My Early and Older Days, by William Francis Allen Burnard. Edited and Annotated by Andrew Ross MA

1 My Early and Older Days, by William Francis Allen Burnard. Edited and Annotated by Andrew Ross MA. First Published in Australia 2008 Copyright Tryphena Publications 2008 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior permission of the copyright holder. Tryphena Publications, 53 Tanti Avenue, Mornington Victoria 3931, Australia. Frontispiece: Frank and Tryphena Burnard in 1930. 2 Contents Author’s Introduction: Page 3. Editors Introduction: Page 4. Chapter 1: My Earliest Memories. Page 5. Chapter 2: My Younger Days. Page 10. Chapter 3: Reflections on School. Page 13. Chapter 4: My Apprenticeship and Teenage Life. Page 15. Chapter 5: More on Relationships. Page 22. Chapter 6: My Marriage to the Fourth Girl. Page 24. Chapter 7: The Last Years in Newquay. Page 31. Chapter 8: How I Came to Boscastle. Page 33. Chapter 9: My Work with the Church and Other Pastimes. Page 37 Chapter 10: Services at the Wellington Hotel. Page 43. Chapter11: Stories about My Dogs and Cats. Page 47. Chapter12: Some Reflections. Page 51. Chapter13: Boscastle and its Bands. Page 53. Chapter14: Conclusion. Page 54. Chapter 15: Floods 1963. Page 57. The End of My Story: Page 59. 3 Bibliography: Page 63. Appendices: 1. Photos of Family and Friends. 2. Address by P. Burnard. Acknowledgements The photographs and other printed material are from the Burnard family collection held by the Editor. This work would not have been possible without the love and support given by my family Pamela, Miles and Perran, and my parents Mavis (nee Burnard) and Alf Ross, together with my brother Chris and his family, Erica, Natasha, Sophie, Stuart and Tamsyn. I would also like to thank Annie Hillermann and Steve Ainsworth for their friendship. I am also indebted to the Cornwall Online Census Project for data from the 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881 and 1891 censuses. Further thanks are due to Philippa Stout, the online Parish Clerk for St Teath, who gave me useful information on the Burnard family and to the FreeBMD project. Foreword It gives me great pleasure to write this book and it has given me much comfort as I sit by the fire and allow my mind to think back over the years of many happenings, some very interesting, others not so interesting. I have written this as I have kept indoors from the Arctic conditions of January 1963, comforted by loved ones who do their very best to make me happy and content. Words cannot express the full meaning of the word Love or Loved, the only way to understand it is to show appreciation to those who try to exemplify and carry its meaning to its full limits. My wish is to anyone who may peruse this book that something, however insignificant, may be of interest. Introduction For some considerable time, I have been thinking what I could write about my early days; how far my memory could lead me back over the years and the outstanding things I could refer to. The earliest memories I have are of when I was about three years old. W.F. Burnard, Bridge House, Boscastle. Commenced December 1 st 1962, completed February 1963 4 Editor’s Introduction This is the second of my Great Grandfather’s books, which contains his recollections of Newquay and Boscastle in the early 20 th Century. I have reproduced the book here essentially as it was written, apart from a few minor corrections. As the book was written in longhand, the occasional letter is uncertain. I have also included genealogical information on the Burnard and Ferrett families. Mornington, 2008. 5 Chapter 1: My Earliest Memories. I was born at Trewarmett, a small village situated between Camelford and Tintagel. 1 My earliest recollections are of when my parents moved to Wadebridge when I was about three years old. 2 My father was born at Mount Pleasant, Treligga and my mother was born at Trewarmett. 3 My father had rather a complicated life. He went to work when he was seven years of age with a farmer at Upton, below Delabole. The farmer and his wife were remarkably nice people. His work was to drive oxen, which were slow moving creatures. His job was to carry the goad; this was a long stick with something at the end to keep the animals going for the man on the plough or whatever implement was in use. This was the beginning of how to learn farming in those days. My Father became very practical and was able to grasp things very quickly. It was not many years before he became master of his job as a farmer and knew practically everything as farm work was concerned. He was not in possession of his own farm because he did not have the money to buy one. 4 He had to help his parents; that is why he had to go to work at such an early age. His parents were not in possession of the luxuries of life, on account of his father spending too much of his wages on alcoholic beverages. Consequently, the family purse was never overflowing, and had it not been for his loving mother being careful, the family would have had a very lean time. My father became a very fine ploughman as far as ploughing was concerned and could complete with prize ploughmen. During his farming days, as a matter of fact, he was master of his work. In his younger days, he worked amongst many tradesmen and, having a very keen eye, watched intently how various jobs were done. Carpentry, masonry and many other trades, his active mind was able to grasp the technicalities of many things. This was extremely useful to him throughout his life. 1 The 1871 census shows the Burnard family living at Trewarmett 7 years before the author was born. 2 The 1881 census shows the family living at Gonvena Cottages, Egloshayle. 3 I believe that the author’s mother was Mary Allen, who is shown living at Tregunnick in the 1841 census, aged 4. She was still living at Tregunnick in the 1851 census. The relationship needs to be confirmed by marriage records. So far, I have found that John and Mary were both married at Camelford in the June quarter of 1860 (ref 5c 51). The author’s father, John Burnard was living in Treligga in the 1841 census, aged 3. 4 The 1851 census shows him living at Fenterfriddle Farm, between Delabole and Trebarwith. 6 John Burnard, in centre, with left to right, Annie Ferrett, the Author and Matilda Burnard (probably). Taken about 1905. After living at Newquay for a number of years, he was employed by an outstanding builder, who built a considerable number of houses on what is known as the Island and Pentire Estates. He became foreman over a number of men. He also worked for a contractor who built the Methodist Church near the Hotel Victoria and, on that large building project, he was given the craftsman’s job of building the stairway up to the gallery. The steps were made of concrete and were spirally built; it was an outstanding piece of workmanship. I could relate many other things concerning his capabilities as a craftsman. 7 Left to right : Annie Ferrett, John Burnard, a Friend, Tryphena Burnard, Jack Burnard and Edie Ferrett. John Burnard aged 92 outside the Harbour Road shop in Boscastle 8 John Burnard’s sister Jane Hooper aged 80 in 1923 9 Before I commence my story and things relative to myself, I will tell something about my mother. She came from a middle class family and she received a very good education. 5 After leaving school, she went to learn the trade of tailoress and was very practical in this. She became very skilled and was very neat in doing many things. After my parents had lived in Newquay for some years, people found out what my mother’s qualifications were as a needlewoman and what she was capable of doing. Many of the higher classes gave her work and I quite remember an old lady asking her to make a garment for a Bazaar. This was a garment called a smock and was worn in the old days by drovers, the men who drove horses and wagons. My mother was very adept in the doing of many things as far as needlework was concerned. She made my clothes for many years, until her sight was somewhat fading. My mother was a good Christian. She loved her Lord and Saviour, but she was not narrow as far as her Christian principles were concerned and she was careful not to say anything unkind or disrespectful to anyone. She loved the Church and everything associated with it. Sunday services, prayer meetings, class meetings and many more things one could go on to relate, concerning past memories of my parents. 6 5 This goes against Mary Allen being his mother. The Allens were involved in farm labouring in 1841 and quarry work in 1851. 6 John Burnard lived a long and active life, dying in 1930. He is buried in Forrabury Churchyard. Mary Burnard was shown as a dressmaker in the 1861 census, when the family were living at Trelake. She appears to have died in 1900. WFB does not mention his sister Matilda, who was born circa 1864 and married in September 1903. He also appears to have had a brother Francis who was 8 months old in the 1861 census.

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