The Mayor of Troy

In this witty, gently satirical tale a raconteur sets out to uncover the vanished histories of Cornwall’s little‑known mayors, zeroing in on the enigmatic “Mayor of Troy.” The town of Troy, a modest port of about two thousand souls, once enjoyed a proud civic identity until the 1832 Reform Act stripped it of its corporation and parliamentary seats, and a mysterious bonfire reduced its records to ash. The narrator, now chair of the newly formed Harbour Commission, is determined to piece together the mayor’s legacy from scattered anecdotes and local lore.

The story thickens with a rivalry across the river at Lestiddle, a much smaller settlement whose mayor—armed with a silver oar‑shaped mace—claims jurisdiction over the waterway. Their competing claims lead to a series of humorous encounters, from fishing expeditions to bureaucratic tussles, revealing the quirks of small‑town politics and the stubborn pride of its characters. As the narrator navigates these rivalries, the reader is treated to a charming portrait of a bygone era, where civic titles mean both honor and harmless absurdity.