Bodmin in the 1850s still had a claim to be regarded as Cornwall’s leading town. It was home to Cornwall’s Jail, its lunatic asylum and still hosted the assizes, albeit shared with Launceston. But as the economic centre of gravity shifted westwards, Bodmin was gradually supplanted by Truro. This process began with the building of … Continue reading Victorian Bodmin: migration hub
Lords and labourers at Boconnoc
Boconnoc in the 1800s was an exceptional parish. It was ‘closed’, meaning that all or almost all was owned by one landlord. This was unusual in Cornwall, where it was much less common than in rural southern England. Originally a part of the Earldom of Cornwall in the 1200s, Boconnoc had passed through the hands … Continue reading Lords and labourers at Boconnoc
Quiet times at Blisland
In Victorian times Blisland, on the western slopes of Bodmin Moor, resembled its neighbour Altarnun - lightly peopled, rural, an upland parish of hamlets and farms. Even more so than Altarnun, the people in the Blisland database did not stray too far. Not one of the six traced to 1891 had left Cornwall. In fact, … Continue reading Quiet times at Blisland
The maritime connection
Antony was a small, remote rural parish in the far south eastern corner of Cornwall before the 1780s. But in that decade the town of Torpoint began to spring up on land owned by the Carews, the local landowners based at Antony House. Begun as a speculative venture to house workers needed for the naval … Continue reading The maritime connection
Heading for the bright lights
In the 1800s in the British Isles there was a general drift from the countryside to the towns. We can see this process at work even in remote parishes such as Altarnun in east Cornwall. Altarnun has the distinction of being Cornwall’s largest parish. It includes farms, hamlets and villages scattered below the northern and … Continue reading Heading for the bright lights
Hard times at Advent
The name Advent has nothing to do with the period before Christmas. This north Cornish parish was named after St Adweny. By the 1500s it was known as Adwen or Adven and then Advent. One of Cornwall’s smaller parishes in terms of population, although not extent, Advent was a place of scattered farms and cottages … Continue reading Hard times at Advent
Visiting the Victorians: nineteenth-century Cornish life-cycles
In the 1800s why did some of our ancestors decide to leave for overseas and others go to places in the British Isles? Why did some stay put? How much was movement determined by factors such as occupation, gender, place of birth or upbringing? (For an overall summary of Cornish migration see the article below.) … Continue reading Visiting the Victorians: nineteenth-century Cornish life-cycles
Transregional Cornish surnames: another example
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
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
Cornish studies resources 