The Town of Fowey

HISTORY

The history of Fowey is a long and illustrious one. Its first Charter was granted in 1150 by the Priory at Tywardreath and was given Royal confirmation in 1245. Henry VIII's dissolution of the Priory did not affect the ancient rights and privileges of the township and a Charter of Incorporation was created in the reign of James II in 1690.

For over a century this continued until the Municipal Corporations Act 1835 when Fowey ceased to be a Borough. The public properties passed bylaw to the custody of the Lord of the Manor, a member of the Treffry family. By further Government legislation in 1894 Fowey became a Parish and was merged into the rural district of St Austell. Around 1907 a group of parishioners led by Sir Charles Hanson, soon to become Lord Mayor of London, presented a petition, drawn up by Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch which was successful in regaining the Borough status.