“Arrived the Welsh fleet; some having been nearly twelve weeks on the voyage. Coals advanced 2s. Per way; price now 46s.”

Conflict between the 'tradition­alists' and the 'modernists' at the St Ives Society of Artists in 1948 led to the resignation of 24 modernists and the following year they formed the Penwith Society

History, it is said, repeats itself. Be that as it may, today's proceedings were somewhat reminiscent of occurrences in the “Hungry Forties,” when St Just miners marched to Penzance.

Villagers have read the reviews, and are hoping that Chang, the Chinese giant, will be there, and Captain Kidd. They want to hear the patter of Mr Lobb, the “capital” showman, as he introduces the Chamber of Horrors

On 5 February 1818, 79 years after William Borlase wrote to George Allanson bemoaning the lack of libraries and centres of learning in Cornwall, the Cornwall Literary and Philosophical Institution was founded in Truro.  

Tail-piping or pralling dogs in the neighbourhood of Penzance ranked as an amusement, next to bull baiting, with the lower orders of society....

The Nile was a four year old, iron-hulled, sail assisted steamer, a cargo ship with passenger accommodation. She hit the Stones at night in bad weather with the loss of all hands......

William Borlase was born at Pendeen House on 2 February 1696. Pendeen House still stands, one field away from the Atlantic near Pendeen Head.

Richard Oxnam, one of the original partners in Penzance's first bank, leading merchant and investor in mines looks as if he's made it.

Like the Levant Packet which was launched at St Ives on 4th January 1828, Brunel's Great Eastern was also a difficult ship to launch and needed several attempts to get her afloat. On 31st January 1858 Great Eastern finally floated...

Penzance seemed to be full of marching men in late January 1915 and inevitably there was a certain amount of competition.

Cyril Noall describes the collapse as "perhaps, the largest ever known in the neighbourhood. At surface, the effects resembled a minor earthquake."

Walking over from Sheffield to Kerris for his day’s work in the fields, young Willie Wallis hears something unusual. “I thought it was funny sound”, he will explain later. It’s coming from a distance, from way over by the old Snell’s quarry.

Penzance is alarmed. Hoteliers, be on your guard – your “difficulties” will be “increased”. Farmers – be ready. You must prepare for longer journeys on the difficult January roads. Housewives beware – there will henceforth be less “odds and ends".........

Urgent military training requirements in 1915 saw men travelling all over the country to attend training camps....

Honour Roberts died in 1679 and the inventory of her property is dated 25 January 1680. She was the widow of William Roberts and lived at Chykembro in Zennor

Open your copy of the Cornish Tidings, hot off the press. It’s 1921 now, and after the long war everything’s getting back to normal. Or what will pass for normal, in the coming age.

Blight’s death on January 23rd 1911 will go unremarked. And why? Because, as far as the world knows, he is already long dead...........

The outbreak of WW1 saw an urgent need to grow the small, professional, British Army which was now committed to war on four fronts against the huge conscript armies of the opposition.

Mr Branwell, President of the Penzance Gas Company, has not enjoyed 1887 so far. There are new boys in town, selling what they claim is a better – albeit more costly – product than his company can offer. Coming to a street near you, and soon – the new electric light.

The bottom of a vessel was observed about four miles from the land. The gigs went to the wreck, which proved to be the Riga Packet, of London, from the West Indies. Nothing has been heard of the crew.

Is West Cornwall a place where the people dwell in harmonious sympathy with dumb creatures? Or are the ways of the place cruel, outlawish? Today, 19th January 1912, a hearing in London is considering this very matter.

Penzance Choral Society is one of the country's oldest mixed voice choral societies, and almost certainly its most westerly one..........

Charles Ross has left town, the self-appointed liquidator of the affairs of Batten, Carne and Carne has made himself scarce and now his house and possessions are up for sale.

Here comes Mary Bolitho of Trewidden, with her silver key.....