Fowey (St. Fimbarrus)
The town is situated at the mouth of the Fowey, extending a mile along its eastern bank; the scenery around the harbour is grand and interesting, and the cliffs on the opposite side of the river, across which is a ferry for passengers, are of the boldest character. The streets are narrow and irregular, with numerous angles, rendering it difficult for carriages to drive through the town. There is a spacious market-house, over which is the town-hall, erected some years since by Viscount Valletort, and Philip Rashleigh, Esq., then representatives for the borough. Though at one time a place of commercial importance, little of this now remains, except what arises from the pilchard-fishery, in which most of the inhabitants are engaged, and which affords employment to a great number of vessels, it being computed that upwards of 28,000 hogsheads of fish are annually brought into the port: there are a few vessels in the timber and coal trade, two or three London traders, and some small country barges. The number of vessels of above 50 tons' burthen, registered as belonging to the port, is 68, and their aggregate tonnage 4302. The market is on Saturday; and fairs are held on ShroveTuesday, May 1st, and September 10th. The harbour is esteemed the best outlet to the westward of all the ports in the west of England, being at all times safe, and affording such excellent anchorage, that vessels of 1000 tons' burthen can ride in safety, and enter at the lowest tide, drawing three fathoms of water, and go into deeper water above. The shores are bold, and free from danger; and ships in distress may run in with perfect safety, without cable or anchor. The fort of St. Catherine, constructed for the protection of the harbour in the reign of Henry VIII., still exists, with four guns mounted upon it; and between this and the town are two small forts of more modern erection.
Fowey was incorporated by charter of James II.; another charter was granted by William and Mary in 1690, and a third in 1819. Under the last, there were a mayor, recorder, eight aldermen, a town-clerk, and assistants; but a writ of ouster was brought against the corporation for the abuse of their chartered privileges, and judgment having been recorded against them in Trinity Term, 1827, no attempt has been made to elect another mayor, hold sessions, or do any other corporate acts; and the county magistrates have ever since acted for the borough. The town sent members to a national council in the 14th of Edward III., and first returned representatives to parliament in the 13th of Elizabeth, from which period it continued to send two members till disfranchised in the 2nd of William IV. The parish comprises 1895a. 1r. 3½p. The living is a discharged vicarage, valued in the king's books at £10; patron, J. T. Treffry, Esq.; impropriators, W. Rashleigh and E. Pearse, Esqrs. The great tithes have been commuted for £163. 18., and the vicarial for £168; the glebe comprises 6 acres. The church is a handsome edifice, with a lofty pinnacled tower at the west end; it was rebuilt in 1336, and again rebuilt, or much altered, and its present tower erected, about 1466: there are several monuments belonging to the families of Rashleigh and Treffry. The Wesleyans and Independents have places of worship. In the reign of Charles II., Jonathan Rashleigh, Esq., built an almshouse for eight widows, and endowed it with the great tithes of the parish of St. Wenn, now let for £150 per annum. The castellated mansion of Place-house, on an eminence near the church, anciently the residence of the Treffry family, is a curious relic of early domestic architecture; an oriel, projecting from the south side of it, is richly ornamented with tracery. The ruins of the block-houses erected for the defence of the harbour by command of Edward IV., are also still to be seen.
Transcribed from A Topographical Dictionary of England, by Samuel Lewis, seventh edition, published 1858.