October 25th Richard Lomax (Death)
     

 

Until the 19th century, Newquay was a typical small fishing town reliant on the pilchards industry.  There had been a short quay since the 14th century which had been repeatedly repaired and slightly extended but it was seriously damaged during the 1439 storms and replaced with a larger quay in an area then known as Tewen Blustery.  This sufficed until the early 19th century when the pilchards industry went into decline and the port increasingly became used for the export of tin, lead and china clay as well as for fishing.

A Lambeth entrepreneur, Richard Lomax, Squire Lomax of the manor of Towan Blistra (having bought his Lordship of the Manor in St. Columb Major) decided to build a larger, three acre, harbour which was needed for the new, larger cargo vessels travelling to and from South Wales and he employed a local architect, John Ennor, to create an enclosed harbour.

 Until then boats had been pulled up the beaches at high tide so that at low water they could be loaded and unloaded by carts pulled up alongside.  Lomax died on this day in 1836 and never saw his plans come to fruition, The manor and harbour were bought by Joseph Treffry (January 29th) who built a tramway to enable china clay and mineral ore to be transported by rail using horse drawn carts all the way from Fowey and from the harbour he had built at Par.  This route was cheaper and safer than navigating around the Lands End.

 

 

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