attachment
to the county.

_History._--Cornwall was the last portion of British territory in the
south to submit to the Saxon invader. Viewed from its eastern boundary
it doubtless appeared less attractive than the rich, well-wooded lands
of Wessex, while it unquestionably afforded greater obstacles in the way
of conquest. In 815 Ecgbert directed his efforts towards the subjugation
of the West-Welsh of Cornwall, and after eight years' fighting compelled
the whole of Dyvnaint to acknowledge his supremacy. Assisted by the
Danes the Cornish revolted but were again defeated, probably in 836, at
the battle of Hengestesdun, Hingston Down in Stoke-Climsland. Ninety
years later Aethelstan banished the West-Welsh from Exeter and made the
Tamar the boundary of their territory. The thoroughness of the Saxon
conquest is evident from the fact that in the days of the Confessor
nearly the whole of the land in Cornwall was held by men bearing English
names. As the result of the Norman conquest less than one-twelfth of the
land (exclusive of that held by the Church) remained in English hands.
Six-sevenths of the manors were assigned to Robert, count of Mortain,
and became the foundation of the territorial possessions and revenues of
the earldom which was held until 1337, usually by special grant, by the
sons or near relatives of the kings of England. On the death of John of
Eltham the last earl, in 1337, Edward the Black Prince was created duke
of Cornwall. By the terms of the statute under which the dukedom was
created the succession was restricted to the eldest son of the king, but
in 1613, on the death of Prince Henry, an extended interpretation, given
by the king's advisers, enabled his brother Charles (afterwards Charles
I.) to succeed as son of the king and next heir to the realm of England.

Traces of jurisdictional differentiation anterior to Domesday survive in
the names of at least five of the hundreds, although these names do not
appear in the Survey itself. The hundreds into which the county was
divided at the time of the _Inquisitio Geldi_ were as follows:--Straton,
which embraced the present hundreds of Stratton, Lesnewth and Trigg;
Fawiton, approximately conterminous with West; Panton, now included in
Pydasr, Tibeste, Wineton, Conarditon and Rileston, very nearly identical
with Powder, Kerrier, Penwith and East. The shire court was held at
Launceston except from about 1260 to 1386, when it was held at
Lostwithiel. In 17