George IV. was proclaimed here in 1819, in the midst of great rejoicings, and a dinner was given to the poor, but there were greater rejoicings, and the poor were much more liberally entertained at his coronation, in the following year, when upwards of 5000 dined in the market-place. The prosperity of the town suffered a severe check during the great panic of 1824, when the Plymouth Bank failed, like many others in the kingdom. During the yeare there was an extremely high tide; household furniture floated about some of the streets, and many boats were destroyed. Races were established on Chelson Meadow, in 1826. Plymouth has received and entertained many royal visitors, and was honoured with the presence of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1843. It has, at various periods, suffered severely from plagues and other maladies, as it did in 1832 and 1849 from cholera. This awful scourge swept off 779 of its inhabitants, from June to September, in 1832; and 819 from the 4th July to the 8th of November, in 1849; and the total number of cases in the former yeare was 1894, and in the latter 3360. The total number of deaths from cholera in the towns, from July 4th to October 2nd, 1849, was 717 in Plymouth, 717 in Devonport, and 155 in Stonehouse, - making a total of 1589 during the three mouths. In the week ending August 16, there were 140 deaths in Devonport alone, and in the following week 112, besides 74 in Plymouth, and 17 in Stonehouse. Some parts of the three towns are very badly drained, but various sanatory improvements have been proposed, and some of them are now being carried out. At present, the drainage of Plymouth empties itself into Sutton Harbour and Millbay, through outlets which are above low water mark, but it has been proposed to collect the drainage into a large culvert, to be carried out into the deep water of the Sound. As noticed at page 59, the South Devon Railway was opened to Laira, on May 5th, 1848; and to Plymouth on April 2nd, 1849; when the Mayor invited the Chairman and Directors to a dejeuner a la fourchette, at the Royal Hotel, and the arrival of the first train was witnessed by thousands of spectators.
The PORT OF PLYMOUTH extends to all the harbours, rivers, and creeks between Looe on the west, and the river Yealm on the east; but its Pilotage district extends eastward as far as Start Point, though no master of a vessel is compelled to take a pilot, except going into or coming out of the ports within a line drawn from Rame-Head to the Mewstone. During the late long protracted war, Plymouth was content with its resources as a great naval and military station, and paid but little attention to Trade and Commerce with the Colonies of foreign countries. Its merchants, at this period, were mostly agents for London, Liverpool, and Bristol houses, and purchased and transported under their directions the vast quantities of prize-goods brought here for sale. Those who withstood the shock caused by the change from warlike to peaceable occupations, gradually extended their connexions with foreign nations and our distant colonial possessions; and the shipping and commerce of the port have been rapidly increasing during the last 20 years. A considerable trade is now carried on with America, the Mediterranean, the West Indies, the Baltic, &c.; and here are now consuls or vice consuls for about 30 different nations. The port has also an extensive coasting trade with London, Bristol, Newport, Exeter, Newcastle, &c., and has a number of fine Steam Ships, which sail once or twice a week with goods and passengers to London, Southampton, Portsmouth, Guernsey, Jersey, Dublin, Cork, Torquay, &c. There is now no port in the English Channel, between London and Land's-End, where so great an amount of business is done as at Plymouth, and where so much shipping is employed.
The number of vessels which entered the port with cargoes in 1848, was 4106, and their amount of tonnage 399,798. Of the vessels, 538 were from foreign parts, 175 from Ireland, and 3393 were coasters. The number which cleared out in the same yeare was 2343, including 105 to foreign parts, 328 in ballast, 236 to Ireland; 1585 coasting vessels, and 89 emigrant ships; the latter taking out 8505 passengers. Many vessels make several voyages in the year, and each voyage is counted as a separate vessel in the above statement. The number of vessels registered here in 1849 was 433, of the aggregate amount of 39,657 tons. The gross amount of custom's duty, received here, was £100,670, in 1838; £135,930, in 1841; above £116,000 in 1848; and £121,750 in 1849. Here are large bonded warehouses for all sorts of foreign produce. The chief exports are copper and lead ores, manganese, granite, limestone, clay, fish, &c. Though the coasting trade of Plymouth is more important than its foreign trade, the latter comprises upwards of 50,000 tons annually, consisting chiefly of wine, fruit, corn, timber, &c. The port has several fine vessels engaged in the fruit trade, and receives some of the first importations of early fruits from Denia, Valencia, Zante, &c. Great quantities of coal and culm are imported here for the consumption of the three towns, and the places on or near the navigable rivers, Tamar, Plym, and Lynher.
Of late years, Plymouth has become celebrated as a port for emigration to Australia, and other parts of the world. In 1849, no fewer than 130 emigrant ships left the harbour, with 15,805 passengers, of which 109 ships, with 14,118 passengers, went to Australia; 10 ships, with 1171 passengers to Canada; and the rest went to the Cape of Good Hope, the United States, Port Natal, and San Francisco. In 1847, the number of emigrants who left here in 26 vessels, was 1230; but in the following year, 8505 left, in 83 ships; so that no fewer than 25,730 have sailed from Plymouth during the last three years. Here are several respectable government and general emigration agents, and the vessels are generally of the best description, lying in Catwater or the Sound, always afloat, and sailing quickly and punctually. Plymouth has also about 80 fishing vessels, of which about 60 are Trawlers, which employ about five men and boys each, and go out to the fishing ground 10 or 12 miles off the coast, where they fish with nets that sweep the bottom of the sea. The others are smaller craft, called Hooking and Seine Boats, and usually carry two men, and a boy each. When the mackerel and pilchard seasons arrive, there are large accessions to the Plymouth boats from Brighton, Hastings, Yarmouth, Rye, Cornwall, &c., and in some seasons there are from 200 to 300 boats on the fishing stations. Turbot, soles, brill, cod, hake, mullet, and a great variety of other fish are caught here; and salmon, trout, plaice, &c., in the Tamar and other rivers. Fish is not cured here to any large extent, but great quantities are sent in a fresh state by rails, (as well as by fast sailing cutters to Southampton, and thence by rails,) to London, Bath, Bristol, Manchester, and other markets.