Bodmin

At the accession of Elizabeth, Bodmin, formerly part of Bodmin priory, was governed by a mayor and 36 burgesses. In 1563 it received a charter of incorporation, confirmed in 1594, vesting the parliamentary elections in the mayor and all 36 burgesses, but elevating 12 of the 36 into capital burgesses, of whom the mayor was to be one.3Weinbaum, Charters, 12-13. A formal stipulation was made that the charges and costs of its MPs should be met by the borough, but no evidence has been found of any such payments in this period. Though a stannary town, Bodmin had only moderate interference from the warden, the 2nd Earl of Bedford, whose hand may be seen in the return of John Malet, Humphrey Smith, Thomas Cromwell (unless Cecil was responsible) and, possibly, John Audley I. Otherwise the strongest outside influence came from the Cecils, who were responsible for Cromwell (perhaps), Edmund Poley, Hugh Beeston, John Herbert and John Pigott. All the other identified MPs were either local men (Carminowe, Digory Chamond, both Brownes, Kestell, Michell, Connock, Grenville, Lower) or from a local family though resident in London (Emanuel Chamond).