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Falmouth ( ; kw, Aberfala) is a
town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...
,
civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authorit ...
and
port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as H ...
on the
River Fal The River Fal ( kw, Dowr Fala) flows through Cornwall, England, rising at Pentevale on Goss Moor (between St. Columb and Roche) and reaching the English Channel at Falmouth. On or near the banks of the Fal are the castles of Pendennis and ...
on the south coast of
Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...
, England, United Kingdom. It has a total resident population of 21,797 (2011 census).


Etymology

The name Falmouth is of
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
origin, a reference to the town's situation on the mouth of the
River Fal The River Fal ( kw, Dowr Fala) flows through Cornwall, England, rising at Pentevale on Goss Moor (between St. Columb and Roche) and reaching the English Channel at Falmouth. On or near the banks of the Fal are the castles of Pendennis and ...
. The Cornish language name, ' or ', is of identical meaning. It was at one time known as ''Pennycomequick'', an Anglicisation of the Celtic ''Pen-y-cwm-cuic'' "head of the creek"; this is the same as
Pennycomequick Pennycomequick is the site of a former Devonport prison that today forms part of the inner suburbs of the city of Plymouth, Devon, England. It is mostly known for its eccentric name, taken, locals believe, from The Penny pub situated by the ...
, a district in Plymouth.


History


Early history

In 1540, Henry VIII built
Pendennis Castle Pendennis Castle (Cornish: ''Penn Dinas'', meaning "headland fortification") is an artillery fort constructed by Henry VIII near Falmouth, Cornwall, England between 1540 and 1542. It formed part of the King's Device programme to protect aga ...
in Falmouth to defend
Carrick Roads Carrick Roads ( kw, Dowr Carrek, meaning "rock anchorage") is the estuary of the River Fal on the south coast of Cornwall in England. It joins the English Channel at its southern end near Falmouth. Geography It is a large flooded valley, or ...
. The main town of the district was then at Penryn. Sir John Killigrew created the town of Falmouth shortly after 1613. In the late 16th century, under threat from the Spanish Armada, the defences at Pendennis were strengthened by the building of angled ramparts. During the
Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
, Pendennis Castle was the second to last fort to surrender to the Parliamentary Army. After the Civil War, Sir Peter Killigrew received royal patronage when he gave land for the building of the Church of King Charles the Martyr, dedicated to Charles I, "the Martyr". The seal of Falmouth was blazoned as "An eagle displayed with two heads and on each wing with a tower" (based on the arms of Killigrew). The arms of the borough of Falmouth were "Arg nt a double-headed eagle displayed Sa le each wing charged with a tower Or. in base issuant from the water barry wavy a rock also Sa. thereon surmounting the tail of the eagle a staff also proper flying therefrom a pennant Gu es. Being the nearest large harbour to the entrance of the English Channel, two Royal Navy squadrons were permanently stationed here. In the 1790s one was under the command of
Sir Edward Pellew Admiral Edward Pellew, 1st Viscount Exmouth, GCB (19 April 1757 – 23 January 1833) was a British naval officer. He fought during the American War of Independence, the French Revolutionary Wars, and the Napoleonic Wars. His younger brother I ...
(later Viscount Exmouth) and the other under the command of
Sir John Borlase Warren Admiral Sir John Borlase Warren, 1st Baronet (2 September 1753 – 27 February 1822) was a British Royal Navy officer, diplomat and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1774 and 1807. Naval career Born in Stapleford, Nottinghamsh ...
. Each squadron consisted of five frigates, with either 32 or 44 guns. Pellew's flagship was HMS ''Indefatigable'' and Warren's HMS ''Révolutionnaire''. At the time of the
French Revolutionary Wars The French Revolutionary Wars (french: Guerres de la Révolution française) were a series of sweeping military conflicts lasting from 1792 until 1802 and resulting from the French Revolution. They pitted France against Britain, Austria, Prussia ...
, battle ships and small vessels were continually arriving with war prizes taken from the French ships and prisoners of war. Near Penryn, at Tregellick and Roscrow, were two large camps for the French prisoners. The Falmouth Packet Service operated out of Falmouth for over 160 years between 1689 and 1851. Its purpose was to carry mail to and from Britain's growing
empire An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...
. At the end of the 18th century there were thirty to forty, small, full rigged, three-masted ships. The crews were hand picked and both officers and men often made large fortunes from the private contraband trade they took part in, while under the protection of being a Government ship, free from customs and
excise file:Lincoln Beer Stamp 1871.JPG, upright=1.2, 1871 U.S. Revenue stamp for 1/6 barrel of beer. Brewers would receive the stamp sheets, cut them into individual stamps, cancel them, and paste them over the Bunghole, bung of the beer barrel so when ...
searches and therefore payment of duty. Captain John Bullock worked in the Packet Service and built
Penmere Manor Penmere railway station serves the northern part of Falmouth, Cornwall, England. It is on the Maritime Line between and , measured from . The station is managed by, and the trains operated by, Great Western Railway. History The station wa ...
in 1825.


19th and 20th centuries

In 1805 news of Britain's victory and Admiral Nelson's death at
Trafalgar Trafalgar most often refers to: * Battle of Trafalgar (1805), fought near Cape Trafalgar, Spain * Trafalgar Square, a public space and tourist attraction in London, England It may also refer to: Music * ''Trafalgar'' (album), by the Bee Gees Pl ...
was landed here from the schooner ''Pickle'' and taken to London by stagecoach. On 2 October 1836 anchored at Falmouth at the end of her noted survey voyage around the world. That evening,
Charles Darwin Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all species of life have descended fr ...
left the ship and took the
Mail coach A mail coach is a stagecoach that is used to deliver mail. In Great Britain, Ireland, and Australia, they were built to a General Post Office-approved design operated by an independent contractor to carry long-distance mail for the Post Office. M ...
to his family home at
The Mount, Shrewsbury The Mount is the Georgian house in Shrewsbury, England where Charles Darwin was born. Overview The large Georgian house was built in 1800 by Charles Darwin's father, the local and successful doctor Robert Darwin. His son Charles was born th ...
. The ship stayed a few days and Captain
Robert FitzRoy Vice-Admiral Robert FitzRoy (5 July 1805 – 30 April 1865) was an English officer of the Royal Navy and a scientist. He achieved lasting fame as the captain of during Charles Darwin's famous voyage, FitzRoy's second expedition to Tierra de ...
visited the Fox family at nearby Penjerrick Gardens. Darwin's shipmate Sulivan later made his home in the nearby waterside village of
Flushing Flushing may refer to: Places * Flushing, Cornwall, a village in the United Kingdom * Flushing, Queens, New York City ** Flushing Bay, a bay off the north shore of Queens ** Flushing Chinatown (法拉盛華埠), a community in Queens ** Flushin ...
, then home to many naval officers. In 1839 Falmouth was the scene of a gold dust robbery when £47,600 worth of gold dust from Brazil was stolen on arrival at the port. The
Falmouth Docks Falmouth Docks are a deep-water docks of the town of Falmouth in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The docks are the southern shore of the Fal Estuary which is the third largest natural harbour in the world and the deepest in Europe. They ex ...
were developed from 1858, and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) opened
Falmouth Lifeboat Station Falmouth Lifeboat Station is the base for Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) search and rescue operations at Falmouth, Cornwall, Falmouth, Cornwall in the United Kingdom. The first Lifeboat (rescue), lifeboat was stationed in the town i ...
nearby in 1867. The present building dates from 1993 and also houses
Her Majesty's Coastguard His Majesty's Coastguard (HMCG) is a section of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency responsible, through the Secretary of State for Transport to Parliament, for the initiation and co-ordination of all maritime search and rescue (SAR) within the ...
. The RNLI operates two
lifeboats Lifeboat may refer to: Rescue vessels * Lifeboat (shipboard), a small craft aboard a ship to allow for emergency escape * Lifeboat (rescue), a boat designed for sea rescues * Airborne lifeboat, an air-dropped boat used to save downed airmen A ...
from Falmouth: ''Richard Cox Scott'', a all-weather boat, and B-916 ''Robina Nixon Chard'', an Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat. Near the town centre is Kimberley Park, named after the Earl of Kimberley who leased the park's land to the borough of Falmouth. Today the park has exotic and ornate plants and trees. The
Cornwall Railway The Cornwall Railway was a broad gauge railway from Plymouth in Devon to Falmouth in Cornwall, England, built in the second half of the nineteenth century. It was constantly beset with shortage of capital for the construction, and was eventu ...
reached Falmouth on 24 August 1863. The railway brought new prosperity to Falmouth, as it made it easy for tourists to reach the town. It also allowed the swift transport of the goods recently disembarked from the ships in the port. The town now has three railway stations.
Falmouth Docks railway station Falmouth Docks railway station ( kw, Porthklos Aberfala) is situated in Falmouth, Cornwall, England. It was opened in 1863 as the terminus of the Maritime Line from , although since 1970 has been the principal station for the town. Falmouth Doc ...
is the original terminus and is close to Pendennis Castle and Castle beach.
Falmouth Town railway station Falmouth Town railway station is the most central of the stations in Falmouth, Cornwall, England. It is on the Maritime Line, measured from (via Box and Plymouth Millbay). It is unstaffed; the station and the trains are operated by Great W ...
was opened on 7 December 1970 and is convenient for the
National Maritime Museum The National Maritime Museum (NMM) is a maritime museum in Greenwich, London. It is part of Royal Museums Greenwich, a network of museums in the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site. Like other publicly funded national museums in the United ...
Cornwall, the waterfront, Gyllyngvase beach and town centre.
Penmere railway station Penmere railway station serves the northern part of Falmouth, Cornwall, England. It is on the Maritime Line between and , measured from . The station is managed by, and the trains operated by, Great Western Railway. History The station was ...
opened on 1 July 1925 towards the north of Falmouth and within easy walking distance of the top of The Moor. All three stations are served by regular trains from
Truro Truro (; kw, Truru) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parishes in England, civil parish in Cornwall, England. It is Cornwall's county town, sole city and centre for administration, leisure and retail trading. Its ...
on the
Maritime Line The Maritime Line is a railway line that runs in the valley of the River Fal from Truro, the county town, to Falmouth on the south coast of Cornwall, England. History The railway line, now known as The Maritime Line, was built by the Cornwal ...
. Penmere Station was renovated in the late 1990s, using the original sign and materials. The town saw a total
eclipse of the Sun A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby obscuring the view of the Sun from a small part of the Earth, totally or partially. Such an alignment occurs during an eclipse season, approximately every six month ...
at 11:11  a.m. on 11 August 1999. This eclipse lasted just over two minutes at Falmouth, the longest duration in the United Kingdom.


Second World War

During
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, 31 people were killed in Falmouth by
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
bombing. An anti-submarine net was laid from Pendennis to St Mawes, to prevent enemy
U-boat U-boats were naval submarines operated by Germany, particularly in the First and Second World Wars. Although at times they were efficient fleet weapons against enemy naval warships, they were most effectively used in an economic warfare role ...
s entering the harbour. It was the launching point for the noted commando raid on
Saint-Nazaire Saint-Nazaire (; ; Gallo: ''Saint-Nazère/Saint-Nazaer'') is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France, in traditional Brittany. The town has a major harbour on the right bank of the Loire estuary, near the Atlantic Ocean ...
in 1942. Between 1943 and 1944, Falmouth was a base for American troops preparing for the
D-Day The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as D ...
invasions. There are commemoration plaques at Turnaware Point, Falmouth Watersports marina, Tolverne and
Trebah Trebah ( kw, Tre Worabo, meaning ''Gorabo's farm'') is a sub-tropical garden situated in Cornwall, England, UK, near Glendurgan Garden and above the Helford River (). Part of the parish of Mawnan, the gardens are set within an area of the sa ...
gardens.


Historic estates

*
Arwenack Arwenack, historically in the parish of St Budock, Cornwall, is a historic manor on the site of what is today the town of Falmouth. It was partly destroyed in 1646, and only a remnant survives today. It was long held by the Killigrew family, w ...
, of which a small portion remains, was the estate which occupied the site before the development of the town of Falmouth; it was long the seat of the Killigrew family.


Governance

Falmouth Town is a
civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authorit ...
within Cornwall, formed in 1974 from the historic Falmouth Borough Council. Falmouth received its Order of Charter in 1661. As of 2019, it is governed by sixteen councillors (four represent the Boslowick Ward, three each for the Arwenack, Penwerris, Smithick and Trescobeas). Each of them serves a four-year term. The council provides municipal services while strategic services are provided by
Cornwall Council Cornwall Council ( kw, Konsel Kernow) is the unitary authority for Cornwall in the United Kingdom, not including the Isles of Scilly, which has its own unitary council. The council, and its predecessor Cornwall County Council, has a tradition o ...
, a unitary authority governing the entirety of mainland Cornwall. From 2009 to 2021, Falmouth elected five councillors to Cornwall Council, one from each of its five divisions: Falmouth Arwenack, Falmouth Boslowick, Falmouth Penwerris, Falmouth Smithick, and Falmouth Trescobeas. Boundary changes in 2013 abolished the Falmouth Gyllyngvase division, replacing it with Falmouth Smithick. From the
2021 elections Many elections occurred in 2021. The National Democratic Institute maintains calendar of elections around the world * 2021 United Nations Security Council election * 2021 national electoral calendar * 2021 local electoral calendar Africa * 2021 ...
, Falmouth will be covered by four divisions: Falmouth Arwenack, Falmouth Boslowick, Falmouth Penwerris and Falmouth Trescobeas and Budock.


Economy, industry and tourism

While Falmouth's maritime activity has much declined from its heyday, the docks are still a major contributor to the town's economy. It is the largest port in Cornwall. Falmouth remains a cargo port and the bunkering of vessels and the transfer of cargoes also keep the port's facilities busy. The port is popular with cruise ship operators. Further up the sheltered reaches of the Fal there are several ships laid up, awaiting sailing orders and/or new owners/charterers. Falmouth is a popular holiday destination and it is now primarily a tourist resort. The five main beaches starting next to Pendennis Castle and moving along the coast towards the Helford river are Castle, Tunnel, Gyllyngvase, Swanpool and
Maenporth Maenporth ( kw, Meyn Borth, meaning ''stones cove'') is a cove and beach in west Cornwall, England. It is situated approximately two miles (3 km) south-southwest of Falmouth on the estuary of the River Fal. Maenporth cove faces east across ...
beaches. The
National Maritime Museum Cornwall The National Maritime Museum, Cornwall is located in a harbourside building at Falmouth in Cornwall, England. The building was designed by architect M. J. Long, following an architectural design competition managed by RIBA Competitions. The ...
opened in February 2003. The building was designed by the architect M. J. Long. The ''Falmouth & Penryn Packet'', first published in 1858, is still based in the town as the lead title in a series of
Packet Newspapers Packet Newspapers (Cornwall) Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Newsquest media group, which publishes the ''Packet'' series of weekly tabloid newspapers. The series is named after the Falmouth Packet service, which commenced operati ...
for central and western
Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...
.
The West Briton ''The West Briton'' is a local weekly newspaper published every Thursday. It serves various areas of Cornwall in the United Kingdom: there are four separate editions – Truro and mid-Cornwall; Falmouth and Penryn; Redruth, Camborne and Hayle; ...
newspaper, first published in 1810, is a weekly tabloid newspaper which has a ''Falmouth & Penryn'' edition reporting on the area.


Culture

Falmouth has many literary connections. The town was the birthplace of Toad, Mole and Rat:
Kenneth Grahame Kenneth Grahame ( ; 8 March 1859 – 6 July 1932) was a British writer born in Edinburgh, Scotland. He is most famous for ''The Wind in the Willows'' (1908), a classic of children's literature, as well as ''The Reluctant Dragon (short story), T ...
's classic ''
The Wind in the Willows ''The Wind in the Willows'' is a children's novel by the British novelist Kenneth Grahame, first published in 1908. It details the story of Mole, Ratty, and Badger as they try to help Mr. Toad, after he becomes obsessed with motorcars and gets ...
'' began as a series of letters sent to his son. The first two were written at the Greenbank Hotel whilst Grahame was a guest in May 1907. Reproductions of the letters are currently on display in the hotel. ''
Poldark ''Poldark'' is a series of historical novels by Winston Graham, published from 1945 to 1953 and continued from 1973 to 2002. The first novel, '' Ross Poldark'', was named for the protagonist of the series. The novel series was adapted twice ...
'' author
Winston Graham Winston Mawdsley Graham OBE, born Winston Grime (30 June 1908 – 10 July 2003), was an English novelist best known for the Poldark series of historical novels set in Cornwall, though he also wrote numerous other works, including contemporary ...
knew the town well and set his novel ''The Forgotten Story'' (1945) in Falmouth. The town has been the setting for several films and television programmes. British film star
Will Hay William Thomson Hay (6 December 1888 – 18 April 1949) was an English comedian who wrote and acted in a schoolmaster sketch that later transferred to the screen, where he also played other authority figures with comic failings. His film '' O ...
was a familiar face in Falmouth in 1935 whilst filming his comedy ''
Windbag the Sailor ''Windbag the Sailor'' is a 1936 British comedy film directed by William Beaudine and starring Will Hay. The film marked the first appearance of Hay with Graham Moffatt and Moore Marriott acting as his straight men, however both Moffatt and Ma ...
''. The film had many scenes of the docks area. The docks area was featured in some scenes with
John Mills Sir John Mills (born Lewis Ernest Watts Mills; 22 February 190823 April 2005) was an English actor who appeared in more than 120 films in a career spanning seven decades. He excelled on camera as an appealing British everyman who often portra ...
for the 1948 film ''
Scott of the Antarctic Captain Robert Falcon Scott, , (6 June 1868 – c. 29 March 1912) was a British Royal Navy officer and explorer who led two expeditions to the Antarctic regions: the ''Discovery'' expedition of 1901–1904 and the ill-fated ''Terra N ...
''.
Robert Newton Robert Guy Newton (1 June 1905 – 25 March 1956) was an English actor. Along with Errol Flynn, Newton was one of the more popular actors among the male juvenile audience of the 1940s and early 1950s, especially with British boys. Known for hi ...
,
Bobby Driscoll Robert Cletus Driscoll (March 3, 1937 – March 30, 1968) was an American actor known for his film and television performances from 1943 to 1960. He starred in some of the Walt Disney Studios' best-known live-action pictures of that period ...
and other cast members of the 1950 Walt Disney film ''
Treasure Island ''Treasure Island'' (originally titled ''The Sea Cook: A Story for Boys''Hammond, J. R. 1984. "Treasure Island." In ''A Robert Louis Stevenson Companion'', Palgrave Macmillan Literary Companions. London: Palgrave Macmillan. .) is an adventure no ...
'' (some scenes were filmed along the
River Fal The River Fal ( kw, Dowr Fala) flows through Cornwall, England, rising at Pentevale on Goss Moor (between St. Columb and Roche) and reaching the English Channel at Falmouth. On or near the banks of the Fal are the castles of Pendennis and ...
) were visitors to the town. Stars from the BBC TV serial ''
The Onedin Line ''The Onedin Line'' is a BBC television drama series that ran from 1971 to 1980. The series was created by Cyril Abraham. The series is set in Liverpool from 1860 to 1886 and covers the rise of a fictional shipping company, the Onedin Line, nam ...
'' stayed in the town during filming in the late 1970s. In 2011
Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...
filmed parts of the film ''
World War Z ''World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War'' is a 2006 zombie apocalyptic horror novel written by American author Max Brooks. The novel is broken into eight chapters: “Warnings”, “Blame”, “The Great Panic”, “Turning the Ti ...
'' starring
Brad Pitt William Bradley Pitt (born December 18, 1963) is an American actor and film producer. He is the recipient of various accolades, including two Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award. ...
in Falmouth Docks and off the coast. Falmouth had the first "Polytechnic":
Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society The Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society (commonly known as The Poly) is an educational, cultural and scientific charity, as well as a local arts and cinema venue, based in Falmouth, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The Society exists to promot ...
which went into administration briefly in 2010 but is now a feature of the town with frequent art exhibitions, stage performances and an art house cinema. Falmouth is home to many theatre groups, including Falmouth Theatre Company, Falmouth Young Generation and Amity Theatre. Falmouth Theatre Company, also known as FTC, is the oldest local company with performances dating back to 1927. The
Falmouth Art Gallery Falmouth Art Gallery is a publicly funded art gallery in Cornwall, with one of the leading art collections in Cornwall and southwest England, which features work by old masters, major Victorian artists, British and French Impressionists, leadin ...
is a public gallery with a diverse 19th and 20th century art collection including many notable modern Cornish artists exhibited in four to five seasonal exhibitions a year, as well as a "family friendly and free" community and schools education programme. The Anglican parish churches are dedicated to King Charles the Martyr and to All Saints. A third church is
St Michael's Church, Penwerris St Michael and All Angels Church, Penwerris is a parish church of the Church of England located in Penwerris, near Falmouth, Cornwall. The church is Anglo-Catholic and under the care of the Bishop of Ebbsfleet rather than the diocesan bishop. ...
. The Roman Catholic church of St Mary Immaculate is in Killigrew Street. It was designed by J. A. Hansom and built in 1868; the tower and spire (1881) are by J. S. Hansom; the baptistery and porch were added in 1908 to the original designs. The style is a blend of Gothic and Burgundian Romanesque, creating a very French effect. Two of the stained glass windows are early works of
Dom Charles Norris Dom Charles Norris OSB (1909-2004) was an influential artist who created works in stained glass and dalle de verre for Roman Catholic churches in the UK. He is thought to be the most prolific artist working in dalle de verre in the UK in the 20th ...
. Falmouth Methodist Church is also in Killigrew Street; the street façade is "one of the grandest expressions of Methodism in Cornwall". The United Reformed Church (originally Bible Christian) is in Berkeley Vale. The former synagogue (1816) is one of the earliest surviving synagogue buildings in England; it was in use until 1879. Falmouth has its own community radio station
Source fm Source FM is a community radio station, for the combined Falmouth and Penryn community and the wider area. History The idea to create a community radio station in the Falmouth and Penryn area goes back to 2006, when Russell Clarke, Source FM d ...
broadcasting on 96.1 FM and online. In 2016, Falmouth won the "Great British High Street 2016" award, in the 'Coastal Community' category.


Transport


Falmouth harbour

Falmouth is famous for its harbour. Together with
Carrick Roads Carrick Roads ( kw, Dowr Carrek, meaning "rock anchorage") is the estuary of the River Fal on the south coast of Cornwall in England. It joins the English Channel at its southern end near Falmouth. Geography It is a large flooded valley, or ...
, it forms the third deepest natural harbour in the world, and the deepest in Western Europe. It has been the start or finish point of various round-the-world record-breaking voyages, such as those of
Robin Knox-Johnston Sir William Robert Patrick Knox-Johnston (born 17 March 1939) is a British sailor. In 1969, he became the first person to perform a single-handed non-stop circumnavigation of the globe. Along with Sir Peter Blake, he won the second Jules Vern ...
and Dame
Ellen MacArthur Dame Ellen Patricia MacArthur (born 8 July 1976) is a retired English sailor, from Whatstandwell near Matlock in Derbyshire, now based in Cowes, Isle of Wight. MacArthur is a successful solo long-distance yachtswoman. On 7 February 2005, ...
. During
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
the
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
had a large base in Falmouth harbour as well as an army base in the town. Some of the U.S.
D-day The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as D ...
landings originated from Falmouth harbour and the surrounding rivers and creeks. The '' SS Flying Enterprise'', a cargo vessel that had sailed from
Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...
on 21 December 1951, ran into a storm on the Western Approaches to the English Channel. A crack appeared on her deck and the cargo shifted. A number of vessels went to her aid including the tug ''Turmoil'' which was stationed in Falmouth, but they found it impossible to take the ''Flying Enterprise'' in tow. The ship was finally taken in tow on 5 January 1952 by the ''Turmoil'' when she was some from Falmouth. It took several days to reach port. On 10 January the tow line parted when the ship was still from Falmouth. Two other tugs joined the battle to save the ship and cargo, but the ''Flying Enterprise'' finally sank later that day. Captain Carlsen and the tug's mate Kenneth Dancy, the only crew members still on board, were picked up by the ''Turmoil'' and taken to Falmouth to a hero's welcome.


Road

Falmouth is a terminus of the
A39 road The A39 is an A road in south west England. It runs south-west from Bath in Somerset through Wells, Glastonbury, Street and Bridgwater. It then follows the north coast of Somerset, Devon and Cornwall through Williton, Minehead, Porlock, Lynm ...
, connecting to
Bath, Somerset Bath () is a city in the Bath and North East Somerset unitary area in the county of Somerset, England, known for and named after its Roman-built baths. At the 2021 Census, the population was 101,557. Bath is in the valley of the River Avon, ...
some distant although such a route has now been surpassed by the
A303 The A303 is a trunk road in southern England, running between Basingstoke in Hampshire and Honiton in Devon via Stonehenge. Connecting the M3 and the A30, it is part of one of the main routes from London to Devon and Cornwall. It is a pri ...
, A37 and A367. The A39 connects Falmouth with the A30 via
Truro Truro (; kw, Truru) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parishes in England, civil parish in Cornwall, England. It is Cornwall's county town, sole city and centre for administration, leisure and retail trading. Its ...
. The A30 provides a fast link between Falmouth and the
M5 motorway The M5 is a motorway in England linking the Midlands with the South West England, South West. It runs from junction 8 of the M6 motorway, M6 at West Bromwich near Birmingham to Exeter in Devon. Heading south-west, the M5 runs east of West Brom ...
at
Exeter Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...
to the northeast. Most commercial bus services are provided by
First Kernow Kernow (formerly known as First Kernow) is a bus company operating services in Cornwall, England. It is part of First South West, a subsidiary of FirstGroup. History Kernow is a division of First South West, which was formed from two previou ...
who have an outstation in Falmouth. Other services are run by Go Cornwall Bus on behalf of Transport for Cornwall.


Railway

Falmouth has three railway stations (described above) at the southern end of an branch line (the
Maritime Line The Maritime Line is a railway line that runs in the valley of the River Fal from Truro, the county town, to Falmouth on the south coast of Cornwall, England. History The railway line, now known as The Maritime Line, was built by the Cornwal ...
) to the county town of
Truro Truro (; kw, Truru) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parishes in England, civil parish in Cornwall, England. It is Cornwall's county town, sole city and centre for administration, leisure and retail trading. Its ...
. The train takes roughly 28 minutes inbound and 24 minutes outbound. It stops at Truro, Perranwell, Penryn, Penmere, Falmouth Town and Falmouth Docks.


Ferries

Falmouth has regular ferry routes connecting to St Mawes (aboard the St Mawes Ferry), Flushing (aboard the Flushing Ferry) and Trelissick (aboard Enterprise Boats).


Education

There are five
primary school A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary e ...
s in the town and one
secondary school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' secondary education, lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) ...
, namely
Falmouth School Falmouth School (formerly Trescobeas County Secondary School) is a coeducational secondary school and sixth form with academy status, located in Falmouth in the county of Cornwall. Previously a community school administered by Cornwall Coun ...
.
Falmouth University Falmouth University ( kw, Pennskol Aberfal) is a specialist public university for the creative industries based in Falmouth and Penryn, Cornwall, England. Founded as Falmouth School of Art in 1902, it was later known as Falmouth College of Ar ...
has a campus at the original town site, Woodlane, and another in the
Combined Universities in Cornwall The Combined Universities in Cornwall (CUC) ( kw, Pennskolyow Kesunys yn Kernow) is a project to provide higher education in Cornwall, England, which is one of the poorest areas of the United Kingdom in terms of GVA per capita. History Develop ...
campus at
Tremough Penryn Campus (formerly Tremough Campus, Cornwall Campus and similar names) is a university campus in Penryn, Cornwall, England, UK. The campus is occupied by two university institutions: Falmouth University and the University of Exeter, with th ...
, Penryn, which it shares with the
University of Exeter The University of Exeter is a public university , public research university in Exeter, Devon, England, United Kingdom. Its predecessor institutions, St Luke's College, Exeter School of Science, Exeter School of Art, and the Camborne School of Min ...
. It offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses chiefly in the fields of Art, Design and Media. The University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses, often with a particular focus on the environment and sustainability, and also hosts the world-renowned
Camborne School of Mines The Camborne School of Mines ( kw, Scoll Balow Cambron), commonly abbreviated to CSM, was founded in 1888. Its research and teaching is related to the understanding and management of the Earth's natural processes, resources and the environment. ...
(formerly located nearby in Camborne), which specialises in the understanding and management of the Earth's natural processes, resources and the environment. In 2015, actor and comedian
Dawn French Dawn Roma French (born 11 October 1957) is a British actress, comedian, presenter and writer. French is known for writing and starring on the BBC comedy sketch show ''French and Saunders'' with her best friend and comedy partner, Jennifer Saunde ...
was installed as Falmouth University's chancellor. Falmouth Marine School, formerly Falmouth Technical College, specialises in traditional and modern boat-building, marine engineering, marine environmental science and marine leisure sport. The campus is part of
Cornwall College The Cornwall College Group (TCCG; kw, Kolji Kernow) is a further education college situated on eight sites throughout Cornwall and Devon, England, United Kingdom, with its head office in St Austell. Campuses There are eight campuses withi ...
.


Sport and recreation

The town has a football team in the
Western Football League The Western Football League is a football league in South West England, covering Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, western Dorset, parts of Gloucestershire and Wiltshire. The league's current main sponsor is Toolstation, so it is also known as ...
, Falmouth Town A.F.C., who play at Bickland Park in the north-west of the town, and also
Falmouth RFC Falmouth Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club based in the town of Falmouth, Cornwall, in the United Kingdom, playing in Western Counties West at the seventh tier of the English league system, following promotion from the Tribute Cornwall/ ...
, a
rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
club who play at The Recreation Ground, a site at the top of The Moor. Falmouth is also home to one of Cornwall's biggest cricket clubs, where four teams represent the town in the Cornwall Cricket League, with the 1st team playing in the Cornwall Premier League. Falmouth CC play at the Trescobeas ground on Trescobeas Road. With its proximity to sheltered and unsheltered waters, Falmouth has long been a popular boating and water sports location. It is, for example, a centre of
Cornish pilot gig The Cornish pilot gig is a six-oared rowing boat, clinker-built of Cornish narrow-leaf elm, long with a beam of . It is recognised as one of the first shore-based lifeboats that went to vessels in distress, with recorded rescues going back ...
rowing, the home of Gyllyngvase Surf Life Saving Club (founded 2008) and a popular location for sea swimming. Solo yachtsman
Robert Manry Robert Manry (June 2, 1918 – February 21, 1971) was a copy editor of the Cleveland, Ohio, Cleveland ''The Plain Dealer, Plain Dealer'' who in 1965 sailed from Falmouth, Massachusetts, to Falmouth, Cornwall, England, in a tiny sailboat (an Ol ...
crossed the
Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...
from
Falmouth, Massachusetts Falmouth ( ) is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 32,517 at the 2020 census, making Falmouth the second-largest municipality on Cape Cod after Barnstable. The terminal for the Steamship Authority ferri ...
(which is named after Falmouth) to Falmouth, Cornwall, from June–August 1965 in the thirteen-and-a-half-foot ''
Tinkerbelle ''Tinkerbelle'' is a sailboat in which 47-year-old newspaperman Robert Manry, a copy editor at the Cleveland ''Plain Dealer'', single-handedly crossed the Atlantic Ocean in 1965. At the time, it was the shortest but not the smallest boat to cros ...
''—this was the smallest boat to make the crossing at the time. The town was the location for the 1966, 1982 and 1998 and 2014 Tall Ships' Race in which approximately ninety
Tall Ships A tall ship is a large, traditionally- rigged sailing vessel. Popular modern tall ship rigs include topsail schooners, brigantines, brigs and barques. "Tall ship" can also be defined more specifically by an organization, such as for a race or fe ...
set sail for
Lisbon Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...
,
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
. The Town is set to host the start of the 2021 race.


Notable people


Early times to 1780

* Sir
Robert Killigrew Sir Robert Killigrew (1580–1633) was an English courtier and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1601 and 1629. He served as Ambassador to the United Provinces. Life Killgrew was born at Lothbury, London, th ...
(1580–1633) English courtier and politician, MP between 1601 and 1629. He served as Ambassador to the United Provinces. He was a knight of
Arwenack Arwenack, historically in the parish of St Budock, Cornwall, is a historic manor on the site of what is today the town of Falmouth. It was partly destroyed in 1646, and only a remnant survives today. It was long held by the Killigrew family, w ...
. *
Thomas Corker Thomas Corker (1669-1670 - 10 September 1700, Falmouth, Cornwall) was known as an English agent for the Royal African Company on York Island (now Sherbro, Sierra Leone). He married a Sherbro woman and had two sons with her before his early death ...
(c.1640 in Falmouth - 1700) was a prominent English agent for the
Royal African Company The Royal African Company (RAC) was an English mercantile (trade, trading) company set up in 1660 by the royal House of Stuart, Stuart family and City of London merchants to trade along the West Africa, west coast of Africa. It was led by the J ...
and worked in the
Sherbro Island Sherbro Island is in the Atlantic Ocean, and is included within Bonthe District, Southern Province, Sierra Leone. The island is separated from the African mainland by the Sherbro River in the north and Sherbro Strait in the east. It is long a ...
Sierra Leone *
Sir William Trelawny, 6th Baronet Sir William Trelawny, 6th Baronet (c. 1722 – 11 December 1772), of Trelawne, Cornwall was a British politician and colonial administrator. He was the son of Captain William Trelawny, R.N. and educated at Westminster School. He succeeded his ...
(c.1722 – 1772), British politician and colonial administrator, MP for
West Looe West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some R ...
from 1757 to 1767, then
Governor of Jamaica This is a list of viceroys in Jamaica from its initial occupation by Spain in 1509, to its independence from the United Kingdom in 1962. For a list of viceroys after independence, see Governor-General of Jamaica. For context, see History of Jamai ...
*
John Laurance John Laurance (sometimes spelled "Lawrence" or "Laurence") (1750 – November 11, 1810) was a delegate to the 6th, 7th, and 8th Congresses of the Confederation, a United States representative and United States Senator from New York and a United ...
(1750 in Falmouth – 1810) American lawyer and politician from
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
. *
Eleazer Oswald Eleazer Oswald (baptized bp 2 February 1750/51 – 30 September 1795) was born at Falmouth, Cornwall, in England, but moved to British America as a young man. He became apprenticed to a printer, John Holt of Williamsburg, Virginia, and marri ...
(1750 in Falmouth – 1795) Journalist and soldier in
British America British America comprised the colonial territories of the English Empire, which became the British Empire after the 1707 union of the Kingdom of England with the Kingdom of Scotland to form the Kingdom of Great Britain, in the Americas from 16 ...
and the
American War of Independence The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
* Philip Melvill (1762 – 1811)
philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...
, founded Falmouth Misericordia Society 1807 * Josiah Fox (1763 in Falmouth – 1847) British naval architect, involved in the design and construction of the
original six frigates of the United States Navy The United States Congress authorized the original six frigates of the United States Navy with the Naval Act of 1794 on March 27, 1794, at a total cost of $688,888.82 (). These ships were built during the formative years of the United States Nav ...
* Richard Thomas, (1779 – 1858) English civil engineer


1780 to 1810

*
Robert Were Fox the Younger Robert Were Fox FRS (26 April 1789 – 25 July 1877) was a British geologist, natural philosopher and inventor. He is known mainly for his work on the temperature of the earth and his construction of a compass to measure magnetic dip at sea. ...
FRS (1789 in Falmouth – 1877) British geologist, natural philosopher and inventor, worked on the temperature of the earth and a compass to measure magnetic dip at sea * Mary Lloyd or Mary Hornchurch (1795 in Falmouth – 1865) British joint secretary of the Birmingham Ladies Society for the Relief of Negro Slaves in 1825 * Charles Fox (1797 in Falmouth – 1878), a Quaker scientist, developed
Trebah Trebah ( kw, Tre Worabo, meaning ''Gorabo's farm'') is a sub-tropical garden situated in Cornwall, England, UK, near Glendurgan Garden and above the Helford River (). Part of the parish of Mawnan, the gardens are set within an area of the sa ...
garden near
Mawnan Smith Mawnan Smith ( kw, Mownan an Gov) is a village in the civil parish of Mawnan in south Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and i ...
, part of the influential Fox family of Falmouth * The Revd.
Henry Melvill Rev. Henry Melvill (14 September 1798 – 9 February 1871) was a British priest in the Church of England, and principal of the East India Company College from 1844 to 1858. He afterwards served as Canon of St Paul's Cathedral. Early years Mel ...
(1798 in Pendennis Castle – 1871) priest in the Church of England, principal of the
East India Company College The East India Company College, or East India College, was an educational establishment situated at Hailey, Hertfordshire, nineteen miles north of London, founded in 1806 to train "writers" (administrators) for the Honourable East India Company ( ...
from 1844 to 1858 and Canon of
St Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in London and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London and is a Grad ...
* The Fox family of Falmouth were very influential in the development of the town of Falmouth in the 19th century and of the Cornish Industrial Revolution. In the 18th and 19th centuries, many of them were members of the
Religious Society of Friends Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belief in each human's abili ...
(Quakers). * Sibella Elizabeth Miles (1800 in Falmouth – 1882), was an English schoolteacher, poet and writer of the 19th century. * John Sterling (1806 – 1844), Scottish author, moved to Falmouth in 1841 * Edwin Octavius Tregelles (1806 in Falmouth – 1886) was an English
ironmaster An ironmaster is the manager, and usually owner, of a forge or blast furnace for the processing of iron. It is a term mainly associated with the period of the Industrial Revolution, especially in Great Britain. The ironmaster was usually a large ...
, civil engineer and Quaker minister. *
William Lobb William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...
(1809 – 1864) Cornish plant collector, employed by
Veitch Nurseries The Veitch Nurseries were the largest group of family-run plant nurseries in Europe during the 19th century. Started by John Veitch sometime before 1808, the original nursery grew substantially over several decades and was eventually split into t ...
of Exeter, introduced into England
Araucaria araucana ''Araucaria araucana'' (commonly called the monkey puzzle tree, monkey tail tree, piñonero, pewen or Chilean pine) is an evergreen tree growing to a trunk diameter of 1–1.5 m (3–5 ft) and a height of 30–40 m (100–130 ft). ...
(the monkey-puzzle tree) from Chile * Lovell Squire (1809 – 1892) Quaker schoolteacher, meteorologist and writer of sacred verse. In 1834 he developed a Quaker boarding school in Ashfield which ran from 1839 to 1849


1810 to 1850

*
Samuel Prideaux Tregelles Samuel Prideaux Tregelles (30 January 1813 – 24 April 1875) was an English biblical scholar, lexicographer, Christian Hebraist, textual critic, and theologian. Life Tregelles was born at Wodehouse Place, Falmouth, of Quaker parents, but h ...
(1813 in Falmouth – 1875) English biblical scholar, textual critic, and theologian. *
Nicholas Pocock Nicholas Pocock (2 March 1740 – 9 March 1821) was an English artist known for his many detailed paintings of naval battles during the age of sail. Birth and early career at sea Pocock was born in Bristol in 1740, the son of a seaman.Chatte ...
(1814 in Falmouth – 1897) English academic and cleric, known as an historical writer * Anna Maria Fox (1816 in Falmouth – 1897) promoted
Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society The Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society (commonly known as The Poly) is an educational, cultural and scientific charity, as well as a local arts and cinema venue, based in Falmouth, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The Society exists to promot ...
, from Fox family of Falmouth *
Robert Barclay Fox Robert Barclay Fox (24 July 1873 – 22 April 1934) was a Falmouth businessman and Conservative Party politician in Cornwall. He was known as Barclay Fox. Fox was born the son of Robert Fox (1845–1915) and his wife Ellen Mary Bassett. H ...
(1817 – 1855) businessman, gardener and diarist, from the influential Quaker Fox family of Falmouth * Robert Kemp Philp (1819 in Falmouth – 1882) was an English journalist, author and Chartist *
Caroline Fox Caroline Fox (24 May 1819 – 12 January 1871) was an English diarist and correspondent from Cornwall. Her diary records memories of major writers, who include John Stuart Mill and Thomas Carlyle. Biography Caroline Fox was born on 24 May 1819 ...
(1819 in Falmouth – 1871) Cornish diarist, member of the influential Fox family of Falmouth *
Henry George Raverty Henry George Raverty (31 May 1825 – 20 October 1906) was an officer and linguist in the British Indian Army. Life Raverty was born in Falmouth, Cornwall. He served from 1843 to 1864, rising to the rank of Major in the 3rd Bombay Native Infa ...
(1825 in Falmouth – 1906) was a British Indian Army officer and linguist, he studied
Afghan poetry Poetry of the modern-day region called Afghanistan has ancient roots, which is mostly written in Dari and Pashto. Afghan poetry relates to the culture of Afghanistan and is an element of Afghan literature. History The region called Afghanistan ...
*
Elizabeth Philp Elizabeth Philp (1827 – 26 November 1885) was an English singer, music educator and composer. Philp was born in Falmouth, Cornwall, the eldest daughter of geographer James Philp. She was a protegee of Charlotte Cushman,E. H. T"The Late Elizab ...
(1827 in Falmouth – 1885) English singer, music educator and composer *
William Odgers William Odgers VC (14 February 1834 – 20 December 1873) was a Royal Navy sailor and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Early lif ...
VC (1834 in Falmouth – 1873) Royal Navy sailor, recipient of the
Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...
in the
First Taranaki War The First Taranaki War (also known as the North Taranaki War) was an armed conflict over land ownership and sovereignty that took place between Māori people, Māori and the New Zealand government in the Taranaki district of New Zealand's North ...
* Howard Fox (1836 in Falmouth – 1922) shipping agent and
consul Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states throug ...
, member of the influential Fox family of Falmouth. *
Edwin Welch Edwin James Welch (26 December 1838 – 24 September 1916) was an English naval cadet, surveyor, photographer, newspaper proprietor, writer and journalist. Welch discovered John King, sole survivor of the Burke and Wills expedition. Early life ...
(1838 in Falmouth – 1916) English naval cadet, surveyor, photographer, newspaper proprietor and journalist * John Andrewartha (1839 in Falmouth – 1916) Cornish-born American architect and civil engineer *
Charles Napier Hemy Charles Napier Hemy (Newcastle-on-Tyne, 24 May 1841 – 30 September 1917, Falmouth) was a British genre and marine painter. He was born to a musical family in Newcastle-on-Tyne, and trained in the Government School of Design, Newcastle, follo ...
RA (1841 – 1917 in Falmouth) British painter of marine paintings, moved to Falmouth in 1881 * Susan Elizabeth Gay (1845 - 1918 in Crill, Budock) chronicler of Falmouth in a book called ''Old Falmouth'' published in 1903


1850 to 1910

*
Henry Scott Tuke Henry Scott Tuke (12 June 1858 – 13 March 1929), was an English visual artist; primarily a painter, but also a photographer. His most notable work was in the Impressionist style, and he is best known for his paintings of nude boys and young ...
RA RWS (1858 – 1929), English
visual artist The visual arts are art forms such as painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, photography, video, filmmaking, design, crafts and architecture. Many artistic disciplines such as performing arts, conceptual art, and textile arts al ...
, primarily a painter, but also a photographer *
John Charles Williams John Charles Williams (30 April 1861 – 29 March 1939) was an English Liberal Unionist politician and a noted gardener at Caerhays Castle, Cornwall, where he grew and bred rhododendrons and other plants. An important group of camellia cultivars, ...
(1861 – 1939) English
Liberal Unionist The Liberal Unionist Party was a British political party that was formed in 1886 by a faction that broke away from the Liberal Party. Led by Lord Hartington (later the Duke of Devonshire) and Joseph Chamberlain, the party established a political ...
politician, gardener at
Caerhays Castle Caerhays Castle or Carhayes Castle (translation of ''caerhays'' into English: "enclosed castle") is a semi-castellated country house built in 1808, south of the village centre, St Michael Caerhays, Cornwall, England. It overlooks Porthluney Cove ...
, where he grew and bred
rhododendrons ''Rhododendron'' (; from Ancient Greek ''rhódon'' "rose" and ''déndron'' "tree") is a very large genus of about 1,024 species of woody plants in the heath family (Ericaceae). They can be either evergreen or deciduous. Most species are nati ...
, MP for
Truro Truro (; kw, Truru) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parishes in England, civil parish in Cornwall, England. It is Cornwall's county town, sole city and centre for administration, leisure and retail trading. Its ...
1892/95,
High Sheriff of Cornwall Sheriffs and high sheriffs of Cornwall: a chronological list: The right to choose high sheriffs each year is vested in the Duchy of Cornwall. The Privy Council, chaired by the sovereign, chooses the sheriffs of all other English counties, ot ...
1888 and
Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall. Since 1742, all the Lords Lieutenant have also been Custos Rotulorum of Cornwall. *John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford 1552–1554 *John Bourchier, 2nd Earl of Bath 1556–? ...
1918/36 *
John Sydney Hicks John Sydney Hicks (24 March 1864 – 20 April 1931) was a British physician and surgeon. He lived in Australia from 1891 to 1912, and was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia from 1901 to 1908, including as a minister in th ...
(1864 in Falmouth – 1931) British physician and surgeon. He lived in Australia from 1891 to 1912, and was a member of the
Western Australian Legislative Assembly The Western Australian Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of Western Australia, an Australian state. The Parliament sits in Parliament House in the Western Australian capital, Perth. The Legisla ...
*
Charles Masson Fox Charles Masson Fox (9 November 1866 – 11 October 1935) was a Cornish businessman who achieved international prominence in the world of chess problems and a place in the homosexual history of Edwardian England. Masson Fox was born into a Quake ...
(1866 in Falmouth – 1935) Cornish businessman, prominent in
chess problems A chess problem, also called a chess composition, is a puzzle set by the composer using chess pieces on a chess board, which presents the solver with a particular task. For instance, a position may be given with the instruction that White is to ...
and has his place in the
gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late 1 ...
history of Edwardian England *
Robert Barclay Fox Robert Barclay Fox (24 July 1873 – 22 April 1934) was a Falmouth businessman and Conservative Party politician in Cornwall. He was known as Barclay Fox. Fox was born the son of Robert Fox (1845–1915) and his wife Ellen Mary Bassett. H ...
(1873 – 1934) Falmouth businessman and Conservative politician, inherited Penjerrick Garden *
Joseph Conrad Joseph Conrad (born Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski, ; 3 December 1857 – 3 August 1924) was a Poles in the United Kingdom#19th century, Polish-British novelist and short story writer. He is regarded as one of the greatest writers in t ...
, (1857 – 1924) Writer, stayed at Falmouth for nine months in 1882 and later recalled his sojourn in a short story titled
Youth Youth is the time of life when one is young. The word, youth, can also mean the time between childhood and adulthood ( maturity), but it can also refer to one's peak, in terms of health or the period of life known as being a young adult. You ...

Conrad's ''Youth''
* Sir
Edward Hoblyn Warren Bolitho Sir Edward Hoblyn Warren Bolitho (20 April 1882 – 18 December 1969) was a Cornish landowner and politician. He was Chairman of Cornwall County Council from 1941 to 1952 and Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall from 1936 to 1962, for some years servin ...
KBE CB DSO (1882 – 1969) Cornish landowner and politician. He was Chairman of
Cornwall County Council Cornwall County Council ( kw, Konteth Konsel Kernow) was the county council of the non-metropolitan county of Cornwall in south west England. It came into its powers on 1 April 1889 and was abolished on 1 April 2009. History Cornwall County Counc ...
1941/52 and
Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall. Since 1742, all the Lords Lieutenant have also been Custos Rotulorum of Cornwall. *John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford 1552–1554 *John Bourchier, 2nd Earl of Bath 1556–? ...
1936/62 * Frank
Harold Hayman Frank Harold Hayman (12 December 1894 – 4 February 1966) was a British Labour Party politician born in Redruth, Cornwall. He joined the staff of Cornwall County Council in 1913, working as a clerk, and became a District Education Officer f ...
(1894 – 1966) British Labour Party politician, MP for Falmouth 1950 to 1966 *
Howard Spring Howard Spring (10 February 1889 – 3 May 1965) was a Welsh author and journalist who wrote in English. He began his writing career as a journalist but from 1934 produced a series of best-selling novels for adults and children. The most su ...
(1889 - 1965) Writer, lived in Falmouth from 1947 onwards * Edward Aylmer (1892 - 1974) First-class cricketer and Royal Navy officer *
Sir John Carew Pole, 12th Baronet Sir John Gawen Carew Pole, 12th Baronet (4 March 1902 – 26 January 1993) was a Cornish landowner, soldier and politician. He was Chairman of Cornwall County Council from 1952 to 1963 and Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall from 1962 to 1977, briefly ...
(1902 – 1993) landowner, soldier, politician and
Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall. Since 1742, all the Lords Lieutenant have also been Custos Rotulorum of Cornwall. *John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford 1552–1554 *John Bourchier, 2nd Earl of Bath 1556–? ...
1962/1977 * Colonel James Power Carne VC, DSO (1906 in Falmouth – 1986) Army officer, Korean War recipient of the
Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...
* Lieutenant Commander Robert Peverell Hichens DSO* DSC** RNVR (1909 – 1943) most highly decorated officer of the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve (RNVR) lived in Bodrennick House at
Flushing, Cornwall Flushing ( kw, Nanskersys) is a coastal village in the civil parish of Mylor, west Cornwall, UK. It is east of Penryn and south of Truro. It faces Falmouth across the Penryn River, an arm of the Carrick Roads. The village is known for its ...
* Hugh St Clair Stewart MBE (1910 in Falmouth – 2011) British film editor and producer, filmed
Bergen-Belsen concentration camp Bergen-Belsen , or Belsen, was a Nazi concentration camp in what is today Lower Saxony in northern Germany, southwest of the town of Bergen near Celle. Originally established as a prisoner of war camp, in 1943, parts of it became a concent ...
following its liberation in April 1945


1910 to present

* William John Burley (1914 in Falmouth - 2002) British crime writer whose work includes the '' Wycliffe'' detective series * John Anthony Miller aka Peter Pook (1918 in Falmouth – 1978) British author of humorous novels *
George Boscawen, 9th Viscount Falmouth George Hugh Boscawen, 9th Viscount Falmouth, (31 October 1919 – 7 March 2022), was a British peerage of Great Britain, peer and landed gentry, landowner. His subsidiary titles were 9th Baron Boscawen-Rose and 16th Baron le Despencer (created ...
(born 1919) Cornish peer and landowner,
Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall. Since 1742, all the Lords Lieutenant have also been Custos Rotulorum of Cornwall. *John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford 1552–1554 *John Bourchier, 2nd Earl of Bath 1556–? ...
from 1977-94 * William D Watson (born 1930)
bow maker A bow maker is a person who builds, repairs, and restores ancient or modern bows for bowed string instruments. These include violins, violas, cellos, double basses, viola d'amore, viola da gamba, etc. The French word for bowmaker (bow maker) is ...
who worked for W.E. Hill & Sons, lived in Falmouth. *
David Mudd William David Mudd (2 June 1933 – 28 April 2020) was a British politician. Mudd was born in Falmouth, Cornwall, in June 1933. He was educated at Truro Cathedral School and was a member of the Tavistock Urban District Council from 1959 to 196 ...
, (born 2 June 1933), British politician, Conservative MP for Falmouth and Camborne from 1970 until 1992 * Rex Thomas Vinson (1935 in Falmouth - 2000) Art teacher, artist and science fiction author, wrote as Vincent King * Lady Mary Christina Holborow, DCVO (born 1936) daughter of
Earl of Courtown The Earl of Courtown, in the County of Wexford, is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created on 12 April 1762 for James Stopford, 1st Baron Courtown. He had previously represented County Wexford and Fethard in the Irish House of Comm ...
,
Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall. Since 1742, all the Lords Lieutenant have also been Custos Rotulorum of Cornwall. *John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford 1552–1554 *John Bourchier, 2nd Earl of Bath 1556–? ...
1994-2004 *
Caroline Bammel Caroline Penrose Bammel, (''née'' Hammond; 6 July 1940 – 31 October 1995), also known as Caroline Hammond Bammel, was an English ecclesiastical historian, classicist, and academic, who specialised in the history of early Christianity. She wa ...
(1940 in Falmouth - 1995) British ecclesiastical historian *
Patrick Woodroffe Patrick James Woodroffe (27 October 1940 – 10 May 2014) was an English artist, etcher and drawer, specialised in fantasy science-fiction artwork, with images that bordered on the surreal. His achievements include several collaborations wi ...
(1940-2014) fantasy artist, taught art at Falmouth School of Art. *
Jon Mark Jon Mark (born John Michael Burchell; 8 May 1943 – 10 February 2021) was an English singer-songwriter and guitarist, best known for his recordings with Marianne Faithfull, Sweet Thursday, John Mayall and Mark-Almond. Mark, who received a ...
(born 1943 in Falmouth) singer-songwriter, recorded with
Marianne Faithfull Marianne Evelyn Gabriel Faithfull (born 29 December 1946) is an English singer and actress. She achieved popularity in the 1960s with the release of her hit single " As Tears Go By" and became one of the lead female artists during the British I ...
,
John Mayall John Mayall, OBE (born 29 November 1933) is an English blues singer, musician and songwriter, whose musical career spans over sixty years. In the 1960s, he was the founder of John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, a band that has counted among it ...
and
Mark-Almond Mark–Almond was a jazz-influenced English pop group of the 1970s and early 1980s, sometimes also called The Mark-Almond Band. The core members were Jon Mark, who sang lead and played guitar, percussion, and harmonica and Johnny Almond who p ...
. *
Penelope Shuttle Penelope Shuttle (born 12 May 1947) is a British poet. Life Born in Staines, Middlesex, Shuttle left school at 17. She wrote her first novel at the age of 20. She has lived in Falmouth, Cornwall since 1970. She married the poet Peter Redgrove (1 ...
(born 1947) British poet, lived in Falmouth since 1970, founded the Falmouth Poetry Group in 1972. * Sebastian Newbold Coe, Baron Coe, CH, KBE, FRIBA (born 1956), referred to as Seb Coe, British politician and former track and field athlete. Won four Olympic medals at the
1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC. * January 9 – ...
and
1984 Summer Olympics The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1984) were an international multi-sport event held from July 28 to August 12, 1984, in Los Angeles, California, United States. It marked the secon ...
. MP for Falmouth and Camborne from 1992-97. Elected president of the
International Association of Athletics Federations World Athletics, formerly known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation (from 1912 to 2001) and International Association of Athletics Federations (from 2001 to 2019, both abbreviated as the IAAF) is the international governing body for ...
in 2015. *
Paul Martin Paul Edgar Philippe Martin (born August 28, 1938), also known as Paul Martin Jr., is a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 21st prime minister of Canada and the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada from 2003 to 2006. The son o ...
(born 1959) antiques dealer, professional drummer, presents BBC antiques programmes including ''
Flog It! ''Flog It!'' is a BBC television series that has been broadcast since 27 May 2002, presented by Paul Martin (although the first five episodes were presented by Mark Harnden). Description The show follows a similar formula to ''Antiques Roadsho ...
'', attended Falmouth Grammar School. * Zapoppin' (formed 2007 in Falmouth) are an alternative folk and skiffle band, noted by '' Clash'' magazine for their ''"black humour and obtuse lyrical themes"''.


Sport

* Edward Jackett, known as John Jackett, (1878 in Falmouth – 1935) English rugby union player for British Lions and competed in the
1908 Summer Olympics The 1908 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the IV Olympiad and also known as London 1908) were an international multi-sport event held in London, England, United Kingdom, from 27 April to 31 October 1908. The 1908 Games were ori ...
, brother of Richard Jackett * James Trick "Jimmy" Jose (1881–1963) was Cornish rugby union player for Plymouth Albion R.F.C. and Falmouth R.F.C., competed in the
1908 Summer Olympics The 1908 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the IV Olympiad and also known as London 1908) were an international multi-sport event held in London, England, United Kingdom, from 27 April to 31 October 1908. The 1908 Games were ori ...
*
Tony Kellow Tony Kellow (1 May 1952 – 20 February 2011) was an English professional footballer. He played as a forward and made over 400 Football League appearances in the 1970s and 1980s. Early career He was born in Budock Water, a village near Fa ...
, (1952 in Budock Water - 2011) professional footballer, over 400 appearances mainly for
Exeter City FC Exeter City Football Club is a professional association football club based in Exeter, Devon, England. The team play in , the third tier of the English football league system. Known as "the Grecians", the origin of their nickname is subject t ...
* Kevin Miller (born in Falmouth 1969) English retired goalkeeper, played for Barnsley F.C.
Crystal Palace F.C. Crystal Palace Football Club is a professional football club based in Selhurst in the Borough of Croydon, South London, England, who compete in the Premier League, the highest level of English football. Although formally created as a profes ...
Exeter City F.C. Exeter City Football Club is a professional association football club based in Exeter, Devon, England. The team play in , the third tier of the English football league system. Known as "the Grecians", the origin of their nickname is subject to ...
and
Watford Watford () is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, 15 miles northwest of Central London, on the River Colne. Initially a small market town, the Grand Junction Canal encouraged the construction of paper-making mills, print works, a ...
*
Matthew Etherington Matthew Etherington (born 14 August 1981) is an English professional football manager and former player who was most recently the manager of club Crawley Town. As a player, Etherington played as a winger, most notably in the Premier League for ...
(born 1981 in Truro) footballer played for Falmouth Town under 14s and then for
Peterborough United F.C. Peterborough United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England. The team compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Peterborough have a long-standin ...
Tottenham Hotspur F.C. Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as Tottenham () or Spurs, is a professional football club based in Tottenham, London, England. It competes in the Premier League, the top flight of English football. The team has playe ...
West Ham West Ham is an area in East London, located east of Charing Cross in the west of the modern London Borough of Newham. The area, which lies immediately to the north of the River Thames and east of the River Lea, was originally an ancien ...
and
Stoke Stoke is a common place name in the United Kingdom. Stoke may refer to: Places United Kingdom The largest city called Stoke is Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire. See below. Berkshire * Stoke Row, Berkshire Bristol * Stoke Bishop * Stok ...
* Jamie Robert Day (born 1986 in Falmouth) English former footballer who mainly played for
Peterborough United F.C. Peterborough United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England. The team compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Peterborough have a long-standin ...
, and Rushden & Diamonds F.C.


Landmarks

File:Admiralty House Falmouth.JPG, Admiralty House, Arwenack Street File:All Saints Church Falmouth 1.JPG, All Saints Church, Killigrew Street File:St Mary Immaculate Church Falmouth.JPG, Roman Catholic Church of St Mary Immaculate, Killigrew Street and Kimberley Place File:Central Methodist Church Falmouth.JPG, Central Methodist Church File:Constabulary Falmouth.JPG, Old Constabulary File:Old Drill Hall Falmouth.JPG, Old Drill Hall, Brook Street, prior to its conversion to the Phoenix Cinema File:StMichaelPenwerris.JPG, St Michael and All Angels Church, North Parade, Penwerris


Twinning

Falmouth is twinned with
Douarnenez Douarnenez (, ; meaning ''douar'' (land) ''an enez'' (the island) or land of the island), is a commune in the French department of Finistère, region of Brittany, northwestern France. It is located at the mouth of the Pouldavid River, an estuary ...
in
Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, Historical region, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known ...
, France and
Rotenburg an der Wümme Rotenburg an der Wümme (also known as ''Rotenburg (Wümme)''; ''Rotenburg in Hannover'' until May 1969; Northern Low Saxon: ''Rodenborg'') is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Rotenburg. Geography Rotenburg ...
, in
Lower Saxony Lower Saxony (german: Niedersachsen ; nds, Neddersassen; stq, Läichsaksen) is a German state (') in northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ...
, Germany.


See also

*
Falmouth, Jamaica Falmouth ( jam, Falmot) is the chief town and capital of the parish of Trelawny in Jamaica. It is situated on Jamaica's north coast 18 miles east of Montego Bay. It is noted for being one of the Caribbean's best-preserved Georgian towns. The t ...
*
List of topics related to Cornwall The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Cornwall: Cornwall – ceremonial county and unitary authority area of England within the United Kingdom. Cornwall is a peninsula bordered to the north and wes ...
*
All Saints' Church, Falmouth All Saints' Church, Falmouth is a parish church in the Church of England Diocese of Truro located in Falmouth, Cornwall, United Kingdom. History The foundation stone was laid by Albert, Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall (later Edward VII) i ...
*
St. Michael and All Angels Church, Penwerris St Michael and All Angels Church, Penwerris is a parish church of the Church of England located in Penwerris, near Falmouth, Cornwall. The church is Anglo-Catholic and under the care of the Bishop of Ebbsfleet rather than the diocesan bishop. ...
* Falmouth Synagogue * Cornish and Breton twin towns


Further reading

* Symons, Alan (1994). Falmouth's Wartime Memories. Arwenack Press. * Whetter, James (2003). The History of Falmouth. Lyfrow Trelyspen.


References


External links

*
Official Website for Falmouth

Falmouth Town Council

Falmouth tide times


at the
Cornwall Record Office Kresen Kernow (Cornish language, Cornish for Cornwall Centre) in Redruth, United Kingdom is Cornwall's archive centre, home to the world's biggest collection of archive and library material related to Cornwall. Funded by the National Lottery Her ...

GENUKI article on Falmouth
{{Authority control Civil parishes in Cornwall Cornish Killas Ports and harbours of Cornwall Ports and harbours of the English Channel Port cities and towns in South West England Populated coastal places in Cornwall Seaside resorts in Cornwall Towns in Cornwall