In May 1800 a less than crystal clear entry was made in the Gwennap vestry records. The vestry agreed to pay the constables for ‘putting down’ the Cornish Supplementary Militia. The militia was made up of part-time soldiers and had been re-introduced in the 1750s. They were greatly expanded in 1796 during an invasion scare. … Continue reading Gwennap and the 1801 insurrection: Part 1
Category: poverty
From Camborne to Cleckheaton – with family support
Sometimes in the past relationships broke down, as we saw in the case of Jenny Moore from Calstock. Sometimes, no doubt, the laconic entries of census enumerators and registrars may hide family quarrels underlying the departure of a family member. Yet, at other times, those same records can hint at a high level of support … Continue reading From Camborne to Cleckheaton – with family support
Warbstow: on the brink of pauperism
Warbstow is a relatively remote north Cornwall parish. Quintessential farming country, its rolling hills and valleys were mainly grazed by cows in the later 1800s. The lightly populated farms and hamlets of the parish provided just three children born around 1850 for our database. All three came from labouring families. John Pethick and his wife … Continue reading Warbstow: on the brink of pauperism
Stokeclimsland: an overcrowded family and a lone drifter
Like Stithians, the subject of the previous blog, Stokeclimsland was a mining parish in 1861. It was also roughly the same size in terms of population. Unlike Stithians, Stokeclimsland, north of Callington on the banks of the River Tamar, saw fewer leave for overseas. But that didn’t mean that people stayed put in the parish. … Continue reading Stokeclimsland: an overcrowded family and a lone drifter
Cornish studies resources 