' The Name of the Charity, and some notes on the families of Turet, Blanchminster, Hiwis and Colshull.

The Charity is generally known by the name of Blanchminster's Charity, and this is due to the supposition that the charity rotates (or some of them) were originally given by one who bore the surname Blanchminster or de Albo Monasterio. There is, however, a singular absence of evidence in favour of this hypothesis, and the name appears to have been applied to the Charity only in comparatively recent times.

The earliest allusion to a Blanchminster as founder of the Charity which has come under the notice of the present writer ;s a statement by William Borlase in his Observations on the Antiquities Historical and Monumental of the County of Cornwall, 1754, rr. 307-8. In Book IV., Chapter V., headed Of the Roman Ways, the following passage occurs :—

" I return now to the Causeway which runs a mile and half West of Stratton, passing away at the head of Bude Haven towards Camelforcl. I shall not trouble the reader with my conjectures about the farther tendency of this Way at present. This is sufficient to shew that the Romans had a Way in the North of Cornwall; but the people hereabouts have done by this Way, as the vulgar and ignorant have dealt with the four great Ways in the other parts of the kingdom, they have attributed it to the most famous man that tradition records to have liv'd in these parts ; they say the Causeway was first made by one of the name de Albo Monasterio, in English, Blankminster, a knight Templar, (whose effigies lyes in their Church) who liv'd in the time of Edward the First, and gave lands to this Parish, as appears by a deed of confirmation granted by Queen Elizabeth."

It is unfortunate that Borlase did not here express himself more clearly, for his language is susceptible of two interpretations : it may imply that the tradition was twofold, that is to say, that, in accordance with popular belief, not only did a Blanchminster make the roadbut he asl gave lands to the parish.... '