On New Year's Day in 1872 the miners at Wheal Basset near Redruth decided to take a day's holiday. The following day the mine captain - Abraham James - fined them 2/6 each, the equivalent of around 10% of their weekly wage. All hands at the mine then struck work in protest. The West Briton … Continue reading Trouble at mine
Category: social history
Who was Tom Bawcock?
Today at Mousehole people celebrate Tom Bawcock’s Eve. Children parade, paper lanterns aloft. Traditional songs such as ‘Tom Bawcock’s Eve’ are sung, starry-gazy pie will be eaten. This age-old festival has its roots extending deep into the past. But how deep? The event is said to commemorate the actions of Tom Bawcock, a fisherman who … Continue reading Who was Tom Bawcock?
The Penlee lifeboat disaster
The 19th of December will be remembered by any Cornish person in their 50s or above as the day when, 38 years ago, the crew of the Penlee lifeboat at Mousehole lost their lives. They had put to sea to go to the aid of the bulk carrier, the Union Star, which was in difficulties … Continue reading The Penlee lifeboat disaster
Humphry Davy
The statue of Penzance’s most famous son looks east down Market Jew Street, where he was born on this day in 1778. But it also looks further east, past St Michael’s Mount, across the Tamar and upcountry, where he made his name, and then across the sea to where he ended his days. His parents … Continue reading Humphry Davy
Cornish carols
I’m straying into an area where I admit I know little. But Christmas is the season for carols and Christmas carols are a distinctive element of traditional Cornish culture. The carols composed and sung in the Camborne-Redruth district were carried across the world by emigrants and turned up in places as far apart as California … Continue reading Cornish carols
A disturbance at Camborne in 1874
Camborne in the 1870s, a time of economic depression, could be a rough place. Here’s one incident reported in the West Briton of March 26th, 1874. A man named Webster, a resident of Crowan, who has not the reputation of being the quietest character in the neighbourhood, and who, on account of certain pugilistic propensities, … Continue reading A disturbance at Camborne in 1874
Christmas offer
Stuck for something to buy that Cornish relative this Christmas? What better present could there be for someone of Cornish descent than a copy of the best-selling The Surnames of Cornwall? Moreover, as a pre-Christmas treat the ebook version of this will soon be available at the reduced price of £4.99 ($6.46/AU$9.47). And don't forget … Continue reading Christmas offer
Cornish rugby football finds its feet
Last weekend saw the Rugby World Cup final. Nowadays rugby and association football are viewed as entirely separate games. In fact they share a common ancestor, which we should just call ‘football’. In the middle of the 1800s football was played at the public schools as well as by more working-class communities up and down … Continue reading Cornish rugby football finds its feet
How our great-great grandparents celebrated the 5th November
In 1876 Helston Town Council took the precaution of putting up placards in the town and sent the town crier around to warn that those letting off fireworks in the street would be fined £5. Things had apparently got out of hand. The West Briton stated that: This action was highly necessary, inasmuch as the … Continue reading How our great-great grandparents celebrated the 5th November
Interviewing young mine surface workers in 1841
Samuel Tippet was ten years old and worked at the dressing floors of Trethellan Mine near Lanner. His work for the previous fortnight had been 'washing up', cleaning the stones in wooden troughs prior to their dressing. Before, he was at the slimes but gave that up 'because the slimes was knacked’. After this brief … Continue reading Interviewing young mine surface workers in 1841
Cornish studies resources 