More about Plymouth - slightly more obscure Quiz

Answer: Isambard Kingdom Brunel

Brunel's bridge, known as the Royal Albert Bridge, was built in 1859 and still carries the mainline across from Plymouth to Cornwall. He was also the engineer of the Great Western Railway and constructed all the tunnels, bridges and viaducts on the line as well as designing revolutionary ships and bridges elsewhere.

Answer: Tin Mining

The Stannary towns were established in the early 14th century, at a time when there was an enormous tin mining industry in the South West. They were active until the 19th century, when the tin mining industry began to decline. All tin had to be brought to the Stannary to be taxed and assessed.

There were Stannary towns in Cornwall as well as Devon. The Devon Stannaries were Tavistock, Plympton St Maurice, Ashburton and Chagford.

Answer: Sir Joshua Reynolds

Northcote and Hayden were both born in Plymouth, and though Reynolds is far and away the best known they were all successful and prominent in their day. Reynolds is buried in London, at St Paul's Cathedral. Other well-known artists associated with Plymouth include Beryl Cook and Robert Lenkiewicz who lived and worked in Plymouth for many years, although they were both born elsewhere.

Answer: Robert Falcon Scott

Scott was born in the Devonport area in 1868, and led the ill-fated expedition to the be the first to reach the South Pole, that ended in tragedy in 1912 when he died alongside Oates, Wilson, Bowers and Evans. They were beaten to the Pole by the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen.
Shackleton was Irish and a noted explorer of the Antarctic.
Peary was the American who was first to reach the North Pole.

Answer: Trevor Francis.

Francis was the first Million Pound footballer. Other famous sportsmen from Plymouth include the tennis player Angela Mortimer, diver Tom Daley and swimmer Sharron Davies.

Answer: Lord Palmerston

The forts were known as Palmerston's Follies because they were never called into use for their intended purpose, which was defence against the French. By 1870 the threat had more or less disappeared thanks to the Franco-Prussian war, and the guns and technology were out of date.
There are something like 30 Palmerston forts and batteries around Plymouth, which goes some way to explaining Pevsner's remark. Other forts around the Plymouth area include the Tudor blockhouse at Mount Edgcumbe and the Royal Citadel built on the Hoe at the time of Charles ll.

Answer: Agatha Christie

Christie's books 'Evil Under the Sun' and 'And Then There Were None' were both inspired by Burgh island. Other famous people who have stayed in the hotel include Noel Coward, who came for three days and stayed for three weeks. Churchill was also a visitor, and so were Edward the Prince of Wales and Mrs Simpson. The hotel is now a Grade ll listed building.

Answer: Drakes' Drum

The legend has it that Drakes' Drum will beat when England is in danger. Reference to this is to be found in Sir Henry Newbolt's poem 'Drakes' Drum' which was required reading for children when I was at school. One of the verses reads:

'Drake he was a Devon man who ruled the Devon seas.
(Capten, art tha' sleepin' there below?)
Rovin tho' his death fell, he went wi' heart at ease,
A' dreamin' all the time o' Plymouth Hoe.
''Take my drum to England, hang it by the shore
Strike it when your powder's running low.
If the Dons sight Devon, I'll quit the port o' Heaven
And drum them up the channel as we drumm'd them long ago''.

Answer: He discovered the china clay in Cornwall and founded the English porcelain industry

Cookworthy was born in Kingsbridge, Devon in 1705. He was a Quaker who was a pharmacist by profession, and discovered the china clay deposits in Cornwall. Up until then, English potters had only been able to produce earthenware, but the fine clays of St Austell changed all that, and the foundations of the English china industry were laid.

He started a small factory in 1766. Plymouth City Museum has a large collection of the rare Plymouth porcelain his factory produced.

Answer: Plymouth Argyle

The 'Pilgrims' nickname derives, of course, from Plymouth's association with the Mayflower and the Pilgrim Fathers who set sail on her in 1620 for America. Plymouth Albion is actually a Rugby Football Club. I made the other two up.