Page:The histories of Launceston and Dunheved, in the county of Cornwall.djvu/360

 324 CHURCH OF ST. MARY MAGDALENE. loft or gallery in the said church, for the greater convenience of the said inhabitants. The Bishop then grants as follows : " We therefore, as far as in us lyes, have given and granted, and by these presents do give and grant our leave and con- sent for the erecting a loft or gallery in the said church of St. Mary Magdalene. Given under our Episcopal Seale." It would seem that, as soon as this faculty was obtained, vigorous efforts were made to provide funds for executing the work. Among the papers of his Grace the Duke of Sutherland is a letter dated 6th February, 17 18-19, fr° m Lord Lansdowne to Lord Gower. Lansdowne was at that time the Recorder of Launceston, and he asks Lord Gower to subscribe towards repairing the school and the church at Launceston, adding that most of the Cornish gentlemen had subscribed to the fund. The faculty is silent as to the restoration of the organ, the reparation of the pulpit and altar piece, the setting up of bells, &c. We have seen a letter dated 28th April, 17 19, from Mr. John Anstis, then one of the members in Parliament for the borough, to Mr. Samuel Lyne, its recent mayor, in which Mr. Anstis advises the mayor not to apply to the Bishop for a licence with reference to these matters. He prudently suggests that such an application "will be a tacit allowance by you at least of his power," and adds, his lordship may say that " you had power to have done it yourselves." Lawyers even of the present day will admit the judiciousness of this advice of Mr. Anstis. The six bells were cast and hung in the year 1720. On the 5th October, 1723, a further faculty was obtained with reference to the organ and its loft. It runs thus : Whereas we have been humbly petitioned by the major and comonalty of the burrough of Dimheved als Lanceston in the county of Cornwall, and also by the churchwardens and parish- ioners of the parish of St. Mary Magdalene within ye said