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THE John Harris Newsletter Society No 65 Winter 2019 WinterOld Winter is come, spreading ice on the moor, And wailing like woe at the cottager’s door. He has blighted the heather that bloomed on the hill, Stalked down in the valley and glassed o’er the rill, Sipped up the clear pools with their moss–cover’d brim, And placed his cold hand on the daisy’s white rim. Old Winter, old Winter, come, hie thee away, And let the soft breeze with the daffodils play. Thou hast but a season, old Winter to roar, And then I know surely thy reign will be o’er, And thou must be off to the frost-bitten zone, And beautiful Spring have thy sceptre and throne. (Extract from the poem) Bodoni headline font here Text here The Brisons, off Cape Cornwall. Photo: Tom Corser www.tomcorser.com . Licensed under Creative Commons At- tribution ShareAlike 2.0 England & Wales (UK) Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/uk/deed. en_GB AGM ON FEBRUARY 23 - SEE PAGE 6 JHS 2 Another new Annual meeting year has arrived Your committee members are very loyal in attending the meetings, and As I write in mid-January, Christmas the business that’s executed keeps already seems a long time ago! Time is the society running. At our AGM on such a precious commodity though it Saturday, 23 February, at 2pm at Troon seems to me the more I read and hear Methodist Church, its present mem- about all that John Harris and others bers will all (except our president) be like him did nigh on 200 years ago, I’m out of office and those attending will led to ask whether their management be asked to nominate people to serve of time was better than ours is today? on the main committee. Please do your best to attend, to stand for election, or to vote. Visit of HRH We are thrilled to report that Ju- liet Johns (of Carnon Downs) will the Duke of Kent be our speaker: her subject being The publication of our last newslet- ‘Cornish Poets: John Harris and D ter was slightly delayed in order for M Thomas’. the up-to-the-minute account of our Please make every effort to attend meeting with HRH to be included. I what is bound to be an interesting simply record here our thanks to our afternoon. Anyone requiring transport president, Peter Bickford-Smith, for from Camborne railway station or else- presenting the books on our behalf. We where locally, do let me know (01209 are also grateful to Camborne Town 213146). Council for allowing our society the privilege of being there to promote the man of whom we are so proud. Society presentations Four members of the committee at- tended the Federation of Old Cornwall Bi-Centenary festival - Societies which, this year, was held at St Petroc’s Church in Bodmin on 24 16-18 October 2020 November. It was a well attended event that included the parade of all the OCS The Committee has had to move the banners which was quite a sight! venue for this festival to the Penventon As a result of our presence, the Park Hotel, Redruth, in the heart of society is making a presentation to the mining area. As soon as details are Perranzabuloe OCS on Wednesday, 13 finalised, wider publicity within the February. U.K. will be put into action. As a result of our presentation at the May I remind all readers of this Cornish Methodist Historical Associa- newsletter to register your interest tion’s AGM (which was well received with Tony Jasper, Milsrof, Eglos Road, and prompted a number of questions Ludgvan Churchtown, Penzance, from the floor), we are attending Allet Cornwall U.K. TR20 8HG or by email Methodist Guild (near Truro) on Friday, to [email protected] (which 15 March and any member would be won’t commit you to attending the welcome to attend that meeting. event) but, if you are already commit- The presentation at Baldhu Chapel in ted to attending, please make contact October was also well received. with The Penventon Park Hotel, West End, Redruth TR15 1TE, enquiries@ penventon.com or phone Exhibitions 44 (0)1209 203000 to discuss accom- We’re always looking for new venues modation. Details and a form can be where our exhibition could be staged, found on the society’s website. so please let any officer know any sug- I need, also, to reiterate that we are gestions you may have. seeking sponsorship for the event and if anyone can make a contribution, it will be greatly appreciated. (Our treas- New members urer’s details are on the back page.) If We have again be pleased to welcome any reader knows of a grant- making some new members recently, which Chairman’s ramblings body or charitable trust that could be leads me to remind you that subscrip- with Paul Langford approached, please let the secretary tions for longer term members were know. due on 1st January for everyone. JHS 3 A forgotten Cornish poet BY ERNIE PARSONS Quinion, which depicts aspects of late Victorian Cornwall. The poem pillories When the West Briton reported the religious hypocrisy - in all creeds - and death of James Dryden Hosken in 1953, highlights the social injustices suffered it commented “On (him) might be by the poor. From the early entertain- bestowed the title of “Poet Laureate ing, travelling theatre scenes, the poem of Cornwall”; yet today he is almost becomes increasingly sombre until the forgotten even in his home town of eponymous hero goes overseas as did Helston. Hosken himself. He spent nine years Hosken (1861- 1953) shared much in in Australia (1911-20) before returning, common with the older John Harris still poor, in 1920. That year saw the re- (1820-84) although their religious views publication of The Betrothal of Venus differed greatly. Both poets came from although perhaps Reuben Quinion impoverished homes; but whereas should have been the title poem. Here Harris later gained some financial and in his final volume The Shores of security, Hosken suffered from money Lyonesse, are collected most of his best worries throughout his life. Both were works, particularly the Cornish pieces. self-taught, leaving formal education In 1928, Hosken became one of the very young; Hosken having to start first bards of the Gorsedd, nominated work when aged 10. They both died in along with Quiller-Couch for his liter- Falmouth. of heart and song”. ary achievements. He took the name Hosken, pictured, gained early ac- Hosken revered great writers of the Caner Helles - Singer of Helston. His claim in 1891 with his play Phaon and past, perhaps too much so for his long life hardly improved in his final years; Sappho. This and Nimrod demonstrate imitative works are of limited interest his wife, Annie, an invalid, died in 1939 skilful command of language and today. He is at his best depicting Cor- and during World War II he was twice contain powerful speeches but drama nish coast and cliffs as in Halsaphron, bombed out of his home, in Truro and was not his forte. In 1893, Verses by the Gunwalloe Church, Kynance and in Falmouth. He died forgotten in Way was published with a long, sympa- Porthleven; or local eccentrics - often Falmouth in 1953. thetic introduction by fellow Cor- social outsiders as was he - Phran, At present, his poems are found nishman Quiller-Couch in which “Q” Uren; or writing of traditions and mainly in anthologies such as Alan concluded “I am ready to salute him legends like Lyonesse, and of wander- Kent’s Voices from West Barbary. as a true poet.” The volume includes ers such as The Tramp or in The Chant Recent research has discovered much some fine short lyrics, but the next of a Cornish Exile. He felt for the about Hosken, but if anyone has infor- work, “Poems and Songs of Cornwall” plight of the working people as in The mation, even anecdotal, about him I (1902) begins to show his real strength: Cornish Miner’s Funeral. should be grateful to hear from them. poems inspired by Cornwall his “land His finest sustained poem is Reuben Ernie Parsons: [email protected]. John Harris goes to Kynance Cove BY TONY LANGFORD swallows floated and twittering birds with its polished crags, white sands and A recent issue of the newsletter told made pleasant melody.” It was, he limpid pools, the wonder of my soul how Dobrinka Tabakova, composer- wrote “more delicious to me as having was too great for words.” He continues: in-residence at Truro Cathedral has set escaped for a brief season from the “It seemed like some fairy palace which the John Harris poem Kynance Cove sulphur and strain of the mine.” the next sounding wave would sweep to music. It seems appropriate to recall On the Lizard peninsula, John dis- away. The music of the billows among the first visit of John Harris to this covered a new world. Serpentine, the the shining breakers, and the flight delightful cove and the impression it “strangely streaked rock” for which of the sea-birds from peak to peak had on him. the area is famous, fascinated him. He glittering in the sun, revealed to me a John tells in his autobiography of how records how when driving over a road region of enchantment like that which “in the harvest of 1855 half-a-dozen of paved with serpentine, “we slid along come in dreams.” John returned home us” travelled to Kynance Cove by horse as if on ice.” He was fascinated, too, that day “overjoyed with the fact that and cart (loaned by a neighbour).