Speaking of St. Ives, Leland observes that “most part of the houses in the peninsula be sore oppressid or overcovered with sandes that the stormy windes and rages castith up there. This calamte hath continuid ther litle above 20 yeres.” Again he says, “the best part of the toun now standith in the south part of the Peninsula, toward another hille for defence from the sandes”. Norden describes the haven as much annoyed with sands, and unfit for receiving ships of any burden. “The town and port of St. Ives,” says Carew, “are both of mean plight; yet with their best means (and often to good and necessarie purpose) succouring distressed shipping. Order hath been taken,” he adds, “and attempts made for bettering the road with a peer; but eyther want or slacknesse, or impossibilitie, hitherto withhold the effect: the whiles plentie of fish is here taken and sold verie cheap.” Holinshed has mention of a light-house, and block-house, near St. Ives, to the following effect. On “a little byland cape or peninsula, called Pendinas, the compass not above a mile, standeth a Pharos or light for ships that sail by those coasts in the night. There is also a block-house and a peer on the east side thereof, but the peer is sore choaked with sand, as is the whole coast from St. Ives unto St. Carantokes.” There is still a battery on the eastern side, and the old pharos, which still exists, is used for depositing government stores. Sir Francis Basset, member for this town in the reign of Charles I., gave the Corporation a handsome cup, on which is the following singular inscription: _If any discord ’twixt my friends arise, Within the borough of beloved St. Ives, It is desyned that this my Cup of Love, To evince one a Peace Maker may prove. Then am I blest to have given a legacie So like my harte unto posteritie._ This Sir Francis Basset, (who was of Tehiddy) procured for St. Ives, from King Charles, in the year 1639, its first charter of incorporation; under which the body-corporate consisted of a Mayor, 12 capital Burgesses, and 24 inferior Burgesses: but by the subsequent charter of James II., granted in 1685, the Corporation consists of a Mayor, Recorder, Town clerk, 10 Aldermen, and 12 Common-council-men. Four of these are Justices of the Peace, and hold a Sessions. It appears that before the incorporation, the chief officer of this town was called the Mayor or Portreeve; and it is said that one Payne, who held that office in the reign of Edward VI., was executed by order of Sir Anthony Kingston, for being concerned in Arundell’s rebellion.[30] The Borough has sent members to Parliament ever since the reign of Philip and Mary. The Rev. _Jonathan Touss_, the learned annotator on Sudidas, and editor of Longinus, was born at St. Ives, and died at the age of 72, in the year 1785, after being 34 years rector of St. Martin’s, near Looe.