A Dive Into a Political Past
The village of Mitchell may not be one of Cornwall’s most well-known destinations – but, regardless, it boasts of a full history featuring some prominent English figures over the past five centuries.
Among them, and perhaps one of the most famous within the pub’s dedicated history, is the story of Sir Walter Rayleigh. It’s said that Sir Rayleigh, an English adventurer, writer and nobleman (1552 – 1618), was once chased out of the village by The Plume’s very own landlady; which isn’t at all impossible considering the MP, who represented the borough of Mitchell in 1593, once owned a house in Mitchell (which you can still see in the village today!).
At this time, the area was also dubbed a ‘Rotten Borough‘ – which meant that, despite having few voters, the residents could elect an MP, making them susceptible to control in a variety of ways, as candidates were able to ‘buy’ the borough.
And Sir Raleigh wasn’t alone in this tactic; another notable figure, Sir Arthur Wellesley (1769 – 1852), the first Duke of Wellington, would also become MP almost 200 years later (1807) in this way. Again, visitors and locals alike can still see his house in the village, which can be identified by a plaque.
Politicians weren’t the only guests to Mitchell, though. Two other famous names would come to the village during the 18th Century. Methodists John and Charles Wesley are widely credited with founding the Methodist Movement and bringing it to Cornwall, and their journey to the county to preach the Gospel famously included a stop here. In fact, it’s said John Wesley preached out of the front bay window to the crowds below!