Directory of Pubs in the UK, historical public houses, Taverns, Inns, Beer Houses and Hotels in Devon . The Devon listing uses information from census, Trade Directories and History to add licensees, bar staff, Lodgers and Visitors.
PLYMOUTH AND DEVONPORT - THE LATTER OF WHICH INCLUDES EAST STONEHOUSE, MORICE TOWN, AND STOKE-DAMEREL.
PLYMOUTH, DEVONPORT, and STONEHOUSE, are commonly called "The Three Towns,"
though they adjoin each other, and form one of the largest sea-ports and
principal naval and military stations in England, situated at the south-west
corner of Devon. They extend about three miles from east to West, and
comprise, with their northern suburbs of Morice Town and Stoke, about 90,000
inhabitants. Plymouth is on the east, Stonehouse in the centre, and
Devonport on the west; and their eastern, southern, and western sides, are
skirted and deeply indented by the broad, deep, and extensive creeks and
harbours in the estuaries of the Tamar and Plym, which meet in Plymouth
Sound, and take the names of Catwater, Sutton Pool, Mill Bay, Stonehouse
Pool, and Hamoaze; to the latter of which the great naval arsenal of
Devonport Dock Yard presents its massive sea wall and numerous docks, slips,
&c, in a semi-circular range of more than half a mile, exclusive of the Gun
Wharf, and the large Government Steam Yard on the north, opposite Torpoint,
to which there is a steam ferry across the estuary of the Tamar. Plymouth
Citadel and Mill Bay front that broad arm of the English Channel called the
Sound, in which the force of the Atlantic surges is considerably broken by a
stupendous breakwater, while the harbours and creeks on either side are shut
in. from the violence of ocean storms, on the west by that bold peninsular,
range of hills, extending from Cornwall to Mount Edgcumbe, and that long
projection of Stonehouse terminating at the Devil's Point, opposite Mount
Edgcumbe; and on the east by the bold promontory of Mount Batten, at the
entrance to Catwater, the mouth of the river Plym, from which Plymouth has
its name. The South Devon Railway extends from Plymouth to Exeter, and
connects the three towns with the great railways traversing most ports of
the kingdom ; but the line intended to pass hence through Cornwall to
Falmouth, &c, is not yet made, though an act for its construction was
obtained a few years ago. The ground on which the most populous parts of
Plymouth and Stonehouse are built, falls towards the centre, making a sort
of hollow, extending from east to west; from which the suburbs rise to a
considerable elevation on the north, and to the high ground called the Hoe,
overlooking the Sound on the south. The site of Devonport is more elevated,
but its face has a gradual southern inclination, and on three sides it falls
abruptly to the water. The northern suburbs at Higher Stoke rise much
higher, and command delightful views, of the towns, harbours, headlands, and
the castellated mansion and sylvan, grounds of Mount Edgcumbe. Devonport,
Morice Town, Stoke, and Higher. Stoke, form the PARIBH OF STOKE DAMEREL,
which had 33,820 inhabitants in 1841, of whom more than 25,000 were in
Devonport, 308 in the Parish Workhouse, 1118 in seven Barracks, 478 in the
Convict Hulk, and 155 in Stoke Military Hospital. This parish forms the
Municipal Borough of Devonport; but the Parliamentary Borough includes also
the PARISH OF EAST STONEHOUSE, which in 1841 had 9712 inhabitants, including
103 persons in the Parish Workhouse, 437 in the Royal Marine Barracks, and
307 in the Royal Naval Hospital. This parish maintains its poor under the
provisions of the New Poor Law, and Stoke Damarel Parish is now petitioning
to be placed under the control of that act, though neither parish is or
wishes to be united with any other for the support of its poor. The BOROUGH
OF PLYMOUTH comprises the two parishes of St. Andrew and Charles the Martyr,
except Pennycross Chapelry in the former, and Compton Gifford tithing in the
latter, which are in Roborough Hundred and in Plympton St. Mary Union, as
afterwards noticed. The borough parts of these parishes maintain their poor
conjointly, under a local act, and their population in 1841 amounted to
30,020 souls, of whom 12,906 were in Charles the Martyr's parish, and 23,064
in St. Andrew's. The latter included 219 persons in the Royal Marine
Barracks; 741 in the Citadel Barracks; 332 in Plymouth Workhouse; 79 in the
Chatham Hulk: 50 on Drake's Island; and 320 poor Irish waiting for
emigration ships. The total population of the two boroughs was 61,213 in
1821; 76,001 in 1881; and 80,032 in 1841, and it may be now estimated at
about 90,000 souls. The four parishes in the two Boroughs are in the
Archdeaconry of Totnes and Deanery of Plympton, and in the Southern
Parliamentary Division of Devon, and in Plymouth Polling and County Court
District Stonehouse is in Roborough Hundred and Petty Sessional Division,
but the municipal boroughs have separate quarter and petty sessions.
PLYMOUTH, as already stated, is the most eastern of the "three towns," and
occupies an important maritime situation at the head of Plymouth Sound,
which here extends its expansive waters into the noble harbours of Catwater,
Mill Bay, Sutton Pool, Stonehouse Pool, and Hamooze, and receives on the
east and west the broad estuaries of the Plym and the Tamar. It is distant
44 miles S.W. of Exeter; 29 miles W. of Dartmouth; 15 miles S. of Tavistock;
5 miles E.S.E. of Saltash ; and 210 miles W.S.W. of London. The Borough
increased its population from about 10,000 souls in 1801, to 30,520 in 1841,
and has now upwards of 40,000, including the soldiers in barracks, and
others attached to the naval and military establishments. It has now about
5500 houses, of which no fewer than 500 were built in 1846-7. Its street
arrangements extend about a mile each way, and its site ascends on a bold
and broken gradient, back from Mill Bay and Sutton Pool, and the
intermediate headland occupied by the Citadel and the Hoe; and is such as to
render some of the streets steep, and the entrance from the north-east
rather inconvenient; but many of the streets and some of the entrances to
the town have been much improved during the last 20 years; and the new
buildings in many of the older parts have imparted an air of renovation and
beauty to what was before an assemblage of architectural craziness and
disorder. There are now in the suburbs many handsome villas and rows of neat
houses ; and in the town are several good streets and many commodious public
buildings, well stocked shops, and large inns and taverns. The large modern
town of Devonport which is separated from Plymouth by that of Stonehouse,
was called Plymouth Dock till 1824, as afterwards noticed. In the Saxon era,
the site of Plymouth was called Tameorwerth, but after the Conquest, it
acquired the name of Sutton, or South Town, in reference to its more ancient
neighbour Plympton. In the reign of Edward I., one part of it was called
Sutton Prior and the other Sutton Valletort; the north part of the town
being on the lands of the Prior of Plympton, and the south part on the
estate of the Valletorts. These names were relinquished in the reign of
Henry VI. for the more appropriate appellation of Plym-mouth, In the
beginning of the reign of Edward II., great disputes arose between the Prior
of Plympton and the king, respecting certain rights and immunities', claimed
by the former, but always contested by the Crown. At length, by a writ
issued from the Exchequer in 1313, a jury was summoned to examine the
various claims, and determine the differences between the King and the
Prior. By their decision, the Prior, in consideration of a fee-farm rent of
£29. 6s. 8d. to be annually paid into the Exchequer for the use of his
Majesty, was confirmed in the exercise of various privileges, among which
were—the right of granting leases of houses as lord of the fee; of having a
manor view of frank-pledge, assize of bread and beer, a ducking stool and
pillory, and the fishing of the waters from Catwater to the head of the
river Plym. In the reign of Edward III., the manor was given to John de
Eltham, Earl of Cornwall, who had many disputes with the Prior, whose claims
were again confirmed by a special jury. About this period, Plymouth, which
had been much improved under the liberal building leases granted by the
Prior, became an object of jealousy to the French, who lauded here and
endeavoured to destroy the town by fire, but were repulsed, with the loss of
500 men, by Hugh Courtenay, Earl of Devon, under whose conduct the
surrounding gentry and their vassals had associated with celerity. In a
second attempt, in the 6th of Henry IV., the French were more successful.
Landing at the head of Sutton Pool, near Britonside, they burnt upwards of
6OO houses; but failing in their attempt to destroy the castle and the
higher parts of town, they retired to their ships, and proceeded to
Dartmouth, where Mons. du Chastel, one of their commanders, and about 400
men, were killed, and 200 others were made prisoners. From the time of this
occurrence till the reign of Henry VI., the town dwindled to a mere fishing
village, but it was then improved by the] Prior of Plympton, who rebuilt
many of the houses at his own expense; and by liberally granting certain
privileges, and leases at small fines, occasioned a considerable increase of
inhabitants. Trade revived, and the spirit of industry and enterprise being
awakened, its capacious harbours were again frequented by merchant and other
vessels. About 1438, the inhabitants petitioned Henry VI. for a charter of
incorporation, and also that they might have a wall built round the town,
for its better defence against the irruption of an enemy. In the following
year, the king granted a charter which incorporated the inhabitants by the
name of the Mayor and Commonalty of Plymouth and divided the town and
borough into four wards, called Old Town, High Vintry, Low Vintry, and Looe
street Wards; each to have a Captain and inferior officers, but all to be
under the control of the Mayor. In the 4th of Edward IV. a confirmation of
the liberties and franchises of Plymouth was granted to the Mayor and
Commonalty, on condition of their paying a fee-farm rent of £41 to the Prior
of Plympton, and one of ten marks to the Prior of Bath ; and from this
period " the lordship of the fee of the manor of Sutton Prior and Valletort
(now Plymouth,) was vested in the Corporation of Plymouth, together with the
assize of bread and beer, fishery of the waters, view of frank-pledge, tolls
of the markets and fairs, and the use of the ducking stool and pillory. In
the reign of Elizabeth, a new charter was granted to the borough, through
the solicitation of the celebrated Admiral Sir Francis Drake, by which the
former charters were confirmed, and the Corporation declared to consist of a
mayor, 12 aldermen, 24 common councilmen, and an indefinite number of
freemen, with a recorder, town clerk, coroner, and a number of inferior
officers. The above named gallant Admiral was born near Tavistock, and was
the first Englishman that circumnavigated the globe. Through his skill and
perseverance, a stream of water was brought to Plymouth from the sources of
the river Meavy in Dartmoor, by a winding channel nearly 24 miles in length.
This noble undertaking was entirely executed at his own cost, and the
channel has ever since been vested with the Corporation, and still supplies
the town water-works. The Corporation claims to be by prescription, and has
charters from eleven monarchy beginning with Henry VI. and ending with
William III. The borough sent two members to parliament in the 26th and 33rd
of Edward. I.; in the 4th and 7th of Edward II., and the 4th of Edward III.;
and it has regularly returned two members since the 20th of Henry VI. A market
is said to have been established here as early as 1253. In the reign of
Edward I., the port had 325 vessels. In 1512, an act of Parliament was
passed for fortifying Plymouth and other seaports in the west; and in 1520,
Bishop Lacey granted an indulgence to all such persons as should contribute
to the fortifications at Plymouth. Leland, who visited it in the time of
Henry VIII., says, " the month of the gulph, where the shippes of Plymouth
lyith, is waulled on eche side, and chained over in tyme of necessitie; on
the south-west side of the mouth is a block-house, and on a rocky hill hard
by it is a strong castle quadrate, having on each comer a great round tower.
It seemeth to be no very old peace of worke." The little island of St.
Nicholas, or Drake's Island, was afterwards strongly fortified, and
batteries and block-houses were erected on all sides of the town. On the
20th of July, 1588, part of the English fleet, consisting of 120 sail, under
the command of Lord Charles Howard and Sir Francis Drake, lay at anchor in
Plymouth Sound, when the Spanish Armada sailed up the channel, and some of
its ships looked into the Sound, where the Spanish Admiral is said to have
fixed upon Mount Edgcumbe as his future residence; but not liking the
company he saw, his fleet passed out to sea, followed by the English, who
overtook the enemy on the following day, kept up a running fight till the
24th, and being joined by another squadron off the Isle of Wight, drove the
light to a more general engagement, and continued it at intervals till the
28th, when they assailed the Armada with fire-ships, and in two days saw "
the invincible" sea-force totally destroyed or dispersed- To this victorious
fleet, Plymouth contributed seven ships and one fly-boat, a quota greater
than that supplied by any other port except London. In 1390, twenty-two
chests of the Pope's bulls and indulgences, which had been taken from a
discomfited party of Spanish invaders in Cornwall, were publicly burnt in
Plymouth market-place. In 1390, Plymouth Sound WAS the grand rendezvous of
the fleet for the expedition against Cadiz. In 1623, Charles I., with his
whole court, a fleet of 120 ships and 6000 troops, remained ten days at
Plymouth, and was sumptuously entertained by the Corporation. In the
following year, the plague carried off nearly 2000 of the inhabitants.
During the CIVIL WAR of the 17th century, Plymouth was in the hands of the
Parliament, who retained it even at the time when most of the important
places in the west were in the possession of the royalists. Soon after the
commencement of the war, the Earl of Ruthen was appointed governor of the
town, and Sir Alex. Carew had the command of the fort and island of St.
Nicholas. Various attempts were made by the royalists to gain possession of
this important post. Sir Ralph Hopton appeared before it in December, 1642,
but was driven from his quarters by the Earl of Stamford. It having been
discovered in the September following, that Sir Alex. Carew was on the point
of betraying his trust, he was sent prisoner to London, and suffered death
on Tower hill. In the early part of September, 1643, Colonel Digby was sent
with a considerable force of horse and foot to blockade Plymouth, and took
up his quarters at Plymtock. The blockading army had batteries at Oreston
and Mount Batten, and a guard at Hoo. Early in October they planned an
attack on Mount Stamford, a fort so called from the parliamentary general,
the Earl of Stamford. Their guard at Hoo was defeated with much loss on the
8th, about which time Prince Maurice, having captured Dartmouth, advanced
with his whole army to besiege Plymouth.. The Prince's head-quarters were at
Widey House, and his army was stationed at Plympton, Plymstock, Cawsand,
Egg-Bucklaud, Tamerton, &c. On the 5th of November, Mount Stamford was taken
by the besiegers, and the fort at Lipson attempted. At this critical period,
Col. Wardlaw, the governor, required all the inhabitants to take a vow and
protestation to defend the towns of Plymouth and Stonehouse, and the fort
and island of St Nicholas, to the uttermost. Ou the 3rd of December, the
royalists took a fort at Lory Point, but were soon repulsed by the garrison,
who retook the fort. On the 18th of the same mouth, an attempt was made to
storm the town, bat the besiegers were repulsed with much loss, and the
siege was raised on the 25th. Among the Devonshire officers engaged in this
long siege, were the Earl of Marlborough, Sir Thos. Hele, Sir Edmund
Fortescue, and Sir P. Courtenay. In April, 1644, Sir Richard Grenville
advanced with his forces towards Plymouth, but Col. Martin, then governor of
the town, marched out with the greater part of the garrison, and defeated
him at St. Budeaux, and took two companies prisoners. About three days
after, Sir Richard advanced again, but with no better success; and he was
again repulsed before Plymouth in July, when Col. Kerr was made governor.
.About this time, Prince Maurice again attempted the capture of Plymouth,
but not succeeding, he left Sir Richard Grenville to blockade the town. The
Earl of Essex and his army approached Plymouth about the end of the month,
and Sir Richard hastily abandoned the blockade. After the surrender of
Essex's army in Cornwall, the King came before Plymouth on the 9th of
September, 1644, attended by Prince Maurice. On the 11th, Lord Roberts, the
governor, was summoned to surrender the town; but on his refusal, it was
determined, at a council of war, not to undertake an assault or close siege;
and the blockade was again entrusted to Sir Richard. Grenville. The King
lodged at Widey House, but left, with the greater part of his army, on the
14th. In January, 1645, Sir Richard Grenville, having a force of 6000 men,
assaulted the town, and gained possession of the four great out-works, but
was soon afterwards repulsed, with great loss. Mount Stamford was retaken by
the garrison on the 18th of February, and Grenville was again defeated on
the 24th. In June, the command of the blockade was entrusted to Sir John
Berkeley, and in September to General Digby. Colonel Weldon was made
governor of Plymouth in October ; but on the 10th of January, 1646, the
blockade of Plymouth was finally abandoned. In 1654, a special order was
directed from Oliver Cromwell, then Protector, directing that in future all
persons who wished to be married must be united at the Guildhall, by the
Mayor and Justices for the time being. This occasioned a considerable
ferment among all ranks, and a sort of remonstrance; but the order was made
peremptory, on the ground that marriage was a civil contract. At this time
the borough paid its two representatives for their services in Parliament.
In 1670, Charles II. visited Plymouth, and was presented by the Corporation
with a purse of 150 broad pieces. In 1683, the borough charter was
surrendered to the King, on the requisition of Judge Jefferies, and a new
one was granted, at the expense of £417. 19s. which vested the power in ten
aldermen and twelve assistants only. This continued in force till 1697, when
the old charter was restored.
When the combined fleet was in the Channel, in 1779, and the prison ships
were crowded with French and Spanish captives, great apprehensions were
entertained for the safety of the place, but a corps of volunteers was
raised by Wm. Bastard, Esq., and under their escort the prisoners were
marched to Exeter. During the alarms of invasion from France, in 1798, 1803,
and 1805, great exertions were made for the defence of Plymouth town and
dock, but they were not attempted by the enemy. The town, in connexion with
its dock-yard, arsenal, and harbours, was the scene of much bustle
throughout the last war with France, and rose so rapidly in importance, that
its suburb of Stonehouse became doubled in population, and its western
suburb of Devonport, then called Plymouth-Dock, increased, from almost
nothing to the bulk of a rival town. Though it might have been expected to
suffer reaction, and fall into langour and decline after the return of
peace, it has, on the contrary, continued to prosper, and has undergone
striking improvements, not only in its architecture and the appearance of
domestic comfort, but in the number and character of its literary and
charitable institutions. Plymouth is supposed to have had about 10,000
inhabitants in the reign of Edward III., for we find that in 1773, (soon
after a great pestilence,) it contained 4837 persons of 14 years of age or
upwards, then rated to the poll tax, from which only clergymen and
mendicants were exempt. As a sea-port, it has from an early period been one
of the principal rendezvous of the British navy. From this port, Edward the
Black Prince, after having been detained forty days in Sutton Pool by
contrary winds, sailed in 1355, on his successful expedition to France,
which was crowned with the glorious victory of Poictiers ; and hero he
landed on the first of May, 1357, with the French King, and his son, the
Dauphin, as prisoners in his train. In 1470, the Earl of Warwick, with the
Duke of Clarence, and the Earls of Pembroke and Oxford, landed hers to
excite the revolt which caused the temporary restoration of Henry VI. In
1346, this port furnished 25 ships and 603 mariners for the blockade of
Calais. The ill-fated Catherine of Arragon landed here in 1501; and front
this port were fitted out the vessels of the Earl of Cumberland, Drake,
Gilbert, Carlisle, Grenville, Cavendish, Cook, and Wallis, when they set
sail on their respective voyages of discovery. The celebrated Sir Martin
Frobisher, not only sailed from this port, but is said to have died here in
1594. The much injured Sir Walter Raleigh is said to have been arrested on
his landing here, previous to the enforcing of the fatal but suspended
sentence in 1618. In 1633, there was so great a flood here that boats
floated into the streets. During the high tide in 1744, property to the
amount of £3000 was destroyed in the town, and casks and boats floated about
the streets. The old barbican was washed down in 1762. The Princess Amelia
was at Plymouth and Mount Edgcumbe in 1766, and in that year the streets
began to be paved and lighted. The Duke of Cumberland was here in 1769, the
Duke of Gloucester in 1782, and George III. and Queen Charlotte in 1789.
Their Majesties were sumptuously entertained at Saltram House, and during
their stay there was a naval review and a grand sham fight, in which the
fleet formed into two separate lines of battle, one being considered French
and the other English. In 1790, two men were gibbeted for murder, near Stoke
church. In 1790, the Dutton East Indiaman was wrecked near the Citadel. In
1791 and 1799, the two piers which form the entrance to Sutton Pool were
erected. The magnificent Hotel and Theatre were built by the Corporation in
1811, and the colossal Breakwater was commenced in the following year. On
the 5th of July, 1315, the Bellerophon dropped anchor in Plymouth Sound,
having on board the fallen Emperor Napoleon, who for 20 years had filled the
world with his fame, and had pulled down kings and set up princes at his
pleasure. He remained here eight days, and thousands of visitors came from
all ports, and went off in boats and other vessels to behold the man who had
so long been the dread of nations, but was now a fallen enemy, who had
surrendered himself to the protection of Great Britain. The curiosity of the
crowds which were daily drawn round the Bellerophon was frequently gratified
by his condescension in placing himself in the gangways, conspicuous to
every beholder, and returning the respect paid him by the shouts of the
multitude, by bowing to all around. After waiting the decision of a cabinet
council as to his future destiny, which terminated in the island of St.
Helena, he was transferred from the Bellerophon to the Northumberland, which
ship and her consorts immediately proceeded on their long voyage, and
arrived at the island after a tedious passage of ten weeks. The long war,
which had cost England so much money and blood, was now terminated; the
extensive Prison of War, which had been built in Dartmoor Forest, for the
relief of the crowded prison ships of Plymouth, gave up its thousands of
captives; and the whole world hailed with delight the return of peace. The
Grand Duke Michael of Russia visited Plymouth in 1817, and in the same year
an act was obtained for settling disputes between the Corporation and the
Board of Ordnance. George IV. was proclaimed here in 1819, in the midst of
great rejoicings, and a dinner was given to the poor, but there were greater
rejoicings, and the poor were much more liberally entertained at his
coronation, in the following year, when upwards of 5000 dined in the market
place. The prosperity of the town suffered a severe check during the great
panic of 1824, when the Plymouth Bank failed, like many others in the
kingdom. During the year there was an extremely high tide; household
furniture floated about soma of the streets, and many boats were destroyed.
Races were established on Chelson Meadow, in 1826. Plymouth has received and
entertained many royal visitors, and was honoured with the presence of Queen
Victoria and Prince Albert in 1843. It has, at various periods, suffered
severely from plagues and other maladies, as it did in 1832 and 1849 from
cholera. This awful scourge swept off 779 of its inhabitants, from June to
September, in 1832 ; and 819 from the 4th of July to the 8th of November, in
1849; and the total number of cases in the former year was 1894, and in the
latter 3300. The total number of deaths from cholera in the three towns,
from July 4th to October 2nd, 1849, was 717 in Plymouth, 717 in Devonport,
and 155 in Stonehouse,—making a total of 1589 during the three months. In
the week ending August 16, there were 110 deaths in Devonport alone, and in
the following week 112, besides 74 in Plymouth, and 17 in Stonehouse. Some
parts of the three towns are very badly drained, but various sanatory
improvements have been proposed, and some of them are now being carried out.
At present, the drainage of Plymouth empties itself into Sutton Harbour and
Millbay, through outlets which are above low water mark, but it has been
proposed to collect the drainage into a large culvert, to be carried out
into the deep water of the Sound. The South Devon Railway was opened to
Laira, on May 6th, 1848 ; and to Plymouth on April 2nd, 1849 ; when the
Mayor invited the Chairman and Directors to a dejeuner a la fourchette, at
the Royal Hotel, and the arrival of the first train was witnessed by
thousands of spectators.
The following general survey of the FORTIFICATIONS, HARBOURS, and NAVAL and
MILITARY ESTABLISHMENTS of Pit/mouth, Stonehouse, and Devonport, will be
followed by a separate description of each town and its public institutions,
charities, etc.
The CITADEL at Plymouth is a large fortification on the south side of the
town, occupying that bold headland which extends from the western side of
Sutton Pool into the Sound, at the confluence of the Catwater. It was
erected on the site of an old fort, by order of Charles II., who inspected
it personally in the year 1670. It is built chiefly of limestone and
granite, and consists of three regular and two irregular bastions; and the
curtains of the former are strengthened by ravelins and hornworks. The east,
west, and north sides ore circumscribed by a deep ditch, counterscarp, and
covered tray, pallisadoed; and the south side is defended by a lower fort,
constructed upon the rocks on the shore, and chiefly intended to defend the
Sound. Cannon are mounted both on this fort and on the upper parapets, where
there are embrasures for 120 pieces. Two gateways with drawbridges form the
entrance from the town; and the second gateway, which opens immediately into
the Citadel, displays a sculpture of the royal arms, and other devices. In
the centre of the spacious esplanade, where the troops are exercised, (and
round which stand the officers' houses, chapel, magazine, armory, and
barracks,') is a bronze colossal statue of George II., in the costume of a
Roman warrior, wreathed with laurel. From the ramparts, which are nearly
three quarters of a mile in circuit, the views are extensive and beautiful.
The HOE is a commanding eminence, bounded on the east by the Citadel, on the
south by the Sound, and on the west by Millbay. It is justly styled " the
lungs of Plymouth," for here the inhabitants of all grades resort for air
and exercise. Great improvements have been made of late years by the
formation of carriage drives and public walks, with seats at intervals. The
facilities of access from the town to this extensive and delightful
promenade have recently been increased by several new avenues. The soldiers
stationed in the Citadel frequently exercise on the Hoe; and occasionally
may he witnessed a sham fight. The band often enlivens the promenade; and in
the central part is an interesting Camera Obscura, and an obelisk which
serves as a mark for vessels entering the harbour. The views from this
elevated promenade are extensive ; embracing seaward, the Sound, Drake's
Island, the Breakwater, the Mew Stone, and in clear weather, Eddystone
Lighthouse, fourteen miles distant in the English Channel. On the right, the
Cornish coast is seen from Penlee Point to the shelving shores of Cawsand,—and
from thence over the nearer and well defined groves and lawns of Mount
Edgcumbe; and still more westerly, the town of Devonport, with its column
and steeples, and the elevated suburbs of Stoke. On the left is seen the
line of the coast from Staddon Point to Mount Batten, guarding the entrance
to Catwater; and thence, looking inland over the town, may be seen the
extensive woods of Saltram, and the more distant hills of Dartmoor. There is
a landing place under the Hoe, whence a boat can be procured for a trip to
Drake's Island and the Breakwater.
ST. NICHOLAS' or DRAKE'S ISLAND, is near the middle of Plymouth Sound, and
comprises only about three acres, strongly fortified, and connected with the
south-western shore by a range of rocks, which is uncovered at low water,
and is commonly called the Bridge of Rocks. Even at high water no vessels
can pass these rocks, except those of very small burthen. This small island
is surrounded with rocks, and has always been the chief defence of the port.
It was strongly garrisoned by the Parliamentarians during the civil wars of
the 17th century, but was once or twice on the eve of being treacherously
surrendered to the Royalists, as already noticed. The garrison is generally
formed by a detachment of troops from the Citadel. The landing place is on
the north side, where the rock is ascended by a flight of steps through a
vaulted passage. A large portion of the area of the island is occupied by
the fortifications, and barracks for about 140 soldiers and 40 gunners. The
fortifications have been greatly augmented during the last two centuries,
and the principal battery was completed in 1846, and mounts 19 pieces of
cannon, ranging from 32 to 68 pounders. In addition to its defences, the
fort contains furnaces for heating balls red hot. Some authors consider this
island as the site of the Tamarweorth of the Saxons, so called from its
being " the river island of the Tamar," which here mingles its waters in the
Sound, after passing the noble harbour of Hamoaze. Westcote says, the island
of St. Nicholas was a place of refuge to divers gentlemen in the
insurrection of 1549, when the insurgents plundered and set fire to
Plymouth. Before the erection of its fortifications, it had an ancient
chapel, which Camden calls St. Michael's. In 1548, the mayor of Plymouth
received orders from the Privy Council to convert this chapel into a
bulwark.
On the highest point of the promontory on the south side of the entrance to
Cutwater, opposite the Citadel, stands MOUNT BATTEN, an ancient circular
fort, having no entrance but at a considerable height from the ground, to
which access is afforded by a ladder. The interior is arched in the form of
a dome, with solid and durable masonry. During the wars between Charles I.
and the Parliament, it was the scene of repeated skirmishes and much
bloodshed. In addition to the new fortifications lately completed at
Bovisand, Picklecombe Point, and Drake's Island, a large fort called the
Prince of Wales' Redoubt, was erected in 1849, on the headland called
Western King, near the Victualling Yard. These render the defence of the
Sound complete.
The BREAKWATER is a stupendous national work, about two miles south of the
Citadel, extending about a mile in length across the central part of the
Sound, between Cawsand and Bovisand Bays. The broad and often turbulent
waters of the Sound are here about three miles broad, and open into the
English Channel about two miles further to the south. From the frequent
occurrence of storms from the south-west, which endangered vessels at
anchor, it was deemed an object of great importance to make the Sound a safe
roadstead; consequently, in 1811, Government determined on the adoption of a
plan submitted to them by Messrs. Kennie and Whidbey, of forming this
gigantic Breakwater. For its construction they purchased, for .£'10,000, a
mass of limestone rock at Oreston, covering 25 acres. The first stone (a
vast block,) was deposited Aug. 12th, 1812; and in the following March, the
Breakwater had so far advanced, that parts of its irregular surface were
seen above low water. In June, 1847, no less than 3,620,440 tons of
limestone had been used in this great work, though, 70 yards of the eastern
arm, requiring 50,000 tons more, were then unfinished. In addition to this
enormous bulk, 2,512,690 cubic feet of granite and other stone were used in
the paving and facings. The total cost of the Breakwater was about
£1,500,000. The centre part is a straight line, extending one thousand
yards, and at each end is an arm or kant, 350 yards long, projecting towards
the shore at an angle of 120 degrees; but the low water line extends 70
yards further. The top is 45 feet broad, and is at the ends two feet, and in
the centre three feet above the high water of spring tides. Above 500 yards
of the centre rests upon shovel rocks and shoals, and the rest stretches out
into deeper water, leaving a passage for vessels 1000 yards wide on the
west, and another 1000 yards wide on the east. The whole work has a vertical
height of from 50 to 80 feet, from the base to the top. In addition to the
outer slope is an extensive berne, or foreshore, 30 feet wide at the
extremity of the east wing, 50 feet wide in the centre, and 70 feet wide at
the extremity of the west wing. This foreshore rises from the base of the
slope to about five feet above the low water line; and serves to break the
force of the waves before they strike the main body of the work, and to
prevent their recoil from undermining the slopes of the base, and making a
consequent breach in the general structure. The western end of the
Breakwater is strengthened by facings of masonry, and finished off in a
circular form, to serve as the foundation of a Light House, which was
completed in 1843, and rises 68 feet above the platform. It is crowned by a
lantern eight feet high, supported by gun-metal pilasters, and provided with
four refractors, and five tiers containing 118 mirrors. The light can be
seen at the distance of eight miles, except in foggy weather, when a bell is
struck a certain number of times every minute, by clock machinery. A
floating light had been stationed near the same spot since 1813, but was
often sent adrift from its moorings. In January, 1817, and November, 1824,
the Breakwater (then unfinished,) was much injured by violent storms;
particularly in the latter year, when a most tremendous hurricane, acting on
an unusually high tide, made vast breaches through this barrier; yet even
that tempest demonstrated its great utility, for had not the Breakwater
existed, it was supposed that all the ships in the Catwater would have been
wrecked, and many of the buildings near the shore swept into the ocean. That
it has answered the expectations of its warmest advocates, is evinced by the
security it has afforded to ships at anchor,—above 200 sail of vessels
having taken refuge within it at one time. On the shore of Bovisand, east of
the Breakwater, is a large reservoir of water, for supplying vessels free of
charge, which is done by means of iron pipes, at the landing place.
EDDYSTONE LIGHT HOUSE is under the control of the Customs' establishment at
Plymouth, though distant 14 miles in the Channel, opposite the Sound. This
celebrated structure stands upon one of a large cluster of rocks, stretching
north and south to the length of about 100 fathoms. The particular form and
position of these rocks tend greatly to augment the force of the sea; and
previous to the erection of the lighthouse, many fatal Accidents happened
upon them. Though most important to the port of Plymouth, this lighthouse is
highly beneficial to all vessels traversing the English Channel. In 1696,
the first attempt to erect a lighthouse on the principal rock, was
accomplished by Mr. Henry Winstanley, of Essex, who completed it in three
years ; but this bold and unfortunate mechanic, perished amidst the ruins of
his edifice, in the tremendous storm of November, 1703. Three years after,
Mr. Rudyerd, of London, began to erect another lighthouse on the same spot,
of stone and timber, and completed it in 1709. This structure, after braving
the storms of the ocean for 40 yean, was destroyed by fire in 1755. The
present lighthouse was erected by that celebrated architect the late Mr.
Smeaton, and exhibits a striking triumph of art and ingenuity. It was
commenced in 1757, and finished in 1759. With the exception of the lantern,
which is of cast iron and copper, the building is entirely of stone, the
outside being of granite, and the floors vaulted. It is a circular building,
and the diameter of the base is 20 feet, and that of the top 15 feet. The
stone work rises 70 feet to the octagonal lantern, which rises 21 feet
higher. The stones average a ton weight each, and those on the same level
are dove-tailed together, and the successive courses are attached to each
other, by means of square blocks of marble, which project one-half of their
solidity into the course below, and the other half into the course above. By
this means, so firm a bond is maintained, both horizontally and vertically,
that the building may be regarded as one entire and perfect substance. Three
men are now stationed here, and they are provided with food and other
necessaries by a boat appointed for that purpose; but they are always
stocked with salt provisions, to guard against the possibility of want, as
in winter it sometimes happens that the boats cannot approach for many weeks
together.
CATWATER HARBOUR, on the south-east side of Plymouth, is the grand outlet,
through which the river Plym falls into the Sound, between the Citadel and
Mount Batten. It is capable of receiving a thousand sail of merchant ships,
but though protected by high hills, ships have sometimes been wrecked in it,
as was the case in the tremendous gales of 1824 and 1828, when 20 vessels
were stranded on its rocky shores in the former, and 15 in the latter year.
Above Catwater, the estuary of the Plym, assumes a lake-like expanse, called
the Laira or Lary, and skirted by the groves of Saltram,—the splendid seat
of the Earl of Morley, whose predecessor erected at his own expense, the
Laira Bridge, an elegant structure, consisting of five elliptical arches of
cast iron, springing from abutments and piers of stone. The first stone was
laid in 1824, and the bridge was finished in 1827. The centre arch is 100
feet span, and rises 14 ½ feet above high water mark; and the other arches
are two of them 95 and two 81 feet each in span. The roadway is 24 feet wide
within the railings, and 500 feet in length.
SUTTON POOL HARBOUR is in the south-eastern part of Plymouth, and is nearly
surrounded by the town. The entrance from Catwater is about 90 feet in
width, between two large Piers, (called the Barbican,) that were erected by
means of parliamentary grants, in 1791 and 1799. This spacious harbour
belongs to the Duchy of Cornwall, but is held on lease by the Sutton Harbour
Improvement Company, who, during the last four years, have expended large
sums in cleansing and deepening it, and in erecting sea-walls, quays, &c.
When the contemplated improvements are finished, it will be one of the
finest tidal harbours in the kingdom. The railway from Dartmoor granite
works terminates at its south-eastern angle, and it is intended to have a
communication with the South Devon Railway. New quays, wharfs, cranes,
railway slips, storehouses, &c, have been erected by the spirited Company;
and a large dredging machine is employed in excavating the muddy bottom,
formerly left bare at low water. On the West Barbican pier-head is a fixed
light, 29 feet above high water mark.
MILL BAY is larger than Sutton Pool, extending about 500 yards inwards from
the Pier, between Plymouth and Stonehouse, and being about the same breadth
in its widest parts. Mill Bay Pier extends about 500 feet across the eastern
side of the Bay, from the vicinity of the extensive limestone and marble
quarries on the West Hoe, belonging to Thos. Gill, Esq., who, in 1840,
obtained an act of parliament for the erection of the Pier, which he
completed at the cost of above £27,000. Vessels of 3000 tons burthen may lie
safely close to this fine Pier, in the inner harbour, at low water. The
Great Western Dock Company have lately purchased this pier and the Harbour,
and are now constructing at the head of the Bay the GREAT WESTERN DOCKS,
which will have a sufficient depth of water, and gates wide enough, for the
reception of large steam and sailing vessels. The largest of these docks is
now in rapid progress, and will occupy eleven acres, and be 22 feet deep,
with a lock entrance for vessels of about 1000 tons, and a gate wide enough
for the admission of the largest ships. These extensive docks will be
finished in about two years; and along their quays and wharfs will be
railways communicating with the adjacent station of the South Devon Railway.
Between the docks and the pier there will still be spacious outer harbour,
capable of containing a great number of vessels of all classes. It is
anticipated that, after the docks are finished, and the other improvements
completed, the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Packets will start hence,
instead of from Southampton; and no doubt merchants trading to India, will
avail themselves of the great facilities afforded by the docks and railway,
and make this the point of debarkation and embarkation, especially for mail
bags and passengers;—as much time would be thus saved, and the dangers of
the Channel, in a passage sometimes of a week's duration, avoided. On the
West Hoe, near Mill Bay Pier, are about to be built a range of large and
handsome houses, which will have tasteful grounds, commanding delightful
views over the Sound and the adjacent harbours, Mount Edgcumbe, etc. Mill
Bay is guarded by several forts and batteries; and on the eastern side of it
is the Government Prison, which was rebuilt about 25 years ago, on the site
of the old Prison of War, but is now used chiefly as a depot for military
stores, and has a spacious yard and barracks attached.
HAMOAZE, the great western harbour of the three towns, is completely
land-locked, and extends northward from Mount Edgcumbe to Saltash, a
distance of four miles. It is in some places about a mile broad, and has a
number of pools and creeks for the reception of shipping, such as Stonehouse
Pool, Barnpool, Millbrook Lake, Keyham Lake, etc. Stonehonse Pool branches
out of it, between Stonehonse and Devonport, and the tides run up it from
the pier called the Admiral's Hard, through Stonehonse Lake and Mill Pool, a
distance of 1 ½ mile. Hamoaze is the estuary of the river Tamar, and falls
into the Sound below Devonport. Here are the public establishments and
station for the Royal Navy; and a great number of ships of war, of all
classes, may at all times be seen lying in ordinary, secured by immense
chains, and covered with wooden roofs to protect them from the weather.
These floating bulwarks, being stripped of their rigging, and having nothing
standing but their lower masts, have a singular, though magnificent,
appearance. The depth of this extensive estuary, where a great part of the
British navy lies moored in " stern repose," is above 18 fathoms at high
Water, and 15 at low water. In this harbour, upwards of one hundred sail of
the line, besides frigates and small vessels, may safely ride at anchor in
severe gales.
DEVONPORT DOCK YARD, one of the largest naval establishments in the kingdom,
presents to the broad harbour of Hamoaze, a semi-circular wharf wall, more
than 1100 yards in length. This Dock Yard, now one of the finest in Europe,
is believed to have been commenced soon after the glorious Revolution of
1688, under the auspices of William III. The town of Devonport, to which the
Dock Yard gave rise, was called Plymouth Dock till 1824, as afterwards
noticed ; and in official documents the arsenal retained the name of "
Plymouth Yard" till the visit of her Majesty and Prince Albert, in
September, 1843, when the Queen commanded that in future it should be styled
in all documents Devonport Dock Yard. It was commenced on a comparatively
small scale, and for a long period the officers and artizans resided at
Plymouth, there being then no houses at Devonport. In 1728, government
obtained from Sir Wm. Morice, a long lease of 40A. of land, which was then
occupied by the Dock Yard, and had been previously rented from year to year.
The extent of the arsenal was then 54 acres, and the spot on which the great
fire occurred in 1840, appears to have been the original site. William III.
constructed the basin and two of the naval docks, and two others were made
in 1708. Since then many extensions and improvements have taken place, and
this extensive Dock Yard now comprises 70 ½ acres, and gives employment to
from 1400 to 1600 men, as shipwrights, caulkers, joiners, smiths, sawyers,
rope-makers, painters, riggers, sail-makers, labourers, etc., besides a
large number of apprentices. In time of war, its establishment would be
augmented to about 4000. Its peace establishment has recently been reduced,
to satisfy the loud cry which has lately been raised for the reduction of
taxes and national expenditure ; and several new regulations have been
established by the Admiralty for increasing the efficiency of this and other
naval yards, at a less cost than formerly. The Dock Yard is separated from
the town of Devonport by Dockwall street, and they are encompassed on the
land sides by a strongly fortified wall 12 feet high. Government own a large
space of land on both sides of this long line of fortifications. On entering
the Dock Yard from the gates at the end of Fore street, we are struck by the
absence of all appearance of labour; but glancing the eye in the vista are
perceived long ranges of buildings uniting strength with neatness. Passing
hence in a gradual descent to the water's edge, we soon immerge into the
bustle of several hundred mechanics. On the right of the entrance is the
residence of the director of police; and the next object is the spacious and
handsome Chapel, which was built in 1816-17, on the site of the old one,
which was erected in 1700. The interior is handsomely fitted up and has a
good organ; and in the tower are six musical bells. The Rev. John Briggs is
the chaplain, and has a yearly salary of £400. Near the chapel are two
reservoirs, from which the establishment is supplied with pure water.
Passing from the guard-house and pay office, down a fine avenue, we arrive
at the residences of the principal officers, in the centre of which is the
mansion of the Admiral Superintendent, approached by two flights of steps.
We next arrive at the edge of a terrace or shelf, from whence flights of
steps descend into the busy area below. Here almost the whole of the
arsenal, before unseen, bursts into view. The noble ships in progress of
building, and under repair,—the magnificent storehouses and workshops,—the
gigantic sheds protecting the docks; and the neatness and order everywhere
apparent, excite the admiration of the stranger. From this point some
conception of the vastness of the establishment may be formed. In the engine
house and saw-mills it is curious to observe the power of steam, applied at
the same moment to the most trifling as well as the most important
operations. At one spot, we see it directed to the cutting of wedges ; at
others cutting screws, drilling, planing, punching, turning grind-stones,
and pumping the water out of the superb dock with inexpressible ease. A
large fan is driven by it, and air drains, made under the floor of the
smithery, convey the blasts to the fires, and thereby supersede the use of
bellows. A shaft is carried underground to the saw mills, where immense
blocks of wood are changed into delicate planks ; and under the steps is a
curious machine, called "Jim Crow," for making halyards for vessels of war.
In one of the smitheries is one of Nasmith's patent steam tilt hammers, the
power of which can easily be increased or diminished to the largest or
smallest requirements. The portion of the yard, occupied by locksmiths,
carvers, plumbers, masons, &c, is near this smithery. Proceeding to the
north jetty, we view the noble Hamooze, with its bosom dotted with men of
war of various ratings, and in different states of equipment. The new north
dock next claims attention. It is sufficiently capacious for building or
repairing the largest man of war, and was first opened in 1780. The next are
the union, double, and south or basin docks. This spot is memorable as the
scene of the great fire, on September 27th, 1840, when upwards of £80,000
worth of public property was destroyed. On the left are two ranges of
buildings, containing the joiners' and carpenters' shops, &c, surmounted by
a conspicuous clock, with four dials. We next approach a massive storehouse,
which, together with the sail-loft, forms a square of nearly 400 feet, and
is built entirely of stone and iron. Near this is the large new basin, which
has been lately finished and affords space lo float ten first rate men of
war, exclusive of its two graving clocks. On the anchor wharf are anchors of
all sizes, some weighing 96 cwt. Adjoining the jetty is a graving slip, and
near it is a weigh bridge for weighing heavy articles. A swivel bridge
crosses the canal, which runs into the heart of the yard, and is called the
" Camber ;" and near it is another smithery, where the largest anchors are
made, one of which occupies 36 men ten days. Just beyond are three slips, in
which the largest men of war are built. The slips for building frigates and
smaller craft are at a short distance. The boat and mast ponds and houses
are extensive, and near them are the two large rope houses, each 1300 feet
long, and built entirely of stone and iron. Cables, 23 inches in
circumference, and cordage for the navy are manufactured here. There is a
pleasant little rocky eminence near the mast house, called the King's hill,
or Bunker's hill. George III., on his visit to this yard, having been so
pleased with the charming prospect seen from this rock, expressed a wish
that it might be excepted from the general excavation to which the
surrounding site was subjected. The sides of this rock are thickly covered
with ivy and evergreens, and its summit is crowned by a beautiful temple,
erected in 1822, in memory of the visit of George III. The docks, slips,
canals, basins, &c., are mostly hewn out of the slate rock, and lined with
Portland stone. The extent of the excavations and masonry may be judged of
by the following dimensions of the "New North Dock," excavated from the
solid rock,—length, 254 feet 2 inches,—extreme breadth, 97 feet—depth, 27
feet 8 inches. The great diversity of employments, ingenuity, and manual
activity, exhibited in the various departments of this Dock Yard, presents a
very interesting spectacle, and perhaps no sight is better calculated to
enable a comprehensive mind to form a proper estimate of the powers of
continued labour than the gradual growth of a few rude pieces of timber into
the majestic structure that encounters the wind and waves, and forms the
most complete security against invasion that Great Britain can possess.
The GUN WHARF is situated north of the Dock Yard, and occupies nearly five
acres, fronting Homoaze harbour, and enclosed by a high wall. It was planned
about a century ago. After passing from the entrance through a fine avenue
of trees, the houses, &c, of the officers are seen on the left. At the foot
of a flight of steps are the armory and storehouses. In the former immense
piles of muskets, pistols, cutlasses, &c, are deposited in chests ; and
others are arranged about the walls in the forms of stars, circles, fans,
and crescents. Near the storehouses are buildings appropriated as
depositories for gun-carriages, and implements of the field. On the wharfs
and around, are a great number of cannon, of different caliber, which belong
to the vessels of war moored in the harbour, and also numerous piles of
shot, of every size. At Morice Town, north of Gun Wharf, is the new
GOVERNMENT STEAM YARD, skirted on the west by Hamoaze harbour, and on the
north by Keyham Lake, and occupying about 70 acres. It has two extensive
basins, entered from the estuary by locks of such magnitude that the largest
ships may enter three hours before high water. The south lock is so
constructed as to be converted into a dry dock, when a line of battle ship
is brought in to have her bottom examined or cleansed. From the eastern side
of the south basin three large dry docks are projected, of such dimensions
as to be capable of accommodating the largest steamers afloat. The north is
the fitting basin, and east of it are ranged die storehouses, factories,
foundries, smitheries, &c. This yard has been some years in progress, and is
not yet completed. It will cost about £2,000,000, and there have been
employed in its formation upwards of 1200 men, 10O horses, and 70 boats.
South of it is Moon's Cove and Ship Canal, and between the latter and Gun
Wharf, is New Passage, where the STEAM FLOATING BRIDGE, a ponderous vessel,
conveys passengers, carriages, etc, to and from Torpoint, every half hour.
The stage coaches are taken across the broad estuary, without even
unhorsing, or the coachmen and guards alighting.
Devonport is the seat of the military and naval government of the port, the
former being removed here from the Citadel at Plymouth in 1725. The
GOVERNMENT HOUSE, comprising the private residence and military offices of
the Lieutenant Governor of the garrison; and the ADMIRAL'S HOUSE, the
residence for the Port Admiral, and offices belonging to his department ;
are pleasantly situated on the south-east side of the town, upon the fine,
open, and spacious paradecalled MOUNT WISE, overlooking the harbour of
Hamoaze. Here are held the military parades and inspections; and on
rejoicing days the whole disposable force of the three towns is reviewed,
and the parade becomes a scene of great gaiety. At the east end stands,
mounted, a brass cannon of immense size, taken from the Turks, in the
Dardanelles. From the ramparts and the several batteries, (mounted with
heavy artillery,) delightful views are seen; and on the summit of the hill,
is the Semaphore, or Telegraph Station, where signals are made with the
admiral of all ships that are passing up and down the channel within sight
of the const. The BARRACKS on the east side of Devonport, but within the
lines, form four large squares, called George, Cumberland, Ligonier and
Frederick Squares, and have room for 2000 soldiers. The Laboratory at Mount
Wise is now used as barracks.
The ROYAL WILLIAM VICTUALLING YARD occupies the north side of that large
headland at Storehouse, which projects into the Sound and the spacious
harbour of Hamoaze. This magnificent national establishment was commenced in
I826, and completed in 1833, from the designs of Sir John Bennie, at the
cost of £l,500,000. The entire premises occupy about 13 acres of land, of
which nearly half was recovered from the sea; the material for that purpose
being obtained from the excavations made in levelling and preparing the
remainder of the site. The entrance gateway is in the Graeco Roman style,
and wholly of finely wrought granite. The front exhibits a grand central
arch and two side entrances ; and on the former is placed a statue of
William IV., of Portland stone, 13 ½ feet in height. It is a most exquisite
piece of sculpture, and a good likeness. The ox's heads and anchors over the
side entrances, were carved by a rustic sculptor. The general facing of the
extensive buildings is of wrought limestone ; but the plinths, dressings,
cornices, &c, in the principal fronts, are of granite. The doors and window
frames are of cast iron, as are the internal columns of all the warehouses,
and the girders, lintels, &c. of the Cooperage. The Long Store, Melville
Store, and the Cooperage are roofed with iron, copper, and slate. On the
right of the entrance is a fine range of buildings, 250 feet by 200, wherein
the bread for the navy is prepared by means of a steam engine, of 40 horse
power, and 25 pairs of mill-stones, capable of grinding 1000 bushels of corn
in the short space of ten hours. The flour is passed from the mill to the
story below, where it is kneaded, and the dough cut into biscuits, by
curiously contrived machinery. In one part of the buildings appropriated for
the preparation of butchers' meat, is the slaughter house, where 70 or 80
bead of cattle can be despatched at once. The next buildings, on the left,
are called the Melville Quadrangle, and are 240 feet square, with a lofty
granite archway, surmounted by a clock. The interior contains spacious
apartments for the various stores connected with victualling the navy. In
front is a large basin, with an entrance for vessels from the harbour, and
around it are spacious quays, built of granite. The next building is the
Brewhouse, with a steam-engine of 40 horse power; but owing to the
discontinuance of serving beer to the navy, it has remained useless. Beyond
this is the extensive Cooperage, floored with four inch York paving. At a
short distance are the Clarence Stores, 340 feet long and 50 broad. In front
of these stores is a noble wharf, extending 500 feet, and forming a
delightful promenade on the margin of the broad waters of Hamoaze, near
their confluence with the Sound. The officers' residences are to the right
of the entrance. About 150 men are employed here, but in time of war the
number would be greatly augmented. The DEVIL'S POINT is the high ground
behind the Victualling Yard, where there is a Reservoir, holding 7000 tuns
of water, and a Battery, from which the royal marine artillery practise the
firing of heavy shot at a flag fixed on a buoy in the Sound. The ROYAL
MARINE BARRACKS front Mill Bay and the Great Western Docks, and generally
contain about 700 men, and an excellent band.
The ROYAL NAVAL HOSPITAL is at Stonehouse, opposite Stonehouse Lake, and
occupies about 24 acres, including a verdant lawn of 18 acres. It was opened
in 1762 for the reception of sick and wounded seamen and marines, of whom it
received no fewer than 48,452 from 1800 to 1814, a great portion of whom
were returned to the service as effective men. The buildings range in the
form of a square, and will accommodate 1200 patients. The government of the
hospital is entrusted to a captain in the navy, and the same officer is
superintendent of the Victualling Yard. Every attention is paid to the
patients, and the establishment displays much regularity and cleanliness.
The ROYAL MILITARY HOSPITAL is on the opposite side of Stonehouse Lake, near
Stoke Church, and was built in 1797. The south front is of grey marble, and
has a very imposing appearance, being of considerable length, and having an
arcade of 41 arches, forming a fine promenade for the sick. It will
accommodate 500 patients, and has extensive grounds enclosed by a lofty
wall. The BLOCKHOUSE, at Higher Stoke, is a square fortification, erected in
the reign of George II., and intended as a redoubt for the defence of the
town and harbour. The views from its ramparts are extensive and beautiful,
embracing not only the three towns and their harbours, but a large portion
of the adjacent country, in the picturesque vales of the riven Tamar and St.
Germans or Lynher.
The PORT OF PLYMOUTH extends to all the harbours, rivers, and creeks between
Looe on the west, and the river Yealm on the east; but its Pilotage district
extends eastward as far as Start Point, though no master of a vessel is
compelled to take a pilot, except going into or coming out of the ports
within a line drawn from Rame-Head to the Mewstone. During the late long
protracted war, Plymouth was content with its resources as a great naval and
military station, and paid but little attention to Trade and Commerce with
the colonies of foreign countries. Its merchants, at this period, were
mostly agents for London, Liverpool, and Bristol houses, and purchased and
transported under their directions the vast quantities of prize goods
brought here for sale. Those who withstood the shock caused by the change
from warlike to peaceable occupations, gradually extended their connexions
with foreign nations and our distant colonial possessions ; and the shipping
and commerce of the port have been rapidly increasing during the last 20
years. A considerable trade is now carried on with America, the
Mediterranean, the West Indies, the Baltic, &c.; and here are now consuls or
vice consuls for about 30 different nations. The port has also an extensive
coasting trade with London, Bristol, Newport, Exeter, Newcastle, &c, and has
a number of fine Steam Ships, which sail once or twice a week with goods and
passengers to London, Southampton, Portsmouth, Guernsey, Jersey, Dublin,
Cork, Torquay, &c. There is now no port in the English Channel, between
London and Land's-End, where so great an amount of business is done as at
Plymouth, and where so much shipping is employed. The number of vessels
which entered the port with cargoes in 1848, was 4106, and their amount of
tonnage 309,798. Of the vessels, 538 were from foreign parts, 175 from
Ireland, and 3393 were coasters. The number which cleared out in the same
year was 2348, including 105 to foreign parts, 323 in ballast, 236 to
Ireland; 1585 coasting vessels, and 80 emigrant ships; the latter taking out
8505 passengers. Many vessels make several voyages in the year, and each
voyage is counted as a separate vessel in the above statement. The number of
vessels registered here in 1849 was 433, of the aggregate amount of 30,657
tons. The gross amount of custom's duty, received here, was £100,070, in
1838; £135,930, in 1841; above £116,000 in 1848; and £121,750 in 1849. Here
are large bonded warehouses for all sorts of foreign produce. The chief
exports are copper and lead ores, manganese, granite, limestone, clay, fish,
&c. Though the coasting trade of Plymouth is more important than its foreign
trade, the latter comprises upwards of 50,000 tons annually, consisting
chiefly of wine, fruit, corn, timber, &c. The port has several fine vessels
engaged in the fruit trade, and receives some of the first importations of
early fruits from Denia, Valencia, Zante, &c. Great quantities of coal and
culm are imported here for the consumption of the three towns, and the
places on or near the navigable rivers, Tamar, Flym, and Lynher. Of late
years, Plymouth has become celebrated as a port for emigration to Australia,
and other parts of the world. In 1849, no fewer than 130 migrant ships left
the harbour, with 15,895 passengers, of which 109 ships, with 14,118
passengers, went to Australia; 10 ships, with 1171 passengers, to Canada;
and the rest went to the Cape of Good Hope, the United States, Port Natal,
and San Francisco. In 1847, the number of emigrants who left here in 20
vessels, was 1230; but in the following year, 8505 left, in 88 ships; so
that no fewer than 25,730 have sailed from Plymouth during the last three
years. Here are several respectable government and general emigration
agents, and the vessels are generally of the "best description, lying in
Cutwater or the Sound, always afloat, and sailing quickly and punctually.
Plymouth has also about 80 fishing vessels, of which about 60 are Trawlers,
which employ about five men and boys each, and go out to the fishing ground
10 or 12 miles off the coast, where they fish with nets that sweep the
bottom of the sea. The others are smaller craft, called Hooking and Seine
Boats, and usually carry two men and a boy each. When the mackerel and
pilchard seasons arrive, there are large accessions to the Plymouth boats
from Brighton, Hastings, Yarmouth, Rye, Cornwall, &c, and in some seasons
there are from 200 to 300 boats on the fishing stations. Turbot, soles,
brill, cod, hake, mullet, and a great variety of other fish are caught here
; and salmon, trout, plaice, &c, in the Tamar and other rivers. Fish is not
cured here to any large extent, but great quantities are sent in a fresh
state by rails, (as well as by fast sailing cutters to Southampton, and
thence by rails,) to London, Bath, Bristol, Manchester, and other markets.
The mackerel fishery is sometimes amazingly prolific, as many as 500,000
fish having been taken, and brought into Plymouth in one day, and sold
wholesale for about £2000, or at 8s, per 120. In the first twelve days of
March, 1850, near 400 tons of mackerel left here by rails, and one train
took as many as 120,000 of these delicious fish to London, &c. An
association of fish speculators call themselves the “Hong-Kong Company," and
another company has recently formed an oyster bed in Stonehouse Pool, and
supplied it with fish and spat of a superior quality from Helford river,
Cornwall. The Channel has lately been infested with a species of large fish,
called by the fishermen Blower Whales, from 20 to 30 feet long, and making a
loud and disagreeable noise. One of these whales got entangled in the nets
of a lugger which had all her gear out, and took the boat in tow at such a
furious rate through the sea, that the poor fishermen were compelled to cut
the rope, and let the monster go with all their nets, worth £90. This
occurred about 12 miles S.W. of Bolt Head. As already noticed, the three
towns still derive a large portion of their prosperity from the naval and
military establishments; and it is expected that Plymouth will be made a
mail-packet station after the completion of the Great Western Docks, near
the terminus of the South Devon Railway. The South Devon Shipping Company
has a large number of shareholders, who receive about £10 per share
annually.
The CUSTOM HOUSE is situated on the Parade, near Sutton-Pool, and is a large
and handsome structure, built of granite, in 1819-20, at the cost of £8000,
in lieu of the old age, which was small and inconvenient. It contains a long
room, 52 feet by 26 and all other necessary offices for the business.
The INLAND REVENUE OFFICE (late Excise) is in Dalte street.
The BOROUGH OF PLYMOUTH comprises the Island of St. Nicholas, and the two
parishes of St. Andrew and King Charles the Martyr, except their
out-townships of Pennycross and Compton-Giflord. Its population, charters,
and general history are shewn at preceding pages. Under the Municipal Reform
Act of 1835, the Town Council consists of a mayor, 12 aldermen, and 30
councillors, with a recorder, town clerk, and other officers; and the
borough is divided into six wards, and has a commission of the peace, a
court of quarter sessions, etc. The paving, lighting, and improvements of
the town, and the management of the poor, are vested in separate
commissioners, or guardians, under acts of Parliament obtained for those
purposes; and the three towns were associated under a local act for the
recovery of debts under £5, but the latter has now given place to the new
county court. An act for improving the town was obtained in the 51st of
George III., and was amended in the 5th of George IV., by "An Act for the
better paving, lighting, cleansing, watching, and improving the Town and
Borough of Plymouth, and for regulating the police, and removing and
preventing nuisances and annoyances therein." The municipal act of 1835,
vested the police with the Corporation. In 1849, the Commissioners of
Improvement received from rates £6860, out of which they expended .£2541 in
improvements; £1958 in paving and draining; £1443 in lighting; £173 in
watering the streets ; and £170 in salaries; and paid £600 as interest on
debt. In 1833, the entire revenue of the Corporation amounted to about
£6782, and their expenditure to £7510, with a debt of £39,000. Their income
in 1840 was £10,533, of which £5440 arose from rents, £1157 from tolls and
dues, £2077 from borough and watch rates, and £910 from the sale of
property. Their expenditure in the same year was £9904, of which £919 was
for salaries to municipal officers, £1120 for salaries of police and
constables, £1853 for public works, repairs, &c. ; £428 for prosecutions,
administration of justice, &c.; £155 for charities, £110 for gaol expenses,
and £4194 for payments of interest and principal on the borough debt, which
has since been considerably reduced. As lords of the manor, the Corporation
own the tolls and dues of the market and fairs, now let for £3030 per annum,
on lease for three years. The rateable property of the borough has recently
been assessed at the annual value of £85,393, viz., £50,200 in St. Andrew's,
and £29,193 in the parish of Charles. A rate of 6d. in the pound on this
rental yields £2134, which is about the sum usually required for the support
of the police force. The new BOROUGH PRISONS, which were completed in 1849,
are pleasantly situated on the north-east side of the town, and cost about
£13,500, of which about £3500 was derived from the freeman's, or prison
fund, and £10,000 was borrowed, chiefly from the Exchequer Loan
Commissioners. They are handsomely built of blue limestone, relieved by
Caen-stone dressings, and the sashes are all of cast iron, glazed with plate
glass a quarter of an inch thick. They are generally in the Italian style,
and the lofty boundary wall encloses about three acres, divided into airing
grounds, &o. The governor's house and porter's lodge are on each side of the
entrance The prisons are in the centre of the ground, and are disposed in
three large wings, comprising the governor's offices, apartments for the
matron, a chapel and surgery, visiting cells, convalescent rooms, a bath
room, and cells for 60 prisoners, including six for male and three for
female debtors, for whom there are comfortable day rooms and airing grounds.
There are four solitary cells, so constructed as to admit air, but no light;
and there are 24 airing grounds, radiating from a common centre, and each to
be occupied by only one prisoner at a time, whilst an officer is so placed
as to be able to see into all the yards,—the arrangements having been so
made as to carry out the separate system, in all its completeness, both in
the prisons and the chapel. The GUILDHALL, in Whimple street, was built in
1800, at the cost of .£7000, on the site of the old one, which had been
erected in 1606. It is an incommodious and inelegant building, containing A
justice hall, several apartments for the transaction of corporation affairs,
the police station, and several cells, &c, which served as the borough
prison till the recent completion of the new prisons. The erection of a new
Town Hall, on a scale adequate to the present wants of the town and borough,
is in contemplation. In the present hall is a fine portrait of George IV.,
when Prince Regent. Here are held the Quarter and Petty Sessions of the
borough ; but the Bankruptcy Court, lately established here, is held at the
Hall of Commerce; and the County Court, for Plymouth District, is to be held
in the new Town Hall, &c, now erecting at Stonehouse, but is now held in the
Guildhall, for the three towns, every Tuesday, and also every alternate
Wednesday. Mr. Wm Jacobson is clerk of the latter court, and Mr. J. H.
Williams, high bailiff. The office is at Eldad place. The borough sent
members to Parliament as early as the reign of Edward I., and has sent two
regularly since its incorporation in the 18th of Henry VI. For a long
period, Plymouth was considered as an Admiralty Borough, and was generally
represented by Lords of the Admiralty, or by Admirals; but when the Prince
of Wales (afterwards George IV.) did the Corporation the honour of becoming
their high steward, they considered themselves under royal patronage, aud
two gentlemen of the Prince's household represented them till the election
of 1818. The number of voters was 1898 in 1837, and is now upwards of 2000.
PRINCE ALBERT succeeded the late Duke of Sussex, as Lord High Steward of the
Borough of Plymouth ; and Viscount Ebrington and Boundell Palmer, Esq., are
its present MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT
MARKETS, FAIRS, &C.—A grant for a market and fair at Plymouth was first
obtained in 1253, the former to be held on Thursdays, and the latter on the
festival of St. John the Baptist. In 1257, Baldwin de L'Isle had a grant for
another market at Sutton, and a fair for three days at the festival of the
Ascension. Here are now markets every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, when
a plentiful supply of every commodity may be obtained. The corn market, on
Tuesday and Thursday, is well attended by the farmers and dealers residing
within the distance of 15 or 20 miles. There is a great market, for cattle,
etc., on the second Thursday of every month; and large fairs, for cattle,
merchandise, and pleasure, are held on the first Mondays in April and
November. The Market Place occupies three acres of ground, and has three
entrances, from Cornwall street, East street, and Drake street It was built
by the Corporation, about 1809, and affords ample room for meat, corn, fish,
poultry, and vegetables, as well as for a considerable display of
manufactured goods. It might have been made one of the handsomest market
places in England, but the coup d’oeil is much injured by the irregularity
of the structure. It is, however, very spacious and convenient, and has a
division set apart for corn, and an area for moveable stalls, carts, etc.
The cattle market is at the head of Tavistock street. At the fairs, part of
the area is occupied by shows, etc. Races are held in Chelson Meadow, near
Saltram; and during the year there are several Regattas and Bowing Matches
in the harbours of the three towns.
The principal manufactures of the town are those of soap, sail cloth, Roman
cement, rope, and twine. Here are also many ship building yards, several
iron foundries, breweries, steam sawing mills, a sugar refinery, starch
works, &c. Mr. Wm. Cookworthy, of Plymouth, was the first person who found
out the materials for manufacturing porcelain, as now practised at
Worcester. His original experiments were made at Plymouth, where a
manufactory was for a while established, but it was not successful till its
removal to Worcester, after repeated trials here and at Bristol. Here is
still a pottery, where various kinds of earthenware are manufactured. The
Mill Property belonging to the Corporation produces about £700, arising from
the Higher and Lower Grist Mills; the Mills, &c., in Drake's place and Mill
street; the Higher Malt Mill, and the Factory, in Russell street. There is a
Flax Mill at Stone Park, and a large patent rope and cordage manufactory at
Teats hill. Here are also a number of brush makers.
WATER AND GAS WORKS.—As already noticed, Plymouth is indebted to the skill
and liberality of the great Sir Francis Drake, for the leat, or conduit (18
miles in length,) which has supplied the town with pure water for nearly
three centuries. Formerly, the inhabitants had to fetch the water from a few
fountains, in different parts of the town, or from the small reservoir at
the head of Old Town street; but about 25 years ago, the Corporation greatly
improved the works, by building a weir across the river Plym, at the head of
the leat, in Dartmoor, and by conveying the water in iron pipes from three
reservoirs to the houses in the principal streets. Further improvements were
carried out some years afterwards; but the supply is still very deficient,
and many of the streets are without water pipes. Measures are, however, in
contemplation, for supplying all parts of the town, by extending the course
of the leat, and by making large reservoirs at Sheepstor, Manadon, and Torr-House.
From 1825 to 1833 the Corporation expended £20,816 in enlarging the water
works ; and about £6000 in 1849 and '50. The water rents now yield about
£3300 per annum. Oil Gas Works were established in Exeter street, under an
act passed in the 4th of George IV.; but soon afterwards, the United General
Gas Company of London constructed coal gas works at Mill Bay, for supplying
the three towns. The high price charged by this company, while its monopoly
existed, induced the inhabitants of Plymouth and Stonehouse to form a
company for a cheaper supply, for which an act of parliament was obtained;
and in a few years, the new company compelled the old one to sell them their
works. New Gas Works were constructed at Coxide, in 1845, at the cost of
£25,000, raised in £10 shares.
The EXCHANGE, in Woolster street, near the Custom House, was built in 1813,
at the cost of £7000, raised in £25 shares. Until a few years ago, it was
only partially occupied, and had a large open area, surrounded by a
colonnade; but this area has recently been built upon, and covered with a
glass dome, and offices have been built under the galleries. The building is
now very spacious, and fully occupied. It comprises a very large room, for
sales and public meetings; a News Room, 41 feet by 20 ; the Sail of Commerce
; and numerous mercantile and public offices. The Exchange Subscription
Reading and News Room Association, was established in 1848, and has already
about 200 members. The " change hour” is from twelve to one o'clock. The
Steam Packet Companies have offices in the Exchange ; as also have the
Fishermen's Mutual Insurance Society, established in 1844; the Port of
Plymouth Ship Masters' Society, established in 1830; the Board for the
Examination of Masters and Mates, instituted about four years ago, and to
which Mr. R. W. Stevens is clerk; and the Trustees of the Merchant Seamen's
Hospital Fund, to which every master of a vessel pays 2s., and the crew 1s.
each per month, for their mutual relief in times of sickness and infirmity,
and for the relief of the widows and children of such as have died in the
service. This fund was instituted by an act of the reign of George II.,
establishing a Corporation in London, with authority to establish funds for
this purpose at the outports. The Plymouth fund was commenced in 1752, and
is vested in trust with 15 of the merchants and ship owners of the port. It
has now £1500 three per cent, stock, and receives about £760 per annum in
contributions. Mr. J. E. Blewett is the secretary.
As already noticed, the town has been much improved during the last ten
years. The most recent alteration is the widening of Whimple street, at the
western end of which stands the new POST OFFICE, a large and elegant
building, erected by a company of shareholders in 1848, at the cost of
£3000, from designs by Mr. O. C. Arthur, after the style of the Temple of
Vesta, at Tivoli, in Italy. Some parts of it are let as offices; but the
chief part is occupied as the Post-office and the post master's residence,
and is rented by government for 75 years, at £100 per annum. The Branch Bank
of England was removed from Exeter to Plymouth in 1834, and now occupies a
large and handsome building, at George's place, erected in 1844. Here are
also three other Banking Houses. The ROYAL HOTEL and THEATRE form an
extensive and elegant fabric, which was finished in 1813, at the cost of
about £60,000, partly supplied by the Corporation, and partly raised by way
of tontine. The north front is 270 feet long, and has in the centre a
magnificent portico of the Ionic order, under which are the entrances to the
boxes, and to the great hull and staircase of the assembly looms. The
Theatre is spacious and elegant; and the principal supports and framework of
the boxes, and all the interior partitions, are of east iron, and the roof
of wrought iron. The proscenium is formed by four beautiful marble columns,
with gilt bases and capitals, supporting an elegant entablature, from which
rises an arch richly empannelled. The Hotel, which lets for about £750 per
annum, occupies all the eastern front, and has in the Centre an Ionic
portico, corresponding in its proportions with the temple of Ilissus, a
choice example of Grecian simplicity. Many of its apartments are spacious,
and handsomely furnished ; and attached to it is on elegant suite of
Assembly and Ball Rooms. In Union road is a large room, called the Central
Hall, belonging to Mr. P. Fisher, and let for exhibitions, meetings, &c. It
will hold 800 persons.
The ATHENAEUM is a chaste and classical structure, from designs by J.
Foulston, Esq., the architect of the theatre. It is a fine example of the
Grecian Doric order, and was built in 1818-'19, for the accommodation of the
PLYMOUTH INSTITUTION, established in 1812, for the promotion of science,
literature, and the fine arts. In the lecture room are many fine casts from
ancient marbles, a colossal bust of Minerva, and other works of art; and the
museum contains a large and interesting collection of minerals, fossils,
preserved birds, shells, insects, curiosities, &c. There is here an
occasional Exhibition of Paintings, formed partly by the works of Devonian
artists, and partly from the collections of the nobility and gentry of the
neighbourhood. Devonshire has given birth to many distinguished artists ;
and Plymouth claims among its eminent pointers, Northcote, Prout, Haydon,
Ball, and Bath. Among other Worthies of Plymouth may be enumerated Sir
Thomas Edmondes, the ambassador and political writer; John Glanville, author
of the well-known "Treatise on Witchcraft," and other works ; John Quick, an
eminent non-conformist divine, author of the “History of the Reformation in
France ;" Mrs, Parsons, authoress of above 60 volumes of novels ; Jacob
Bryant, the learned mythologist; General Mudge, who conducted the first
trigonometrical survey of the kingdom, under the auspices of Government; and
his father, Dr. John Mudge, who was distinguished for his skill both in
mathematics and medicine. Sir John Hawkins, who commanded the rear of the
fleet which defeated the Spanish Armada, and ingloriously introduced the
slave trade into the West Indies, was a native of Plymouth. In 1675, Charles
Fitz-Charles, natural son of Charles II., was created Earl of Plymouth. He
died without issue, and in 1682, the title was conferred on Thomas Hickman
Windsor, the seventh Baron Windsor. It was held by the Windsor family till a
few years ago, when the eighth and last Earl of Plymouth died without male
heirs. Four Newspapers ore published here weekly; and in the town are
several News Rooms and Libraries. The PUBLIC LIBRARY, established at the
Guildhall, about the beginning of the present century, occupies a handsome
building, in Cornwall street, erected in 1811-'12, and comprising a large
and well supplied news-room. There being no windows in the front, the
various apartments are lighted by glazed domes, or cupolas, in the roof. The
library comprises about 8000 volumes, arranged in a spacious vaulted room,
surrounded by a light gallery. The MECHANICS' INSTITUTION, for which a
commodious building is about to be erected, was commenced in 1826, and
occupies a building in Princess square. It has an extensive library, and
numerous list of members. The Royal Devon and Cornwall Botanical and
Horticultural Society holds two exhibitions yearly, at the assembly rooms of
the Royal Hotel, and Mr. N. J. Easton is its secretary. There is a Natural
History Society, at 16, Princess square; and a Young Men's Christian
Association, in Bedford street. Here is also a Branch Diocesan Architectural
Society, and some other institutions for the promotion of literature and the
arts and sciences. The ROYAL UNION BATHS, in Union road, occupy a spacious
building, and were founded in 1828, by a company of shareholders They are
daily supplied with pure sea water from the Sound, conveyed in iron pipes to
a reservoir, which holds 2700 hogsheads. Baths of every description may be
had here, including warm, tepid, vapour, sulphur, hot air, slipper, plunge,
shower, douche, and swimming baths. Here is also the VICTORIA SPA, which is
obtained from a boring in the Artesian manner, 360 feet deep. A comparison
of this spa with sea water, from which it is supposed to be derived, by
infiltration through the rocks, shows that, while it has lost bromine,
iodine, and their acids, it has acquired sulphate of lime, and carbonates of
lime and iron, and that it has, in consequence, become equivalent to the
saline chalybeates of Cheltenham and Tunbridge.
CHURCHES, &c.—As already noticed, Plymouth was anciently called! Sutton, and
was a prebendal parish attached to the collegiate church of .Plympton till
that church was converted into a priory, when Sutton was appropriated to it.
After the Reformation, the great tithes of Plymouth, with the advowson of
the vicarage, were vested with the Corporation, but since the Municipal
Reform, they have sold the patronage of both vicarages. In 1640, the borough
was divided into two parishes by act of parliament, but the new parish
church was not completed till after the restoration, when it was dedicated
to the memory of Charles I. The population of the two parishes of St. Andrew
and Charles the Martyr, is already stated, where it will be seen that they
have two out-townships, beyond the limits of the borough. In monastic times,
here were several religious houses, but nothing is known relating to their
foundation or history. The Franciscans or Grey Friars are supposed to have
had small monasteries in Palace Court, and on the site of the Distillery in
Southside street, where there are some interesting remains of ancient
architecture. The White Friary is supposed to have been in Friary court, the
principal entrance to which is through an antique dilapidated gateway. A
Cistertian Abbey gave name to Abbey street, and its remains may be traced in
the large building, called the Abbey Wine Vaults, which still retains much
of its original ecclesiastical character. The White Friary was licensed by
Bishop Stapledon in 1324, at the desire of Edward II., and was granted at
the dissolution to Giles Iselham. St. Andrew's Parish Church. is a spacious
and venerable structure, which is mentioned in a survey made in 1291, but
was evidently mostly rebuilt in the 15th century. It has been thoroughly
renovated and much improved since 1824, and has now 2500 sittings, of which
1000 are free. It is chiefly in the perpendicular or early English style,
and consists of a spacious nave, chancel, and sides aisles, two small
transepts, and a fine lofty tower, which contains a peal of eight deep toned
bells, and was built about 1440, by a merchant of Plymouth, named Yogge. The
weight of the tenor bell is 2 ½ tons, and the tower is surmounted at each
angle by handsome and lofty pinnacles. The church being in a very
dilapidated state, the parishioners in 1824 determined on its restoration,
at the cost of £3000, part of which was borrowed from the Exchequer Loan
Commissioners, to be repaid by annual payments of £150. The improvements
were continued at intervals, and church rates were annually levied till
1834, when Mr. F. Bone became churchwarden. In 1839, Mr. Bone (without the
aid of church rates) having succeeded in completing most of the intended
renovations, and also in liquidating the debt, was presented by the
parishioners with a valuable service of plate. The interior is divided by
clustered columns and pointed arches, and has now a handsome appearance.
Much elegance is displayed in the design and ornaments of the pulpit and
reading desk, which, like the pews and seats, are of oak. The unsightly
galleries in the aisles were removed, and new ones were erected in the
transepts, and at the west end. The beautiful oak roof, with its finely
carved bosses, was thoroughly cleansed and restored, and a noble stair-case
of teak wood was constructed in the lower story of the tower to communicate
with the galleries and the organ loft. The organ is very powerful, and was
purchased by subscription in 1735. Saml. Addis, in 1741, gave £400, to be
invested in the funds, for the benefit of the organist. The three east
windows have been enriched with stained glass, and a handsome altar screen
has been erected since 1841. The western windows in the aisles are about to
be replaced by new ones, and the north porch is to be rebuilt. The great
defect in this extensive church is the want of a clerestory. Its situation
was formerly too closely confined by a number of old houses, which belonged
mostly to the vicarage, and have lately been removed for the improvement of
this central part of the town. In the aisles are many neat mural monuments,
on one of which is a fine bust of the Rev, Zachary Mudge, a late vicar, who
died in 1789, and was the author of a volume of sermons. Another monument is
in memory of Dr. Wm. Woollcombe, an eminent physician, who died in 1822. The
principal group represents the genius of medicine supporting indigence. In
the north aisle is another monument, on which religion, personified by a
female figure rests upon a medallion bust of the Rev. John Gandy, M.A., a
prebendiry of Exeter, who died in 1824, aged 85 years, during 55 years of
which beheld this vicarage, besides previously officiatiug here five years
as curate, His memorial was erected by public subscription, in record of the
many virtues of the late venerable vicar. Here is also a tablet in memory of
the lab celebrated comedian, Charles Mathews, who was born in 1776, and died
in 1835. The vicarage, valued in K.B. at £12. 5s. 5d., and in 1831 at £92..
is in the patronage of the Rev. E. Holland, and incumbency of the Rev John
Hatchard, M.A., who derives his income partly from fees and vicarial
property, and partly from the small tithes, which have been commuted for the
following yearly sums :—£153 from St. Andrew's, £350 from Pennycross, and
£65 from Compton Gilford. The vicar of Charles has £525 a year in lieu of
tithes, of which he derives £160 from Compton Clifford The great tithes
belong to the land owners, except a few small houses. The Reverends C. A.
Marrett and C T. C. Trelawny are th« curates, and Mr. W. P. H. White is the
clerk. The PARISH CHURCH OF KING CHARLES THE MARTYR is a large fabric, of
mixed architecture, in the eastern part of the town, and was erected under
the powers of an act of parliament passed in 1640, but owing to the troubles
of the civil wars, it was not completed till 1658, nor consecrated till the
Restoration. It consists of a spacious nave, with north and south aisles, a
chancel, and a tower, crowned by a spire, which was struck by lightning, and
mostly rebuilt about 25 years ago. There are eight bells in the tower, but
two of them are broken. The interior of the church has a neat appearance,
and contains about 1700 sittings. A new organ, by Beavington and Son, has
recently been erected in the east gallery. Here are several handsome
monuments, one of which has a finely sculptured bust of the Rev. R. Hawker,
D.D., the late vicar, who died in 1846. The vicarage, valued in 1831 at £612
per annum, was in the patronage of the late Sir C. Bisshopp, Bart. The Rev.
H. A. Greaves, M.A., is the incumbent. The parish of Charles comprises a
great part of the town, the village of Lipson, and the tithing or chapelry
of Compton Gifford. St. ANDREW'S CHAPEL, in Lockyer street, is an elegant
chapel of ease to St. Andrew's parish, and was erected in 1822-3, at the
cost of £5000, mostly contributed by the Rev. R. Lampen, (the first
incumbent,) and H. Woolcombe, J. Pridham, and Thos. Gill, Esqrs. The front
is composed of large blocks of granite, in the Grecian style, with a cupola
and bell on the top. The interior has about 1100 sittings, and is handsomely
fitted up. It has galleries and a good organ, and many of the pews are
private property. The benefice is a perpetual curacy, valued in 1831 at
£115, and now in the patronage of the vicar of St Andrew's, and incumbency
of the Rev. G. Hadow, M.A. CHARLES' CHAPEL, in Tavistock place, was built by
subscription in 1828, as a chapel of ease to the parish of Charles, and has
upwards of 1500 sittings. The living is a perpetual curacy, valued in 1831
at £109, and is in the patronage of Trustees, and incumbency of the Rev. W.
Hawker. To supply that great want of church room which has long been felt in
Plymouth, large portions of the town and two parishes have lately been
divided by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners into the five DISTRICT PARISHES
and perpetual curacies of Trinity, Christ Church, St. Peter, St. James, and
Sutton-upon-Plym, but churches for all of them have not yet been provided.
TRINITY CHURCH, in Southside street, is a substantial structure, in the
Doric style, erected in 1841-2, by subscription and a grant from the
Incorporated Society. It has 1082 sittings, of which 630 are free. The Rev.
H. C. Smith is the incumbent, and the vicar of St. Andrew's is the patron.
CHRIST CHURCH is a handsome structure, in Oxford street, and was built in
1845-6. It is in the perpendicular style, and has 1080 sittings, of which
536 are free. The vicar of St. Andrew's is patron, and the Rev. R. Malone,
M.A., is the incumbent. ST. PETER'S CHURCH was formerly Eldad Chapel, which
was built in 1830, for the late Rev. Jno. Hawker, B.A., but was never
consecrated. It was licensed by the Bishop as St. Peter's Church in 1848,
and was altered and improved in that and the following year. The patronage
is in the Crown and Bishop alternately, and the Rev. G. R. Prynne, B.A., is
the incumbent. The District Parishes of St. James and Sutton-upon-Plym are
in the same patronage, and the former is in the incumbency of the Rev. G. S.
Hookey, and the latter of the Rev. G. Carrighan. Churches have not yet been
erected for them, but they preach in licensed rooms, the former at the Union
Baths, and the latter at Catdown. Portland Chapel is a sort of free
evangelical church, which was built in 1844 by its minister, the Rev. James
Babb, M.A., with a house for his own residence. He only retains a life
interest in the chapel and house, which he has vested with 13 trustees for
the future endowment of the " Poor Saints Relief Fund," established six
years ago, for the relief of poor and pious applicants. This fund is
intended as the successor to that of the Corpus Christi Society, which was
founded in 1790 by Dr. Hawker, a late vicar of Charles, but is now obsolete.
Search my sites :