Court, near the church, is the old nest of the Grylls family, a picturesque mansion containing much of interest. It is in such a ruinous condition that it will have to be largely rebuilt, but the owner, Mr. T. H. Spry, purposes doing this in a thoroughly conservative spirit. The house contains one very handsome room with rich carved oak panelling.
Note.—Books to be consulted on Looe and Polperro:—
Bond (T.), Topographical and Historical Sketches of East and West Looe. London, 1823.
Couch (T. Q.), The History of Polperro. Truro, 1871.
CHAPTER XIII.
FOWEY
Derivation of the name Fowey—The Fowey river—Lostwithiel—A rotten borough—Old Stannary Court—S. Winnow—His Settlement in Brittany—Beating the bounds—Golant—S. Samson—Dol—Tower of Fowey—Place—S. Finbar—The “Lugger Inn”—Polruan—The Mohun family—Death of Lord Mohun—The Rashleigh family—Sale of the borough.
Although pronounced Foye, the name of the place is spelled Fowey; it takes its appellation from the river. Mr. Ferguson, in his River Names of Europe, derives this from the Gaelic fuair, sound, faoi, a rising stream, and instances the Foyers in Inverness, and the Gaur in Perthshire, for fuair takes also the form gaoir, signifying din, and the Foyers is noted as forming one of the finest falls in Britain. But this won’t do. The Foye is the meekest, quietest, and most unbrawling of rivers. The name is identical with that of the Fal, but the l has been dropped, and both derive from falbh, running, waving, flowing.
