Extract from Kelly’s Directory of , 1893 (pages 1261‐1262)

ROCHE

Roche is a parish and village, 1 mile south from Victoria station on the branch of the Great Western railway and 5½ miles north from , in the Mid division of the county, western division of the hundred of Powder, petty sessional division of Powder East, union and county court district of St Austell, rural deanery of St Austell, archdeaconry of Cornwall and diocese of . A little to the west of Hensbarrow, in this parish, rises the , which, after a course of 20 miles, 4 of which are tidal, falls into the well‐known harbour that takes its name. The river Par also rises here. The church of St Gomonda is a plain but substantial rectangular building of stone with a north transept, and was rebuilt, with the exception of the Perpendicular tower, in 1822; the latter, of three stages and embattled, contains a clock and 6 bells, all cast in 1819; there is a tablet to a former rector in the transept, and a fine old Norman font; in 1890 the church was restored at a cost of £1,900, under the direction of the late Mr J.D. Sedding, architect, and now affords 302 sittings: in the churchyard is an ancient cross, 7 feet 8 inches high, and 2 feet 4 inches wide, with a rudely shaped head pierced with four round apertures. The register of baptisms dates from the year 1572; marriages, 1575; burials, 1612. The living is a rectory, net value of tithe in 1892 £339, net yearly value £330, including 38½ acres of glebe, with residence, in the gift of the Rev. J. Thornton for three turns and J. Rashleigh Esq. for one turn, and held since 1885 by the Rev. Augustus Vansittart Thornton M.A. of Trinity College, Cambridge. The Wesleyan chapel, built in 1835, was renovated in 1877, at a cost of £700; the Bible Christian chapel at Tresayes, was erected in 1883 on the site of a former building. There are also Bible Christian chapels at , , Mount Pleasant and at Tremodrett. Within a short distance of the village, on the property of Viscount Falmouth, is a remarkable group of rocks – consisting of huge masses of granite towering one above the other to the height of 100 feet: on the highest point are the ruins of the ancient chapel of St Michael, formed by the adaptation of masonry to the natural rock, and probably the habitation of some anchorite; it consisted, when perfect, of two rooms, one over the other, the lower measuring 12 feet by 9, with a window at the east end; in the upper room, or chapel proper, was a larger and more elegant window; steps cut into the rock lead from the cell to the chapel; the “Holy Well” lies on the north side of the and Truro road and about ¼ mile to the west of the Victoria Inn; the structure, consisting of a single deep pointed arch, with some adjacent portions, is of granite, 5 feet 4 inches in height and 3 feet 4 inches wide; there was formerly a granite figure of a saint on the roof, and near the well a chapel, but both have now disappeared; the spring still maintains its reputation, and before sunrise on Holy Thursday, and the two following Thursdays, it was the custom of the peasantry to frequent the well and invoke the blessing of the saint by an offering of pins, which were sometimes bent and then thrown into the water. The Temperance Hall was erected in 1884, as a memorial to Thomas Pearce Esq. M.A. and will hold about 250 persons. Fairs are held on the day before Holy Thursday, the third Tuesday in July, and the second Tuesday in October. The parish feast is held on the first Sunday after the first Tuesday in June. China clay is dug out in immense quantities from this neighbourhood, and forms a large article of commerce in this and adjoining parishes. Viscount Falmouth is lord of the manor. The principal landowners are the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe P.C., L.L who is lord of the manor of Tremodrett, Lord Robartes, John Tremayne Esq. D.L., J.P. of Heligan, and Jonathan Rashleigh Esq. B.A., D.L., J.P. of , . The soil is peat; subsoil, disintegrated granite and clay slate. The chief crops are barley and oats. The area is 5,014 acres; rateable value £7,344; the population in 1891 was 1.626. Parish Clerk, Richard MEWTON

Post, M.O. & T.O., S.B. & Annuity & Insurance Office (Railway Sub‐Office. Letters should have R.S.O. Cornwall added) – Mrs Jane Truscott WILLIAMS, postmistress. Letters arrive at 7.55 a.m. & 1.55 p.m.; dispatched at 9 & 11.30 a.m. & 5.25 p.m.; week days only Wall letter box, near the church, cleared at 5.5 p.m. week days only

A School Board of 5 members was formed February 7, 1872; Robert VARCOE, clerk to the Board

Board School (mixed), built in 1871, for 260 children; average attendance, 200; Joseph Henry DIXON, master; Miss Edith LEAN, mistress

Omnibus (’s) to St Austell, Fridays & Saturdays

ANDREW, Mrs Park Villas BEST, Albert H. Burney COCK, David Parkwoon House DYER, Edward Colvreath GOODFELLOW, Wm. Richd. Higher Trerank , James Endsleigh House PARKYN, Thomas Finsbury House ROBINS, Joseph Harmony Cottage THORNTON, Rev. Augustus Vansittart Rectory

COMMERCIAL ALLEN, Henry builder Hellew ARTHUR, Wm. cowkeeper & clay agent BASSETT, Thomas carpenter &c BEST, Albert H. dealer in all kinds of secondhand machinery, oil, grease & general Merchant, building material dealer &c, Burney; stores at Bugle station & elsewhere BESWETHERICK, John wheelwright BRAY, Robert cowkeeper Colvreath BRENTON, Samuel Commercial Inn CHAPMAN, Thomas Hy. cowkeeper Belowda CHURCH, Tom farmer Colvreath CHYNOWETH, Jn. farmer & landowner Belowda CLEMENCE, Thomas Peter miller (water) & farmer COCK, David mining engineer & china clay merchant COCK, Henry farmer Trenouth COCK, John farmer Brynn COCK, John farmer & carrier Gilley COCK, Rodney farmer Tregoss COCK, Sam farmer Tregoss COCK, Samuel mining captain COMMON, John cowkeeper Woon CORNISH BANK LTD (sub‐branch) (G. BURROW, manager; opened on Saturday & fair days 1 to 4); draw on Smith, Payne & Smiths, London EC CURTEIS, Robert Roche Rock Inn & farmer CURTIS, Charles cowkeeper Belowda DOCKING, John cowkeeper Carbis Common DYER, John farmer Colvreath DYER, John poulterer Mount Pleasant EDYVEAN, Dl. Cowkeeper Trerank Moor FRANCIS, Caroline (Mrs) farmer Tremoderate GEORGE, Samuel flour dealer GOODFELLOW, Wm. Rd. surgeon Higher Trerank GOUDGE, Thomas farmer Colvreath GRIGG, Albt. Scantlebury farmer Trenower GRIGG, James farmer Belowda GROSE, Nicholas junr grocer GROSE, Richd. miller (water) & farmer Carbis GROSE, William cowkeeper Woon Park GUARD, Anne (Miss) shopkeeper GUARD, James farmer Tregonhay HANCOCK, Simeon farmer & butcher Gilley HARRIS, Philip farmer Bilberry HARRIS, Thomas cowkeeper Carbis HAWKE, Charles cowkeeper Dyehouse HAWKE, Joseph cowkeeper & carter Goonleigh HAWKE, Thomas farmer Gilley HAWKE, William Hy. farmer Colvreath HAWKEY, James farmer Retillick HAWKEY, William farmer Trerank HEARD, John cowkeeper & poulterer Carbis HEWITT, Thomas shopkeeper HICKS, Hart miller (water) Brynn Mill HIGMAN, Joseph farmer HIGMAN, Robert boot & shoe maker HIGMAN, Woodman farmer Pentonvale HOOPER, Charles Victoria Inn & farmer HOOPER, James (Mrs) dress maker HOLD, John cowkeeper Roche HORE, William cowkeeper HOSKINGS, John farmer Tremoderate JAGO, Joseph farmer Griglands JAGO, Joseph junr farmer & carter Mount Pleasant JAMES, Charles carrier & cowkeeper JULIAN, Elizabeth (Mrs) farmer Tregoss JULIAN, Herbert Higman saddler & harness maker; saddles, whips, bits, brushes &c KINGDON, William Arthur watch maker KNIGHT, Absalom hawker Belowda KNIGHT, Christopher farmer Criggan KNIGHT, David cowkeeper Criggan KNIGHT, John farmer Rosemelling KNIGHT, Simeon grocer & corn chandler Bilberry KNIGHT, Thomas farmer Woon KNIGHT, William farmer Tresibble LAURY, Jas. miller (water) Pendean Mill LIDDICOAT, James blacksmith & farmer Belowda LIDDICOAT, Jas. farmer & cattle dealer Brynn LIDDICOAT, William farmer Belowda LITTLE JOHNS CHINA CLAY Co. (The) LOBB, James farmer Colbiggan LOBB, Thomas cowkeeper Mount Pleasant LUCAS, Thomas cowkeeper Brynn MANHIRE, John mason Townsend House MARSHALL, Alfred Ernest Stanley auctioneer & appraiser The Hollies MARSHALL, William clay merchant Great Wheal Prosper Clay & Stone Works MEWTON, Richd. shoe maker & parish clerk MINNEAR, Edwin flour factor NICHOLLS, Robert station master Victoria PARKYN, Thomas mining agent PASCOE, Silas farmer Hallew PASCOE, Tom clay agent & cowkeeper Woon PASCOE, Woodman farmer Woon PAYNE, John Henry cowkeeper PAYNE, Richard cowkeeper Tresayes PEARCE, John farmer Woon PEARCE, William cowkeeper Tresayes PEDLER, Richard blacksmith & farmer PHILLIPS, Samuel farmer Pits Mingle PHILLIPS, Thomas Trethewey blacksmith PINCH, John cowkeeper Rosemelling PODE, Michael cowkeeper Carbis PODE, Tom farmer Colvreath POLSUE, Josiah cowkeeper Holywell RETALLICK, James farmer Pentonvale RETALLICK, Joseph farmer Newhouse RETALLICK, Richd. farmer & carter Woon RICKARD, Martin clay agent Park Woon RICKARD, William George cowkeeper & market gardener Carbis ROBINS, John & Sons farmers ROCHE CO‐OPERATIVE STORES LTD (W.J. MILLETT, manager & sec) ROWE, William cowkeeper Pentevale ROWSE, Charles farmer Bowdens ROWSE, Edwin miller (water) & farmer Tremodrett ROWSE, Joseph farmer Penstrays ROWSE, Timothy coal merchant Victoria RUNDLE, William farmer Tregonhay SEARLE, Abel farmer Bryn STICK, Thomas farmer Hill House TELLAM, John gamekeeper to Michael WILLIAMS Esq., Holywell THOMAS, Samuel John & Alonza butchers THOMAS, Jacob farmer Bilberry THOMAS, John farmer Rosemelling THOMAS, Joshua cowkeeper THOMAS, William farmer TREBILCOCK, Jabez cowkeeper TREBILCOCK, James cowkeeper & blacksmith Tregoss TREMEWAN, Edwin cowkeeper TREMEWAN, William farmer Colbiggan TRETHEWEY, Emily & Clara (Misses) shopkeepers TRETHEWEY, John cowkeeper, carter, bus proprietor & posting establishment TRETHEWEY, Kenneth Paul wheelwright TRETHEWEY, Nicholas shoe maker TRETHEWEY, Richard farmer Tresayes TRUDGEON, Samuel cowkeeper Hendra VARCOE, Margaret (Mrs) cowkeeper Holywell VARCOE, Richard farmer Tregoss VARCOE, Robert auctioneer & assistant overseer & collector of rates & taxes & clerk to the School Board VIVIAN, Ann (Mrs) cowkeeper Penstrase VIVIAN, Joseph farmer Colbiggan VIVIAN, William farmer Colbiggan VIVIAN, William junr cowkeeper Tregoss WHITE, Thos. Stick farmer Trebilcock WILLIAMS, Jane Truscott (Mrs) stationer Post Office WOON, Apollis farmer Hallew WOON, George cowkeeper & fruiterer Criggan YATE, William cowkeeper Rosemelling YELLAND, Daniel cowkeeper Colvreath YELLAND, Ephraim farmer Colvreath YELLAND, Henry cowkeeper Reesehill

Transcribed by John Evans