Penzance

The ecclesiastical parish of Penzance St Paul is located in the southern part of Penzance near the fishing port of Newlyn. It was created in 1867 out of parts of Penzance St Mary and Newlyn St Peter. The parish is now united with that of Penzance St Mary and is part of Penzance Borough. Penzance was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 under the manor of Alverton and was the main town in Madron parish. It was split ecclesiastically from Madron in 1835. The Borough of Penzance is bordered on three sides by the parish of Madron and on the fourth by Mount’s Bay. It was incorporated as a Borough by King James I on 9th May 1615. The town and port of Penzance became the centre of trade and activity in the west of Cornwall. There was a Coinage Hall for coining tin, a Customs House, a collector of taxes and many trades in support of shipping. The news of Nelson’s naval victory at Trafalgar was first proclaimed in Penzance after news arrived from a passing naval ship. Although the Borough was originally part of Madron parish, it now consists of three ecclesiastic parishes and is ecclesiastically quite separate from Madron. For records prior to 1866, see PENZANCE St MARY.