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86 THE CORNWALL COAST to have been somewhere about 1385, though some of the rather confused records tend to show that the Killigrews had connection with Arwenack earher than this. The family came from Killi- grew, meaning a " grove of eagles," in the parish of St. Erme, and they had everything to do with the founding and prosperity of early Falmouth, championing it against the rival claims and ani- mosity of Penryn and Truro. There has been some attempt to prove that Gyllyngvase, which is the present Falmouth bathing-place, was the scene of the burial of Prince William, son of Henry I., who was drowned off Barfleur, to his father's lasting sorrow ; the supposition being that Gyllyng was a corruption of William. This seems purely imaginary ; there is nothing to show that William's body was ever recovered, and if it had been brought to England his father would certainly not have let it be buried in this far- distant and lonely spot. We must probably go to the Celtic for the derivation of Gyllyngvase. One of the Killigrews erected a fort on Pendinas, which, under the sanction or by the command of Henry VIII., was expanded into Pendennis Castle, which it is said that king visited. In 1552, on his return from the expedition to Guiana, Sir Walter Raleigh was entertained at Arwenack, and was much struck by the fine naval capabilities of Falmouth Harbour, laying the matter before James I., and gaining that monarch's counte- nance for the Killigrews' views for the further- ance of Falmouth in si)ite of the opposition of its neighbours. During the Civil War Pendennis Castle was held for the King by its aged and gallant governor, John Arundel, and it afforded brief