Saltash is governed by a Mayor, six Aldermen, and an indefinite number of burgesses; but they generally amount to about 30. It was made a free borough in the reign of King John, or that of Henry III., by Reginald de Valletort, who confirmed to the burgesses various privileges which they had enjoyed under his ancestors: these privileges were confirmed by King Richard II. In the year 1682, Charles II. granted this borough a renewed charter of incorporation, under which the body-corporate was defined to consist of a Mayor and six Aldermen, styled the council of the borough, who had liberty to chose a Recorder: but the charter first mentioned, in virtue of which the town is now governed, was procured in 1774. It has returned members to Parliament since the reign of Edward VI. The right of voting is confined to the freeholders of the borough, amounting to about 70 persons. Some names of eminence appear in the list of its representatives; as Sir Francis Cottington, Edward Hyde, afterwards Earl of Clarendon, and Edmund Waller the poet.
The Chapel is an antient structure, having Gothic windows and a massive tower. It contains a handsome altar piece. In the north aisle there is a superb monument to the memory of three brothers, named Drew, officers in the navy, who were unfortunately drowned.
Saltash has a market weekly, and four fairs annually; and over the river is a constant ferry; boats are to be had at a short notice, for Plymouth Dock, or any place in its vicinity. The market mentioned as attached to the castle of Trematon, when the survey of Domesday was taken, was probably held at Saltash: it is spoken of in that survey as a new market of the Earl’s, which had been prejudicial to the Abbot’s market at St. Germain’s. The small weekly market for butcher’s meat is held on Saturday: an old writer says, that the burgesses claimed another market on Tuesday, but that it was not in his time held. The present fairs are on the Tuesday before each quarter-day, (the remnant, probably, of the Tuesday’s market,) February 2, and July 25: the two last are for horned cattle and sheep. The tolls of the market and fairs belong to the Corporation, who are entitled to the proceeds of the ferry over the Tamar, the privilege of dredging for oysters, the farm and tolls of oysters, and certain duties payable by masters of ships; which altogether produced about £300 per annum in 1714.
Leland speaks of “Asche (Saltash) as a praty quick market town. The tounesmen,” he says, “use boothe merchandise and fischery.” Norden says, “the towne increaseth daylie in merchandise and wealth: there belonge unto the towne some 8 ships besydes small boates. The haven is capable of anie burden. The great carrack that Sir Frauncis Drake browghte home so rich, arrived here, and was here disburdened, and after fatally fyred.”
The remains of Trematon Castle are situated on a commanding eminence on the northern bank of the river Lynher, just below Saltash, but the carriage road to it, a very pleasing ride, extends at least two miles from the town. Proceeding in the latter direction, about half way, the tower of St. Stephen’s Church has a conspicuous appearance. It is remarkable as containing a variety of antient memorials, but many of them are much defaced. Carew relates, that in the church of St. Stephen’s a leaden coffin was found about the middle of the sixteenth century; but the grounds on which he supposes it to have been that of Orgarius, Duke of Cornwall, are very weak; for it appears that all he learned from his informant, who had been an eye-witness of the discovery fourscore years before, was, that an inscription on the lead imported it to contain the body of a Duke, whose heiress married a Prince. One of the monuments in this church, is for Master Hechins, as Carew calls him, lessee of the great tithes in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. The church was given to Windsor College by Edward the Black Prince.
On approaching the Castle, its venerable Keep arises majestically amidst the surrounding foliage, and with the little bridge and cottages in the valley, forms altogether a very picturesque subject. The entrance is through a small arch on the north side, and a circular road, leading to it, has been lately cut through the hill on which it stands. The site of the area covers more than an acre of ground, and is enclosed by embattled walls, six feet in thickness. The keep stands on the summit of a conical mound at the north-west angle, embattled with walls 10 feet thick and 30 high. The space enclosed is of an oval form, and was formerly divided into apartments, but as there are no marks of windows, they would appear to have been lighted from the top. The entrance to it was through a circular arched doorway on the western side, from whence an irregular path leads to a small sally-port; but the most perfect part of the building is the principal gateway, composed of three strong arches, with grooves for portcullises between them. These arches support a square tower, embattled, containing an apartment, which has been fitted up as a museum for natural curiosities. The walls are decorated with some of the finest tapestry in England, the colours being as bright as if it had only lately been finished.
Regarding the origin of this antient fortress, little is known, that may be deemed authentic; but it is generally believed, like most other buildings of a like nature, to have been originally erected prior to the Conquest. Afterwards it was given to Robert, Earl of Moreteyne and Cornwall, and in subsequent reigns was annexed to the Duchy of Cornwall. During the civil wars of the eighteenth century, we find no account of this castle’s having been occupied by either of the contending parties: but Carew relates, that during the Cornish commotions in 1549, Sir Richard Grenville held Trematon for a while against the rebels; but that having been induced to quit it, for the purpose of holding a parly with the beseigers, they intercepted his return, seized on the castle, sent him a prisoner to Launceston gaol, and plundered and ill-treated his lady and her attendants.—A few years ago it was leased to Benjamin Tucker, Esq. Surveyor General of the Duchy of Cornwall, and who was for many years Secretary to the gallant Admiral, Earl St. Vincent. This gentleman has erected a very comfortable residence within the area, and embellished it with a great variety of choice paintings and other works of art. Among the most valuable is “La fameuse Aurore de Natier,” a picture well known on the Continent, besides the Twelve Cæsars, by Goltzius. There is also the celebrated organ which was made by Mr. Moore, of Ipswich, for the Empress of Russia, at the price of £16,000, and a most beautiful specimen of shell-work, which was formed in the Brazils, and the construction of which is said to have occupied two nuns the whole of their lives. The garden round the house, is laid out with great taste, and embellished with a good hot-house. In one part of it, on a marble slab, is a bust of Admiral St. Vincent, with the following inscription from the eclogues of Virgil.
O Melibœe, Deus hæc nobis otia fecit
Namque erit ille mihi semper Deus, illius aram
Sæpe tener nostris ab ovilibus imbuet agnus.