Extract from Kelly’s Directory of , 1883 (page 857)

ST. DENNIS

St. Dennis, in Domesday Lan-Dines (the church of the hill), is a township and parish, consisting of several small villages and hamlets; it is bounded on the north-west by the , 5 miles north-by- west from Burngullow station, on the Cornwall railway and 7 north-west from , in the Eastern division of the county, eastern division of the hundred of Powder, St Austell union and county court district, rural deanery of St Austell, archdeaconry of Cornwall and diocese of . St Dennis Junction Mineral station is 1½ miles from St Dennis. The new quay tram or railway passes through the parish and by it large quantities of china clay and porcelain stone are exported. The church of St Dennis, situated on a conical hill, in the midst of an old entrenchment, near the goss moors, and protected on the north by a plantation of firs, was rebuilt in 1847 and is a plain but substantial building of native porcelain stone, rectangular in plan, with a semi-hexagonal roof and a tower of two stages, with short pinnacles and containing 3 bells, of which the treble and tenor are dated 1687 and 1738; the second bell is undated: near the porch is an ancient granite cross, about six feet high: the porch, spoiled by a modern addition, and the tower, are all that remain of the old church, which consisted of two aisles and a transept, and contained a reputed Saxon font: the arches and columns were removed to Nanpean, and four of the latter are worked into the wall at the entrance to the churchyard there. St Dennis churchyard was enclosed by a wall in 1826, its boundary having previously been marked by a trench only. The register dates from 1687. The living is a rectory, yearly value from tithe rent-charge £253 10s.; net income, £190 with residence and 5 acres of glebe, in the gift of Capt. Cyril Dudley Fortescue, and held since 1852 by the Rev. John Glynn Childs B.A. of Trinity College, Cambridge. The United Free Methodists have a chapel, and the Bible Christians one, and another of same denomination at Whitemoor. The feast of St Dennis is celebrated annually on October 9th, if it fall on a Sunday; if not, on the Sunday following. In this and the adjoining parish of St Stephen are some of the largest clay works in the county: china-stone is also dug out in great abundance. Viscount Falmouth, who is lord of the manor, Messrs. Ivimey & Gill, of London, Capt. Edyvean, and the Hawkey trustees, are the principal landowners. The soil is clay; subsoil, disintegrated granite. The land is principally pasturage. The acreage is 3,370; rateable value, £6,048; the population in 1881 was 1,235. Trelaver, a quarter of a mile south, and Hendra, half a mile south, are villages; Enniscaven is another village, 1 mile north-east. Fairs are held here on May 20th and October 28th. Parish Clerk, James Truscott. Post Office – Mrs Betsy Cock, postmistress. Letters through St Austell, arrive at 9.30 a.m.; dispatched at 2.30 p.m. St Austell is the nearest money order office & Roche the nearest telegraph office. Board School, John Reed, master

CHILDS, Rev. John Glynn B.A. Rectory VARCOE, John Hendra VARCOE (Mrs) COMMERCIAL

BEST, Arthur rate collector & assistant overseer BEST, James captain of clay works Prase BEST, John grocer & draper Trelaver BEST, Thomas china clay agent Trelaver BLEWETT, William farmer Carsella BROKENSHIRE, William farmer Carne BULLOCK, Tom carpenter Trelaver BULLOCK, Thomas tailor CROWLE, Thomas farmer Enniscaven DEVONSHIRE, William farmer Menna GRIGG, James farmer Menna GRIGG, Richard farmer Gothers GRIGG, Richard farmer Penrose GRIGG, Robert china clay merchant & tax collector Whitepit GRIGG, William farmer Enniscaven HAWKEY, Henry farmer Carnegga HOOPER, Elizabeth (Mrs) Miner’s Arms, Hendra HORE, Alfred grocer Trelaver KENT, Benjamin farmer Menna KENT, Robert farmer Enniscaven KENT, William farmer Hendra KENT, William farmer Menna KEY, James farmer Domellick MINEAR, Thomas farmer Enniscaven OLVER, William George farmer Egypt OSBORN, James farmer Trerice STEPHENS, Frederick ornamental stone cutter Prase THOMAS, Christopher Charles Commercial Inn TREMAYNE, John shopkeeper Trelaver TRETHEWEY, John farmer & shopkeeper Trelaver TRUSCOTT, Henry farmer Trelaver TRUSCOTT, Thomas farmer Carn Cottage VARCOE, James farmer Penrose VARCOE, John farmer Gothers VARCOE, John farmer Hall VARCOE, Moses farmer Gothers VARCOE, Richard blacksmith VARCOE, Richard farmer & clay merchant VARCOE, William farmer Restowrick YELLAND, Richard butcher & farmer Trelaver YELLAND, William blacksmith Trelaver

Transcribed by John Evans