The Folly House - 1930

The photo was taken in 1930; it is (or was) described as the oldest building in Penzance, as it had survived the Spanish attack of 1595. It was demolished early 1950s.

Now that is history. Demolished in 1950? Imagine the ooha that would be raised if that decision was being made today. To put it into context lets demolish the Keigwin Arms and make a car park.

That is about it. I am trying to work out its date, obviously the stacks are later, but there are two other building periods.

Cornish Candy Box appears to have been built 1960, as the 1955 postcard only shows an open site, with a lorry parked.

Algerines 1760
An event occurred at Penzance in the year 1760, of a nature so curious as to be well worthy of remembrance. This country was then deeply engaged in what has since been termed the seven years' war ; and, notwithstanding the splendid successes of 1759, the nation still felt alarm from the always threatened invasion by France, and from the fear of predatory excursions, when in the night following the 29th of September the town was roused by the firing of guns, and soon after by the intelligence of a large ship of a strange appearance having run on shore on the beach towards Newlyn. Great numbers of persons crowded to the spot, where they were still more astonished and shocked by the sight of men still stranger than their vessel, each armed with a scymetar and with pistols. It was now obvious that they were Moslems; and a vague fear of Turkish ferocity, of massacre and plunder, seised the unarmed inhabitants, just awakened from their sleep in the middle of the night. A volunteer company obeyed, however, with alacrity the beat to arms, and 172 men were conducted or driven into a spacious building which then stood on the Western Green, and for some reason or other was called the Folly. Eight men were found to be drowned. Before morning it was ascertained from themselves, by some who understood the lingua Franca, that the ship was an Algerine corsair, carrying 24 guns, from nine to six pounders, and that the Captain had steered his vessel into the Mount's Bay, and run it against the shore under a full conviction that he was safe in the Atlantic Ocean, at about the latitude of Cadiz, thus committing an error of thirteen degrees in latitude. The instant it was known that the sailors were Algerines, a fear seized the town and neighbourhood scarcely less formidable than the other of massacre and plunder namely, of the plague. The volunteers, however, kept watch and ward to prevent all intercourse. Intelligence was conveyed to the government, and orders are said to have been issued for troops to march from Plymouth for surrounding the whole district but most fortunately the local authorities ascertained that no cause whatever existed for such a precaution, and the orders were countermanded. When it was found safe to visit the strangers, curiosity attracted the whole neighbourhood. Their Asiatic dress, long beards and mustachios, with turbans, the absence of all covering from their feet and legs, the dark complexion and harsh features of a piratical band, made them objects of terror and of surprise. They were on the whole treated kindly ; their vessel had totally disappeared, and consequently after some delay a ship of war took all the men on board, and conveyed them to Algiers.

The above from Davies Gilbert in 1838.

Leland saw the Chapel of St Mary's in 1540, there is some indication of it having been in use in 1397 (Bishop Stafford), it stood until 1832. In 1930 to have stated The Folly House was the oldest building in Penzance, may have been ignoring the building in Market Place dated 1614, for St Mary's was rebuilt. However, G B Millett and J S Courtney had left an indelible record of the town and its history. To date this, we must ignore the 19th century window and the 20th century shutters. Also the Victorian chimney stacks. Looking at the original building it is brick with dentil string course, which places it as a 15th century house, especially as the plan form fits with that type. A central hall with side rooms. My estimate for the original building is that it was built c1480. It was altered to add a window on the first floor at some stage.