Courtyard elevation.
The Vicarage, John Dennis and Chapel Street, Penzance.
This is one of Chapel Street’s oldest buildings, it clearly has had stucco and a portico added.
It would appear that the building may have been used for banking premises during its life.
The building figures an many early graphic representations of Penzance,
with its bold profile on the hill top, and shows particularly on H P Tremenheere’s drawing of 1800,
there being no houses north.
The date of the building is uncertain, but it was occupied by the Dennis family in 1790,
and said to have been the home of the Usticke family previously;
however no evidence of that can be found, the house was probably owned by the Ustickes of Penalverne;
the date I would suggest would be when other major works were undertaken to St Mary’s church in 1728.
The Vicarage was occupied in 1841 and 1851 by Pearce Richard (Lloyds agent/Danish Vice Consul),
partner in 1815 with merchant Alexander Marrack (of Drift).
The building has been altered and extended, perhaps in the 1890s and later.
The Glebe Lands of The Vicarage were sold off in 1872,
allowing for the house Number 22, Chapel Street to be built (by Caldwell, Caldwell and Perkins).
Other buildings by John Dennis are South Parade and in St Mary’s Terrace, pictures to follow later.
~~~
The Bank : Dennis, Sons and Co. established 1810,
by John Dennis (architect, builder, wool stapler and wool/serge manufacturer of Alverton),
John Dennis, junior of Alverton, and William Dennis of Penzance;
1819 renamed Penzance Union Bank, drawing on Dennis Brothers and Co.
merchants and tin agents 34 Lombard St. London;
Trevenen James, manager; John Dennis d ; John Dennis, junior d 1822;
William Dennis d 17th June 1823.
The business had been sold April 1823 becoming Henry Boase, Sons and Co.
established in Chapel St. 1st May 1823 by Henry Boase of Alverton,
with his sons Henry Samuel Boase, John Josias Arthur Boase, and Trevenen James;
In 1824 George Grenfell of Penalverne and his son Paseoe Grenfell joined the bank, becoming Boase, Grenfell, Boase and Co.; Henry Boase d 1827; Trevenen James retired 30th Dec 1831;
The firm was dissolved by mutual consent 19th Aug. 1836 and
was sold to the Western District Banking Co ( Penzance office of the Devonport bank).
This branch established at Chapel Street, Penzance, 1st Oct. 1836, John Josias Arthur Boase, manager;
In Sept. 1844 the business was sold to Ricketts, Enthoven and Co. of 8 Morgate Street London
and it became the Penzance Union Bank, in Chapel Street, September 1844.
John Josias Arthur Boase, manager 1844-47;
The accounts were transferred to Bolitho, Sons and Co. 11th Oct. 1847 and the bank closed.
~~~
Chapel Street (previously Lady Street, one time South Street) is later than New Street.
It certainly appears that the oldest openings to the shoreline and
the harbour were from Jennings Street and Neddy Betty’s Lane.
Chapel Street was little more than a back lane, with a handful of cottages.
A lane extended from New Steet in which was the original Custom House (not in Chapel Street);
the next two Custom House buildings were in the area of Quay Street,
the last one being built in 1812, where it remains and has been restored and converted into accommodation. New Street Slip was extended up to Chapel Street, when it began to be developed in about 1775,
and the slip then became known as Abbey Slip,
for an undetermined reason, though a number of suggestions abound, as yet unproven.
Raymond Forward
