Page:The histories of Launceston and Dunheved, in the county of Cornwall.djvu/316

 284 THE CASTLE. which Ditches towards ye Towne, are divs Houses and gardens w tl1 other necessary houses w ch are in the possession of divs persons, who hold the same, and dureing their naturall life. The levelled hall mentioned in this survey was the old Assize Hall ; the Tower then recently stripped of its lead was the Watch Tower ; and the habitable gatehouse was attached to the existing North-eastern Gateway, which we have already described. The curious statement that houses and gardens occupied the Castle ditches proves that these ditches were no longer maintained for purposes of defence. In a manuscript, without date, but evidently written two or three years after the Survey, we have direct confirmation of the Commissioners' record. The MS. is intituled, "A p'ticuler of the Lands & Tenem ts of the Castle ditch att Lanceston, sett for one yeare from Michaelmas last, and of the Rents thereof; Togeather w th the composicons for the tyme since Mr. Sorrell dyed." And the first entry thereon is, "John Hicks of Lanceston, Barber, hath taken a tenem* already in his possession, con- teyning one ground roome, one chamber, & one garden, for the rent of 14s. p. annum, & hath payd for composicon since Mr. Sorrell's death 5s., and is to keep itt repayred." Many similar entries follow. The "composition," or rule of apportionment of the rents, leads to an inference that the Constable Sorrell died about the preceding May. The manuscript itself shows, first, that the Commonwealth did not admit the claims of the occupiers to a life-interest in their tenements ; and, secondly, that Mr. Sorrell was dead. Among the Mayor's disbursements in the year 1654 is the following: "Paid J no. Bownesall's wife for keepeinge of Sorrell's childe 33 weekes before shee was placed to a master, 6d. a weeke." Was this a child of the deceased Constable ? We shall be pardoned for briefly noting in this place a few facts which, although not exclusively connected with