FOWEY and take away their ships. Doubtless the Devon men had some neighbourly spites to gratity; but even they must have felt that this was striking below the belt. The naval glory of Fowey never recovered this cruel blow, struck by an English king; but the spirit of the place was not quenched. In the reign of Henry VIII. its folk erected St. Catherine's Fort to guard their homes — now a fine old ruin. During the Civil War the town was taken by Essex, but the king's men soon regained possession, taking 6000 prisoners, and holding the place for a year and a half longer. In 1666 the Dutch chased our Virginian fleet of merchant- men into Fowey Harbour, and essayed to follow and destroy them. The plucky little Fowey forts had something to say in the matter, and so belaboured the great Dutch frigate of seventy guns which tried to force them, that it was glad to escape with little glory and no capture. Fowey was created a borough by Elizabeth, returning two members ; it was disfranchised at the great redistribution. A good deal of the beautiful church, the N. aisle especially, probably dates from 1336, when the building was re- erected; but the fine tower, 100 ft., is fifteenth century. The groundwork of the church has settled, causing a slope. There are monuments of the Treffrys — one erected by John TrefFry during his own lifetime, in the S. aisle. The S. porch doorways are late Norm, in appearance if not in date. Place House, restored by the late J. T. 107
