Here are three Cornish surnames. Their early distributions, clustered in one district, is the classic sign of a toponym, a surname that has its origin in a specific placename. But things may be more complicated than they seem. Benallack is a placename that turns up in three Cornish parishes. It comes from the Cornish word … Continue reading Three obviously Cornish toponyms. Or are they?
Cornwall, the G7 Summit and stereotyping
The news that Cornwall will be hosting this year's G7 Summit (pesky viruses permitting) opens up all sorts of opportunities to ‘showcase the Cornwall brand’. Swarms of journalists will descend from across the globe eager for copy. But will all they devour be the same stale old imagery of Cornwall as just a tourist destination? … Continue reading Cornwall, the G7 Summit and stereotyping
The railway and Cornish identity
Last week I summarised an article which called for the Church of England to take account of regional identities and specifically the Cornish identity. This week I review another article which takes as its subject the Cornish identity. This one assesses the ways in which the railway has contributed to that identity. (For a more … Continue reading The railway and Cornish identity
Maps and theories
Sometimes the surname dictionaries assure us that two similarly spelt names have entirely different origins. The older approach was based on seeking the earliest form of the name and then interpreting its meaning by reference to the languages of the time. This copied the methods of placename studies. However, sometimes the fluidity of surname spellings … Continue reading Maps and theories
The Wheal Owles disaster of 1893
Early in the morning of January 10th, 1893, young Johnny Grenfell left his cottage at Tregeseal just north of St Just, to walk up the hill towards the sea and his work at Wheal Owles. He must have been day-dreaming that morning as, on his arrival, he realised he’d left some of his underground clothes … Continue reading The Wheal Owles disaster of 1893
Delabole slate quarry
It used to be said with some pride that Delabole slate quarry was so big it could be seen from space. Nowadays, given the state of satellite surveillance technology, that’s not saying much. But it’s still a big hole in the ground by any standards – the largest open work in a region where open … Continue reading Delabole slate quarry
Patronyms and the Cornish language
Does the presence of patronymic surnames (surnames derived from first names) tell us anything about the last days of the traditional Cornish language? I have argued elsewhere that the distribution of the most common surnames in nineteenth century Cornwall – Williams, Thomas and Richards – offers a good indication of the geography of the language … Continue reading Patronyms and the Cornish language
‘Transforming mission’ or transforming Cornwall? The Church of England and Cornwall
A recent academic article raises the case of the Church of England’s ‘resource church model’. This mission scheme has been rolled out in many parishes across England and Cornwall, but not without some internal criticism and debate. One criticism is that it tends to ignore people’s sense of place. In an article reviewed in more … Continue reading ‘Transforming mission’ or transforming Cornwall? The Church of England and Cornwall
New Year – all quiet
In the nineteenth century the new year in Cornwall was as quiet as it was this year. Our forebears did little, if anything, to celebrate the new year, which was a working day like every other. The Royal Cornwall Gazette’s brief reports of the new year period in 1860/61 indicate little out of the ordinary. … Continue reading New Year – all quiet
New year greetings
I'm using this last blog of 2020 to thank all those who have visited this site this year and contributed so many interesting comments - apologies if I haven't responded to every request for information on a particular surname. You may be interested to learn which blogs were the most read in 2020. Here they … Continue reading New year greetings
