a town of Cornwall in England, seated on the river Tamar, 214 miles from London. It is also called Dunhavid, from its situation on a down. King Henry III. made it a free borough. It was composed before two other boroughs, viz. Dunhavid and Newport. It has been the place for choosing knights of the shire ever since the reign of King Edward I. and the assizes-town ever since Richard II. till by a late act of parliament the lord chancellor or lord keeper was empowered to name any other place in the county for it; since which the summer assizes have been held at Bodmin. It was incorporated by Queen Mary in 1555. It is governed by a mayor, recorder, and eight aldermen, has a free school which was founded by Queen Elizabeth, and is a populous trading town. Its markets are on Thursday and Saturday, and it has four fairs. In the 32d of Henry VIII. an act was made for the repair of this and other decayed Cornish boroughs; and it endowed this town with the privileges of a sanctuary, though it does not appear to have used them. It had a monastery and a noble castle, which, because of its strength, was called castle-terrible, and was given by King Richard I. to his brother, afterwards King John. Here are two charity schools for 48 children of both sexes, where the girls are taught to knit, sew, and make bonelace, and are allowed what they can earn. Leland says it was walled in his time, and one mile in compass. Its list of burgesses commences in the 23d of Edward I. The lower part of its ancient castle is made use of for the gaol.