Penzance is the most westerly major town in Cornwall and situated in the Penwith district. The name Penzance means ‘holy headland’ from the Cornish Pensans, probably because the chapel of St Mary, first mentioned in 1327, which was built on the headland to the west of the town. However, the parish church of Penzance was originally at Madron but the growth of the town in the 19th century resulted in the church of St Mary’s being consecrated in 1836. With its close links to Madron parish, the records of Grenfell Baptisms 1732-1868 cover both parishes.

A plaque commemorating the burial of Pascoe Grenfell d.1810 can be found in St Mary’s, Penzance.

Further information can be found on the Penzance page of the Cornwall Online Parish Clerks website and the Genuki page dedicated to Penzance.