On This South Side We Came To Foy Or Fowey, An Ancient Town, And
Formerly Very Large--Nay, Not Large
Only, but powerful and potent;
for the Foyens, as they were then called, were able to fit out
large fleets,
Not only for merchants' ships, but even of men-of-
war; and with these not only fought with, but several times
vanquished and routed, the squadron of the Cinque Ports men, who in
those days were thought very powerful.
Mr. Camden observes that the town of Foy quarters some part of the
arms of every one of those Cinque Ports with their own, intimating
that they had at several times trampled over them all. Certain it
is they did often beat them, and took their ships, and brought them
as good prizes into their haven of Foy; and carried it so high that
they fitted out their fleets against the French, and took several
of their men-of-war when they were at war with England, and
enriched their town by the spoil of their enemies.
Edward IV. favoured them much; and because the French threatened
them to come up their river with a powerful navy to burn their
town, he caused two forts to be built at the public charge for
security of the town and river, which forts--at least, some show of
them--remain there still. But the same King Edward was some time
after so disgusted at the townsmen for officiously falling upon the
French, after a truce was made and proclaimed, that he effectually
disarmed them, took away their whole fleet, ships, tackle, apparel,
and furniture; and since that time we do not read of any of their
naval exploits, nor that they ever recovered or attempted to
recover their strength at sea. However, Foy at this time is a very
fair town; it lies extended on the east side of the river for above
a mile, the buildings fair. And there are a great many flourishing
merchants in it, who have a great share in the fishing trade,
especially for pilchards, of which they take a great quantity
hereabouts. In this town is also a coinage for the tin, of which a
great quantity is dug up in the country north and west of the town.
The River Fowey, which is very broad and deep here, was formerly
navigable by ships of good burthen as high as Lostwithiel--an
ancient and once a flourishing but now a decayed town; and as to
trade and navigation, quite destitute; which is occasioned by the
river being filled up with sands, which, some say, the tides drive
up in stormy weather from the sea; others say it is by sands washed
from the lead-mines in the hills; the last of which, by the way, I
take to be a mistake, the sand from the hills being not of quantity
sufficient to fill up the channel of a navigable river, and, if it
had, might easily have been stopped by the townspeople from falling
into the river. But that the sea has choked up the river with sand
is not only probable, but true; and there are other rivers which
suffer in the like manner in this same country.
This town of Lostwithiel retains, however, several advantages which
support its figure--as, first, that it is one of the Coinage Towns,
as I call them; or Stannary Towns, as others call them; (2) the
common gaol for the whole Stannary is here, as are also the County
Courts for the whole county of Cornwall.
There is a mock cavalcade kept up at this town, which is very
remarkable. The particulars, as they are related by Mr. Carew in
his "Survey of Cornwall," take as follows:-
"Upon Little Easter Sunday the freeholders of this town and manor,
by themselves or their deputies, did there assemble; amongst whom
one (as it fell to his lot by turn), bravely apparelled, gallantly
mounted, with a crown on his head, a sceptre in his hand, and a
sword borne before him, and dutifully attended by all the rest
(also on horseback), rode through the principal street to the
church. The curate in his best beseen solemnly received him at the
churchyard stile, and conducted him to hear divine service. After
which he repaired, with the same pomp, to a house provided for that
purpose, made a feast to his attendants, kept the table's-end
himself, and was served with kneeling assay and all other rights
due to the estate of a prince; with which dinner the ceremony
ended, and every man returned home again. The pedigree of this
usage is derived from so many descents of ages that the cause and
author outreach the remembrance. Howbeit, these circumstances
afford a conjecture that it should betoken royalties appertaining
to the honour of Cornwall."
Behind Foy and nearer to the coast, at the mouth of a small river
which some call Lowe, though without any authority, there stand two
towns opposite to one another bearing the name of the River Looe--
that is to say, distinguished by the addition of East Looe and West
Looe. These are both good trading towns, and especially fishing
towns; and, which is very particular, are (like Weymouth and
Melcombe, in Dorsetshire) separated only by the creek or river, and
yet each of them sends members to Parliament. These towns are
joined together by a very beautiful and stately stone bridge having
fifteen arches.
East Looe was the ancienter corporation of the two, and for some
ages ago the greater and more considerable town; but now they tell
us West Looe is the richest, and has the most ships belonging to
it. Were they put together, they would make a very handsome
seaport town. They have a great fishing trade here, as well for
supply of the country as for merchandise, and the towns are not
despisable. But as to sending four members to the British
Parliament (which is as many as the City of London chooses), that,
I confess, seems a little scandalous; but to whom, is none of my
business to inquire.
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