Some of you may already be aware that I have the highest regard for Nick Cahill.
A question that is floating around is the background to the area used as a Parade Ground, in front of the War Memorial, which has date stones on the wall of 1839 et seq; I had already put thought and research into that and had come up with the following (which is already on site in the Time Past album (search for munpit).
'To the left is the old wall, clearly divided into base and the re-built top; the lower wall is as in the photograph of 1915. It is the wall as built prior to 1720, as the 1839 wall was built on top of that level, and the access to the paving of 1740 is shown on the 1915 photo, and has not been changed from that of 1740, it is still there. The level of the access to the battery had to be between the Kiln yard and the tenement courts, as shown on the OS of 1875, and as shown on the 1842 Tithe Map. Boundaries were defined by ownership and inheritance, the route to the battery would have been sacresanct. It is also clear that this wall was a part of the munpit of before 1720, I therefore suggest that it is a part of the original barbican defence wall of the town and quay. If only as the stone of which is is made. To the right is the wall of 1923, 'new' faced, yet the inside is of re-used original cut stone of 1839, on its new alignment.
The area was much used by the most noxious of industries. Owned early 18th century by George Daniel, the area was Cellars and Salthouses, together with a Munpit (a large pit for the decay of fish for manure), it is my suspicion that the lower wall to the east shore of Battery was a part of that pit. The area later passed to the Cornish (name not identity) family and in 1872 became a much needed limekiln, for agricultural use and for building lime mortar in the new age of building in Penzance; lime was used for washing of buildings, a protection to timber, used to remove hides, used in cess pits. The burning process was slow and not continuous as the kiln was loaded and cleared. The kiln burns limestone or shells, both of which would have been landed at the small beach in the same way that fish was landed for rotting in years before. Limestone was dropped from the calling ships, into the water and when the tide went out, the labourers brought the stone to the Limekiln yard. '
I have some notes sketched out on the family of Cornish, but not yet formalised. The whole area is steeped in history.
I also have on site the illustration of the wreck of The Diana in 1855, a very useful indication of the appearance of Penzance harbour at that time, including the lookout tower. Look in St Anthony's Fleet album.
Unfortunately all of this may have value, but it means nothing to those with other agendas.
