VISITOR INFORMATION

Notable People

Two of Truro's most famous sons were Richard and John Lander. Richard Lander was born in 1804 and his brother John in 1807 at the 'Fighting Cocks Inn'. At the age of 9 Richard Lander walked to London and aged 11 sailed to the West Indies on a merchant ship. In 1818 he returned to England and lived as a servant with wealthy families and travelled with them to Europe. In 1830 he went on a government expedition to discover the source of the River Niger in Africa. Unfortunately on his third trip to the continent in 1834 Richard was injured and died. He was awarded the first gold medal of the Royal Geographical society in 1832. A statue commemorating the Lander brothers (pictured right) is at the top of Lemon Street. It was sculpted in 1852 by Neville Northey Burnard.

Boscawen Street was named after Admiral Edward Boscawen, Lord Falmouth's younger son, born in 1711. He had a distinguished naval career and was given the nickname 'Old Dreadnought' in 1744. It is said he once stopped his ship from sinking by plugging a leak with his wig!