Mousehole (Cornish: Porthynys) is a village and fishing port near Newlyn in Cornwall, United Kingdom, reputed to have one of the most beautiful harbours in the country. Mousehole is currently within the parish boundaries of the town of Penzance. Offshore from Mousehole is an islet called St Clement's Isle.
History
Mousehole, along with Marazion, was until the 16th century one of the principal ports of Mount's Bay. Before its decline as a major commercial centre, Mousehole also had a number of fairs and markets, including the charter for a market on Tuesdays, with a fair for three days at the festival of St Barnabas, granted to Henry de Tyes in 1292. Mousehole, like many communities in Mount's Bay, fell within the authority of the Manor of Alverton; all early charters, fairs etc. associated with Mousehole are associated with this manorial estate. Mousehole, like Penzance, Newlyn, and Paul, was destroyed in the 1595 Spanish raid on Mount's Bay, the only surviving building being the 'Keigwin Arms', a local pub. Outside the Keigwin Arms (now a private residence) is a plaque with the wording "Squire Jenkyn Keigwin was killed here 23rd July 1595 defending this house against the Spaniards". Dolly Pentreath, who is often accorded the status of last native speaker of the Cornish language, is often listed as coming from Mousehole. There is in fact a small memorial to her in Mousehole itself, although a larger one exists in the nearby parish of Paul, which is historically the mother church and mother community of Mousehole.
Penwith is believed to be the last part of Cornwall to speak Cornish as a community language. Dolly Pentreath, the last recorded speaker (but arguably not the very last) came from Paul in Penwith. A year following the death of Dolly Pentreath, Barrington received a letter, written in Cornish and accompanied by an English translation, from a fisherman in Mousehole named William Bodinar stating that he knew of five people who could speak Cornish in that village alone. Barrington also speaks of a John Nancarrow from Marazion who was a native speaker and survived into the 1790s.
Recent Times
A traumatic and defining event in the recent history of the village was the Penlee lifeboat disaster of December 19, 1981, in which the lifeboat and its entire crew of 8, all based in Mousehole, were lost during an attempted rescue in hurricane-force winds.
Since then, Mousehole has seen a decline in resident population and a corresponding increase in second home ownership. The village’s historic harbourside hotel, The Lobster Pot – in the 1930’s a guest house run by Wyn Henderson, friend to poet Dylan Thomas - was recently converted into luxury flats. It was in the Lobster Pot in 1938 that Dylan Thomas spent his honeymoon, after marrying Caitlin MacNamara at Penzance registry office. Mousehole is often considered to be Llareggub in Under Milk Wood[citation needed].
Mousehole hosts a vibrant variety of festivals and community activities. It is known for its Christmas illuminations, created each year to raise money for charity. Since 1981, every December 19 the lights have been turned off in memory of the victims of the lifeboat disaster. Tom Bawcocks Eve is a unique celebration held on December 23 each year to celebrate the ending of a famine in the 16th century by local resident Tom Bawcock. This festival is the inspiration behind the book The Mousehole Cat by Antonia Barber and the associated television productions. This festival is also the origin of 'Star Gazey Pie', a mixed fish, egg and potato pie with fish heads protruding through the pastry. Mousehole also holds a small maritime festival every two years called 'Sea, Salt and Sail'
