The History of St. Ives

In the 5th Century AD the Irish Saint Ia arrived in Cornwall, and St Ives in believed to have first become a settlement at this time. The parish church still bears Saint Ia's name and it is strongly believed that the name St. Ives derives from an adaptation of "Saint Ia".

During thr Prayer Book rebellion in 1549,The English Provost Marshal came to St Ives and tricked the mayor of the town to his death. He invited the John Payne, the mayor of the town to join him for lunch at an inn. During this meeting the mayor was asked to erect gallows in the town.

Shortly afterwards the pair walked to the new gallows,and the Provost Marshall then ordered the mayor to mount the gallows where he was then hanged for being a Roman Catholic.

The St. Ives we know today grew when the rail network reached the town in 1877, and with the influx of Victorian tourists, became a well loved seaside resort.

A huge amount of the towns buildings were built during the latter part of the 19th century and the railway, which winds along the cliffs and bays, now a tourist attraction in itself, survived the Beeching axe.

Today, St. Ives is still a hugely popular tourist attractions with an array of shops, activities and attractions for vistors and locals alike.

Further Reading

To find out more about St. Ives and its history, we recommend looking through the selection of books available about the settlement. Links to buy books securely online are provided, but you may also be able to find them in the many shops in St. Ives itself, such as those in the retail category of our directory.