Tag: Johns

11. Johns

John (from Old French Johan, which itself had an origin in Hebrew Johanan) was a popular medieval first name, this popularity boosted by John the Apostle. It was so popular in fact that, in the 1400s, John had become the most common male first name in Cornwall. Yet, it wasn’t the most common surname in … Continue reading 11. Johns →

St Winnow: the saints come marching in

There are 212 ancient parishes in Cornwall and another six on Scilly. Of these, 60 or so are routinely identified as a saint’s name by the addition of the word Saint. In some places, saint is usually omitted by the natives in speech, as in Buryan. In others, such as Endellion, the word is sometimes … Continue reading St Winnow: the saints come marching in →

St Buryan: the drink trade

Drink was a central element of Victorian culture. The number of inns, public houses and beershops (called kiddleywinks or winks in parts of west Cornwall) was very much higher than now (although easy access to alcohol on the supermarket shelves was not an option). It was claimed in 1850 that the working class spent between … Continue reading St Buryan: the drink trade →

Running from Ruan?

The small parishes of Ruan Minor and Ruan Major should not be confused with Ruanlanihorne. (Ruan was a saint – in Old Cornish Rumon.) Ruan Major and Minor will be treated together here as they are neighbouring parishes on the Lizard peninsula, now combined with a third parish to make up the modern Grade-Ruan. Around … Continue reading Running from Ruan? →

Germoe: coping with crisis

After a run of coastal parishes, we’re back in mining country. Germoe is a small parish in terms of area, almost entirely surrounded by its big brother Breage and consequently often ignored. However, the struggle of Germoe folk after the 1860s is indicative of the adaptations that Cornish people had to undertake when mining began … Continue reading Germoe: coping with crisis →

Patronyms and the Cornish language

Does the presence of patronymic surnames (surnames derived from first names) tell us anything about the last days of the traditional Cornish language? I have argued elsewhere that the distribution of the most common surnames in nineteenth century Cornwall – Williams, Thomas and Richards – offers a good indication of the geography of the language … Continue reading Patronyms and the Cornish language →

Maps for the surnames Johns and Prowse

You can find maps of these in 1861 for comparison here. John was the commonest first name for men in 16th century Cornwall. Remember, if you want information on a surname that hasn’t appeared in my book or been a subject of a previous blog do let me know.