"A little town," as described by Captain Courtney,
"screening itself under the patronage of the Earls
of Cornwall, and then of the Dukes, it paid tribute to
the Black Prince, and received charters and royalties
from Elizabeth."
In her time great sailors and ships of merchandise sailed from Saltash. The Castle of Trematon, which had belonged to the Valletorts, became a royal castle, and it was hoped by the advisers of Edward VI. that the newly-enfranchised borough would be completely subservient to the Crown.
But, like most of the other creations of this period, it passed almost at once into other hands, and the history of the borough shows the rise and supremacy of the Buller interest, unbroken during the Protectorate and unimpaired under the Stuarts. In spite of occasional lapses, the electors of this little borough continued faithful to the Bullers till within a few years before the Reform Bill, the connection broken now and then with flashes of independence.
In 1722 the electors gave thirty -two votes to Swanton and Hughes against twenty-five for the Buller candidates. The borough, however, soon learned to repent its independence, and returned to subservience.
For fifty years there was no contested election, but in 1772 the Buller candidate was defeated. Nevertheless, on petition he secured the seat.
In 1780 ensued another struggle with the patrons, and the Bullers were defeated, much to the joy of George III.
Again there was a contest in 1784, rendered, like the
