In May 1871 the Great Exhibition opened its doors in London. The Crystal Palace constructed in Hyde Park was the wonder of its age, a giant greenhouse containing exhibits from around the globe as Victorians revelled in their technical wizardry and the bounties of free trade (and colonialism). Meanwhile, 256 miles away, an old lady … Continue reading Newlyn: fish hawkers and octogenarians
Tag: Wills
Hallelujah! Helston praises the Lord
Religion played an inescapable part in the lives of the Cornish of the Victorian period. By modern standards attendance at church or, more usually, chapel was incredibly high, although contemporaries were appalled that only around a half of adults attended church in 1851 when there was a religious census. A wealth of social events were … Continue reading Hallelujah! Helston praises the Lord
Gorran: more than just a haven
The parish of Gorran is a reminder that fishing villages in Cornwall were relative latecomers in the historic landscape. The parish church on the plateau, with its handful of houses standing sentinel and the scattering of tre- placenames around it indicate the earliest settlements. Fishing villages such as Gorran Haven, in the 1300s known in … Continue reading Gorran: more than just a haven