History
Sir Christopher Hawkins was the first man recorded as owning the land on which Pasco's Boatyard stands. The son of a line of wealthy landowners from nearby Grampound, Sir Christopher built churches and schools and railways and owned lead and copper and silver mines all over Cornwall.
There was a local saying about him:
"Large House, no beer,
Large Park, no deer,
Sir Christopher Hawkins lives here."
But although he spent his life as a bachelor, it was a combination of his philanthropy and ambition which led to the establishment of businesses like Pascos.
The Pasco family were Cornish, from a line traceable back to 1560 in Camborne, West Cornwall, reaching St Just in Roseland in 1711 when Matthew Pasco moved to the village to marry Olivia Hocking. Their son William then married Grace Lucas, and in 1781, their son Matthew married Ursula Hocking. In turn, their son Andrew Hocking Pasco was born in July 1785. According to the Trewithen Estate records, the Pascos had been living at the property now known as Lanzeague, leased from Sir Christopher along with, in 1771,
"a plot ab. 1/4 acre, pt. of Lansage [sic] and the Bar..with liberty to build Fish Cellars, etc."
This lease was granted to William Pasco, who was a shipwright, and probably a part-time oyster fisherman too. The name WIlliam Pasco crops up repeatedly in PBY's history. Not only was he Andrew Hocking Pasco's grandfather, but the latter named his son after him. Born in 1820, William was a fisherman, but retained control of the lease from Trewithen - he in turn had a son called William, who in turn had a son called Fred.
And Fred Pasco is the most well known Pasco, partly thanks to recollections of him during his lifetime from 1880 to 1960.
Fred Pasco appears on the right of this picture taken in 1950. The other two are Jim Benney on the left, and an unknown customer.
Chronology:
1711 First Pasco (Matthew) moves to St Just in Roseland, and marries
1715 Philip Hawkins, a wealthy attorney, buys Trewithen Estate
1771 First lease signed by the Pascos with Sir Christopher Hawkins for usage of the Bar -
Hawkins, though heir to a large estate, was still a minor.
1785 First recorded shipwright in Pasco family (Andrew) is born in St Just.
The family have 12 children.
1829 Eleventh child of Andrew Pasco (Anthony) emigrates to Australia to start his
own business.
1871 C.H.T. Hawkins of Trewithen buys the foreshore at St Just from the
Duchy of Cornwall for £102.
1895 Fred Pasco, son of William, leasee of a fishing and boat repair business
at St Just, joins his father's firm, aged 15.
1915 William Pasco dies; Fred takes over.
1926 Norman Benney joins Pasco & Son, Launchbuilders.
1951 Fred Pasco retires; Norman Benney negotiates 21 year lease
(at £50 per annum) with Trewithen.
1960 Fred Pasco dies.
1972 Norman Benney retires; Jim Benney (his son) takes on the new lease
(at £500 per annum).
2000 Norman Benney dies. Jim Benney retires. Julian Davy takes over the yard.
