THE John Harris Newsletter Society No 62 Winter 2018 Old winter, old winter, come, hie thee away Headgear at South Crofty on a grey, winter’s day. Picture by Paul Langford The grey-headed man, clad in rags as And they trembled with cold, and And thou must be off to the frost- he goes, were weeping with pain. bitten zone, And the water-cress girl, with the Thou hast but a season, old Winter, And beautiful Spring have thy septre frost in her toes, to roar, and throne. I saw them to-day creeping down the And then I know surely thy reign will dark lane, be o’er, Taken from Harris’s poem Winter. JHS 2 MRS EVE PARSONS She is writing the social history of her Cornish copper-mining ancestors by Eve has served The Society since its the name of Snell from Chacewater. inception in 1998 and has been Chair- Having courteously asked permission man, Vice Chairman and a most loyal to quote from Harris (whom she’s just member of The Committee. Her pre- discovered through our website) Tony sent state of health caused her to not and I have been able to furnish her stand for election as vice-chairman at with further information and a 2020 our AGM, but I’m delighted that she flyer. She has really ‘fallen’ for Har- will continue to serve on the commit- ris’ works and wished she could have tee. attended our AGM. She is considering We owe Eve a real debt of gratitude whether October 2020 should be her as she smoothed the way for me when next trip to Cornwall where she stays taking over the chairman’s role and has with friends when visiting the U.K. always been someone who could be Facebook, which member Caroline relied upon. Palmer set up and manages, now has Eric’s health problems, too, are mak- 125 followers. Caroline has received an ing life difficult for them both so we enquiry from Troy Mayne who lives in send our best wishes to them. Wisconsin. He is a descendent of Hen- ry Mayne who lived at Bolenowe Croft EXHIBITIONS and emigrated to the USA in 1841 for the same reasons as the siblings of John The Federation of Old Cornwall Harris. Troy is most interested in the Societies’ Winter Festival at Redruth John Harris story. School on Saturday, November 4, was a most interesting day when we found much interest in John Harris from IT’S SUBS TIME AGAIN people who had never heard of him. We need the £6 per annum from Christine, Tony and I were able, as our members to fund our day to day descendents of the poet, to read his work. Subs are due on 1st January. poetry as they had requested. This payment is something that can I was then informed that I could be be easily overlooked so please check seen and heard on YouTube, doing my whether you’ve paid and, if not, please bit! A considerable number of flyers use the information on the back of for the 2020 Bi-Centenary Festival this newsletter to settle your account. were distributed together with the Thank you, in anticipation that you society’s membership leaflets. will attend to this matter. Lastly, this is An exhibition was set up at Truro entirely a personal suggestion but I am College on a large wall-mounted asking each member to consider mak- display board on November 8 and will ing an additional financial gift, however remain there until March 28. We are small, as the collective amount would grateful to tutor Marilla Walker for indicate to potential sponsors, a degree assisting us and monitoring the wallet of commitment to the 2020 Festival. containing both 2020 flyers and mem- I made a similar appeal at the AGM bership leaflets. and that day, £98 was received by our The display is in an area used by many treasurer. Your commitment, indicated students and by outside organisations by a gift, will be greatly appreciated. and the feedback has been positive. Exhibitions of a more permanent WINTER IS PASSING! nature are being developed at King Did people 200 years ago complain Edward Mine and at Poldark Mine. about the cold weather as we do today? CONTACTS THROUGH I dare say they were far more accept- ing of it and resilient to it – living in SOCIAL MEDIA houses with gaps but no windows, and We are grateful to member Duncan none of the home comforts that we Yeates for responding to an enquiry take for granted today. from Camilla Bloxham, an English Really, it’s not that long ago, which degree student who is studying Harris’ leads me to think that we live in privi- poem ‘The Mine’. Duncan was able leged times. Well, with confidence, we to reply from his knowledge gained await the full arrival of Spring, already through his research for his PhD. in evidence in our gardens as buds are Chairman’s ramblings Recently, an enquiry has been re- forming and daffodils are blooming! with Paul Langford ceived from Margaret Floyd, a Western Kind regards to all – at home and Australian with Cornish roots. abroad! JHS 3 BICENTENARY FESTIVAL 2020 Exciting events organised BY TONY JASPER for a Truro history walk, to see the Reach a hundred years of age, and John Harris plaque in Falmouth, visit you receive a special communication Troon Methodist, a special church from the Queen. service, and especially for our visitors, Unfortunately no-one is likely to a Cornish evening of stories and dance, reach the 200-year mark, unless, of of memories and, who knows, discov- course in the future, you will be re- ery of family connections here with membered, and although not involving someone from overseas. Her Majesty, there will be a special Tony Jasper will be revisiting his event in your honour. lecture of some years back for the So it is for Bolenowe-born John Har- London Cornish Society. ris, poet, sometime Methodist preach- You will be able to drop in as you er, and Quaker. He has been compared please, but we would hope that many to no less than Shakespeare. of you will see fit to attend the whole John entered this world in 1820. And Tony Jasper is the 2020 bicente- festival even if you decide not to stay so to celebrate this, the John Harris nary festival’s administrator. at the hotel. We will provide you as Society is organising a series of excit- and when with relevant details. We ing events between October 16 and 18, may have a general ticket which would in the year 2020. Duchy. The venue is Truro’s splendid mean you can come to all or drop in as Already the main committee, and a Alverton Hotel. you please, but when added up there special ‘Festival’ planning team, have Residency is for anyone, and so would be a saving. been meeting to plot and plan. Tony spend a weekend conversing, chatting, Attend the special dinner and cost Jasper, a Cornishman, author, writer eating and drinking, and be part of ac- will be the hotel charge and full details and broadcaster, was asked to draw up tivities in Truro, Troon and Falmouth. will be available soon. Should you de- a weekend of activity with outreach Note though - of course anyone can cide to spend the weekend at the hotel stretching to Cornish people across drop into the special happenings. then we will provide you as and when the globe, special attention paid to the Indeed the committee want your pres- with relevant details. US, Canada, Australia and Europe, and ence very much. No one is required to So, time passes! Just think it over. wherever Cornish societies exist. spend the weekend as a hotel resident This is a one-off event, a promised With vision and bravery the commit- but it seems a good idea. experience to be remembered and tee agreed with Jasper’s idea to hold As for the weekend - a special dinner treasured. most events at one central venue, and and speaker, poetry readings of John If you like, email me, Tony Jasper at indeed to invite visitors to take a holi- Harris and conversation with literary [email protected] and ask day there, attend the arranged gather- Cornish figures, obviously outline to me to send you relevant details, and ings and spend later time exploring the his life and evaluation, out and about start keeping you in touch. of John Harris’s life and works. PayPal, the addresses for which are Treasurer’s We none of us claim expenses, but both on the back of this newsletter. we do rely on your annual member- If you would prefer, you could ar- notes ship fees of £6 per person to pay the range to pay by standing order on costs of newsletters and exhibitions January 1st each year, and if you ring Thank you to all members who have etc. If you have not already done so, me on 01209 713863, I will giv eyou supported the Society so well. we’d be grateful if you could either the bank details. The committee works quite hard send me a cheque for £6, payable to Once again our thanks, on your behalf to promote the story “The John Harris Society”, or pay by Christine Cowls Copy deadline for the summer newsletter is June 1 JHS 4 TWO BAILIFFS [On their arrival] the French-men, we Extracts presume, like the Portsmouth [a crack FROM HELSTON team of dockyards-men] not wishing from the to risk a defeat by women, and, above West Briton At a village [near] Cury Cross-Lanes, all, English-women, they declined the two bailiffs from Helston pounced with proposed encounter.