Penzance Water Fountain

Hannah Bennett's Drinking Fountain

This is situated on the Chynadour Cliff road about one mile from the town centre. The road is quite busy. The water fountain is in quite a poor state of repair. The right hand column is missing - as is the actual tap or dispenser on the top section. There is a large crack on the left and the main bowl has a large chip out of it. The front is a a marble face about an inch thick. This is neither clean or in a good state.

The Water fountain is between the two cars. The wall has been set back and the fountain is in its own bay. This photograph has been taken from a milestone set in the wall on the righthand side of the road. This looks over the harbour to the town of Penzance proper. Behind the fountain the wall drops 50 feet to the railway below.

With St Michael's Mount in the background

 The inscription reads

I MEMORY 

OF

HANNAH BENNETT

ERECTED BY

HER CHILDREN

1886

The Lower inscription reads:

"HE PRAYEST BEST WHO LOVETH BEST,

ALL THINGS GOTH GREAT AND SMALL

FOR THE DEAR GOD, WHO LOVETH US,

HE MADE AND LOVETH ALL"

Quite an odd inscription

View from the left. This is the end of the line!

If you look at the bottom of the fountain, just above the bottom bowl is the name of the stone mason who made the fountain.


 A search of Angwin Stonemason reveals quite a few entries, but the excerpt below from Joan Taber seems to be the most comprehensive. Angwin does seem to be a Cornish name.


 This is a list of entries from http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~stonemen/. This has a phenomenal amount of information, much of which is of concern to me. The list is compiled by Joan Taber - I will be contacting her for permission to use the extract on her site. It is difficult work out which Angwin may have built the water fountain. Possibly more than one.

"ANGWIN, Richard, b.1837 St.Buryan-Con, Sculptor, Stone & Marble Mason, address 1864: 53 Causewayhead, Penzance-Con, 1871: Falmouth-Con, 1881: 57 Causeway Head, Penzance-Con, 1883: 62 Causeway Head, Penzance-Con, 1891: 57 Causeway Head, Penzance-Con, 1893: 62 Causeway Head, Penzance-Con, 1910: 62 Causeway Head, Penzance-Con.

ANGWIN, Richard, b.1822 St.Just inPenwith-Con, Mason, address 1861: North Row, St.Just inPenwith-Con.

ANGWIN, Richard, b.1856 St.Buryan-Con, Stone Mason, address 1871: St.Buryan-Con, 1881: Church Town, St.Buryan-Con.

ANGWIN, Richard Joseph, b.1871 Falmouth-Con, Apprentice Marble Mason, address 1881: 57 Causeway Head, Penzance-Con, 1891: 57 Causeway Head, Penzance-Con.

ANGWIN, William, b.1851 St.Buryan-Con, Granite Quarrier, address 1881: Church Town, St.Buryan-Con. ANGWIN, William, b.1851-1853 Paul-Con, Mason, address 1887: Trewithel, Paul-Con, 1891: Jamaica Place, Madron-Con."

Hopefully this is listed - It needs to be if it is going to survive - clearly this water fountain may not survive much longer without remedial care.Opposite to the water fountain is a Milestone or Boundary stone. This is shown at this link.