Tag: Prowse

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 →

Gulval: growing and going

Gulval parish stretches from the fertile low-lying coastal plain east of Penzance and up onto the moors of west Penwith, a veritable archaeological treasure house. With the arrival of railway connections to the huge market of London and the south east of England by the 1860s, the potential of this district and its mild climate … Continue reading Gulval: growing and going →

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.