Page:The histories of Launceston and Dunheved, in the county of Cornwall.djvu/302

272 THE CASTLE. the news of this loss, Prince Charles returned from Exeter to Launceston, where it was intended to bring all the trained bands of Cornwall. The trained bands met, and marched from Launceston with Sir Richard Grenville to Okehampton ; but at the end of the month for which they had been engaged, those bands returned to their homes. Sir Richard Grenville, with three regiments of old soldiers, remained at Okehampton until the end of November. He then came suddenly to the banks of the Tamar to guard the passes near Polston Bridge, and to fortify the town of Launceston. On the 13th December, 1645, the mayor of Launceston, Mr. Thomas Hicks, paid 10s. 6d. to some " pioners " (doubtless pioneers), acting under Grenville's instructions ; and on the 14th December he gave to the Royalist " Mager Gennerell Moulsworth, a quarte of sacke and a quarte of clarrett." On the 21st of the same month the Mayor paid another sum to pioneers ; and, on the 24th, John Wadham and Richard Carou received 4s. from him " for servinge the towne armes." On Christmas- day he gave the pioneers is. 6d. ; and on the 26th December £1 to " Collonell Tabill." Meanwhile Prince Charles had gone towards Truro. While at Truro he arranged with several gentlemen of the county to meet him at Launceston. The place of meeting was subsequently changed to Tavistock. There they met on the 27th or 28th December, and the Prince afterwards retired to Launceston, whose walls, although decaying, and whose castle, offered greater security to him than did Tavistock. Clarendon's statement, that there were at that time large bodies of horse and foot in Launceston, is abundantly confirmed by our contemporary manuscripts. It there appears that payments were being regularly made for " wood and candells for the guard," for horse rates, for weekly rates, "for beere [supplied 14th January, 1645-6] for Collonell Tabill's men which were on the gaurd," &c.