An islet called St Clement's Isle lies about 350 metres (380 yd) offshore from the harbour entrance.

[3] Records show that pilchards were exported to France as early as 1302, and in the late 18th century there were five seines and 55 boats based in the harbour.

[8] Mousehole, like many communities in Mount's Bay, fell within the authority of the Manor of Alverton; all early charters, fairs etc.

[citation needed] Mousehole, like Penzance, Newlyn and Paul, was attacked in the 1595 raid on Mount's Bay by Spaniard Carlos de Amésquita, the only surviving building being the 'Keigwin Arms', a local pub.

[11] The village's harbourside was once the location of the Lobster Pot guest house, in which Dylan Thomas and Caitlin Macnamara spent their honeymoon after marrying at Penzance register office.

This festival is the inspiration behind the book The Mousehole Cat by Antonia Barber and the associated television productions.

[18] Penzance Municipal Borough was itself abolished in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, and Mousehole became part of the new Penwith District.

Dolly Pentreath, popularly known as the last recorded speaker of Cornish, is often reported as being from Mousehole and as having a memorial in the village.

[citation needed] A year after Dolly Pentreath died in 1777, Daines Barrington received a letter, written in Cornish and accompanied by an English translation, from a fisherman in Mousehole named William Bodinar stating that he knew of five people who could speak Cornish in that village alone.

[20] John Keigwin (1641–1716), a scholar in the Cornish language,[21] William Carvosso (1750–1834), the Methodist,[22] and Joseph Trewavas VC CGM (14 December 1835 – 20 July 1905) were also born in Mousehole.

[23] Admiral of the fleet Sir Caspar John GCB (1903–1984) lived in Mousehole in retirement.