Page:The histories of Launceston and Dunheved, in the county of Cornwall.djvu/330

 298 CHAPEL OF THE VIRGIN. We assume that, in 13 19, the space along the line now- occupied by the house of Mrs. Edwards, the Wesleyan Chapel, the houses of Messrs. Barriball, Ham, Brimmell, and W. S. Cater, on the west of the modern Castle Street and Church Street, was part of the Keep Court of the Castle, and was continuous with the Castle Green on the one side, and with the centre of the modern town on the other. The ancient Castle Street seems mainly to have been the present Fore Street, and to have led from the Tower of St. Mary Magdalene directly towards the north gate, having the Jubilee Buildings, and the grounds now of Mrs. Lawrence, on its west. These probabilities enable us to surmount some difficulties of description by Leland, Norden, and Carew. They say that "the chapel of the Castle was within the Keep Court." The incontrovertible document of 13 19, now first printed, marks the spot where it actually stood. Our suggestion is, that the site of the old chapel dedicated to the Virgin is at present covered by the buildings immediately west of the existing church tower, and by those northward of it, including part of the Wesleyan Chapel, and extending perhaps into the open space above the Jubilee Buildings. Of this Virgin Mary Chapel we find only the following further notices ; viz., first, In the Inquisition of 5th May, 1338, (already cited, page 96), it is recorded [trans.], " There is also there [i.e. in the Castle] one competent chapel, except the windows, which are weak . . . and a small chapel, the walls of which are of timber, and the timber thereof almost disjointed;" secondly, In the mayor's account (ante p. 150) for the year 1467-8 credit is taken for a payment of 6s. 8d. to "William Marchaund, chaplain, for taking charge of the Chapel of the Blessed Mary the Virgin in this year;" and, thirdly, On the " Survey of the Honor of Launceston Castle, alias Dunhevitt Castle," 10th September, 1650. "The said Castle is built of lime and stone, but much out of repaire ;