In 1832 the St. Ives Corporation erected a new Market House and Town Hall to replace the previous building which had stood close to the Parish Church from 1490.

The architects of the new building were James Harvey, Edward Harvey and Alexander Berriman, of Penzance, and its cost came to £840, of which sum £100 was donated by Mr. James Halse, M.P.

The architects had a very cramped and difficult site with which to contend. The Market Place of 1832 was a very constricted area, the buildings on the south side (which have since been removed or set further back) pressing forward more into the street than is the case today. The edifice is of rectangular design, with rounded corners to facilitate the passage of traffic. It is constructed of brown granite, one of the stones on the western side being inscribed with the date “1832.” The Market itself occupied the whole of the ground floor; access to the Town Hall above being by a doorway on the north of the building. Originally, a flight of twisting stairs led to the upper floor; but these were replaced by the present steep straight staircase when the Market House was converted into the present shops.

On the landing, at the top, on the west side, were two cells for keeping prisoners, the building also serving the town gaol and police station. Each cell had a small window facing the landing, barred with iron on the inside. To the east of the landing was a committee room; whilst the remainder of the upper floor was occupied by the Town Hall itself.

Many a hardened smuggler were brought to trial in the old courtroom; the leaders of political and other riots have been sentenced here; and it has witnessed, too, some very humorous scenes when several of the celebrated St. Ives characters of a bygone day were brought here on charges of drunkness, disorderly conduct, and the like. The Hall was used also for Council meetings, and for public assemblies of all kinds, including political meetings, many of which were of a lively and tumultuous character.

The roof of the building is surmounted by a small belfry. The bell which it houses was used to summon Councilors to meetings in the Town Hall, and also to call out the Fire Brigade leading to some confusion in the town!

It is interesting to note that when gas lighting was introduced into St. Ives in 1835, the Market House and Wesleyan Chapel were the first two public buildings here to adopt the new mode of illumination.

It was normally the practice for the Corporation to farm out the collection of the fair and market tolls to the highest bidder (or syndicate of bidders) at a public auction. Following the completion of the new Market House, William Bazely (the Mayor) and Corporation let these tolls, on November 2^nd, 1832, to Nathaniel Quick, mason, and George Wasley, labourer, for one year, for a sum of £168. This represented, for those times a very considerable sum; and shows how popular was the method of selling goods in the market, rather than in private shops.

As originally designed, the Market House consisted of one large hall, entered by three doors on the north, south and east respectively. The different stalls, or standings, which filled the interior, were separated from one another by thin lattice screens. The names of a few of those traders who kept stalls in the market around seventy years ago are still remembered, and include Mr. James Penberthy, Mr. Isaac Pearce, Mr. William Pearce, Mr. Baragwanath, and Mr. Olds-all butchers.

It was stipulated that the takers “shall not keep open the said Market House and market for the purpose of Sale later than half past 10 o’clock at night between Lady Day and Michaelmas Day nor later that Ten during the remainder of the year.”

Source: Article by Cryil Noal in The St. Ives Times and Echo 1959