Mr. Willis continues: “In this town is an admirable conduit of water (this Leland too mentions), which plentifully supplies the streets about the market-place, which lies in a bottom about the middle of the borough; and from thence branch several other streets, divers of which lie on steep ascents. The town is near four furlongs over every way, and in some parts the houses stand scattered, though the streets are generally broad. This is one of the towns for coinage of tin (but there are hardly —— blocks of tin coined here in a whole year, the works in its neighbourhood being rather neglected than worn out); and was remarkable, anno 1642, for the defeat of the Parliament army by Sir Ralph Hopton, a memorial of which was put up in the church. The market, in Leland’s time mentioned to be observed on the Monday, is now kept on Saturday. The town hall stands on stone pillars, and is a good building. At the top is a clock-turret, having four dials. It was erected about the year 1707, by Mr. Dolben, one of the Members for this town, at near £200 expense. There has been given also to this corporation very handsome presents of plate, with two large silver maces well gilt, as are several of their silver cups, round one of which, in most constant use, is this engraved:
‘Qui fallit poculum, fallit in omnibus.’”
THE EDITOR.
Leskeard still continues a place of considerable trade, and distinguished by its excellent market, although in relative importance it does not maintain the station among towns in the county assigned to it a hundred years since by Mr. Tonkin. Of late years, several persons possessed of large properties have decorated the environs with excellent houses; and one gentleman of the town, Mr. Lyne, has brought home from successful trade and speculation, conducted at Lisbon by himself and his uncles during two-thirds of a century, a fortune that may be denominated
princely. Leskeard has benefited beyond most other towns by the recent improvements of roads, and by a canal from the port of Looe, which affords a cheap and easy conveyance for lime, the most important of all manures in that district.
This town has been the residence, if not the origin, of several distinguished persons.
Dr. William Jane, Regius Professor of Divinity at Oxford in the time of Charles the Second, was from hence. And I believe that Mr. Jane, for many years master of the grammar-school at Truro, was his nephew; and this gentleman’s son, first a student at Christchurch, and afterwards Rector of Iron Acton, in Gloucestershire, bore a conspicuous part among the learned divines of his day.
From hence also originated the family of Taunton; of whom Mr. William Elias Taunton, knighted on some occasion of the King visiting Oxford, attained the highest eminence in that city as a legal practitioner; and he had the satisfaction of seeing his eldest son attain the proud situation of a judge. Of this family is also Richard Taunton, M.D. distinguished by his eager pursuit of all scientific acquirements, as well as by his medical skill; now resident at Truro. To this gentleman’s liberality the Editor is indebted for the original manuscript of Mr. Hals’ Parochial History, the foundation of this work.
Among eminent persons residing at Leskeard, it is impossible to omit Mr. Haydon, for many years master of the grammar-school. Of his classical acquirements it may be sufficient to say that Dr. Cornelius Cardew, who has been mentioned under St. Ewan, and must be again under Truro, was his favourite scholar; but, in addition to literature, Mr. Haydon acquired a profound knowledge of mathematics and of astronomy; and in these, the most exact and the most noble of sciences, he was not content with theory, and with the practical result of labours carried on by others. Mr. Haydon provided himself with various instruments, of a size and accuracy rarely possessed by individuals at that
period; and with those he made important observations on the transit of Venus in June 1769; and for a long time all the longitudes of places in the West of England were deduced from Mr. Haydon’s determination of Leskeard. He ultimately retired to the family living of Okeford, in Devonshire, and was succeeded in the school by Mr. Lyne, whose grandson has been noticed for his acquisition of an immense fortune.