If your name is Knight or Bishop does this mean you have a long-lost ancestor who was a mounted warrior or a bemitred ecclesiastic? Sadly, in most cases, the answer is no. In my The Surnames of Cornwall I opted for the possibility that these names might have been given to those who were servants … Continue reading High status secular surnames in early modern Cornwall
The history of two Cornish surnames, one common and one rare
There were two enquiries this week about surnames from the opposite ends of the spectrum. One is in my surnames book; the other isn’t. One is very common; the other very rare. The two surnames are Roberts and Matta. I've mentioned both before in these blogs but let's re-visit them. Robert was a personal name … Continue reading The history of two Cornish surnames, one common and one rare
An old man in a hurry to depart
In 1886 the British Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone was described as an ’old man in a hurry’ as he toiled without success to get his Irish Home Rule Bill through Parliament. Gladstone duly lost power but only finally retired in 1894, after another spell as Prime Minister and at the ripe age of 85. … Continue reading An old man in a hurry to depart
Corruption in a Cornish borough
The following is an extract from Chapter 11 (The Borough) of The Real World of Poldark: Cornwall 1783-1820. The Reverend Richard Gurney, Vicar of Cuby, was at the centre of Tregony’s borough politics throughout the Poldark years. In 1792 he had been implicated in encouraging ‘mob uproar’. Three effigies representing gentlemen of Tregony who opposed … Continue reading Corruption in a Cornish borough
Penvoze and Trezona: a study in contrasts
Two enquiries recently received offer the opportunity to show the contrasting history of Cornish surnames. Although one of these surnames flourished and the other did not, they are similar in that both originated in a Cornish placename. Penvoze, spelt Penfos before the early 1500s, existed in five separate locations from the Roseland peninsula as far … Continue reading Penvoze and Trezona: a study in contrasts
More views of Cornwall 100 years ago
Here's the second and final installment of the etchings of west Cornwall drawn by Donald Shaw MacLaughlan in 1919. The first is the most difficult to pin down. Those look like engine houses on the distant horizon. Or is it the monument on Carn Brea? Cornish road The next etching was made near Gwinear. Gwinear … Continue reading More views of Cornwall 100 years ago
The poor law in Poldark’s days
The following is an extract from Chapter 10 (The Prison) of my The Real World of Poldark: Cornwall 1783-1820. If the gastronomic delights of the free soup were not enough and charities insufficient, the poor could always turn to the official poor relief provided by the state since Elizabethan times .... From the late 1600s, … Continue reading The poor law in Poldark’s days
Of Penroses and Provises
Two recent surname queries demonstrate how studying the early distribution of a name can complement the detailed researches of the family historian. The first query asked whether an ancestor in Manaccan on the Lizard in the late 1500s could have been linked to the Penrose estate near Helston. Penrose has featured here before and I … Continue reading Of Penroses and Provises
Views of Cornwall in 1919
Donald Shaw MacLaughlan (1876-1938) was an American artist (although born in Prince Edward Island, Canada). As a young man he followed the trail of many other artists from North America and travelled to Europe, basing himself thereafter mainly in France but travelling widely. Among his journeys he visited Cornwall, where he spent some time around … Continue reading Views of Cornwall in 1919
The gentry at home around 1800
Two hundred years ago life was hard for most people in Cornwall. But for a small minority fortunate enough to own land things could be lot more comfortable. Much time was spent visiting each other's houses. Staying at Tehidy, the home of the Bassets, in 1792 James Boswell described the: astounding variety of alcoholic beverages … Continue reading The gentry at home around 1800
