Following up on the blog earlier this week about Cornish surnames from afar, the case of Kendall warrants a moment’s consideration. This surname is assumed to be derived from Kendal in the Lake District, in the furthermost northern reaches of England. By the nineteenth century it was most commonly found in Cumbria - no surprise … Continue reading Transregional Cornish surnames: another example
Category: surnames
Cornish surnames and long-distance migration
As we have seen before, surnames that originate in placenames can give us useful clues about the migration of people in the past. Contrary to popular myth, even in the medieval period there was considerable movement within the British Isles. In Cornwall, there are several surnames that are based on places to the east of … Continue reading Cornish surnames and long-distance migration
Spelling variants and Cornish surnames: Cliffs and Curnows
Let’s catch up on a couple of surname queries, both of which involve spelling variants. The first is the name Cliff. There is general agreement that this is a topographical name, one taken from a feature in the landscape. The classic surname dictionary by P.H.Reaney confidently proclaims that Cliff and Clift are both variants of … Continue reading Spelling variants and Cornish surnames: Cliffs and Curnows
A surname puzzle from Cornwall
A recent enquiry about a surname deserves a wider audience. The name in question is Odiorne, one previously unknown to me. In the 1544 lay subsidies there was a William Odyhorne living in the small coastal parish of Sheviock. From 1589 onwards the surname appeared regularly in parish registers, dispersing from Sheviock, which looks to … Continue reading A surname puzzle from Cornwall
High status secular surnames in early modern Cornwall
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
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
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
Cornish and English in 16th century Cornwall
The surname Cornish was well established by the 1500s. Its presence outside Cornwall would be unsurprising, However, what requires more explanation is the considerable number of people in Cornwall itself with this name. Their presence in the 1500s implies its original meaning was not ‘someone from Cornwall’ as in Cornwall this would not be a … Continue reading Cornish and English in 16th century Cornwall
The mystery of the missing Irish
Recent blogs on this site have uncovered migrants from across the Channel who were living in Cornwall in the early 1500s. But what about migrants from the opposite direction, from across the Celtic Sea? There were a handful of people called Welshman in the early records, Walter and John Wylsheman at East Looe and another … Continue reading The mystery of the missing Irish
Cornish studies resources 