Category: social history

Irish immigrants at Liskeard

Cornwall was not a major destination for people leaving Ireland in the wake of the Great Famine and the traumatic 1840s. In 1861 there were 1,475 people born in Ireland and living in Cornwall (or just 0.4 per cent of the population). Moreover, several of these were Irish-born military personnel. Most of the other Irish … Continue reading Irish immigrants at Liskeard →

Linkinhorne: born out of wedlock

The third quarter of the 1800s was a time of profound social change at Linkinhorne, a parish to the east of Bodmin Moor. It was on the edge of the district that experienced a mining boom from the 1830s to the late 1860s. As a result, its population almost tripled during those years as miners … Continue reading Linkinhorne: born out of wedlock →

Contrasting fortunes for Lezant’s carpenters

Whether urban or rural, mining or farming, all parishes in Victorian Cornwall would have had a number of men and women who got their living from their craft. For men this might include a variety of jobs such as blacksmiths, shoemakers or masons; for women it tended to be restricted to dressmaking. But did craftsmen … Continue reading Contrasting fortunes for Lezant’s carpenters →

Lewannick: leaving the nest. Or not

It’s back to the Launceston district as we home in on the parish of Lewannick, to the south west of the town. Around 1,300 years before the Victorians, two fellows named Ulcagnus and Ingenvus lived here. We know because they left their memorial stones behind, inscribed in both Latin and ogham. They were Irish-speakers who … Continue reading Lewannick: leaving the nest. Or not →

Lesnewth and one of Cornwall’s first old age pensioners

No need to take hours pondering over which fascinating biography to choose to illustrate a life from this parish. For the simple reason that Lesnewth, near Boscastle on Cornwall’s north coast, provides just one case for the database. Fortunately, or unfortunately for the length of this blog, the life course of Fanny Woolridge can be … Continue reading Lesnewth and one of Cornwall’s first old age pensioners →

Staying single at Lawhitton

This small farming parish is found just south east of Launceston, bordering on the river Tamar and Devon. As Launceston encroached into rural Lawhitton in the 1890s the parish was split into urban and rural parts. But in 1861 it looks to have been largely farming country. There were only a few children aged 11 … Continue reading Staying single at Lawhitton →

Legal practitioners at Launceston and a ‘melancholy suicide’

With lingering pretensions to its former glories as Cornwall’s capital Launceston had more than a smattering of professional people among its populace. As befits a place that shared the assize courts with Bodmin there were several solicitors and lawyers active in the town in the mid-1800s. The Victorian Lives database captures one who became a … Continue reading Legal practitioners at Launceston and a ‘melancholy suicide’ →

Launceston: the fortunes of workhouse children

Launceston, or Lanson in the vernacular, served as the headquarters of the Normans when they arrived in Cornwall in the 1070s. Its location within sight of the River Tamar in the far east suggests the Normans were a little wary at first about pushing further west. As Cornwall became a safer place to venture into, … Continue reading Launceston: the fortunes of workhouse children →

Lamorran: Cornwall’s second smallest parish

Lamorran was unusual by the standards of Victorian Cornwall. Here, the population did not fall after the 1850s but remained stable into the 1880s. This parish on the Roseland south east of Truro was also Cornwall’s second smallest parish in terms of population with 92 residents in 15 households in 1861. (Question of the day … Continue reading Lamorran: Cornwall’s second smallest parish →

Ladock: The egg man

Ladock is a farming parish in mid-Cornwall. In 1861 it provided seven children aged 11 in 1861 for our Victorian Lives database. Rather unusually, all seven have either been traced to at least 1891 or had died before that date. In fact three of the seven, both of the girls and one of the five … Continue reading Ladock: The egg man →