Market House : Seal of Penzance
Market House : Seal of Penzance
Market House : Seal of Penzance
treeve

Market House : Seal of Penzance

King James I granted Penzance The Charter on 16th May 1614
The Seal was Adopted 9th october 1620

When devising the seal, it is reported that no-one truly knew what Pen Sans meant and assumed that it was holy head, rather than holy headland, and so took the visual pun of St John's Head on a Platter. I am sure that they were more astute than that for which they are given credit.

Instead, this is a direct reference to the times in Madron of The Knights Hospitallers of S. John of Jerusalem.

This marble medallion was sculpted by the mason Mr Isabell of Truro in 1803 and was later removed from the original Market House to be placed her on the new Market House. It was written of by Valentine Le Grice in the Royal Cornwall Gazette in 1803, it therefore follows that it had to have been made and positioned before that date.
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treeve
I wonder what is planned for Penzance in 2014?
400 years has to mean something.
Having now assembled texts covering the early days of Cornwall and Madron, I will put together as much as I can from Monastic and Knights Hospitaller records. Various references are to be found in 19th century books, but even put together give a small part of the story.
 
treeve
So, just why is this building located in this particular position? ....
It is all wrapped up in the Charter of 9th May 1614 and of Alverton, the old Manor lands. In 1614 Markets were granted, including those that had been given in 1332, 1404 and 1512. The Manor of Alwarton (Alverton) was held, at the time of Edward the Confessor, by Alward. The Manor included areas now known as Penzance, Newlyn, Madron, Sancreed and Sennen. Its seat was roughly where Castle Horneck is to be found, with the Manor House Lands in the area towards Alverton Bridge. It appears that Alward was disposed by the Normans and the lands given to Robert de Mortaine, passing down the family. Then passing to Henry Pomeroy whose fate is veiled in mystery. Then to Richard Earl of Cornwall and to the Tyes family. Terric Le Tyes Gifted the Manor of Alverton by King John; died c1225. Nephew - Waleran Le Tyes Held the Manor of Alverton; Master of The Cinque Ports Henry Le Tyes was Lord of the Manor of Alverton; died 1308. Son Henry Le Tyes born 1286, beheaded 1322. His sister - Alice Le Tyes Granted the Manor of Alverton by Edward II, She married Warrine de Lisle in 1304, and was given grant in 1332 of a Market. The possession of the Manor of Alverton was the reason for war between Henry III and Richard Earl of Cornwall. Henry Le Tyes, Warine de Lisle, Maurice and Thomas de Berkeley stood by the Earl of Lancaster against Edward II, for which Henry Le Tyes and Warine de Lisle were beheaded in 1322. Thomas Berkeley married Margaret de Lisle (aged seven) and upon her father’s death the Manor of Alverton came to Thomas Berkeley. He obtained from Henry IV a grant of markets at Penzance in 1404. Their daughter Elizabeth Berkeley, born 1386, married Richard Beauchamp (Earl of Warwick). Upon his death in 1439, Ailewarton (Alverton) became placed in The King’s Hands. In 1550 it had been granted to the Earl of Rutland by Edward VI. Upon the death of the Earl of Rutland in 1563, Alverton reverted to The Crown. The ancient Manor of Alverton included the land on which the Market House stands. In 1611, James I sold the Manor of Alverton to George and Thomas Whitmore, merchants of London. It was sold on to Richard Daniell of Truro in July 1614. Following the Charter and the granting of Markets, Richard Daniell (Lord of the Manor of Alwreaton and Penzance) sold a triangle of land to the Penzance Corporation on 11th January 1615, for that purpose of holding fairs and markets. It is said that the first Market House was built in that year. On that site was also built Shops and Houses. The triangle of land was “one three-corner plott of waste land, lyinge in the said town and village of Penzance, and bounded on every part thereof with the King’s hiye waye”.
 

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