When was the Humphry Davy statue in Penzance erected?
Sir Humphry Davy was born in this town in 1778, and died in 1829: a fine marble statue of the great philosopher, chemist, and author was erected in 1872, at a cost of above £600, in front of the Old Town hall, not far from the site of his birthplace, the sculptors being Messrs. Wills, of Euston road, London: the statue, which is 8 feet 8 inches high from the pedestal, is designed after Sir Thomas Lawrence’s portrait, painted for the Royal Society, and now at Burlington House, and represents Sir Humphry in the well-known costume of the portrait, with the right hand resting on a safety-lamp: the pedestal, about 10 feet high, is formed of the finest blue Lamorna granite.
