Cowethas Kernewek Loundres www.londoncornish.co.uk Nadelik Lowen ha Blydhen Nowydh Da The sudden change in the weather proves that have suggested that we switch to a lunch and it is actually winter - although the mild temper- so we have decided to try this in 2016. atures we have been experiencing might have Although our 2016 Annual Event will be a fooled us up until now! It certainly fooled me lunch, there will be little change to the format and as a result, I have not yet planted my we are used to. We will still enjoy a pleasant spring bulbs! Fortunately, the Head Gardener time together, eating a good meal at the newly at Osterley Park, where I volunteer, tells me refurbished Thistle hotel which has treated us New Year’s that I have until the end of November to get so well in the past. The only real difference is Lunch them in. that you will be able to go home in daylight. We 9th January Since the last newsletter, we have had a very feel sure that these arrangements will be much 2016 successful Family History Day, with two excel- better for many of our members and hope that lent speakers. We have also had a wonderful you will give your support to what should be a visit to the Foundling Museum, which was a most enjoyable event. follow up to the talk on the Foundling Hospital The other change affects the AGM and Trel- Annual Event: which we heard last year. We now, look for- awny Lecture. Once again, we have found the Lunch at the ward to our 2016 social programme. The first support for this event waning. In an attempt to Thistle event is the New Year's Lunch on 9th January. attract more members, we introduced a pasty This is always a popular 'do' where we can 12th March lunch - but numbers have continued to decline. 2016 catch up with our friends while enjoying a As it is very expensive to hire a hall in London, warm and tasty pub meal. We hope to see this has made the present arrangements un- many of you there. If you plan to come, it would sustainable. Council, after consultation with be helpful if you could let us know as we can the Family History Committee, has therefore Family History then ensure we book enough tables. You will decided to incorporate these events into the find contact details are on the next page. Day: Family History Day on April 16th 2016. This Incorporating You will notice in the Forthcoming Events sec- means that people who, for various reasons, tion of this newsletter that two of our traditional have not been able to get to the AGM and Trel- events have changed - the dinner has been AGM/Trelawny event in the past will get the awny replaced by a lunch and the AGM and Trel- chance to attend it if they come to the Family Lecture awny Lecture will take place during the April History Day. The Trelawny Lecturer in 2016 16th April 2016 Family History Day. Why? will be Paul Holden who will talk about the Even before the LCA was officially launched in Agar-Robartes family, a prominent Cornish family from Llanhydrock. 1898, there was an annual Cornish Dinner. Further details These started in 1885 but officially became We look forward to seeing how these changes 'London Cornish Association Annual Dinners' go as we adapt to our shifting circumstances of this event when the Dinner Committee was formed in and move forward. can be found on 1898. The LCA has had an Annual Dinner The LCA is very proud of the fact that one of its page 2 every year since, with the exception of some of members (and a past Chairman), Priscilla the war years and, I think I am correct in Oates, was recently installed as President of saying, the year King George Vl died. In its the Federation of Old Cornwall Societies. She earlier days, some of these dinners were at- took over the role from another LCA member, tended by hundreds of people! Like most Cor- Duncan Paul Matthews. We wish 'Cilla a pro- nish Associations, we now have an aging ductive and enjoyable time at the helm membership and over the past decade, num- and know that, with her passion for bers attending the dinner have declined. In Cornwall and its heritage, she will do a talking to our membership and seeing the 'proper job'. changes taking place in other associations which are also facing an aging membership, Space is now running out, so I will we have recognised that quite a few of our end, but before going, I would like to members are not attending the dinner quite take this opportunity to wish you simply because it is at night. They don't want all a joyful Christmas and a to be travelling late in the evening, and not peaceful and happy new year. everyone is willing or able to pay for a night's Kernow bys vyken accommodation in London. Several people 1 Forthcoming events A warm welcome is extended to non-members who would like to attend any of the London Cornish Association events. This event replaces our traditional Annual Dinner. In re- New Year’s Lunch sponse to requests from several members who find it Date: Saturday 9th January 2016 challenging to be out would prefer to attend an event Time: 12 Noon Venue: Penderel’s Oak - 283-288 High Holborn, London Family History Day (Incorporating the AGM and (Nearest tube stations - Holborn or Chancery Lane - on the Central Line) Trelawny Lecture) Contact: Liz Broekmann. Tel 07736438315 Date: Saturday 16th April Time: 10am - 4.30pm Join us for a friendly, warming lunch to welcome in the new year. Trelawny Lecturer: Paul Holden, House and Collections Manager at Lanhydrock House in Cornwall who will Annual Event: Lunch at the Thistle speak about the Agar-Robartes family Date: Saturday 12th March Time: 12pm for 1pm Don’t forget to diarise… Cost: £35 Family History Day Contact and Bookings: 15th October 2016 Carol Goodwin - [email protected] Tel: 020 83039054 Past Events Two interesting speakers participated in the Family Histo- The physical character would be: ry Day in October - Dr Paul Blake spoke on Manorial arable, wasteland (common land), woodland, marsh, Records: the origins of the manor and the manorial system furze, fishponds and mills. and records produced and Dr Peter Stanier talked about Paul then went on to explain the Tenure – Lord of the Botallack and Levant: mine landscapes in West Penwith. Manor and the Tenants. The following article outlines what was included in the talk by Dr Paul Blake: Tenants took possession with a handshake as contracts did not exist. Only from the 16th/17th Century would the Talk by Dr Paul Blake on ‘Manorial Records’ tenant receive an actual written contract. Dr Paul Blake came to talk on ‘Manorial Records – The ‘Manorial Rolls’ were often in books administered by the origins of the Manor and the Manorial System and Lord of the Manor or an Administrator. Records produced’. Paul is a full-time researcher, lecturer Overall, the King owned the Land. and writer. He is joint author of several publications, writes Onto the ‘Manorial Courts’. Court records noted changes regularly for Family History Monthly and other periodicals in Tenancy. The Courts made Byelaws and punished and has acted as an advisor to TV family history pro- wrongdoers - eg. grammes. · not cleaning ditches His talk focussed on the nature of the manor – the mano- · keeping hedges clear rial system was about ‘people’ not just the land. · taking wood for fuel (varied from Court to Court) When William the Conqueror came to these shores in the · disputes between Tenants. 11th Century, he wanted to know how many people, Paul gave a number of examples, on screen, of Manorial villages etc there were. These were classified in the records. Domesday Book which is split into individual sections - villeins, mills, animals, measure of land etc. He also mentioned that you can find information by searching ‘Discovery’ at The National Archives - Paul mentioned that we can access the Domesday Book discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/manor-search. Paul did as it is free to download at http://opendomesday.org/. say though that not all records from the Local Record The estate of the landowner could include several manors, Offices would be on there. The only ones that have been sometimes in different counties. It could be exactly the incorporated were ones that were on A2A before they same as boundaries with more than one manor in a parish. joined the two systems together. Anything indexed by the Local Records Offices from that point onwards are not th There are manorial records to at least the 19 Century and automatically put on to the Discovery site and so would in some cases into the 20th. Early documents were mainly have to be accessed directly via the Record Offices. They in Latin, at least before the 18th Century. are planning to update Discovery to include the continued indexing of the Local Records Offices but that will take Manors consisted of a Centre which was the Village, time, so best to continue checking with the local record Manor House and Church. Then there was the common offices. pasture, cultivated land and common land. 2 Apart from records held at the National Archives, there are also records at the Office of Auditors of Land Revenue, Condolences The Crown Estate, The Duchy of Lancaster etc.