Mevagissey Important Dates
1086 –88 Land at Mevagissey divided between four Manors – Bodrugan,
Penwarne, Porthilly and Treleaven
1150 First Chapel at Porthilly, on site of present Church
1259 First proper Church built dedicated to St Peter
1313 First recording of Mevagissey as a hamlet
1430 John Trewollas of Treleaven funded building of first stone pier at
Stuccome (site of present harbour)
1588 Beacon lit at Beacon Cross, two miles from Mevagissey, at the sight of
the Spanish Armada
1626 Mevagissey independents, now the United Reform Church , founded
1642 – 45 English Civil War divided the villagers loyalist. During the Fairfax
campaign Roundhead soldiers were billeted at Mevagissey,
Tregony and Pentewan
1655 Puritans pulled down the church tower
1700 Fishing port busy and smuggling was rife
1740 Survey of harbour showed that if the pilchard trade grew the harbour
would need to be enlarged
1745 Boat builders shop erected – the site of the present museum
1753 John Wesley came to preach
1754 Frances Lelean (daughter of Mary) founded the first Methodists Sunday
School
1775 Act of Parliament obtained for the building of a new pier, boatyard,
pilchard cellars and packing shed
1800s Peak of smuggling trade in Mevagissey. 1809,population of Mevagissey
around 2500
1824 Collapse of Mevagissey bank. Many local people suffered financially
1830 – 1870 64 seines operated from Mevagissey but the introduction of drift
fishing brought about their demise
1849 Serious cholera epidemic – most of the village evacuated to tented
accommodation at Portmellon
1850 80 fishing vessels registered as working from the port, 320 people
employed
1866 Act of Parliament obtained to allow the enlargement of the harbour
1869 Mevagissey became a lifeboat station. The first boat the South
Warwickshire housed at Portmellon
1887 Hon. John Piers St Aubyn restored church
1895 Small power station built on the West Quay Mevagissey believed to be
the first place in Cornwall to have street lit by electricity
1896 Second lifeboat arrived – the James Chisholm. Remained in service
until 1930
1912 Pilchard fishing industry thriving. At the peak of the season drifters
landed as much as 500 tons a day
1936 End of the herring fishing in Mevagissey
1968 Mevagissey Museum opened 1980. New boat building yard established
next to the museum.
1980 The fishing industry declined further but tourism developed
considerably
1998/99 Refurbishment of the harbour, at a cost of £1000000