One time Main Post Office of Penzance; until 1864.
Number 50, Chapel Street
The Main Penzance Post Office and the Swain family.
The Post Office was first set up in Number 25, Chapel Street, the former home of the Branwells.
The Main Post Office was run by Ellen Catherine Swain from 1825 until 1864.
Nr 50 Chapel Street was the second appointed office.
The Post Office opened in 1825,
moving to temporary premises at Alverton in c1835,
returning to Chapel Street in c1838, first at a temporary office at Nr9;
The office moved to Market House c1864 (behind the statue to Sir Humphry Davy) when Miss Swain retired,
and she remained living in Nr 50;
The Post Office then moved into the new purpose built property in 1883, where it stands today.
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In 1881 the occupant of Nr 50 was Lavin Pascoe, Jeweller and Watchmaker and
in 1891 it was occupied by Thomas Carpenter Trounson, Architect And Builder.
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By 1893 sub-post offices were opening in
Causewayhead, Alverton, Marine Parade, Chyandour, 29 Cornwall Terrace,
1 High Street, 4 East Terrace, 4 Stewart’s Buildings and 15 Quay Street.
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1914 Sub-Post Offices
The Quay Nr 15 - Nicholas James Rowe
Causewayhead - William John Kelynack (was at Nr 1 High Street)
Alverton - James Pender (4 Stewart Buildings)
Marine Parade - Miss Harriet Ede Bond
Chyandour - John Tripp; next to Three Tuns
Market Jew Street – East Terrace Miss Amy Pearce. 1st June 1882 opened as
a Savings Bank and a Money Order office. It is now a machine laundry.
Fore Street - W Hodge
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Ellen Catherine Swain was born 30th September 1803 in Bristol;
she died at Nr 50 Chapel Street in 1875. Her parents were Thomas and Sarah Swain.
Thomas Swain was son of shipowner John Swain and Martha.
Thomas was born 19th September 1780 at Lyme Regis; entered the RN in 1794,
served at Le Havre 1799 and Copenhagen 1801; promoted to Lieutenant April 1802;
He married Sarah Hutchings Scriven (born 19th September 1783 at Lyme Regis - daughter of Samuel Scriven)
25th December 1802 at Saint Augustine The Less, Bristol.
28th January 1806 on HMS Attack he took part in the capture of Le Voltigeur, in that same evening he captured Le Sorcier.
19th April 1806 he assisted in the spiking of the guns at the estuary of the river Douillan; also in 1806 he secured a fleet of
French merchantmen to be driven to shore; it was his action that ensured the French fleet leaving Passage du Raz was
met with force from Sir John Duckworth; 1809 took part in the Scheldt operations; the actions of the Battle took its toll,
and he was given a land command, being made a Commander 26th May 1845. Sarah died 22nd August 1849 near Devonport.
Thomas died in Penzance 16th April 1853.
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Just around the corner from Ellen Swain in 1851 is her father at 4 Regent Terrace.
Thomas Swain, age 75,Commander Retired R.N.; a Greenwich Pensioner,
with his daughter Emily De Ridder, and her children Ellen and Alfred (who was born in Penzance)
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Ellen had eight siblings – most of whom were well connected or had distinguished themselves …
1 : Naomi Swain born Stoke Damerel 28th December 1807, she married William Hornsby Thompson 14th September 1850 at Stoke Damerel;
he was a RN Captain and Queen’s Harbourmaster, Purser to Peninsula and Orient SN Co.
2: Emily Swain born 9th November 1811; she married Edward De Ridder 25th July 1833 at Stoke Damerel.
3 : Walter Swain born Plymouth Dock 1st October 1813; he served in RN on HMS Victory, then HMS Grasshopper,
then HMS Donegal; he died of fever on HM Frigate Barham 18th September 1835, buried at sea.
4 : Alfred Swain born Plymouth Dock 4th April 1817;
he became Secretary to the dean of Tasmania, BA in 1848, MA 1851, Vicar of St Mary’s Devonport from 1855.
Married Anna Caroline Eliza Little 21st June 1848 at Plympton St Mary.
5 : Sarah Swain born Plymouth Dock 14th December 1818; married John Procktor – chemist of Penzance at Stoke Damerel 27th August 1839.
6 : George Brooke Forster Swain born 2nd August 1820 at Plymouth Dock;
on HMS Hermes in charge of West India Naval Station, as Second Master;
Acting Master HM brig Pilot, Master of HMS Termigant (steam frigate) and HMS Leopard; served in the Baltic 1854;
served in the Black Sea in the attack on Soujack Kaleh; on HMS Majestic in the Baltic Campaign;
on HMS Chesapeak in the China Station 1860, Master Attendant at Hong Kong dockyards 1861,
resigned due to ill health 1864; as Commander retired 1870.
Married 21 November 1866 to Jane Cannon Pascoe (granddaughter of Admiral John Pascoe, the
Cornishman who as signal midshipman on HMS Victory had advised the revision to the well known declaration by Nelson,
to be easier to assemble and quicker to present). George Swain died in Ilfracombe 31 October 1883.
7 : Henry Thomas Swain born Plymouth Dock 16th April 1823; Royal Marines, Second Lieutenant 1842,
First Lt 1847, retired 1852, lived at Mylor 1876 until his death.
8 : Edmund Swain born Devonport 8th October 1826; second master 1847, rose to Staff Commander,
was on HMS Encounter at the Cape; he died on HMS Ocean 4th July 1871, the ship was flagship at Yokohama;
he had married Blanche Marianne Lewis 21st November 1864,
she was daughter of Thomas Lewis RN Commander of the Falmouth Packet HM brig Crane.
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Mention should be made of Ralph Allen, a great Cornishman who, amongst other things,
revolutionised the Postal System, taking up the framework already laid out and
built by another man of Cornish decent, Edmund Prideaux;
without these two men none of the present mail system would have been in operation.
The country has a lot for which to thank Cornwall.
Raymond Forward
More to come later on other pictures.
