The conflict between King Charles I and his Parliament excited nowhere more bitter partisanship than in Cornwall.

Very few towns in the county declared for Parliament, but one noteworthy exception was the borough of St Ives, which supported the cause of the Commonwealth against the King. This seems to have been partly due to the severities exercised by Sir Richard Grenville upon those of the district who were suspected of being favourably disposed towards the Roundheads, and to his excessive exactions from the whole population of St Ives; but it was probably chiefly owing to the fact that the local leaders of opinion at that time happened to be of Puritan proclivities.