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Tam Kernewek “ A bit of Cornish” Volume 29 Issue Summer 2011 Destination – Mineral Point, Wisconsin ! Cousin Jacks and Jennies from 17 states – California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Washing- ton and Wisconsin – plus Cornwall and Australia will be making their way to Mineral Point to participate in the 16th Gathering of Cornish Cousins in August. What‘s in store for them ? In previous issues, we‘ve described the outstanding entertainment of IONA (Celtic Music and Dance), the powerful musical drama ―Cry of Tin‖, and an evening of Cornish Film. Following an opening ceremony Thursday morning and a general session presentation by Phil Hosken on Cornwall‘s Contributions to Mankind, attendees will have a wide variety of topics from which to select for the six small group sessions on Thursday and Friday. Those topics include: The architectural legacy of Mineral Point focusing on Cornish design and construction methods A demonstration on using the vast database of Cornwall Family History Society The history of the Cornish tall tale and knackers, piskies, bucca-boo and Spriggans which were often sub- jects for a good tall tale A visual introduction to traditional Cornwall through photos and the poetry those evoke presented by John Caddy whom Donald Rawe called the ―Poet Laureate of the Overseas Cornish‖ ―Identity Theft‖ illustrates how the contributions made by Cornish women have disappeared from our histo- ry and suggests sources helpful in discovering them The historic connections between Cornwall and America/Mineral Point of fraternal organizations such as the Order of Odd Fellows and Freemasonry Research using original documents to track your ancestor‘s activities in business, mining, traveling west during the California Gold Rush – or putting a date on an old photograph you‘ve found Interesting discoveries to be make while recording the ‗Words Carved in Stone‘ on memorials Get ready to sing Cornish Christmas Carols with Bard Marion Howard [Nightingale of the West] And/or learn to sing Cornish folksongs with Frank Siegle and Danny Proud Learn about the history and current status of Cornish Dance and learn some simple steps with members of Traed y DDraig - or Albert Jenkin Learn about the life and work of women and children during the 18th and early 19th C in the smelters, ex- Cornish American Heritage Society Cornish American Heritage plosive works, slate quarries, clay pits and mines – Nothing Too Dangerous? The Tregellas Tapestry illustrates the history of Cornwall in multiple panels. Learn about how these were made and get suggestions on how to do a similar project for your area of Cornish settlement ―What Did Women Wear‖ will demonstrate customs of fashion for females who worked the mines, fields and fish markets of the early 1800s How and where do you start if you want to learn the Cornish language? Cornish Language 101 will give you basics on how to get started 21 continued next page Destination con’t:: Cornish Hurling – 2011 See and hear about the Shrove Tuesday Hurling Match in Cornwall And MORE If you have access to the internet, check for more topics at www.cornishfest.org or www.cousinjack.org and click on Gathering Events During the days of the Gathering, all the microfilm of the West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser from 1839 – 1887 will be available for viewing at the Mineral Point Library/and Mineral Point Room. Explore the news of Cornwall during the time your ancestors were leaving. How did they know about the mineral findings in what is now Southwest Wisconsin; gold in California, and copper in Michigan? In addition to all of this, on Friday evening, the Friends of Pendarvis are sponsoring a Pub Night at Pendarvis State Histor- ical Site with entertainment by Jim Wearne and book readings/chats with authors Gage McKinney, Jim Jewell, John Cad- dy and Sue Pellowe. The admission fee of $10 goes to the Friends of Pendarvis to help retain and maintain this Cornish site. Tommi Brenda Wootton was an amazing woman. Born and bred out in the far west of Corn- wall, she had a beautiful voice and could sing anything from folk songs to jazz and FLASH blues,!! but mostly her songs of ‗homeland‘ will reduce you to tears. The discovery of the master tapes of her concert in Paris in 1984 has provided the material for the first new album by Brenda in fifteen years, a rare combination of mate- rial for anyone who loves Cornwall. It is unique as it is the one and only time Brenda was recorded before a live audience. The producer chose the title ―All of Me‖ for this CD because the music represents eve- rything that was Brenda. There is one song, ‗Silver Net‘ that is about how Cornish sons and daughter have had to move away for work to make a living throughout their history. John Knight Productions has generously made it possible for us to sell a lim- ited number of the CDs at the Gathering in Mineral Point for $15. No hassle with cur- rency exchange rates or postage/packaging to deal with. If you wish to reserve a copy, contact Tommi O‘Hagan at [email protected] or 651 East Scott St, Fond du Lac, WI 54935. Editor’s note: See Spring newsletter for complete article. This is a really good deal! 22 LANHYDROCK Part II By Kitty Quayle While there are many Great Houses to be toured in the UK, Lanhydrock is unique in the myriad personal effects that fill the house. It very much feels like the owners still live there and are just out for a bit. The other very cool thing about Lanhydrock is that you get to tour the working part, to see how much labor and how many people it took to ensure that the few above stairs could live in effortless splendor. As a chef, I was particularly fascinated by the huge kitchen with its Victorian gadgets, cast iron ranges, lead lined sinks and cavernous fireplace with gleaming spits. The thirty-foot ceilings had high banks of windows to carry off the smoke and stupefying heat and to let in lots of light. The sheer volume of pots, pans, bowls, molds and utensils challenged any commercial kitchen‘s inventory. Feeding the Upper Crust But the vast kitchen was only a part of what was required to satisfy the culinary requirements of the upper crust. There was also the scullery for washing up dishes and vegetables and the bake house for the daily breads, cakes, biscuits and such. Several separate larders opened off the hallway; the dry larder for general storage, a meat larder and of course a fish larder for preserving and cooking fish. Particularly striking was the ingenious dairy and dairy scullery room, where the long, white marble counters and storage cupboards were kept cold by icy spring water running through channels carved into the stone. The butter and clotted cream were made here and the milk stored, as well as anything like puddings prepared in the kitchen that required chilling. Outside, away from all the splendor, lux and ingenuity of the Victorian interiors are the gardens. Formal areas greet one upon arri- val, all regimented color and precision geometry, forming a perfect foil for the squareness of the granite house behind them. The rigid formali- ty sets the stage perfectly for the house‘s interior. The parterres of dazzling bedding plants are home to bronze urns originally from the Chateau Bagatelle in Paris, which came to Lanhydrock in 1857. The thirty acres of gardens maintain the 19th century plan, as formal areas give way to riotous herbaceous borders, here planted in a unique circular form. A charming vine-covered garden shed with a steeply pitched roof squatted amongst the borders, resembling a bearded ancient as its hanging tendrils swayed in the breeze, revealing a lancet-style upstairs window. The heavy iron studded timber door peeked out of the overgrowth like the door into The Secret Garden, the heat of the blazing scarlet tulips blooming in front creating a sharp contrast to the cool foliage. In the back of the garden where the woods begin, a few slate steps lead down from the path to the nearly subterranean and mysterious ancient sacred well. Sheltered in a diminutive stone building surrounded by verdant growth, its arched doorway blocked by a locked wrought iron gate, the sacred water collects in the stone basin, a bit of day- light reaching it to glint upon the ebon surface. The Gardener‘s Cottage is nearby, tucked into a quiet corner, stoutly built of stone and roofed with slate. Clinging vines cover the walls, leaving only the arched windows and linteled door bare. A Prime Garden for Walkers What a lovely spot to live, with the expanse of garden fanning out in front and the deep woods snuggling up behind. The higher gar- dens, on the hillside above the house and church, combine native oaks and beeches with more than 120 species of white and cream magnolias, azaleas, rhododendron, camellias, rare shrubs and trees. Some of the specimens date from 1634. The estate encom- passes nearly 1,000 acres of beautiful countryside and is a prime garden for walkers. A network of paths runs through bluebell- carpeted woods and flower-filled meadows. The famous avenue of ancient beech and sycamore, planted in 1648, runs down to the Fowey River, seven and a half miles upstream from the sea. When Tommy Agar-Robartes lost his life in the war, the title passed to his younger brother Frances who then became the 7th Viscount Clifden.