Cornish American Heritage Society believed to be the oldest such cross Cornwall,in pre well that the Church and associated graveyard are positioned within an earlier pre though it is possible that both the Church and Oratory co It generally is argued that ternally’. oftheto define structure,and the and thechancel shape cleared size sand ‘internally wasex- of and The and sitewasDexter 1920. between by excavated 1917 TG with seais filled sand”. andshattereddows tombstones arehere theruin theinterior of confusion, inmelancholy while seen beingdivested pillars,“Ruinous, window roof, ofits frames andtowers. decay. was largely muchof fabric downand its inthe taken new withremains construction, reused left to Church. century, wasforgain it tobedug normal entrance quite theporch to order tothe tohave outin In recordedall theround sands was theChurch hadby 1755,it that spread and of the19 thestart as earlyas 1281. ry ofsand,recorded although tothe encroachment had thattheChurch due difficulties is sand it with included ofa theconstruction aisle south and tower. 13 and between underwent various modifications the this. 12 The belate dateascribed earliest tothefabric thatsurviving ofthe is can Church th
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1
Messach an Lewydh (Message from President)
We are knee-deep, or higher, in the rough and tumble of a political campaign. Each day I think, “Well, things can’t get any worse.” And then some candidate says something less than presi- dential, and it does get worse. Surely the U.S. is experiencing the most appalling, most embarrassing display of juvenile one-upsmanship in history.
We should take a lesson from Cornwall’s campaign for the importance and worthiness of a Cornish Assembly.
Political angst has manifest itself in many ways throughout history, not the least of which has been Cornwall’s struggle for distinctiveness and autonomy. Speeches, publications, marches, pro- tests, pleas to Parliament are all a part of the work of many dedicated Cornish promoters. For dec- ades, honorable women and men have, with persistence and dignity, striven to earn national pres- ence.
Andrew George, former MP for West Cornwall, in the October/November ’15 issue of MyCorn- wall magazine, writes of the history of the movement. On April 24th, 2014, Cornwall was pronounced a ‘national minority’, and as Andrew says in his article, “So, the Cornish do exist. It’s OK to describe yourself as Cornish…”
Ok, indeed. We knew that all along, didn’t we?
Have a look at his article. It makes for good reading and confirms our loyalty to the land of our mothers, fathers, grandparents, and beyond. It encourages us to promote the recognition of the new status for our beloved Cornwall and of our modern day Cornish Cousins.
Kathryn Herman
Courtesy of Cornish Association of New South Wales newsletter
2 Correspondence from Societies Butterflies thrive at Wheal Jane and Cousin Jack Website Firstly we must congratulate the Cornwall Butterfly and Moth Soci- CARDS and LEAFLETS ety on its successful application for charitable status. Over the past several newsletters members have Surveys at Wheal Jane by the CBMS during 2015 have provided received CANSW contact cards, and leaflets eg. some startling results and support the conclusion that the site is 'What Do These Names Have In Common', and benefitting from a combination of natural regeneration and sensi- 'Cornish Recipes'. The leaflets are for placing on tive management. noticeboards, or handing to interested people. A night survey in mid April identified twenty-four species of moth, including an unexpected dark form of the beautiful Yellow Under- The cards likewise to hand wing. Dave Spencer of the Society commented, "One of several on, but you can write your pleasant surprises during the first full year's recording at Wheal own message or contact Jane has been the discovery of a small population of the delightful details. little moth, the beautiful Yellow Underwing, anarta myrtilli. Further NSW Newsletter recording next year will hopefully provide a better understanding of
Editor: Good idea! its population and life cycle at Wheal Jane." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A further daytime survey during early May, normally a quiet time for moths, identified over fifty species in a single day. VICTORIAN HISTORICAL More excellent results more recently have logged sixteen species BIRTH DEATH MARRIAGE INDEXES of butterflies and moths, including a stunning male Blue Hairstreak (pictured right) and examples of the Orange Tip (pictured left) The Victorian historical birth death marriage indexes are which appears to be common at Wheal Jane. now online to search for free. The date range for deaths Photos by Dave Spencer has been extended to 1988. As the Wheal Jane site continues to develop, Wheal Jane Ltd's role in managing all aspects of the site, from planting and land- What's in the Historical index? scaping to operation of the tailings dam, continues to expand too. The Historical index has entries relating to: · births in Victoria from 1853 to 1914 · marriages in Victoria from 1853 to 1942 · deaths in Victoria from 1853 to 1988 · church baptisms, marriages and burials in Victoria from 1836 to 1853 http://www.bdm.vic.gov.au/home/family+history/
CAV newsletter ********************************************** On site, the creation of additional employment space and the sub- Little acorns and mighty oaks at Wheal Jane stantial upgrading of the electrical infrastructure will run alongside further work with the Cornwall Butterfly and Moth Society to further More than 2000 young trees were planted at Wheal Jane during enhance the butterfly area, and the finalisation of plans for the first 2015. A variety of native species have been planted as part of Cornish series cycle race event on site in conjunction with One the landscaping scheme for the solar farm and the general land- and All Cycling Academy. scaping of other areas of the site. Each of these planting pro- All in all, the year which marks the 25th anniversary of the original jects is part of the long term landscaping and remediation pro- closure of Wheal Jane as a productive tin mine looks set to be posals for the site and in line with our planning obligations. another fascinating one, and we look forward to progress. Wheal Jane Group newsletter
http://www.wheal-jane.co.uk/ ______
I must say how proud I am to find out that our Dear Friend Bridget Galsworthy Estavillo has been awarded a BEM for her services to the Cornish Community in Mexico!!! Bridget Galsworthy Estavillo you are an amazing Lady, Congratulations.
Cornish Migration Group 3 Correspondence con’t: The Disused Chapel on the Cornish Skyline
Strong winds and waves uncover ancient forest Listen to the radio broadcast at: BBC Radio 4 on Portreath Beach Recently ancient petrified wood and chunks from a sub- merged forest have been exposed on Portreath's beach. An extremely low tide revealed the forest for the first time in Via John Sly 1983 and again in 2014. Cornish-gen list serve A similar submerged forest also exists in Mount's Bay which is thought to date to 6000 years ago. CAV-Ballarat newsletter ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ My interest and passion for knitting has uncovered some wonder- ful images. I would like to draw your attention to these photos which show Cornish folk c.1850's-1910 in fishing villages and <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< towns in Cornwall. Some of you may know of the portraits of fish- ermen, and fishing families from around Polperro and St. Ives, Kresen Kernow Project created by photographer Lewis Harding, from the 1850's onwards. Many of the images referred to here were taken by him. Earlier this month members of If you go onto the website below, there is a short story on the Cor- staff visited the Kresen Kernow nish Knit-frock tradition, a few wonderful photos, plus the famous site to see the work that has photo of 82 Cornish fishermen. You can click on these images to already been carried out to bring them up to a large scale on a separate page. build a public walkway through the site. Although 80% of the http://www.thatsmycornwall.com/stitch-in-time-cornwalls-knit-frocks/ work has been underneath the
surface, it was lovely to see the area beginning to take shape, The 2015 reprint of the knitting book, 'Michael Pearson's Tradi- and to admire design elements such as statues and a water tional Knitting, Aran, Fair Isle & Fisher Ganseys', has a chap- feature made from beer bottles. Due to the poor condition of the ter titled, 'The Knit-Frocks of Cornwall.' This is well written and buildings the area remains closed at the moment. deals with the social, cultural and financial history of knitting in the fishing towns, plus some patterns. Preservation Training There are some finely detailed reprints of fishermen wearing the Back in October our friends at PZ Conser- traditional knits, and also of the fisher wives, the knit-girls, smoke vation (http://www.pzconservation.org.uk/) houses, quayside groups, harbor views and fishing fleets. A num- came and delivered a training session to ber of names are given identifying folk. members of our team in how to make book Another book that may be of interest, although I haven't viewed it, shoes and book boxes, which will be very is 'Cornish Guernseys & Knit-frocks' by Mary Wright, and pro- useful for us in improving how we store duced by Polperro Heritage Press. She provides patterns from items and helping us prepare to move eve- towns and villages, such as Sennen, St. Ives, Porthleven, Bude, rything to Kresen Kernow. Looe, and Polperro. Victorian Photographic Extravaganza I hope you will find this information interesting, and perhaps even an image of a relative. will be at the Cornish Studies Library on Saturday Kind regards, March 5th, being held as part of Redruth’s St Pi- Rowena Gough via email ran’s Day events. The event will feature a range of ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ photos and stereographs from our collections, and Toronto Cornish report that Genealogists Louise Todd and there will even be a chance to pose in your own Debbie Marks of Marks in Time presented “How do you Victorian photo! The event will also launch our new want to be remembered? What is your legacy?” photography exhibition, looking at Cornish photographers and photographs from 1841 until the present day. A discussion of genealogical tips to researching your ances- Kresen Kernow is scheduled to be open in 2018! tors and preserving their stories. Kresen Kernow newsletter of the Cornwall Record Office TCA newsletter Email: [email protected]
4 Correspondence con’t: Archives of Michigan staff have completed loading the As a follow-up to her recommendation last month that images of 1940 death records to Seeking Michigan. Happy members research street names in Toronto which have Cor- researching! http://seekingmichigan.org. nish connections, Ann Crichton-Harris produced a City The Archives uploads each year after it fulfills the privacy Directory in which she had marked a number of streets requirements. They hold the certificates up to1952. The which appear to be Cornish. Members were encouraged to complete collection has death certificates from 1897— check out and research a street in their own neighbourhood 1952. ======to see if there are interesting Cornish connections.
TCA newsletter
Editor: Another interesting project. ______
‘OW TO EAT A PASTY From Aunt Hazel Paynter’s scrapbook
Well, you take‘n hout of the h’oven with lovin’ care. Pick ‘n hup in both ‘ands. Start from the corner and work in. Tissn’t nawthin’ ta ‘oller ‘bout till you git ‘bout ‘alf way in or more. That good ol’ juice is layin’ theer, restin’ comfort- able in its bed of taters, ‘honions and mate. H’it’s waitin’ theer to run all over yur face, be’ind yur h’ears an’ in yur ‘air – if’n you got any. H’it gits better with ever’ bite until it runs down yur shirt. H’its ‘ot an’ full of taters ‘n mate – right down ta the last bite. An’ thet is eatin’ a good pasty Cornwall Coast taken by Nigel Hicks the way h’it should be et. ======
If you plan to shop for a new desktop genealogy software program in 2016, you should visit this site. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TINNER’S LUCK The ‘Best Genealogy Software Review’ analyzes ten software Touch a horseshoe four times before going down a mine. programs: Legacy Family Tree, Family Historian, Family Tree Tip your cap in all directions before picking up your pick- Maker, RootsMagic, Ancestral Quest, Heredis, Family Tree Herit- axe. age, Brother’s Keeper, GenBox Family History, and WinFamily. If a snail crosses your path while you on the way to the Each of them are evaluated by six different criteria: web capabili- mine, this means good luck. But should a hare run past, ties, creating connections, charting capabilities, citations & or- take care for this is an ill omen. ganization, help & support, and supported configurations. Share your noontime croust with the Knackers – leave Within each of these topics are a series of specific sub catego- behind a bit of crust for them. ries that allow you to see at a glance the capabilities of a particu- Drip a bit of candle grease on the mine floor each time lar program. The website also provides direct links to each of the you light a candle, so that the Knackers may scoop it up software sites, where you can learn more about each product. By and make their own small lights. a large margin, the reviewers like Legacy Family Tree best, but RootsMagic and Family Historian are also popular.
(Tales from the Droll-Teller, http://genealogy-software-review.toptenreviews.com/ retold by Shirley Climo)
Courtesy of Cousin Jacks and Jennies SWCS newsletter 5 After 257 days at sea a Cornish woman The Cornish Personality has entered the record books by Dorothy Beckwith
Laura Penhaul from Redruth is part of the first ever female crew to While doing research for Vermont, the third row the Pacific. A team of women, The Coxless Crew, has rowed home of my very early Beckwith family before mov- from San Francisco, California USA to Cairns, Queensland, Aus- ing on to New York and Wisconsin, I found these bits tralia. It is the first time a group of women has rowed across the of information. They parallel the basic Cornish per- Pacific. sonality in so many ways, that I wonder if my English They travelled 8446 miles and spent 257 days at sea. The Coxless family didn’t live smack-dab in the center of a whole Crew was started by Cornish maid Laura Penhaul who is also the lot of early Cornish immigrants. team leader - she is a physiotherapist for the British Paralympic I quote from Vermont Heritage by Barrows team. Laura aged 32, from Redruth, Cornwall is a keen marathon Mussey, 1940, A A Wyn Inc, New York. And, I be- runner, cyclist and triathlete. lieve we could substitute the words Cornwall or Cor- nish for any use of the word Vermont. “And what is it – the Vermont tradition? Cer- tainly it is nothing fixed. Vermonters are fiercely un- regimented. They disagree with one another more often than they seem to agree. You can always make a close guess as to the sort of thing they will do and – more or less – what they will say while do- ing it and what they will refrain from saying.” “Vermont tradition is based on the idea that group life should leave each person as free as possi- ble to arrange his own life.” “But character itself lies deep and secret be- Other members of the team: low the surface, unknown and unknowable by oth- Emma Mitchell (30), Natalia Cohen (40), Isabel Burnham (30), Li- ers. It is the mysterious core of life which every man zanne van Vuuren (27) and Meg Dyos (25). The women’s boat is or woman has to cope with, along to live with, to named Doris and is painted pink. It is 29 ft long, 7 ft wide, has 2 conquer, and put in order, or to be defeated by.” rowing positions, a front and back cabin and is made mainly of Kev- “Vermonters take this attitude for granted, lar, glass and foam core. understand one another when they act on it.” Their aims were to inspire women globally to follow their dreams “…keep society – the community, the group, and to raise awareness and essential funds for their chosen chari- the family – off the individual’s neck as much as pos- ties – Walking With The Wounded and Breast Cancer Care. sible, to give everyone enough freedom to be him- self, so that he can develop on his own steam what- http://coxlesscrew.com/an-introduction-to-doris ever is best and most vital in his nature. CAV Ballarat newsletter “In Vermont, this abstract principle forms the actual literal basis of life for the majority of plain ordi- Dyski Kernewek – Learn Cornish! nary people in ginghams and blue jeans, standing Cooking with Cornish toe-to-toe with the need to earn every cent of their livings and slugging it out with poverty all the days of their lives, generation after generation.” Kernewek Sounds like English “... although (living elsewhere), I was living Bleus blew sss flour by Vermont tradition before I even knew what it
Sugra soo grah sugar was.” Doesn’t this remind us of who we, the Cor- salt Holan hoe lan nish, are? Amanyn amm an in butter
Dehen deh hen cream
Oy/oyow oi/oi ow egg/eggs Frooth syghys froo th see heese dried fruit
Margerin margarine margarine
From New Zealand Cornish Association newsletter 6 A bridge fit for King Arthur: Sweeping landscape: This shortlisted bridge Contest is launched for new walkway to birthplace of mythi- design from Wil- cal ruler in Cornwall. kinsonEyre with Atelier English Heritage has shortlisted six designs for a new One is constructed from oak and stainless £4million footbridge linking Tintagel Castle to the mainland steel. More than 200,000 people visit Tintagel Castle, reput- edly the birthplace of the legendary King Arthur, every year
The new bridge on the north Cornwall coast is scheduled for completion in 2019.
By Shari Miller For Mailonline Published: 16:54, 6 December 2015 | Updated: 18:32, 6 December 2015 Spectacular: This design by Niall McLaughlin Architects with Price A competition to design a new £4million footbridge linking & Myers proposes a stone arch the Cornish castle thought to be King Arthur's birthplace made from Cornish granite. with the mainland has been launched. Six designs for the 285ft (87m) high structure at Tintagel Castle have been unveiled, which will help reconnect the castle's divided landscape in north Cornwall. Once united by a narrow strip of land, today the remains of Subject to planning approval and consent, the bridge is the 13th Century settlement can be seen on both the main- scheduled for completion in 2019. land and the jagged coast at the site of what is reputedly +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ King Arthur's birthplace. The new bridge will sit 28 metres higher than the current Kernewek Lowender crossing and span some 72m across 'one of the most spec- Copper Triangle, South Australia tacular historic sites in Britain', according to English Herit- age. Some of the entries are included here. The main events for 2017 will be held Friday 19th May to Sunday 21st. Chairperson Lyn Spurling has Bridging the gap: accepted the position for a further two years, while Six designs, including the Executive Officer position will be firmed up early this one from RFR and in 2016. Current EO Rosemary Cock will act in a vol- Jean-Francois Blassel, untary capacity until 31st December. The work of have been submitted both these women has been very much appreciated. for a new footbridge at ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tintagel Castle, which is visited by more than The London Cornish Association 200,000 people every will be celebrating their year. 130th Anniversary March 12, 2016
A view from a bridge: The speaker at the luncheon will be Mr. Tom Varcoe Philanthropy Advisor, Cornwall Community Foundation. This entry from Di- etmar Feichtinger Ar- ~~~~~~~~~ chitects with Terrell is The AGM and Trelawny Lecture 2016 called Between Land and Sea and incorpo- This year, the AGM and Trelawny Lecture will form part rates a bowed steel of the Family History Day event on 16th April. girder stressed into a The annual Trelawny Lecture is one of the key events on the LCA Calendar. The lectures, which started in 1987, horizontal position by provide members with an opportunity to hear talks by stainless steel plates that are anchored to the slopes of the eminent speakers on a variety of Cornish topics. ravine. pesys war folen 22 7 Are You a Leaf ELIZABETH WOOLCOCK The only female hanged in South Australia. on the Family Tree of Richard Trevithick Elizabeth Lillian Woolcock, nee Oliver, was born in Burra in 1847 of (1771-1833)? Cornish parents. They came to South Australia in 1842 then travelled to the Victorian goldfields in 1851 along with thousands of other gold seekers. Life was rough and tough for many women and Elizabeth’s The Trevithick Society has a major project underway to mother deserted the family when she was four years of age. investigate the extended family tree of Richard, the en- Elizabeth suffered a sexual attack at the age of seven leaving her men- tally disturbed and physically injured, and was given opium for the pain gineer noted for his work with steam engines vital in the to which she became addicted. Her father died when she was nine and process of mining minerals all over the world. she went to live with a pharmacist, which gave her easy access to the This is an on-going project and much work has already drug. been done in searching archives, combing the internet At age 18 she located her mother and step-father at Moonta and for original sources of information, and interviewing moved in with them becoming a Sunday School teacher at the Wesley- an Church. It was here that she met Thomas Woolcock, a Cornishman, people who believe they have a link to Richard. Jacky and a widower with two children. Casson is coordinating the project and working with Elizabeth and her step-father fought over her becoming Thomas’s Phil Hosken, Chairman of the T. Society for 18 years, housekeeper and she refused to go back to her family home marrying and several volunteers. Thomas only knowing him for about seven weeks. On March 4, the group will meet to start bringing to- It was a tragic mistake, with Thomas a heavy drinker and a bully who abused her physically and mentally. She left him several times but he gether the research done to date which is currently on always found her and brought her back. Elizabeth’s drug addiction was different software. Phil Hosken says “In addition to the known to the local community and after leaving the chemist’s premises UK, we’ve stuff on Trevithicks in Japan, New Zealand, she found it harder to obtain. engineering visits to Eqypt and the US, and involve- Thomas became ill at work with stomach pains, and was treated by ment in Hosken, Trevithick, Polkinghorn & Co Ltd various doctors, given mercury, rhubarb and cream of tartar cures, but he eventually died in September 1873. which, not surprisingly, I’m doing”. He is not aware of Because Elizabeth was a known drug addict she was suspected of foul any emigration to the United States, but time will tell. play and an inquest was set up with mercury poisoning noted as the In the 1894 obituary of Richard’s grandson Frederick cause of death. Henry Trevithick, it is stated that “After travelling for a The doctor testified he only gave Thomas one tablet that couldn't have short time in the United States, Mr. Trevithick was en- killed him. Defendants were not able to speak on their own behalf and give evidence so after a three day trial and 20 minutes deliberation, the gaged from 1869 to 1871 in the Locomotive Depart- jury declared Elizabeth was guilty of poisoning her husband. ment of the Central Pacific Railway at Sacramento, Cal- Elizabeth gave a confession letter to the Reverend J Bickford, who was ifornia.” * in attendance up until her death, and it was noted that she was in a Jacky Casson described the project briefly in the De- white dress and held a posy of flowers and walked calmly to the gal- lows at Adelaide Gaol, on the 30th December 1873. cember 2015 Journal of the Cornwall Family History It is believed that the medication given to Thomas could have been the Society and invites anyone who would like to help to cause of death and there has been a push to have a posthumous par- contact her. The project group will also be delighted to don given to Elizabeth. receive any claims readers may have that could possibly No Monument of Stone - Elizabeth Woolcock’s Struggle by Alan L tie in. Peters available at Amazon.com Or read her full story and confession at Wikipedia.org. Jacky can be reached by telephone at (0)7981 759258 or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Woolcock by e-mail at [email protected]
*[Grace's Guide to British Industrial History online source. www.gracesguide.co.uk/] Elizabeth and Thomas Woolcock and Written by Tommi O’Hagan Thomas John Wookcock (stepson) Born 20 April 1848
Died 30 December 1873 (age 25)
Courtesy CAV newsletter and Wickipe- dia.org
8 AMAZING FIND AT LANDHYDROCK Cornish Memory A book that helped Henry VIII build his case against the Pope for an annulment from Catherine of Aragon has been discovered in This website is an archive of photos, film and audio record- a library at Landhyrock, a large country house in eastern Corn- ings of Cornish life from Victorian times to modern day: http://cornishmemory.com/ wall, near Bodmin. The book is a summary of critical writings by William of Oak- Courtesy of Joy Langdon Cornish listserve ham, an English Franciscian friar who was a major figure in me- ______dieval intellectual and political thought. Some of his writings chal- lenged the Pope’s condemnation of the Franciscian views on the William (Bill) Treloar poverty of Christ and his apostles. He died in 1347. The book A letter from his son Gordon H. Treloar to Ron Carbis shows how agents for the monarch scoured the country for texts in order to question the Pope’s authority. My father has been a member of the Society for several years. I am writing to inform you that he passed away this
past October. His Cornish heritage has been a source of
pride for him for years. In 2001, I accompanied him to Corn- wall and we spent a great deal of time exploring the country- side, especially the old tin mines. Harry Safari was a great tour guide and we sure enjoyed his company. We spent a week in Penzance and every afternoon we could be found at a local coffee shop for tea or coffee with the delicious pas- tries. We visited Lands End, St. Michaels Mount, Geevor Tin Mine and the Levant Mine. The book, dated 1495, was then used to argue for the king’s in- Bill was born in Mineral Point, Wisconsin in 1927. Both my dependence as he sought to annul his first wife after she failed to grandfather and great-grandfather worked the lead and zinc produce a male heir. He went on to marry Anne Boleyn (and mines until they closed in 1929. We grew up with the Cor- several more). The book is important not only for its provenance but also for marginal notes and marks made by the king’s secre- nish mining legacy and still enjoy pasties and saffron cakes tarial staff to draw his attention to relevant passages. Highlighted during the holidays. My father attended many of the Cornish passages include ‘when a synod is greater than a Pope’ and get-togethers attending all of the festivals held in Mineral ‘when it is permitted to withdraw from obedience to the Pope’. Point, as well as one held in Grass Valley. He and my niece Such material was used in the years leading up to the king’s mar- went to the Copper Coast of Australia to attend Kernewek riage to Anne Boleyn in 1533, the Act of Supremacy in 1534 and Lowender and were featured in the local newspaper. the establishment of an independent English Church. (Several other members of CAHS were there with him, including At some point in the 17th century the book was acquired by Han- your editor). nibal Gamon, a collector of early scholarly books. He later be- My family knew my Dad’s love for Cornwall and decided to queathed many of his books to the Robartes family at honor that with the following saying on his grave marker, Landhydrock. Staff at Landhydrock has been aware of the “Dha weles diwettha” (See You Later). My sister, Cheryl book but not the direct connection to Henry VIII’s marital prob- Roepke, commented about the saying, “I’ve been thinking lems until identified by a visiting Tudor historian. about the Cornish phrase that you picked out for Dad. I think Landhydrock estate belonged to the Augustinian priory of St. Petroc at Bodmin until the 1530s. In 1620 Sir Richard Robartes it is perfect for a lot of reasons. Dad would say “See ya later” acquired the estate and began building the house. He died in every morning when I went to work. It was comforting to 1624 but work on the house was continued by his son, John know that I would see him later and that everything would be Robartes. ok until that time. It also gives me comfort to know that with In 1872 Lord Robartes of Landhydrock was listed in the top ten God’s grace, I will see him later. To add it also in Cornish is land holdings in Cornwall with an estate of 22,234 acres or perfect. Our Cornish heritage is the one thing that Dad em- 2.93% of Cornwall. braced. It wasn’t only a hobby because he was passionate The Robartes family declined significantly during WW I, suffering about it. He insisted on attending every possible Cornish the death of the heir, Thomas Agar-Robartes, killed in battle in event that he could which took us to California, Michigan, France, trying to rescue a colleague from no-man’s land. (Echoes North Carolina, Cornwall and Australia as well as Mineral of Downton Abbey). The house and approximately 400 acres of Point on a yearly basis. He and Beth (granddaughter) spent parkland were given to the National Trust in 1953. Landhydrock is a fantastic place. If you ever have a chance ------many hours on the computer tracing our ancestry back to Cornwall.” Southwest Wisconsin Cornish Society newsletter 9 Carols from Afar Draw People came to hear the choir. As she is entering a national histor- from ical competition, Fisher also spent time researching the Afar to Cornish Christmas Nevada County Cornish at the libraries in Nevada City, the Searls Historical Library and the Doris Foley Library for
Historical Research. By Gage McKinney “Hearing [the choir] was an amazing experience,” Fisher Special to The Union said. “The cheery carolers sang their hearts out, simultane-
ously putting us all in the Christmas spirit while represent- The old world carols sung at Cornish Christmas in Grass ing the rich history of Cornish immigrants.” Valley come from across the sea, and so do some of the Kenderwi Kernewek newsletter people who come to hear them. Friday night, by permission of the director, Peter Marshall of +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Falmouth, Cornwall will sing with the Grass Valley Carol Cornish Choir. He knows the carols because they are also A WEDDING AT GWITHIAN sung at Christmas in Falmouth, a harbor town on the Eng- lish Channel, a debarkation point for the D-Day invasion of “An extraordinary scene was witnessed at Gwithian on Monday Europe in World War II. This is Marshall’s second Grass last, in consequence of a wedding which took place there, be- Valley Christmas. tween two persons who have for many years been inmates of the “Last year, following the previous bad winter in England, we parish poor-house. The bridegroom, Benedict Hammill, is a most decided to be away for the worst of winter,” Marshall said. decrepit object, aged 68 years; the bride, who is in her 49th year, He comes to California with Heather Williams, who lives in is the mother of a numerous progeny, though she never before a hamlet with a distinctive Cornish name—Trenwheal, not submitted to the trammels of matrimony. The report of their in- far from Penzance. This Christmas season Marshall and Williams are spending tended union collected a great crowd round the church, who be- a full month in Grass Valley. Later they will extend their Cal- came so clamorous for admittance, that the clergyman, fearing ifornia stay at San Luis Obispo. that they would force an entrance, suspended the service and Also visiting Cornish Christmas this year is Kate Neale, a went in quest of constables to disperse the mob, leaving direc- doctoral candidate at the University of Cardiff, who came tions to keep the doors locked until his return. from her home near Padstow, Cornwall. An ethnomusicolo- After some time he came back accompanied by the village con- gist, she’s writing a dissertation on Cornish carols. servators of the peace, who succeeded in getting the mob to a Kate did more than listen. Having sung Cornish carols pre- respectful distance from the sacred edifice, which was at one viously in Padstow, another picturesque port town, she time feared they would have profaned; but when his reverence climbed the steps of the Union building to join the choir, was about to resume the service, the bride was not to be found. finding her place among the altos and tenors. “It was almost like shivers up your spine,” Neale said, “to The greatest confusion now prevailed, and messengers were sing familiar music, music I associate with home. And it was dispatched in search of the truant, who was shortly seen emerg- nice to have an audience,” she added, “which was different ing from the village inn, leaning on the arm of the aged sexton, and exciting.” who had been prevailed on by her entreaties during absence of The difference Neale noticed was that in Padstow the carol- the clergyman, to let her out at a side door, in order that by an ers have to go to the audience, while in Grass Valley the application to the gin bottle, she might exhilarate her spirits, audience comes to where the carolers are singing on Mill which were greatly agitated by the unexpected events of the day. Street. The sexton, who has no objection to a cheerful glass, took the opportunity of indulging in a similar libation, and thus interestingly employed, the friendly couple forgot the lapse of time, until they were alarmed by the hue and cry raised after the bride. Order being restored, the sacred rite was performed, and the happy couple returned to the poor-house amidst the shouts, hootings and groans of the assembled multitude.”
The excerpt is taken from Life in Cornwall in the Early Nineteenth Century (1810-1835):Extracts from The West Briton. 21 October 1825
Selected and edited by Rita M. Barton London Cornish Association newsletter
She came from San Francisco to hear the choir
Another student visitor this year was Samantha Fisher from Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory in San Francisco, who
10 Why Isn’t Your Society Accepting Credit Cards? https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/paypal-safety-and- security. Most genealogy societies now have web sites to publicize their activities and to attract new members. However, I am still I have used PayPal for years to handle all orders for subscriptions amazed at how many of those sites have an online application to the Plus Edition of this newsletter. Unlike the credit card proces- for membership that states something similar to the following: sor I used previously, PayPal has never lost a dime on any of the transactions. (The previous credit card processor used to occa- "To join the society, please print the following application on your sionally lose orders.) In the 15+ years I have been accepting Pay- printer, put it into an envelope, enclose a check, and mail it to Pal payments, there has never been a case of fraud or lost funds the society." on any payments for subscriptions to this newsletter. I trust PayPal more than I trust most other forms of payment, especially trusting it That is so 1990s! more than sending checks in the mail. Thousands of checks get stolen from the U.S. Postal Service every day. See http://goo.gl/ I suspect that many would-be members stop when they see WzfmJ for a long list of articles describing past cases of checks such requirements and then move on to something else. They stolen from the Postal Service and cashed. don't join simply because it isn't convenient to do so. The problem is even worse when international boundaries are Fees involved. Are you in the United States but want to join a society in Canada or England or Germany or elsewhere? If so, you can- To be sure, PayPal does charge fees. The purchaser does not not simply send a check. You have to obtain a money order in pay, but the seller does. In this case, the seller is the society. Fees Canadian dollars or British pounds or in Euros and mail it to the are modest, only a bit higher than normal credit card fees. The society. Such foreign money orders are expensive. The fees transaction fee for purchases made within the U.S. is 2.9% of the for foreign money orders are often higher than the fee for joining total amount plus $0.30 per transaction. the society! In contrast, obtaining a merchant account for handling credit cards Is your society losing new members as a result? Luckily, in this usually costs a fixed fee (I used to pay $10 a month) plus 2.7% of day and age there is a simple solution: your society can easily each web-based transaction plus another 30 cents per transaction. accept credit card payments with PayPal. PayPal has no fixed fees for normal accounts. There are PayPal Anybody anywhere in the world can pay anyone or any organi- fixed fees for some high-dollar accounts, but I doubt if your society zation almost anywhere else in the world quickly and cheaply by will qualify for those. using PayPal. The buyer (would-be member) does not even PayPal international sales are charged a 3.9% transaction fee plus need to have a PayPal account. All he or she needs is a valid a fixed fee based on the currency received. Even this higher fee is credit card or debit card, or he or she can even pay directly by still much cheaper than purchasing a money order in foreign electronic funds transfer directly from any U.S. checking ac- funds. PayPal takes care of the problem of transferring foreign count. That last option is referred to as an "e-check." payments into your local currency. PayPal always pays the seller- NOTE: There are a few exceptions: PayPal won't accept orders in our example, the society-in their preferred currency. See from a few third-world countries that are notorious for attempted https://www.paypal.com/selfhelp/article/FAQ1555/1 for details. fraud. However, I doubt if that will be an issue for many readers PayPal also offers volume discounts as low as 2.2% to businesses of this newsletter or for the societies they might wish to join. that sell a lot although I doubt if many genealogy societies will ever Any society can obtain a PayPal account within seconds, as qualify for that. Further details on fees may be found at long as the society has a valid email account. Once the PayPal https://www.paypal.com/webapps/mpp/paypal-fees. account is created, anyone can join the society within seconds from (almost) any country. There are no fees for checks, no Handling the Funds postage, and, in fact, nobody even has to purchase an enve- lope. It is also much, much faster, easier, and safer than sending PayPal keeps the funds in the receiving PayPal account, where and receiving checks in the mail. the money may be used immediately to make purchases with Pay- Pal. However, I suspect most societies will prefer to periodically Security transfer the funds to a local bank account. All the society needs is a standard bank account, either checking or savings. Any bank will PayPal is a highly respected credit card processor that has been accept electronic funds transfers. I suspect most societies already in business since the very early days of the World Wide Web. have such an account. Then the society has to go through a one- During that time, it has successfully transferred tens of billions of time process to prove that the account belongs to the society. dollars of funds every year. Once completed, funds may be transferred to the local bank ac- PayPal's primary business is providing credit card services to count at any time with no transfer fees. However, such transfers individuals and to small businesses and non-profits. PayPal also often require two or three business days for the transfers to be enjoys an excellent reputation for security. PayPal even provides made, the same as any other inter-bank transfer. an extra layer of security above and beyond what the credit card companies already provide. Details may be found at 11 Paypal con’t: credit card payments as soon as possible. Once #1 is in place, evaluate the idea of moving to solution #2. Considerations for the Society's Web Site Of course, another advantage is that once your local society has a PayPal account, it can also accept credit card payments for PayPal also provides automatic Payment Card Industry (PCI) books, CD-ROM disks, or even for tickets to the society's next security standards. These are the minimum requirements for seminar. protecting your customers' payment card information. These measures include implementing quarterly scans and audits, It's time to get your society out of the 1990s and into the 21st cen- passing security assessments, building and maintaining a tury! It is also time to attract more members by providing a simple secure network, and other controls. Adopted by Visa, Master- and secure path to purchase membership and other items the Card, American Express, Discover Card, and JCB, PCI compli- society sells. Your society can start accepting credit card pay- ance is required for all merchants that store, transmit, or pro- ments by PayPal within the next few minutes. cess payment card information. If your society adopts a differ- ent credit card solution, the society may become responsible Used with permission of Dick Eastman for PCI compliance. Use of PayPal avoids the problem. Eastman’s Online Genealogy Newsletter Http://www.eogn.com PayPal has a special page for questions and answers for non- profits at https://cms.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/marketingweb?cmd=_render- content&content_ID=merchant/donations.
There are at least two simple PayPal methods for adding Pay- Pal payments to a society's web page: pay_paypal_logo1. Copy-and-paste a bit of HTML code from the PayPal web site to your society's web site to add a "Pay by PayPal" logo. The customer clicks on that and fills in the payment info as request- ed, and as soon as they submit that info, an email is sent to the society within seconds. The society receives an email message with the new member's name and the amount paid, but never sees the credit card number. (Credit card numbers should never be sent by email or by any other method that does not Coastline of Cornwall have full PCI implementation.) Photo by Nigel Hicks This solution requires only a few minutes to implement but has +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ the obvious disadvantage that adding the new member to the list of members still is a manual process. Somebody has to Tom & Libby Luke forwarded this email, from Bob Bo- copy, or copy-and-paste, the information about the new mem- litho: ber to the society's list of members. Of course, if your society is The Pioneer (Yorketown, South Australia) presently only accepting checks in the mail, the society is al- Saturday 1 November 1902 ready doing the same! MOONTA – CORNWALL The second solution is more elegant but requires more time and expertise to set up. Payment gateway software can be A Westralian contributor to the "Southern Cross" writes:- installed on the society's web server, and payments can be Amongst the untravelled an impression prevails here that accepted instantly. With PayPal, the society doesn't need to all South Australians are Cornishmen or of Cornish de- add a web certificate or SSL or PCI Implementation or any scent. other expensive additions. Once implemented, the new mem- Why such an impression has gained ground is difficult to ber will be added to the list of members immediately, and he or fathom, but it is probably on account of so many of the she also instantly gains access to protected content the society Wallaroo, Moonta, and Burra miners having taken up their keeps in the members-only section of the web site, if any. Such residence in Western Australia. On the goldfields if a man software costs $200 or less from several different vendors, but claims South Australia as his birthplace he is set down at it does require some technical expertise to install and configure. once for a Cornishman. The school children here are grow- If the society prefers, several companies will install and ing up with this idea also. It is stated in one newspaper that configure the software for you for a modest fee, meaning that the following occurred in a State school recently. "Where is only limited technical skills are required by the society's web- Cornwall?" asked the teacher. "In South Australia," an- master. swered the head of the class. After this pupil had been cor- rected, the teacher asked: "Which is the capital city of Summation Cornwall?" Another bright pupil promptly replied My advice? Use solution #1 immediately to start accepting "Moonta!" 12 Taklow a Vern (Items of Interest)
The Grass Valley Male Voice Choir is traveling to Stockton, CA to help celebrate our 25th Anniversary.
Join the celebration event of the California Cornish Cousins as they celebrate “Silver Threads Among the Gold” ——————————————————————————————————————
Support the Penlee Lifeboat Station and Enjoy a Good Read
All Royalties from a novel set mainly in Cornwall are being donated to The Penlee Lifeboat Station appeal. To date £50 has been given via the Virgin Money giving site.
‘Lamorna’ is a story of love and loss. The heroine, Lamorna West arrives in Corn- wall in the summer of 1968 to escape an unhappy home life, and to find work for the summer. She finds a job in a Mousehole village hotel and becomes torn between her ambition to achieve success as a photographer and her growing love for her employ- er’s son. And so begins a magical time which will transform her life in ways she could never have imagined. Like all love stories nothing is plain sailing, and Lamor- na has to endure heartbreak and loss before a shocking family discovery brings her back to Cornwall.
The Penlee lifeboat features in the story, (with a fictitious crew), and lovers of the West Penwith area will rec- ognise many of the locations.
Author Susanna Lambert drew on her own experiences of working holidays and visits to Cornwall, as well as her love for the area, but the novel is not autobiographical.
The cover illustration is by Devon born Elisa Rose Cunningham, a recent graduate from Falmouth School of Art. Susanna saw her work at her final degree show in 2013, liked her work and picked up a business card. She says she wanted to support a young illustrator just embarking on her career.
LAMORNA is available as an eBook from Amazon, and at over 500 pages it’s a bargain at $3.06. Check out the Facebook pages for photographs and information, or to get in touch! https://www.facebook.com/susannalambertauthor https://www.facebook.com/elisacunninghamillustration 13 Items con’t:
The Engineers of Cornwall at the Mines of Pontgibaud in France By Michael T. Kiernan
The latest venture of the CGMP is to publish a series of books covering some of the less well known destinations of our Cornish migrants. The first publication ventures into France!
“The Cornish Diaspora is constantly full of surprises. They went everywhere. One such place was central France. Our publication to be launched on 5th March (think St Piran!) at Murdoch House, Redruth, is called “The Engineers of Cornwall at the Mines of Pont- gibaud in France”. In 1853 a cohort of Cornish miners and their families were recruited to take up the management and running of some silver/lead mines in Central France. Those remarka- ble Cornish families, their descendants and other ‘Cornish Cousins’ were present in the small town of Pontgibaud for over fifty years. They left an quite amazing legacy, enduring to this day. This book first sets out the story of those mines, the many downs and ups of a long lasting venture. An analysis is made to explain the financial success and losses over those decades. There was despair, tragedy and triumph. The study then ventures into a detailed look at the families involved. An attempt is made at a reconstruction of their origins and histories, both before and after the ‘French adventure’. Any study of migration communities soon runs into complications. The Cornish migrant travelled the globe in pursuit of adventure, new experiences and a desire to provide a financial security. Those Cornish families who travelled to Pontgibaud in France were so remarkable in that their descendants tended to make a most special place for themselves around the globe (particularly in the USA) and in the annals of the Cornish. During the research work a number of publications, many photographs, copies of original documents and print- ed and digital publications were accumulated. These have been deposited in the archives at Murdoch House.
The book is to be launched at Murdoch House on 5th March (but available now on line). Available at Lulu.com for $16.63 plus postage. ______
Three books by Tessa Hainsworth about Starting Again, Making a New Life and Putting Down Roots in Cornwall.
Tessa Hainsworth had a very busy life in Lon- don and worked as the Marketing Manager for the Body Shop. She felt that she never had enough time for her family so one day decided to give it all away and settle in Cornwall with her husband, an actor, and their two young children. These three books give an insight into the family’s life as they struggle to settle into a small rural community on the Cornish Roseland peninsula. After a few months, Tessa is almost ready to return to London when her husband is still out of work, her children are struggling in a cold, damp, tumbled-down house and the family is running out of money. One day whilst in the local post office she learns of a vacancy for a relief postman and so the stories begin. Autobiographic, easy to read and very enjoyable for anyone who has visited Cornwall.
Available at Amazon.com: kindle, paperback or hardcover.
14 Items con’t:
Whispers Beyond the Grave By Cheryl Lynn Carter (Cornish Connection of Lower Michigan is proud of Cheryl)
Once upon a time, in a small Midwest town, this little brown eyed girl was born. I was just an average child with wide-eyed innocence and curiosity. As I grew, that inquisitiveness expanded by leaps and bounds. But soon I came to realize how different I was from the other children. This little girl had a secret. By no means was it something I could share with a friend; not a chance. Besides who would ever believe me? For dead peo- ple spoke to me and I spoke to them …
Available at Amazon.com —————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Atlantis and the Biblical Flood The Evidence at Last? By Philip Runggaldier
75 per cent of Cornwall's population killed in megaflood By West Briton | Posted: January 09, 2016
A STAGGERING 75 per cent of the Cornish population was wiped out in an ancient megaflood, a researcher has claimed. In his latest book Philip Runggaldier, who is a scholar of ancient archaeolo- gy and mythology, explores the theory that a megadeluge struck Britain and Ireland 14,700 years ago. He claims the deluge was Britain's worst natural disaster and the source of the Biblical flood.
In Atlantis and the Biblical Flood: The evidence at last?, Runggaldier suggests a huge glacial lake formed within the Irish Sea Basin during the last Ice Age. It was known as Llyn Llion, which means the lake of floods.
Runggaldier suggests that when the ice gave way, around 14,700 years ago, it produced a mega- flood that swamped most of Cornwall as well as destroying populations in Devon, coastal Wales and southeast Ireland. That same deluge destroyed the Celtic Plain (the once dry land lying between Ire- land and Cornwall), he claims.
Runggaldier says that reconstruction of the area reveals a landscape that matches the physical de- scription of Plato's Atlantis to "a remarkable degree".
Available at Amazon.com
15 assisted him materially in gaining information regarding the principal min- Tales of St Just in Penwith ing localities. In 1885 he proceeded to Eurowie (New South Wales), where William OATS (1838-1911) he took control of a tin mine, and remained there until 1888. by Bob Bolitho A few months later he accepted the management of Fraser's South mine, Southern Cross. Subsequently he was invited to take over the man- Known to many simply as Captain Oats, William Oats made his name as agement of the Fraser mine, and accepted the position. He assumed con- a mining manager, first at Wheal Owles in St Just in Penwith then in trol on June 1, 1890, and in November the first dividend of 6d. on 50,000 Australia, most notably on the goldfields of Western Australia. shares was declared, aggregating £1,250, being, it is stated, the first divi- dend paid by any mine in Western Australia. An experienced miner, he William was baptised on 20 May 1838 at St Just, second son of Richard recognised that to ensure the permanency of the mine, development work Oats (1792-1842) and Jane Wallis (1808-1884) of Tregeseal. William would be necessary. He therefore commenced opening up, only extracting married twice. First, in 1869 in Devon, he married Mary Elizabeth Trevel- sufficient stone to pay working expenses. A difference between the man- lick, born 1841 at St Mary’s, Scilly Isles. Mary was the daughter of ship- ager and the directors resulted in the former sending in his resignation as wright Richard Trevellick and Rosetta Woodcock. This union produced manager. During his connection with the Fraser's mine, Captain Oats one child: Bertha Mary Oats, baptised on 17 May 1873 on Scilly. expended £5,000 on improvements, all of which money was obtained from the mine. All this time he retained control of the Fraser's South. For about Secondly, William married Eliza Godolphin Merritt on 27 November 1886 five years he was associated with this and other mines at Southern Cross. at Falmouth. Eliza, born in 1861 at Illogan, was the daughter of Captain Oats was one of those who first reported favourably on the Gold- Sampson Merritt and Mary Wearne Ivey. William and Eliza were the en Mile. parents of five children: Jane, born in 1883 at Newstead, Victoria; Nan- cie Ellis, born in 1889 at Goodwood, South Australia; William Fraser, For some years he represented Yilgarn in the Legislative Assembly, born in 1891 at Southern Cross, Western Australia; Charlotte Godolphin and in 1904 he was elected to represent the South Province in the Legisla- Ivey, born in 1894 at Southern Cross; and Winifred Mary. tive Council. That Province he represented until 1910, when he retired from politics. Apart from his association with Parliament, the deceased had In public life, William served as mayor of Southern Cross, as a JP on the lived in retirement for a number of years. bench of the Kalgoorlie police and licensing courts, and as a member of C both houses of the Western Australian parliament. Coolgardie, April 25. The news was received with general regret to-day of the death of Eliza Godolphin Oats died on 2 February 1911 at the family home, Pen- Captain Oats, and flags were hoisted half-mast on the public buildings. with, in Mounts Bay Road, Perth. William died soon after, on 25 April Mrs. Finnerty, wife of the resident magistrate, who is a daughter of the 1911. Both lie in the Anglican section of Karrakatta Cemetery. deceased gentleman, left for Perth by this evening's express.
Western Mail (Perth, Western Australia) Saturday 29 April 1911: The Western Argus (Kalgoorlie) Tuesday 2 May 1911 DEATH OF CAPTAIN OATS DEATH OF CAPTAIN OATS AN OLD WESTERN AUSTRALIAN IDENTITY The late Captain William Oats was born at St Just's, Lands End, in 1842. The death occurred on Wednesday last, at his residence, Mounts Bay- His father, the late Mr. Richard Oats, was a mathematician, well known road, of Captain Wm. Oats, formerly a member of the Legislative Council. through the West of England. He died when Captain Oats was only a few The deceased, who was 73 years of age, had been confined to his bed for months old, and as the lad grew up the family circumstances took up so about nine weeks, and to his home for some months past, through failing much of his attention, that he was denied the advantage of attending health, and his death was not unexpected. Mrs. Oats died in February last, school. At the age of 11 he had to breast the tide of life unaided, and be- and shortly afterwards Captain Oats had a paralytic stroke, as a conse- gan work in a Cornish mine. Toiling on incessantly for some years in the quence of which he lost the power of speech a couple of months ago. The Huel Owles mine, he rose from the position of boy worker to that of work- paralytic stroke accelerated his death, which, however was immediately ing manager. In 1883 he left the home of his birth to seek his fortune in due to the general breaking-up of his health. He has left six children—five Australia, his attention having been directed thither by the discovery of daughters and one son. gold. On landing in Victoria, he proceeded to Bendigo, being only familiar with the working of tin and copper mines. In 1888 he came to West Aus- The late Captain Oats had a wide circle of friends throughout the tralia to take over the management of Fraser's South mine, Southern State, and figured in the early days as one of the best known mining men Cross, with which district he was intimately associated. Captain Oats was in Western Australia. He was a native of Cornwall, having been born at St. identified with municipal matters, and for two years occupied the mayoral Just's, Land's End. When only a boy he began work in a Cornish mine, chair at Southern Cross. In 1897 he was elected to the Legislative Assem- known as the Huel Owles tin and copper mine. He continued in the employ bly for the district, and was re-elected in April, 1901. of the Huel Owles Company for 30 years, half of which period he was working manager. During that period he studied chemistry and mining Subsequently Captain Oats did not stand for re-election for the Yilgarn engineering. district. He, however, was a candidate for the South Province in the Legis- lative Council, and held that seat from 1904 until May of 1910, when he In 1884 Mr. George Lansell, of Bendigo, paid a visit to Cornwall, and met did not again seek re-election, owing to the poorness of his health. Since Mr. Oats, when their conversation turned on mining in Australia. So im- then he has lived in retirement, and his health has been anything but satis- pressed was Captain Oats with the possibilities of mining in the Southern factory. Hemisphere that he decided to come to Australia. On reaching Bendigo he discovered in Mr. Nicholas, then Inspector of Mines, a distant relative, who 16 Captain con’t: Website will cover all aspects of Cornish history The late Captain Oats was a prominent figure in the early days of the goldfields, and was widely respected by all who knew him. He was of the Work on creating a comprehensive and authoritative web- bluff type of Cornish mining man, and his bluntness of speech and expres- site covering all aspects of Cornwall’s history and heritage sion of decided opinions commended him particularly to the pioneers who is expected to move a step closer early in 2016. opened up the mines of this district. Naturally, therefore, the news of his The region’s leading heritage charity, Cornwall Heritage death will be received with deep regret throughout the whole of the gold- Trust, was awarded a grant of 47,000 pounds sterling by fields. the Heritage Lottery Fund to help pay for the 105,000 pounds sterling Cornwall For Ever project. Mrs Finnerty, wife of the respected warden of the eastern goldfields, is The state of the art website, principally aimed at young a daughter of the deceased. She hurried at once to Perth upon receipt of people, is designed to appeal to everyone with an interest the sad news. in Cornish heritage. It will tell Cornwall’s story using arte- facts, documents. and photographs held in historic collec- The announcement of the death of Capt. Oats was received with pro- tions across Cornwall. The project will also create a publi- found regret at Southern Cross. A flag was flown half-mast outside the cation which will be given to school children, along with Council Chambers. The Mayor wired to the late Capt. Oats' son as follows: learning resources and activities exploring various aspects - "Behalf people of Yilgarn, mayor and councillors wish convey you, your of Cornish history. sisters, their deepest sympathy in your sad bereavement. It may comfort The project is a result of a partnership between the Corn- you to know that your late father was Yilgarn's friend, and will ever hold wall Heritage Trust, Cornwall Council and the Cornwall warm place in hearts of all residents to whom he was known. - McIntyre, Lieutenancy and has been supported by donations from a Mayor." range of businesses and individuals. The inspiration for the project was The Millennium Book On this auspicious St Piran’s Day, we attach a wonderful story of a for Cornwall, produced by Cornwall Heritage Trust in tenacious Cornishman William Oats of St.Just in Penwith and his life 2000, and given to 16,000 school children. both in the homeland and here in Australia. Lieutenant Colonel Philip Hills, chairman of Cornwall Herit- age Trust, said: “The Millennium Book for Cornwall, A very BIG Thank You to Bob Bolitho of Canberra for his research on also funded by the Lottery, introduced a generation of this man. young people to Cornish history. However, we know that young people today learn in different ways, particularly Tom and Libby Luke email online, and we wanted to create a resource that could help with that learning.” Michael Galsworthy, Deputy Lieutenant and project chair- man, said: “This exciting website will bring Cornish history to life and make learning an engaging experience for all. It will explore Cornwall’s distinctive history and culture. Once established, the website will also complement the services offered by Kresen Kernow, Cornwall’s new archive center. It will particularly like to thank all of the members of the project working group, whose collective efforts have en- sured a first-rate project.” Cornwall Councillor Bert Biscoe added: “It’s an ambitious and entirely appropriate undertaking to offer to young peo- ple in Cornwall an authoritative, well-designed, engaging and durable historical and cultural narrative via a modern web platform. “This will foster understanding and belonging, fulfill curiosi- ty and research, and nurture future generations of Cornish people newly invigorated by inclusion as a national minori- ty.” Explaining the importance of the HLF support, the head of the HLF in the South West, Nerys Watts, said: “Thanks to Coast Line of Cornwall money raised by National Lottery players, Cornwall’s long Photo by Nigel Hicks and proud history can now be shared digitally for the first time.”
WMN via Email from Susan Little
17 St Piran's Day Lunch + Assoc 41 years Saturday 5 March, 2016 Befitting that we are celebrating St Piran, please feel free to St. Piran’s Doings come in Cornish colours – Black & White, Black & Gold, B&W, or Tartan, or Celtic dress. Around the World After the meal? Lots of wonderful talk time, and perhaps a quiz, and rafffle. Be entertained by that wonderful musician John Coombes (thanks John). You’ll love this gathering and time of good and plentiful food, and enjoyable friendship! Cornish Association of New South Wales ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Toronto Cornish Association See the Pasties Fly! Don’t forget St. Piran’s Day, Saturday, March 12, at City Hall, plans to raise the St. Piran’s flag at Toronto City Hall on corner of Main and South Streets in downtown Grass Valley. March 5. They are hoping for good weather and a large Flag raising, 9:30 a.m., Pasty baking contest. Competitive pasty turnout since it is a Saturday. tossing. ------California Cornish Cousins St. Piran’s Day 2016 is fast approaching! ************************************************************************** And this year, it falls on a Saturday! 20th Annual St. Piran’s Join us to celebrate the patron saint of Cornwall at Day Luncheon Merlin’s Rest, a British Isles-style pub at 3601 E. Lake St. March 19th 2016 in Minneapolis. Pasty Lunch promptly at NOON http://www.merlinsrest.com/ Michigan Premier of “TIN”
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ at 1pm Saturday, March 5, 2016 - 11am-3pm Cornish Connection of Lower Michigan ———————————————————————————--— This is the actual date for St. Piran's Day. We will share a few legends and other information about St. Piran and the tin miners How are you celebrating St Piran’s Day this year? of Cornwall. Potluck lunch will start at 11 am. We will be planning The Cornwall Community Foundation (CCF) for the summer Festivals/Highland Games events at which we would love you to join in with a collective “shout” on will be represented (NO, you will not be expected to toss a caber, March 5th, the national day of Cornwall (a shout be- or anything else). You will have an opportunity to share infor- ing the term for Cornish pub singing). mation about the PNCS and Cornwall at these events. What better way to celebrate than to take part in a Pacific Northwest Cornish Society mass singing of the Cornish anthem “Trelawny”, hap- http://www.nwcornishsociety.com/ pening in over seventy St Austell brewery pubs across ======Cornwall? Voices of all variety, regardless of pitch, March 6th talent, age and experience, will come together in pubs Southwest Wisconsin Cornish Society across the Duchy on the dot of 9 pm, song sheet in hand, and sing their hearts out, knowing that across Following a pasty lunch, GLEN RIDNOUR will tell of the develop- the County, the celebration will be echoed. Please ment of the new CORNISH HERITAGE PARK to be located on join in if you can. Follow on https:// High Street next to the Opera House. JIM JEWELL will speak on www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=trelawny%20shout how the influx of large numbers of Cornish to the old lead region or visit website www.cornwallfoundation.com/ shaped the State of Wisconsin and why our Cornish Heritage trelawny-shout.html to find out more about Trelawny must be remembered and celebrated. Shout. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Cornish Association of Queensland will have a ————————————————————— luncheon and then their Annual Meeting, March 5th. London St. Piran’s Day Event at John Lewis 5th March
The Oxford Street branch of John Lewis will celebrate Saturday ``````````````````````````````````````````````````````` offering free samples of Cornish beers, cheeses and clotted Cornish Society of Greater Milwaukee will honor St. Piran's on cream in the Food Hall in the late afternoon and early evening. Saturday, March 5 with a Shepherd's Pie luncheon and guest Camel Valley wines will be on sale in the wine bar at the same presenter, Ellen Johnson, who will speak on "The Celtic Lure time. of Iona", a report of her pilgrimage to the famous island. 18 PAUL SMALES AWARD, (PEWIS MAP TREVETHAN) Billy Bray Pulpit Acquired 2016 by the Liskeard Old Cornwall Society The terms of the Award are as follows: The Liskeard Old Cornwall Society has “An award to be given annually or otherwise as the Council recently been given the famous three- cornered Billy Bray Pulpit which was of the Gorseth think fit to a member of a Cornish Associa- being used as a table at the Rose and tion affiliated to the London Cornish Association or to a Cor- Vale Hotel, Mithian, near St. Agnes. nish man or Cornish woman not currently living within Corn- The pulpit has been accepted by Rec. wall who has contributed in an outstanding way to the en- (Canon) Tony Ingleby, Vicar of St. hancement of the common good and welfare of the people Martin’s Parish Church, Liskeard, where it will be incorporated in the of Cornwall, whether living within Cornwall or without, or to church’s furniture. the furtherance and greater appreciation of the Cornish way The pulpit has an interesting story: When Billy Bray, an old of life, heritage or culture, such contribution being in a cul- Cornish miner and well-known lay preacher, had built one tural, social, economic, charitable or other form.” of his chapels, it was completely furnished except for one very special piece of equipment— a pulpit. Completely undaunted, Billy set out to find the pulpit that The London Cornish Association and its affiliated associa- he believed the Lord had laid up for him somewhere in the tions set up the Pewas Map Trevethan (Paul Smales town where he lived, but no pulpit was apparently forth- Award) in memory of Paul Smales who died on 1 Septem- coming. His hunt led him to a local auction house and as ber 1990. He is remembered for his contribution to the Lon- he strolled down the aisles of discarded furniture his eyes don Cornish Association where he was a Council member fell on two large corner cupboards which were beautifully carved and reminiscent of pulpits found in Methodist from 1984 and served as Chairman from 1987 to 1989. churches in those days. “ If I could just lay my hands on He also founded a number of organisations within Cornwall, one of those cabinets,’ he thought to himself, “I could cut a including the Cornish Music Guild and the Cornish Literary space in the side, hang a door over the space, put a Bible Guild, and was involved in setting up many Cornish connec- board on top, and I would have my pulpit.” tions worldwide. Billy ran to the auctioneer. “How much do you reckon these cabinets will fetch?’ he asked the man. On being told The Pewis Map Trevethan is so called because the Bardic the likely price, Billy fumbled in his pocket and discovered name of Paul Smales was Map Trevethan, which is Cornish he had just enough cash to secure one of them for his for ‘Son of Trevethan’. Trevethan means ‘Meadow Farm.’ chapel. The Award is made by the Cornish Gorsedh, but nomina- Next day was auction day and Billy hurried along to the tions for the Award are submitted via The London Cornish sale. Soon it came the turn for the corner cabinets to go under the hammer. Billy was so convinced that he would Association. The Secretary of the LCA collates the nomi- have the piece of furniture that he held his money at the nations and submits them to a Committee of LCA Vice- ready, but his heart sank as the bidding went higher and Presidents, under the Chairmanship of the President, Sir higher out of his reach. He then thought he would get the John Trelawny. other one. But, again he was disappointed as the second The Committee may make a recommendation to the cabinet fetched more than he had. Billy, disappointed and at a loss, followed the purchaser out of the room where the Gorsedh. It might not be accepted. The Gorseth is able to piece of furniture was loaded on a small barrow and trun- give the Award to someone else whom they consider more dled up the hill to its new owner’s home. deserving of the honour. The Public announcement is made On reaching the door of the house, the man turned the at the Gorsedh which is held on the first Saturday in Sep- cabinet this way and that trying to get it through the door. tember. The back door was no more accommodating and the man announced to his wife that he was going to ‘chop the thing up for firewood’. “Please sir,’ said Billy, stepping forward Your nomination, supporting documentation and moti- from viewing the proceedings. “If it would be more profita- vation should be sent to The Chairman by 15th April ble for you to sell the cabinet again, I will gladly offer you 2016. what I’ve got in my pocket.” “It’s a bargain,” said the man, “and on top of it, I’ll take it on my barrow to wherever you want to have it”. How Billy danced with joy as the barrow The LCA Chairman and Acting Hon Gen Sec, Dr Francis was trundled back down the hill again towards the chapel. Dunstan, 26 Sharrow Vale, High Wycombe, Bucks, HP12 3HB Billy's Pulpit Email: [email protected] The Wicket Gate Magazine "A Continuing Witness" Internet Edition number 66 – placed on line May 2007 www.wicketgate.co.uk and London Cornish Association 19 newsletter Member Information New Laurie Carlyon-Wood Surnames: Carlyon Renewals 8285 SW Parrway Drive Francis Pillsbury Surnames: Trevithick, Wagley / St. Portland, OR 946 El Cajon Way Day, Hocking / Tuckinghill 97225-3037 Palo Alto, CA [email protected] 94303-3408 503-816-4706 [email protected] Pamela Banning Surnames: Jenkins, Fry Jeanette M. Enders Surnames: Stephens, Honeychurch, 216 Wintergreen Rd. 5115 Willow Leaf Drive Goodman, Hancock / St. Cleer, Gun- Walterboro, SC Sarasota, FL nislake, all Cornwall 34241 29488 941-371-5824 [email protected] 302-598-0038 Dr. Pierre J. Fisher Surnames: Trevithick, Dunstone, I am searching for what I firmly believe are my Cornish GG Grand- 11250 SW Essex Drive Richards, Pryor, Courage, Tonkins, parents. The dates maybe off and they were all born in the Pa Lake Suzy, FL area. I have no idea where their ancestors in Cornwall were from. 34269 That is what I would love to know. So here goes!! [email protected] My GG Grandmother was Tamer Jenkins born 1838? Her father 941-624-5148 was Benjamin Jenkins born 1805? Who married S. Jenkins ! Ben- jamin’s father was John E Jenkins! I have gone to Ancestry to Phyllis L. Igoe Surnames: Champion, Tangye, Dean, find this out, but I do not know how accurate any of this is. Tamer I 720 Mitchell Avenue Rogers, Phillips am sure about! Now the other GG Grandparent, George W Fry Elmhurst, IL Jr 1847 married Malinda Ann Foster 1845-1924. His father was 60126 George W Fry 1788 Harrisburg Pa married in Philadelphia 1845 630-834-3446 Lovinia ( Fanny ) Fry Born 1827! Again they were all in this coun- try and born in PA in different places. Where they are from in Joyce Johns Knight Surnames: Johns / Gwinear, Knight, Cornwall I do not know! Please do pass this on to anyone that 169 Andre Drive Rowe / Roche, Hendra / Camborne could help! Arroyo Grande, CA 93420 Rejoin [email protected] Joe & Ann Fitzgerald Surnames: Carbis 805-489-9777 1607 Posen Avenue Berkeley, CA David Downing Surnames: Downing, Hawke, Keast/ 94707-2722 421 Pascal Street St. Germans, Launceston, Trehawke 510-527-2043 St Paul, MN /Barton, Liskeard, Menheniot, [email protected] 55105 Barber / Launceston [email protected] 651-485-1699
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I also enclose $______for Paul Smales Memorial Fund to bring presenters from Cornwall to the Gatherings. St. Piran con’t: Trelawny con’t: It was clear, however, that the tower, pillars, font, tracery and other cut stone had all been removed to the new Church site This year, we are privileged to have as our Trelawny Lecturer, Paul Holden who is the House and Collections at Lambourne. Manager at Lanhydrock House, a National Trust proper- In 2004, a geophysical survey of the area around the Church ty near Bodmin. He is an architectural historian, the au- was undertaken which revealed small ploughed fields up to thor of two books and many articles and a popular the graveyard, and within the graveyard, the remains of sev- speaker. His lecture, which will take place in the morn- eral structures. The following year, an archaeological exca- ing, will focus on the history and layout of Lanhydrock vation of the Church was undertaken by Cornwall Council House as well as the history of the Robartes-Agar family and the St Piran Trust. The excavation greatly increased our who lived there from the early 1600s. understanding of the structural development of the Church London Cornish Association newsletter and confirmed the earliest visible fabric to be the masonry forming the east and north walls of the chancel – dated to the late 12th or early 13th century.
Altar at Oratory
Photo courtesy of Robyn Coates, CAV newsletter Ballarat Branch
If you would like to make a donation towards the restoration, check out the website: http://stpiran.org/sites/st-pirans-oratory
Darvosow (Events) Synsas (Contents) California Cornish Cousins Trest Sen Peran page 1, 22 25th Gathering and Reunion Messach an Lewydh 2 Stockton, CA Correspondence, Cousin Jack Website 3-5 3-5 Jun 2016 Coxless Crew, Cornish Personality 6 http://www.califcornishcousins.org Bridge for King Arthur, Kernewek Lowender 7 Richard Trevithick. Elizabeth Woolcock 8 Landhydrock, Bill Treloar 9 18th Cornish American Gathering Christmas Carols, Wedding at Gwithian 10 Where?? Credit Card with PayPal 11-12 When?? 2017?? Bob Bolitho via Tom & Libby Luke 12 Taklow a Vern 13-15 Tales of St. Just in Penwith 16-17 National Genealogical Society Cornwall for Ever 17 Fort Lauderdale, FL St Piran Doings Around the World 18 4-7 May 2016 Paul Smales Award, Billy Bray Pulpit 19 http://conference.ngsgenealogy.org/ Member Information 20 CAHS business 21 Synsas and Darvosow 22 Australian Celtic Festival 29 April—1 May, 2016 Glen Innis, New South Wales http://www.australiancelticfestival.com/
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