foot 10 inches in length, representing the martyrdom of St. Bartholomew: the pedestal of the poor box, bearing the date 1645, is curious: on the floor of the north aisle is a fine brass of a man in plate armour, with sword and dagger, and an inscription to Tristam Curteys esq. ob. 15th April, 1423: there is also a monument to Temperance, wife of William Kendall, gent. ob. 1579, and many others of modern date: the tower of this church, called by the late G. E. Street R.A., F.S.A. “the pre-eminent glory of Cornwall,” is of two stages, the upper or belfry storey being canted or chamfered at the angles so as to form an octagon, from which, as a base, rises an octagonal lantern, each face of which is gabled and pierced with coupled lights and the head with a quatrefoil; the former are crossed in the centre by a panel or transom of four open quatrefoils, except in the north-east face, which has a circle of trefoils forming a kind of wheel; the graceful octagonal spire has four spire lights on alternate faces: the communion plate was presented pursuant to the will of Thomas Jones esq. of Restormal House, who died July 7, 1775: the organ, one of the few old G organs now left in the county, was enlarged about 1893, at a cost of about £260: the church was restored in 1879—86 at a cost of £1,778, and in 1893 a vestry was built at a cost of £220: there are sittings for 370 persons. In the churchyard, on the east side of the south porch, is an altar-tomb of granite, now dilapidated, to a member of the Taprell family, 1695 ; near the south porch is also an ancient canopied cross of the 14th century, restored and re-set at the cost of Miss Hext, of Lostwithiel; in the north porch is a stone coffin, the lid of which now serves as a memorial to a child in the cemetery. The register dates from the year 1609. The living is a vicarage, net yearly value £111, in the gift of Richard Foster esq. and held since 1890 by the Rev. Ernest Drewe. The Wesleyan chapel, on the Restormal road, is a building of stone with granite and Bath stone dressings, in the Decorated style, built in 1880 at a cost of £1,600, from the designs of Mr. J. Hicks, of Redruth: it has a tower and spire on the north side rising to a height of about 70 feet: a gallery was erected in 1892, and the chapel will now seat about 320 persons. The Congregational chapel, in Restormal Road, erected in 1807 and rebuilt and enlarged in 1878—9, at a cost of £800, is a plain building of stone, and has 250 sittings. The Free Methodist chapel, in Albert terrace, is a plain building of stone, erected in 1835, and will hold about 400 persons. An additional burying ground of about 1 ½ acres, on the Restormal road, was laid out in 1857, the ground being bought by the Corporation; it is freehold, and is entirely under the control of the vicar: there is no mortuary chapel. The Guildhall, in Fore street, a structure of granite, supported on arches, was erected in 1740, at the expense of Richard Edgcumbe esq. and will hold 150 persons. The insignia of the Corporation include a mace, a silver oar and two seals: the mace, of silver, 35 ½ inches in length, has a banded shaft with an expanding knob at the base, and bears two burghal inscriptions and the date 1670, together with the borough arms and those of the family of Titus, of Bushey, Herts; the head, divided into compartments by demi-figures and foliaged work, displays the national emblems crowned; above is a cresting of crosses and fleurs-de-lis, and on the flat raised top are the royal arms : the silver oar, 25 inches in length, bears on one side the royal arms, with full accessories, and on the other the arms of the borough, inscriptions similar to those on the mace, the words “Custodia aquae de Fowey” being added; the coat of Titus also appears as on the mace; the celebrated Col. Silas Titus, author of “Killing noe Murder,” who was M.P. for Lostwithiel 1663—79, is believed to have been the donor: the seals, both of silver, were given to the town by Richard Edgcumbe esq. afterwards, in 1742, created Baron Edgcumbe; the large seal exhibits the arms of the borough, viz. a triple turreted tower with portcullised entrance, flanked by similar but smaller towers, also with gateways ; on either side is a thistle, and below a stream of water with two fish naiant; the smaller seal also bears the town arms, and both have legends : the Corporation also possess a complete set of standard weights and measures stamped with the borough arms. The old Grammar School building, in Queen street, the property of the Corporation, is now used for public purposes. A parish room, built of stone, about 50 feet square and 25 high, is devoted entirely to church purposes; the site and building were given by Richard Foster esq. of Lanwithan. The Working Men’s Institute, established in 1872, was removed to a new building, erected in 1890, in Fore street, at a cost of about £800, raised chiefly by subscription; it comprises bagatelle and reading rooms, and a library of 650 volumes, and has also a caretaker’s apartments; the institute is registered as a Friendly Society, and is also affiliated with the Working Men’s Club and Institute Union of London; there are now (1897) about 150 members. The principal employers of labour in Lostwithiel are the Great Western Railway Company, who lease the Cornwall Railway Company, and at their workshops at Lostwithiel employ about 60 men. There is also a flour mill, a small saw mill and a carriage building factory. The Royal Restormal Iron Mine (belonging to a limited liability company) is in this township, but at present unworked. The market day is Friday, and a Christmas cattle show and market is usually held on the 3rd Tuesday in December. Instead of the old fairs on stated dates periodical cattle markets are now held on the 3rd Tuesday in every month, with the exception that in January and February they

are held at Bridge End. The ancient Exchequer, Shire Hall and Stannary Prison, incorrectly called “the Palace,” is a stone building at the corner of Quay street and Fore street; the principal portion is 62 feet long by 23 feet 6 inches wide, and the east wall is supported by buttresses of three stages, dating from about 1280; the building displays on its walls the arms of Cornwall and the Prince’s plume, but all the old windows save one have been destroyed; a part of the structure has been purchased by the Freemasons of the town, and is now used as a Masonic Hall. Church Charities:-Mr. White’s charity consists of 12 penny loaves, distributed among 12 poor persons attending the parish church, after morning service every Sunday. There is also a sum of £3 paid by the mayor of Plymouth to the mayor of Lostwithiel, and through him to the vicar. The sum of 6s. 8d. is paid to the vicar for preaching a sermon on the last Sunday in August, and 1s. 4d. to the clerk for distributing the bread. Miss Tonkyns' charity, bequeathed in 1839, by Elizabeth Tonkyns, spinster, of Exeter, consists of £50, the interest, now £1 8s. of which is distributed at Christmas to such poor people as the vicar may deem fit. Mr. Johns’ charity consists of £5 a year, received from the vicar of Fowey, and distributed at Christmas by the vicar of Lostwithiel among the industrious and deserving poor, those not in receipt of parochial relief being generally preferred. Lord Mohun’s charity, left in 1652, by John, 2nd Baron Mohun, consists of £10 a year, a charge on the Lanteglos-by-Fowey tithe, to be divided between the parishes of Lanteglos, Fowey, St. Winnow and Lostwithiel; the portion assigned to this parish amounts to £1 5s. and is distributed annually by the vicar amongst poor householders, in sums of from 3d. to 1s. each. Mr. Hext’s charity, left by Thomas Hext esq. by will made in 1822, consists of invested funds producing a clear yearly income of £5 4s. which sum is distributed in bread by the vicar and the mayor of the borough of Lostwithiel, or such other person as they should appoint, on Sundays in the church after morning service, to the amount of 2s. each Sunday, and is given to poor and indigent inhabitants of Lostwithiel. The Rev. J. Bower’s charity consists of £5 yearly vested in official trustees, and distributed by the vicar and churchwardens among the poor at Easter-tide; the donor was vicar of Lostwithiel for 56 years, and died Dec. 21, 1872. Mrs. Foster’s charity, left in 1866 by Mrs. Margaret Foster, the sum of £200, the interest of which is applied for the benefit of the poor of Lostwithiel and such part of Lanlivery as is within the borough of Lostwithiel. The endowment funds of Tonkyns’, Johns’, Hext’s, Bower’s and Foster’s charities are now held by the official trustees of charitable funds in trust for the several charities. There are also charities of £20 belonging to the United Methodist Free Church. The Royal Talbot and the Monmouth are the principal hotels, and are largely patronized by visitors and tourists during the summer months. Attached to the Royal Talbot hotel are assembly rooms, holding over 250 people; the principal room is 52 feet by 20 feet, including the stage. The local volunteer corps forms part of the E Company 2nd Volunteer Battalion Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry, whose head quarters and principal offices are at Bodmin; the corps is here represented by a sergeant and 30 men. Cowbridge, the property and residence of George Hext esq. J.P. is a modern mansion of stone, situated on a hill, about a quarter mile south, and commands extensive views of Fowey river and valley. About 1 mile from the town, upon the summit of a bold headland, are the magnificent ruins of Restormal Castle, built probably by the Cardenhams, in the reign of Edward I. and once the residence of the earls of Cornwall; Edmund. Earl of Cornwall, died seized of this manor in 1300, and since that time the castle has continued to be attached to the duchy; the rampart, or outer wall, very nearly approaches a circle, and has a diameter of about 126 feet, and is surrounded by a deep ditch 60 feet wide; the entrance is beneath a square tower, leading to an open circular area, 64 by 65 feet; the interior contains seven apartments, including a chapel, projecting from the outer wall nearly as far as the ditch, and about 25 feet long by 18 wide, with a piscina on the south side; originally there were two storeys, with state rooms in the upper storey, and offices in the base court; it was visited by Her Majesty and H.R.H. Prince Consort, Sept. 8th, 1846. The Mayor and Corporation are lords of the manor. The area of the borough and parish is 389 acres; rateable value, £2,346; the population in 1891 was 897. The population of the borough and civil parish in 1891 (including 569 in the ecclesiastical parish of Lanlivery) was 1,379.

The town council are the local authority for granting licences to deal in petroleum.

Meetings of the council for municipal & sanitary purposes are held at the Guildhall, on Tuesdays monthly at 7 p.m. except when otherwise specified.

A Petty Session is held at the Guildhall every Friday at 10.30 a.m. for hearing cases under the Summary Jurisdiction Act.

The General Annual Licensing Meeting takes place between the 20th day of August & the 14th day of September. Special Sessions for transfer of lioenses are held on days appointed for the purpose.

PLACES OF WORSHIP, with times of services

St. Bartholomew’s Church, Rev. Ernest Drewe, vicar; matins, 11 a.m.; holy communion, 12 noon; & service, 6.15 p.m.; alternate Sundays & holy days, holy communion at 8 a.m. ; daily matins, 8 a.m. ; litany, Wed. & Fri. at 10 a.m. ; evensong during Lent & Advent, 5 & 6 p.m.

Congregational, Restormal road, Rev. John Renfree; 11 a.m. & 6 p.m.; Thur. 7 p.m.

United Methodist Free Church, Albert terrace, Rev. Edward Lang; 11 a.m. & 6.15 p.m.; Mon. & Wed. 7.30 p.m. in summer, 7 p.m. in winter.

Wesleyan Methodist, Restormal road, Rev. Joseph German Wheatcroft Brown; 11 a.m. & 6 p.m.; Wed. 7 p.m.

SCHOOLS

A School Board of 5 members was formed June 21, 1886; John Philp, chairman; Robert Pease, Fore street, clerk to the board; Henry Durette Foster, treasurer; Woodman Francis Husband, Queen street, attendance officer.

Board, Bodmin hill (mixed & infants), a building of stone, with master’s house, erected in 1873 & enlarged in 1888, for 275 children; average attendance, 150 boys & girls & 77 infants.

A sum of £6 13s. 4d. yearly was bequeathed by Mr. St. John Eliott for “instructing the youth of this town in the reading of the Bible,” but this charity has been transferred to the Truro Grammar School; a scholarship is to be maintained in the School on the Foundation, when established; at present it is paid to the school formerly carried on by Mrs. Louis Evans & now by the Rev. T. F. Maddrell M.A. Camb. priest vicar of Truro Cathedral in Truro ; the town of Lostwithiel having the right of nominating one boy.