St. Ives

SAINT IVE’s, Cornwall,

Is a fishing-town on the north side of the county, and in a moderate season takes about eight thousand hogsheads of pilchards. It is noted for its excellent quay or pier, which forms a safe and capacious harbour for vessels that take in their cargoes therefrom. It is eight miles from Penzance, twelve from Redruth, and two hundred and seventy-four miles from London; is a harbour in the Irish Channel, the true name of which is Saint Ithes. Though it is almost choaked up with sand, the coast from hence to the land’s end being a long tract of sand-banks, so that the people have been more than once forced to remove, it has thriven much by trading with pilchards and Cornish slates; and twenty or thirty sail of ships belong to its harbour.

It is governed by a mayor, twelve capital and twenty-four inferior burgesses, with a recorder, town-clerk, &c. The manor anciently belonged to the Ferrers family, from whom it came by marriage to the Champernouns; and from them, in the same manner, to Sir Robert Willoughby, baron de Broke, whose co-heiresses marrying Blunt lord Mountjoy, and Mr. Powlett, ancestor to the late Duke of Bolton, it came, on a division of the estate, to the latter nobleman.

This borough first sent members to parliament in the reign of Queen Mary. The town was incorporated by Charles I. The mayor, while in his office, and a year after, as well as the recorder and senior burgesses, are always justices of the peace. The right of election is in the inhabitants paying scot and lot. The number of voters is one hundred and thirty. The mayor is the returning-officer.

Here is a handsome spacious church, which is often buffeted by the waves of the sea; but the mother-church is at Unilalant. Here is a grammar-school that was founded by Charles I. Markets on Wednesday and Saturday, and a fair on Saturday before Advent-Sunday.—The bay, into which runs the river Hayle, lies much exposed to the north-west wind. The rocks hereabouts have some streaks of a metal like copper, of which in the neighbourhood there are mines. It is a custom of this manor, that whoever dies worth ten pounds or more, pays ten shillings to the vicar, and no more; but they that die worth less pay nothing. The land between this and Mountsbay is not above four miles over, and so situate, that from the hill neither of the two seas, viz. St. George’s Channel and the British Channel, is above three miles; and from hence, in a clear day, may be seen the Islands of Scilly, though above thirty miles off.

A bye-post from Market-Jew Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays; comes in at ten, and out at four, o’clock.

The following are the principal inhabitants:

The principal seats in this neighbourhood are, Tregenna Castle, the seat of ——— Stephens, Esq. Half a mile south.—Trevethorn, the seat of Humphrey Pradue, Esq. Two miles and a half south.