I AM amused by the news that Penryn Town Council are considering whether to take over the Penryn library, following the Cornwall Council abandoning its responsibilities to those that live here.

I wonder whether this is a sign of a guilty conscious on behalf of the town council? In 1895 Passmore Edwards sent an offer to all of the major towns in Cornwall, offering to build them a library provided that the town authorities adopted the Free Library Act and promised to maintain it from a penny rate. 

When Lord Mount Edgcumbe wrote to Penryn Town Council the council met to discuss Passmore Edwards’ offer and this was reported in the Falmouth Packet. The product of a 1d rate within the town was at that time only £30 and though they considered this insufficient to maintain a public library they agreed to hold a public meeting.

By August, seven months after the offer had been received, the matter was raised at the quarterly meeting of the council and the mayor admitted that he and the town clerk had been nominated to meet Passmore Edwards to discuss their difficulties but had failed to do anything about the matter, saying that everyone was well aware that the town could not afford to maintain such an institution.

The clerk added that it was difficult to meet with Edwards. One of the councillors, Mr Curgenven, said that Penryn had acted discourteously towards Passmore Edwards by not even responding.

It would no doubt cost a bit more than £30 to keep the library open but it is good to see Penryn finally stepping up to the plate.

Dean Evans,
Trenoweth Road