who were engaged in the affair averred that the unfortunate man Bowden was accidentally shot by one of his own crew.
Toms was never able to show his face again in Polperro, and a place was found for him in a menial capacity in Newgate, where he ended his days.
Lanreath stands between the Fowey and the Looe rivers, about midway. It has a fine church with a beautiful screen. Usually the paintings on these screens are mere daubs, but such as remain at Lanreath, though sadly defaced, show that there was at the end of the fifteenth or beginning of the sixteenth century a school of real artists in the West. Unhappily, only scanty remains of the paintings can be seen. A late rector is said to have proposed to scrape one half the screen if the parish would do the other half. Accordingly he effaced all the beautiful painted work of the portion between nave and chancel. The parish, however, did not like this sort of "restoration," and happily refused to complete the defacing of this work of art.
Court, near the church, is the old nest of the Grylls family, a picturesque mansion containing much of interest. It is in such a ruinous condition that it will have to be largely rebuilt, but the owner, Mr. T. H. Spry, purposes doing this in a thoroughly conservative spirit. The house contains one very handsome room with rich carved oak panelling.
Note.—Books to be consulted on Looe and Polperro:—
Bond (T. ), Topographical and Historical Sketches of East and West Looe. London, 1823.
Couch (T. Q.), The History of Polperro. Truro, 1871.
