THE
BOOK ROOM
Return to the Cornish Library Home Page
THE
BOOK ROOM
This list of books about Cornwall represents titles recommended by members of Cornish-L - a group of people dedicated to exchanging information about our Cornish ancestors (those who emigrated and those who stayed) and everything there is to know about their lives and times in Cornwall and abroad. We hope you will find them useful. Where possible, the "donor" provided a short summary and opinion. These comments are purely personal so use them as a guide only. Some of these titles are new and still in print, while others have been out of print for years. However, with this information, perhaps you can arrange an inter-library loan, or search for them in second hand bookshops. Click below to view the book titles by subject.
THE CORNISH MINER IN AUSTRALIA by Philip Payton ISBN 0 907566 52 9.
THE CORNISH IN AMERICA: LINDEN, WISCONSIN by Jim Jewell, 1990, Cornish Miner Press, Box 216, Linden, Wisconsin 53553 ISBN 1-87053-00-0 Linden is in Iowa County, Wisconsin. Several families of Vivians and Glanvilles moved to Lake Linden, and others were scattered around the other mining communities.
THE LONG WINTER ENDS by Newton G. Thomas., 1998, Wayne State University Press, Detroit, MI. SIBN 0-8143-2762-1-- from book blurb-- "offers a glimpse into the lives of an often neglected immigrant group that played an important role in the development of the Great Lakes and American mining industries since the 1840's--- The author was born in Stoke, Cornwall in 1878 and emigrated to the UP as a child. " This is a reprint of the 1941 novel.
THE HARD-ROCK MEN: CORNISH IMMIGRANTS AND THE NORTH AMERICAN MINING FRONTIER by John Rowe, Liverpool University Press, 1974. ISBN 0 85323 120 6 The factors they had to weigh to make their decision to come, where they came and what they brought with them in skill and culture. Talks of many of the places they settled and many of the names who came and made their mark.
THE CORNISH MINER IN AMERICA by A.C. Todd, The Arthur H. Clark Co., Spokane, WA, 1967, second printing 1995 ISBN 0-87062-244-7 Re-released by popular demand. New preface in June, 1995. Lots of individual names, mines, places in many states.
COUSIN JACK by Daniel Mason, Alexander Associates, Fowey, Cornwall, 1996 ISBN 1 899526 65 X A novel of Cornish migration to California.
A CORNISH INHERITANCE by David Gore, pub. Nov 97 (ISBN 0953091201, pbk., quarto, 88pp., full colour cover, 30 halftone illustrations, 15 line drawings and charts, bibliography and index, retailing in UK at £5.95). The contents would be of immediate interest to any researcher with Cornish mining ancestors who emigrated to the USA, Canada or Australia. Besides providing the historical context in which the great Cornish exodus occurred as the mines closed, the book traces what happened to the members of one very large mining family, the Harveys who came from around St Agnes, Redruth, Chacewater and Truro, when they dispersed all over the world. It is fully illustrated and contains a large amount of genealogical data (12 pedigree charts) not only on this branch of the Harveys but also on related Cornish families such as the buccaneering Pellews, the Hichens from St Ives waterfront and the Penroses of Redruth. Some biographical sketches of their modern descendants bring the story up to date. Written and contributed by CORNISH-L subscriber David Gore
THE CORNISH FARMER IN AUSTRALIA by Dr Philip Payton. ISBN 1 85022 029 8 Dyllansow Truran Mentions several names and the places they have come from in Cornwall.Discusses the impact the Cornish had on the farming in Australia and in particular South Australia. (Contributed by Kay
CAP'N ANCOCK by Mandie Robinson ISBN 07270 0606 1 Although principally based in South Australia it has many references and many names are mentioned. (Contributed by Kay)
NOT ONLY IN STONE by Phyllis Somerville ISBN 0 949268 04 6 is the story of Polly Thomas 1865 to 1927, her life on arrival in South Australia from St Ives in Cornwall. A really lovely story demonstrating the difficulties encountered both in a new country and the mining world as well as a woman's struggle to survive against many odds.
THE LOBBS OF ST. TEATH PARISH, CORNWALL: LOBB GENEALOGY by Kenneth Morse. Baltimore, MD [1966 or 1967] (Library of Congress listing).
THE MARTIN FAMILY OF STITHIANS compiled by Edward Martin. 1986-1991 [out of print] Pub by EA Martin Oak Tree Farm, Hitcham, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP7 7LS. Entries for 2,694 Martins and 993 of their wives and husbands. Nearly 300 pages of trees and introduction on the name and the parish of Stithians.
STITHIANS FAMILIES I: A CORNISH COMMUNITY by Edward Martin. 1987 - 1993 [out of print]. Pub. by EA Martin Oak Tree Farm, Hitcham, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP7 7LS. Nearly 200 pages including a very useful historical introduction including mining and emigration affecting the area. STITHIANS FAMILIES II Pub. by EA Martin Oak Tree Farm, Hitcham, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP7 7LS A companion volume to the first one, recently republished.
FROM A DARK STREAM. by Henry Cecil Blackwell. 1986. Pub. by Dyllansow Truran, Redruth. ISBN 1 85022 0190. An amateur family history of the BLACKWELL family - but nicely written and readable. An example to those who may not aspire to the Scuse book mentioned below.
DISCOVERING YOUR FAMILY HISTORY by Don Steel; BBC Books; 1980; A how to book using an actual hunt mostly based on Cornwall, and the names HONEYCOMBE.
CORNISH HERITAGE by K. Skues pub. Werner Shaw, London: 1983. A book about the SCUSE family - title unknown. The contributor wrote: "I would also like to add that wonderful book about the Scuse family which inspired me to research my own but I haven't got it and don't know any details except that it is a full sized hardback and a hood 1 1/2" thick and an inspiration for anyone writing their family history." ISBN 0 907961 00 2. Available through Amazon.co.uk (use .uk NOT.com branch) For anybody with SKUES/SKEWES/SKEWIS roots it is all they will ever need. Also available from: Lambs Meadow Publications, Seekers End, 19 Parkland Crescent HORNING, Norfolk NR12 8PJ England It sells at £15 sterling.
400 YEARS OF TREMAYNES AT HELIGAN by Ivor J. Herring. The Federation of Old Cornwall Societies, 1999. 122 pages, no index. Some early history of Heligan Manor and this branch of the TREMAYNES in St Ewe parish. ISBN 0 902660 26 8.
CORNWALL by Nikolaus Pevsner and revised by Enid Radcliffe, Penguin (hard cover) 1951. ISBN 0 14 071001 9. Pevsner covered every county in England in this monumental piece of architectural and historical scholarship called the Buildings of England series. Contributed by John O.
THE CORNISH CHURCH GUIDE by C. Henderson, Truro, 1925 Chapters on Holy Crosses and Holy Wells. Has a Celtic Kalendar of Saint's Days. Excellent descriptions and history of all the parishes of the Diocese of Truro.
CHURCHES OF WEST CORNWALL with notes of antiquities of the district. 2nd ed. by J.T. Blight, Lond., Parker and Co., 1885. Description, particularly details of the interior with sketches. Index of places but not people.
LAKE'S PAROCHIAL HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF CORNWALL [by] J. Polsue. Wakefield: EP Publishing [for] Cornwall County Library, 1974. Reprint of 1st ed. pub 1867-72 by W. Lake, Truro, under title: A complete parochial history of the county of Cornwall. Text and plates reproduced from Cornwall County Library copy. Indexes. Part of the series: Classical county histories ISBN/ISSN 085409539X (set) :
THE CHURCH IN CORNWALL by H. Miles Brown ; with illustrations by A.R. Lintell. Truro: Oscar Blackford Ltd., c1964. 120 p.
WESTERN ("PRAYER BOOK") REBELLION OF 1549 (involves both Dev & Con.) by Frances Rose-Troup,1913
SUPPRESSION OF THE RELIGIOUS FOUNDATIONS OF DEVON & CORNWALL by L.S.Snell,1967 (Dissolution of the Monasteries)
SMUGGLING IN DEVON AND CORNWALL 1700-1850 by Mary Waugh Countryside Books in Berkshire ISBN# 1853061131 contributed by Nathan Giles
CORNWALL by Dr. Philip Payton, Director of the Institute of Cornish Studies. Pub by Alexander Associates, Fowey, Cornwall, 1996. ISBN 1 899526 60 9. Comprehensive well researched history of Cornwall; excellent reading, with superb photographs; 'coffee table' size, and costs £40 (around $65 US) plus a small fortune to ship (because of it's size. But it's good!
THE STORY OF CORNWALL by A.K Hamilton Jenkin (around 1934). A small volume, but packed with good stuff. He published a lot of other books, including social and mining history, and anything by him is worth buying when you find it. Readable!
THE KING'S ENGLAND: CORNWALL by Arthur Mee. First pub. 1937, several reprints to about 1950. London, Hodder & Stoughton, various ed. One of a series about GB. A good basic, well researched, history, rather more 'lyrical' in it's writing, and with some of the old legends. Descriptions of villages and towns, particularly churches.
THE SPIRIT OF CORNWALL by Denys Val Baker ISBN 0 352 307498. Chapters on The Mysterious Place, The Ancient People, The Painter's Paradise, The Poet's Eye View, The Novelist's View, The Stuff of Drama, The Creative Crafts, The Savage Sea, The Haunted Land, The Spirit of Cornwall.
THE FIRST HISTORY OF CORNWALL by John Jenkin ISNB 0 907566 85 5. A book about Cornwall and the people who have lived there for more than 8,000 years; about men and women who became famous, and about many whose names have never been recorded. It is a book about how people lived, brave deeds, clever inventions and how Cornwall became what it is today; a part of the British Isles but so very different from other counties.
CELTIC WOMEN: WOMEN IN CELTIC SOCIETY AND LITERATURE by Peter Berresford Ellis. Constable & Co., London. 1995. ISBN 0-09-476560-X An interesting treatise on the role of women in Celtic areas of GB (as opposed to Anglo Saxon or Roman-influenced areas). Mainly discusses Ireland and Wales, but some sections on early Cornish historical people and female Celtic Christian saints. Fascinating new insights.
CELTIC BRITAIN: BRITAIN BEFORE THE CONQUEST by Lloyd Laing. Paladin Books, Granada Publishing. 1979. IBSN 0-586-08373-1 out-of-print. Has maps, photos of old relics covers period before 600 AD.
MEDIEVAL CORNWALL by Leonard Elliott Elliott-Binns, London, Methuen [1955].
CORNWALL IN THE GREAT CIVIL WAR by Mary Coate (Fellow of Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford), O.U.P. 1933. Second ed.1963, D. Bradford Barton, Truro. No ISBN At the moment this is the definitive work detailing Cornwall's involvement in the "Cromwellian" Civil War. Masses of names/places mentioned.
THE WESTERN REBELLION OF 1549 by Frances Rose-Troup. Smith, Elder & Co (London), 1913. No ISDN. Probably still, at least to my knowledge, the standard text detailing the Western Rebellion aka "Prayer Book Rebellion". Some of the author's observations / thoughts have been challenged more recently but this is probably the case with all published historical research. Many names mentioned.
CORNWALL IN THE AGE OF THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION by John Rowe (second enlarged ed. 1993). Cornish Hillside Publications ISBN 0 951 9419 2 5. Chapters devoted to mining from about 1688, agriculture, fishing, seafaring, religion etc. Good bibliography. Strongly recommended.
CORNISH GUERNSEYS AND KNITFROCKS. A general history of Cornwall, but all the background information in the book is from Polperro and includes loads of photographs and names. Worth getting just for that but especially if you have JOLIFFEs from the area. Fantastic photos from the turn of the century and older and nearly all named.
CORNWALL AND ITS PEOPLE, being a new impression of the composite work including: Cornish seafarers, 1932, Cornwall and the Cornish, 1933, Cornish homes and customs, 1934, Cornish seafarers. Cornwall and the Cornish. Cornish homes and customs. by A. K. Hamilton Jenkin. With an introd. by Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch. New York, A. M. Kelley, 1970. Repr. of 1945 ed. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN/ISSN 0678055041
CORNWALL SINCE THE WAR: THE CONTEMPORARY HISTORY OF A EUROPEAN REGION edited by Philip Payton. Redruth: Dyllansow Truran, Redruth. 1993. 312 p. ISBN/ISSN 185022073.
THE MAKING OF MODERN CORNWALL: HISTORICAL EXPERIENCE AND THE PERSISTENCE OF "DIFFERENCE" by Philip Payton. Redruth, Kernow, Cornwall: Dyllansow Truran, Redruth. [1992?] 272 p.. Includes biblio. and index. ISBN/ISSN 1850220646.
PUBLICATIONS OF THE DEVON & CORNWALL RECORD SOCIETY. Annual scholarly publications that are included in the annual subscription at 10 GBP -- dirt cheap at twice the price considering the quality of the scholarship. Back numbers are available to non-members. All queries to: The Hon. Secretary, D&CRS, 7 The Close, Exeter EX1 EZ. The next vol. will be the Calendar of the Arundell Papers, acquired by the CRO a few years ago. A treasure trove!
DEVON AND CORNWALL by Andrew Saunders (In the Exploring England's Heritage series publ. by HMSO in conjunction with English Heritage,1991). Saunders was, until 1989,Chief Inspector of Ancient Monuments and Historic Buildings. Describes 110 well known--like Tintagel Castle-- and less known--like Portquin Fish Cellars--buildings. Marvellous value and a good browse.
LIFE IN CORNWALL in 4 Volumes edited by R M Barton; Bradford Barton Ltd; 1971; Extracts from The West Britain Newspaper from the 19th Century.
AN UNSENTIMENTAL JOURNEY THROUGH CORNWALL by Mrs Dinah Craik. Published by the Patten Press, 66 Hayle Terrace, Hayle, Cornwall TR27 4BT, for the Jamieson Library, 1988. No ISBN. A facsimile edition of an 1884 travel diary which chronicles in delightful conversational style the progress of a lady authoress and her two nieces through the faraway land over the Tamar. Mrs Craik gives an outsider's view of the Cornish character and landscape of the time. Thoroughly entertaining, an absolute delight! Many illustrations incl. etchings and sketches by C Napier Hemy. Most of the first half of the book is on The Lizard and surrounds.
REVOLT IN THE WEST by John Sturt pub. Devon Books: 1987 ISBN 0-86114-776-6 About the Rebellion.
FACT & FAITH - POLITICS & RELIGION OF THE CORNISH GENTRY BEFORE THE CIVIL WAR by Anne Duffin, Univ.of Exeter,1996
CORNWALL IN THE GREAT CIVIL WAR by Mary Coate,OUP,1933
DEVON & CORNWALL by Andrew Sanders, part of Exploring England's Heritage series.. 117 pages, index, bibliography. b&w and colour photos, describes many places to visit, good on history and prehistory. ISBN 0-11-300025-1
BREAKING THE CHAINS by John Angarrack, published in 1999 by Cornish Stannary Publications. ISBN # 0 9529313 1 1. When Phil Hosken was with Cornish World, he made it available for order through him, but as Phil's no longer with Cornish World, I'm not sure that's still possible. The contact given on the book is this: Stannary Information Office; Tel: 01209 710938 It says: Copies of this book can be obtained from Quill Distributors 45 Higher Bore St, Bodmin, Cornwall PL31 IJS. I think "Breaking the Chains" is nothing short of "required reading" for anyone with an interest in Cornish history and its preservation, and especially anyone of Cornish descent. It is a *great* book, well researched and very worthwhile reading. Contributed by Sandy.
WRECK AND RESCUE ROUND THE CORNISH COAST (3 vols) by Cyril Noall and Grahame Farr. Pub. B Bradford Barton, Truro. 1965 - No ISBN. Vol 1: The Story of the North Coast Lifeboats (Bude, Port Isaac, Padstow, Newquay, Hayle). Vol 2: The Story of the Land's End Lifeboats (St Ives, Sennen, Isles of Scilly, Penzance, Porthleven). Vol 3: The Story of The South Coast Lifeboats (Mullion, The Lizard, Cadgwith, Coverack, Porthoustock, Falmouth, Portloe, Mevagissy, Polkerris, Fowey, Looe). Excellent history of Cornish lifeboats 1803-1960s, based on RNLI and other local records, dealing in detail with each past and present lifeboat station. Many vivid accounts of rescues. Illustrated. Wrecks and rescues listed chronologically for each lifeboat at each station.CORNISH SEAFARERS, - one of the set of 3 books by A.K. Hamilton Jenkin pub. 1932. Chapters include: The Smugglers; Wrecks and Wreckers; The Fisherman's Trade. See emtry under "Cornwall: General Description.
SHIPS AND SHIPBUILDERS OF A WESTCOUNTRY SEAPORT by C.H. Ward-Jackson, Twelveheads Press 1986 ISBN 0906294 11 8. History of shipping in the area from Mevagissey to Looe, 1786-1939. Lists ships and shipbuilders, good index to people, places and ships.
CORNISH SEINES AND SEINERS: A HISTORY OF THE PILCHARD FISHING INDUSTRY by Cyril Noall. Pub. by D. Bradford Barton, Truro, 1972. no ISBN. Describes seine fishing to its decline in mid 1800s. Mentions stations all round the coast. Describes boats and their markings, spotters on the cliffs and their signals, the cellars, how fish were preserved. Includes photos and an index.
TIN MINING AND SMELTING IN CORNWALL by D. B. Barton. 1967. Pub. by D. Bradford Barton, Truro. Before ISBNs. An academic treatise - the standard work on the subject.
THE ST. IVES MINING DISTRICT (vols. 1 & 2) by Cyril Noall. 1982 & 1993. Pub. by Dyllansow Truran, Redruth. ISBN 0 907566 33 2 & 185 022 0670 (he also did St. Just). Summary and some detail about each mine in the area - only slim books (150pp) but the essential introduction to each mine before really serious research.
MINING IN CORNWALL (2 vols.) by J. Trounson. 1980. Pub. by Dyllansow Truran, Redruth. ISBN 0907566 83 9 & 1 85022 049 2. More of a picture book than Cyril's - masses of old photos of mines, miners, and mining.
EAST WHEAL ROSE: THE HISTORY OF CORNWALL'S GREATEST LEAD MINE [by] H. L. Douch., Pub. by D. Bradford Barton, Truro [1964].
MINES AND MINERS OF CORNWALL by Dr. AK Hamilton Jenkin. Pub. by Forge Books, Bracknell, Berkshire, U.K. 1980. Vol 5 (Hayle and area) and Vol 6 (Gwennap area) are both still available from Tor Mark Press. email: [email protected].
EXPLORING CORNISH MINES by Kenneth Brown and Bob Acton. Pub. in Cornwall by Landfall Publications. Another excellent series (new books). Vol. 1 covers some of the mines around St. Agnes area, United Downs, Camborne, and St. Just in Penwith. ISBN 1 87344317X. Vol. 2 the South and East Caradon Mines (around St. Cleer area), Carn Brea (Redruth / Camborne) and Ding Dong (Penwith) as well as some of the greatest mines in history. ISBN 1 873443234. Vol. 3 Marke Valley (alongside the Caradon mines above), Geevor / Lelant, more of the St. Agnes area, and the mines of the Wendron area. ISBN 1 873443323. These books are basically walking tours around the mines, but give an excellent history, and make a good armchair read.
OUR OLD CORNISH MINES: EAST CORNWALL by William H. Paynter. Liskeard, Cornwall: Printed by Snell & Cowling, [1964] Mines and mineral resources.
THE HISTORY OF COPPER MINING IN CORNWALL AND DEVON by D B Barton; Bradford Barton; 1978; Non - Technical, on the history and development of the industry names and places.
THE STANNERIES - A STUDY OF THE MEDIEVAL TIN MINES OF CORNWALL AND DEVON by G R Lewis; Bradford Barton; reprint 1965; History of Tin Mining and itsdevelopment with names and places.
CORNISH MINES by Roger Burt, Peter White and Ray Burnley, 1987 pub by Exeter University.
CHACEWATER - THE STORY OF A MINING VILLAGE written by Willem van der Eyken and published by The Chacewater Projects. The ISBN Number is 0 9537205 0 0 Note: This book is available for sale. It is priced at £2.99 retail and is on sale in several of the businesses in the village of Chacewater including the Post Office. It is also available directly from Brenda Bailey at Ronda, The Terrace, Chacewater, TR4 8LT Contributed by Brenda Bailey
THE TIN STEAMS OF WENDRON, by Justine Brooke, 1994, Twelveheads Press, Truro ISBN 0906294 32 0 For anybody with early 'tinner' ancestors it is likely that their forebears were actually involved in streaming as opposed to mining for tin. This book is an excellent description of the life and times of a streamer, an important distinction that few previous books have made. The non technical text, and numerous line drawings explain all, and will be of interest to any 'tinner' descendent, not only those with Wendron connections. Contributed by Richard Polkinhorne
DEEP DOWN, A TALE OF THE CORNISH MINES R.M. Ballantyne. The first edition of this book is dated 1869. The edition used is dated 1913. The publisher was Thomas Nelson and Sons, London, Edinburgh, etc. The number of pages is 450. Copyright notice: these transcriptions of books by various nineteenth century authors of instructive books for teenagers, were made during the period 1997 to 2004 by Athelstane. We used a Hewlett-Packard scanner, a Plustek OpticBook 3600 scanner or a Nikkon Coolpix camera to scan the pages, TextBridge Pro 98 or ABBYY Finereader 7 to produce a first draft of the text, and Athelstane software to improve the text. We proof-read the chapters, and then made a CD with the book read aloud by either Fonix ISpeak or TextAloud MP3. The last step enables us to hear and correct most of the errors that may have been missed by the other steps. This process represents a large investment of time and skill. You may freely download a copy for your own use. We do not in the least mind if anybody wishes to offer any of our work on another website, but would point out that they should state that the copyright is ours, rather than claiming it as their own. Download Contributed by Corrine Thompson
WRECKERS AND WRESTLERS by Roger Parnall. 1973. privately published. Covers St. Gennys Parish superbly; out of print, but copies do exist. It covers the history of the parish from prehistoric times, through the Norman Conquest, and up to the (nearly) present day, and is particularly useful for it's lists of tenements and farmsteads (from about 1300 onwards) and family names, as well as rent rolls etc. Parnall was the senior partner in the local law firm, and is buried in the churchyard at St. Gennys, in one of the loveliest spots in Cornwall, looking over a wooded valley to the sea. The local bookshop had a copy last time I looked, but it was in the glass case, and therefore probably expensive.
THE TRAVELS OF PETER MUNDY 1597-1667 edited by John Keast. pub by Dyllansow Truran, Redruth. 1984. ISBN 0-907566-75-8. A record of Peter's travels throughout Europe and India during the 1600s. He was born at Penryn, and one chapter describes the area when he revisited in 1650.
FROM THE ROSELAND TO ST AUSTELL BAY: 18 ROUND WALKS FROM PORTSCATHO TO PAR by Bob Acton. Landfall Walks Books 10 & 11. Landfall Publ.s Truro. ISBN 1-873443-29-3. A book describing delightful walks in the area - Mevagissey, Charlestown, Veryan, St Ewe, Gorran, Tregony, St Blazey, etc. Maps show off-road rights-of-way and quiet byways. Short descriptions of villages and sights. incl. delightful sketches. Part of a series.
THE BOOK OF ST. AUSTELL: THE STORY OF A CHINA CLAY TOWN by Cyril Bunn. Buckingham: Barracuda Books, 1978. Illustrated, map, biblio, index. ISBN/ISSN 0860230597.
CHARLESTOWN by Richard and Bridget Larn, Tormark Press 1994 ISBN 0-9523971-0-2 History of Charlestown from 1747 to 1994. Lists of reference sources, transcript of 1851 census, list of ships, index.
THE MEVAGISSEY COMPANION by Sheila Bird. Pub by The Bird of Freedom, The Shrubbery, 17 Grovehill Drive, Falmouth, Cornwall TR11 3HS. ISBN 0-9512236-4 X. A quick overview of Mevagissey history, industry, religion, landforms (56 pages), interesting but not essential.
THE BOOK OF FOWEY: ALL THE GREATEST SEA TRADITIONS OF CORNWALL ARE LOCKED UP IN FOWEY by John Keast. Buckingham, England: Barracuda Books, 1987. ISBN/ISSN 0860232662.
EARLY TIDE: A MEVAGISSEY CHILDHOOD by Mary Lakeman. London: Kimber, 1978. 208 p.,: ill. Social life and customs. ISBN/ISSN 0718300769.
A HISTORY OF THE PARISH OF GERRANS 1800-1914: PART 1. FARMS AND FARMERS by Hilary Thompson pub. by author 1994. Hilary Thompson, Portscatho, Cornwall. ISBN 0-9518077-1-4. An excellent coverage of the farms and farming families of Gerrans from 1800 to WW1. Includes farm workers, farming practices, and farm names. 78 pages + index. Essential if your family farmed in the parish at this time. Part 2 was to cover the maritime history, and Part 3 the development of villages of Portscatho and Gerrans in the 1800s, but I don't know if they have been finished.
HISTORY OF GWENNAP by C.C. James. pub. by the author. Part 1 general history of Gwennap. Part 2 is the Mining History. An appendix with St. Day Fight, Davey Charity, William John Mills Charity, general tree of the Martyn, Hichens, Jeffrey family, The Truck System, Games of fifty years ago, and Dilly Carols.
WEST OF HAYLE RIVER by Gerald & Sylvia Priestland. 1980. Pub. by Wildwood House. ISBN 0 7045 3012 0. This book (written by the one time Religious Correspondent for the BBC) is chatty, rather like Vanishing Cornwall by D. Du Maurier. A lot of B&W photos.
TREMEDDA DAYS: A VIEW OF ZENNOR 1900-1944 by Alison Griggs Symons. 1992. Pub. by Tabb House (Padstow, Cornwall) ISBN 0 907018 83 1. A nice 212 page book covering her family, neighbors and village life from 1900 to 1944. Contains many local names and describes farming life during that period; with photos; appendix describes Zennor folk by farm names or village; no index. There is also a slim pamphlet called WICCA by Jean Nanvervis about a nearby farm. ISBN 0 9519161 0 6 published privately.
THREE HUNDRED YEARS ON PENWITH FARMS. Pub. by Penwith Local History Group. 1994. ISBN 0 9524744 0 9. Based on maps found in the Lanhydrock Atlas. All enthusiastic local people writing a little bit about what they have studied.
WEST PENWITH AT THE TIME OF CHARLES II. Pub. by Penwith Local History Group 1998. - Penwith Local History Group. ISBN 0 952 4744 1 7. The latest by this group based on wills and anything they could find for the period in the CRO. Each chapter by a different author. Essential if your family lived there in the late 17th century.
THE BOOK OF ST. IVES by Cyril Noall. 1977. Baracuda Books. ISBN 0 86023 037 6. A large format picture and prose book - but written by a real historian.
THE STORY OF AN ANCIENT PARISH: BREAGE WITH GERMOE by H.R. Coulthard. Camborne, 1913. Subtitle: "with some account of the Armigers, Worthies and Unworthies, Smugglers and Wreckers, its Traditions and Superstitions" Conveys the rather racy style of the then Vicar of Breage who had gathered the facts and thoughts in the first instance for use in sermons on the Sundays preceding the local Feast Day. It goes back to pre Saxon times, has some footnotes and an index.
THE HISTORY OF POLPERRO by Jonathon Couch. Jonathon was a famous scholar and naturalist. He left the manuscript which deals with events down to 1856. The book was first edited & published by Thomas Quiller Couch in 1871. Dyllansow Truran published a condensed form in 1986. ISBN 1-85022-013-1 I managed to get hold of a second hand copy. A lovely insight into life a a Cornish fishing village. Local characters & folklore are also described. Contributed by Sue
HEATHS AND HEATHERS CALLUNA, DABOEDIA AND ERICA by Terry L. Underhill, Drake Publishers Inc. New York printed in Great Britain 1972, ISBN 87749-161-X out-of-print. Description and history of Heaths and Heathers. Has drawings, and describes cultivation and growth of hundreds of species.
COINS AND TOKENS OF CORNWALL-THE SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY SERIES. by J.A.D. Mayne & J. A. Williams--1985 ISBN---0-9510029-02. This book describes the history of English/Cornish Tokens, their use and history esp. during the English Civil War. The Royal Cornwall Museum in Truro, Cornwall has some original Cornish tokens, in fact they have (3) of THOMAS SPRY-1667-Penryn, Cornwall Tokens at the museum. A Roger D. Penhallurick is a contact at the Royal Cornwall Museum. Other sources of specialty subjects are old PRO publications such as: Calendar of the Committee for the Advance of Money -3 vols. Calendar of the Committee for Compounding - 6 vols -both are Civil War records of "delinquents" & cover entire country. Book of Fees (3 vols) & Feudal Aids (5 vols) - both cover the entire country and are a record of "fees" paid the crown by the tenant/fee holder. Cover the period 1198-1431. Divided into county, hundred, parish, manor.
KILLIGARTH: THREE CENTURIES OF A CORNISH MANOR ISBN 0 9522842 0 0 This book is of personal interest to me as my A'Lee ancestors had the tenancy of Killigarth Barton in the mid-1800s. This was a brief interlude in a long and fascinating history. It has been the homes of Bevills, Grenviles, Halletts & Kendalls. Anyone who has read Daphne Du Maurier's "the Kings General" will know the manor. The manor was involved in kidnap plots, sieges, lawsuits and clandestine marriages. If it was a novel readers might think the plot too far fetched! Contributed by Sue
POLDARK'S CORNWALL by Winston Graham, with photographs by Simon McBride. ISBN 0-75380-131-0. Published by Phoenix Illustrated (The Orion Publishing Group, Orion House, 5 Upper St Martins Lane, London WC2H 9EA Contributed by John
PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORIES OF DEVON & CORNWALL (The Francis Frith Collection). 1996 ISBN 1 85937 021 7 Published by the Francis Frith Collection. Beautiful photographs taken by Francis and his company between 1885 and 1925. Most of the Cornish photos are taken around 1900. They were primarily published as postcards. Contributed by Sue
LEWIS HARDING-CORNWALL'S PIONEER PHOTOGRAPHER by Philip Correll published by Polperro Heritage Press and is available through www.polperro.org. (Incidentally they publish other great books about the Polperro area available from the same site). You can also get them from Amazon but there is a 4-6 week wait. For over 30 years till his death in 1893 Lewis Harding took photos of Polperro and it's inhabitants. Whilst the book is mainly the story of Lewis' life there are nearly 100 of his photos in this book. A lot of the photos are named, a great help for anyone like me who has their origins in Polperro. Some examples of his work can also be seen in Cornish Guernseys & Knitfrocks by Mary Wright which has already been recommended. Contributed by Sue
THE ARCHIVE PHOTOGRAPHS SERIES: LISKEARD Compiled by John Neale, published by The Chalford Publishing Company Ltd, St Mary's Mill, Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL6 8NX. ISBN 0-7524-1034-2 Price £9.99. The book has photos not just of Liskeard but also Duloe, St Keyne, Moorswater, Dobwalls, St Neot, Warleggan, Pensilva & St Cleer. There are photos of local sports teams, day trips by local societies & churches, many with named individuals (including a few faces I remember from my childhood!). There are also photos of the Union Workhouse and many local Churches & Chapels. I can heartily recommend it. for anyone like me who has their origins in Polperro. Some examples of his work can also be seen in Cornish Guernseys & Knitfrocks by Mary Wright which has already been recommended. Contributed by Sue
PROOF OF EXISTENCE by Brenda Davies. In 1870 Cornwall, tragedy forces a poor mother to make a heart breaking decision. She must send one of her young children away and she has to choose which one, knowing she will never see that child again. Contributed
by Bridget Perrow
THE RENEGADE by Winston Graham. Ross Poldark returns to Cornwall in 1783 to find the lady of his choice engaged to his cousin and his family home at Nampara gone completely to seed. Full of romance and action with a picturesque country background. C1951 by Doubleday & Co., Inc. Contributed by Roxanna
THE LITTLE COUNTRY by Charles de Lint Set around Mousehole. Not his best work (in my opinion) but there were some interesting parts about the history, lore and geography of that part of Cornwall. Contributed by Rick
GOLDENGROVE UNLEAVING by Jill Paton Walsh, Black Swan Books 1997 ISBN 0-552-99655-6 [written 1972]. Set in St Ives, it tells the story of growing up visiting the house for summers then becoming the owner and seeing her [Madge] children and grandchildren face life's challenges in a way reflecting her own life. Description of setting is excellent. Uses real Cornish places with modern storylines. Recommended by Beth. Contributed by Fran
THE SERPENTINE CAVE by Jill Paton Walsh, Transworld/Doubleday 1997 ISBN 0385 408471. The sequel of Golden Unleaving, follows the life of Marian who returns to St Ives after her mother Madge dies to search for the identity of her father. This novel mixes fact [loss of St Ives lifeboat] with her search, beautifully interwoven. Excellent read. Contributed by Fran
PORTHLYN by Geoffrey Tucker. Penponds 1998 repr 1999 ISBN 0 9533374 0 5. Modern smuggling/ murder/love mystery by local Cornish author now living in Norfolk. Set around West Penwith/Falmouth area, mixes real places with ficticious Porthlyn [between Carbis Bay and St Ives]. One to read in one go if possible, storyline that fast. Good descriptions of places.I picked up my signed copy in Helston in May by chance while on holiday in the area and was told by the saleslady that he was a 'local boy'. Reviewed by Beth. Contributed by Fran
THE BLUE CLOAK, Barbara Simpson, Fairwinds Pub, Church St., St Mary's, Isles of Scilly. Blurb describes it as a marvellous tale of romance and intrigue set in the Scillies.Set in 1760-65 and based on fact. Author was born in Cornwall, grew up in Kent & Essex, moved to the Isles of Scilly. Suggested by John O. Contributed by Fran
COUSIN JACK: a novel by Philip Payton Contributed by Fran
CORNISH HARVEST, by Rosemary Aitken. A real evocation of Cornish life at the turn of the century. As good as her best. Contributed by Fran
PEBBLES IN THE TIDE by Elizabeth Ann Hill. Starts in 1857 and goes for about 30-40 years. Contributed by Fran
THE SEA SCAPE, Mary Lide. Turn-of-the-century Cornish comfit by the author of the Tregaran books (The Legacy of Tregaran, 1991, etc.), but not up to her usual. A beautiful bastard girl lives with her mother, housekeeper for a Bodmin Moor farmer. She ends up pregnant, boyfriend off to Boer War, reported killed, scandal, wrong marriages, etc. Contributed by Fran
THE SHELL SEEKERS by Rosamunde Pilcher. The passions, tragedies, and secrets of Penelope Keeling as she tries to decide the fate of a valuable painting her father symbolically based on her unconventional life. Contributed byMichelle via Fran
COMING HOME by Rosamunde Pilcher. Against the backdrop of an elegant Cornwall mansion before World War II and a vast continent-spanning canvas during the turbulent war years, this involving story tells of an extraordinary young woman's coming of age, coming to grips with love and sadness, and in every sense of the term, coming home. Contributed byMichelle via Fran
PENMARRIC by Susan Howach - the passionate loves and hatreds of a Cornish family 1890 to 1940s in the great mansion called Penmarric. Contributed byMichelle via Fran
THE BRIDE FINDER, Susan Carroll. Chosen by the Bride Finder, Madeline Breton comes to Cornwall to meet her new husband. But her dream of happiness soon diffuses in his overpowering shadow. A wild 18th-century romance. Contributed byMichelle via Fran
THE NIGHT DRIFTER, Susan Carroll. An exciting sequel of "The Bride Finder." Castles and wild Cornish coast. Contributed byMichelle via Fran
THE PURITAN WIFE by Joanna Hines. Set in the Civil War, and then links to the LOST DAUGHTER, a really good story set in Cornwall after the Civil War - although both books really stand alone. I liked them both very much. Recommended by Joan. Contributed by Fran
THE CORNISH GIRL by Joanna Hines. Set in the time of the Civil war, this author used fictional place names, but since it is located near Saltash, which is just across the Tamar from Plymouth, it is set in the channel coastal area. On the fly it mentions that the author and her family now live and work on the Lizard (1994). Suggested by Gerri. Contributed by Fran
THE FIFTH SECRET by Joanna Hines. A desperate call for help leads a woman on a search into the fate of four other people whom she knew as a child, when they shared a game of murderous secrets. Contributed by Fran
BRIDE OF PENDORIC, Victoria Holt. American reporter meets and marries dashing heir to Pendorric, Cornwall, in Capri. But someone plans a special place for her in the family -- the crypt. A fast-paced thriller. Contributed by Fran
MISTRESS OF MELLYN by Victoria Holt. Evil lurks in the shadows, so does love -- and the freedom to find a golden promise of forever. Contributed by Fran
THE TIME OF THE HUNTER'S MOON, Victoria Holt. Cordelia begins a new life as schoolmistress at a girl's academy and is pursued by a dashing land baron with a scandalous reputation. Contributed by Fran
INSPECTOR WYCLIFFE series of mysteries by W.J. Burley gives a contemporary view of Cornwall with descriptions of various Cornish locations. Contributed by Fran
MALICE IN CORNWALL: AN ERISKINE POWELL MYSTERY by Graham Thomas, Ivy Books, New York 1998 $5.95 IBSN 0-9041-1656-3. The Cornish mists and sea swirl constantly in the background, a murder mystery that can also be read as a travel book. (On a ranking of 1-5 I rank the mystery as about a 2 1/2.) Set in Cornwall north coast town of Penrick. c.Aug, 1998, Ballantine, Randomhouse, ISBN 0-8041-1656-3 Contributed by Fran
BEYOND RECALL by Robert Goddard takes place mostly in the Cornish market town of Truro (from WW 2 to present) with complete descriptions of that beautiful place right down to the streets we walked w hen we have been there. Its billed as a mystery, and I guess thats an accurate classification, but not in the sense of having as protagonist an amateur detective who solves the crime and lives on in a series. A quote from a NYTimes reviewer says [Goddard]...combines the expert suspense-manipulation skills of a Daphne du Maurier romance with those of a John le Carre thriller. Suggested by several Gerri and [email protected]. Contributed by Fran
THE VIEW FROM THE SUMMERHOUSE, by Barbara Whitnell. 1995. St. Martinís Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York,N.Y.10010. First published in Great Britain in 1994 by Hodder and Stoughton Ltd. A combination lovestory/mystery set in London and Cornwall. Caleb Carne, famous WWII broadcaster, is about to celebrate his 95th birthday, and Simon Holt , whose father David spent time during WWII at the Cornish village of Porthlivick with Carne and his three daughters, has been commissioned to write a newspaper article about Carne. The author lives in Cornwall. I enjoyed the story, actually two stories-- what happened in WWII, and a contemporary love story. Contributed by Julia
A VOW OF SILENCE, by Veronica Black.1990. St. Martinís Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010. First published in Great Britain by Robert Hale Limited. Set on the outskirts of Bodmin Moor, the Cornwall House of the Daughters of Compassion has a problem. Sister Joan is sent there to discover the mystery. An interesting mystery set in a convent, the first of a series. Authorís name is pseudonym. Contributed by Julia
A MAN OF CONTRADICTIONS - A.L. ROWSE by Richard Ollard, to whom Rowse gave access to his private papers. Several extracts published in the Daily Telegraph were fascinating. No doubt it will take its place beside "A Cornish Childhood" and the more erudite Shakesperean work. published Sept. 1999 by Penguin Press. Contributed by Bill
A.L. ROWSE AND CORNWALL- A PARADOXICAL PATRIOT by Dr. Philip Payton. Published 2005 by University of Exeter Press ISBN 0 85989 744 3 "In this gripping new biographical study, Philip Payton explores the immensely complicated relationship which existed between A.L. Rowse, the famous twentieth-century historian and man of letters and his native Cornwall". Contributed by Yvonne Bowers
| Derek Tangye |
CROSBIE GARSTIN is best known for his trilogy of novels about the Penhale family published before the last war by Heinemann. The Owls’ House, High Noon and The West Wind are all cracking adventures set in Cornwall and on the high seas in the days of sail. China Seas, his last book, continued the genre, and was made into a Hollywood film. Garstin was an interesting character, a true adventurer and traveller. He served during the first world war in King Edward’s Horse and was commissioned on the battlefield in 1915. His early years were spent working in lumber camps in Canada, as a ranger in Africa, a miner on the Pacific coast, and as an army horsemaster and intelligence officer. He was, by all accounts, a very private man (I can’t find a photograph of him on the internet) and, at the age of 40, he bought “Rosemerryn”, a house in Cornwall near Penzance. The fictional home of the Penhales family, “Bosula” ~ the Owls’ House, is almost certainly located on the site of Rosemerryn. Set in the Keigwin Valley, six miles south-west of Penzance, the valley drains the Penwith backbone of tors into Monks Cove, the physical setting for the novels. Just down the way, towards Penzance, is the fishing port of Newlyn, which doubled-up then as a world-famous artists’ colony, boasting its own art movement. Garstin wrote this elegant rondeau about Newlyn Hill :
"On Newlyn Hill the gorse is bright;
Upon the hedgerows left and right
Song-dizzy birds the Spring-time greet;
The bluebells weave a purple sheet;
Primroses star the lanes’ green night.
Across the Bay each moorland height
Glows golden in the evening light,
And Dusk walks violet-eyed and sweet
On Newlyn Hill.
A swarm of lights, pearl-soft and white,
A fairy-lamp-land exquisite,
Opens its star-eyes at the feet
Of hills where shore and wavelets meet;
Then dreams come, mystic, infinite,
On Newlyn Hill."
It’s difficult to get hold of Garstin’s books now, but I managed to entreat copies of the trilogy from Penzance library’s reference section a few years ago for a writing project, and I wasn’t disappointed. Sadly, he has rather sunk without trace in recent years. Not even the Cornish remember him, except for a few beavering upcountry literatis like myself. In 1930 he vanished without trace. Nobody really knows what happened to him. Some say he faked his death and went back to the East where he had spent his youth. It seems likely though that he drowned while rowing back to a friend’s yacht after a party. The boat overturned and a woman friend survived. His body was never found although he was a strong swimmer. Presciently, the final page of his last book, China Seas, written in his study at Rosemerryn overlooking a bank of rhododendrons, has this death scene :
“Heavily he sank beside her … felt her arms go round him clinging desperately as to the last refuge in a yawning sea … A bank of rhododendrons with crimson flowers … fading fast, fading away.”
Even better, at the conclusion of his trilogy, the death of his hero, Penhales, drowning in the sea off the Twelve Apostles rocks in Cornwall, is one of the best death scenes in all literature :
“The boom of the surf was the deep roll of drums. The wind blew with the sound of trumpets, piercing, exultant. The phantom clippers dipped their gilded beaks, most stately, the ghostly soldiers tossed their lances, ‘Come on, old comrade,’ they cried. ‘Fear not! Death is but a pang and life immortal. Ride on with us, ride on forever.’”
Contributed by Jennie Towan
DEREK TANGYE Derek Tangye was Cornish and lived near Lamorna Cove near Penzance, with his wife Jeannie. He wrote over twenty books about his life there. He has a following across the world and there is a Friends of Minack Society as well as a Minack Chronicles Trust to maintain the twenty acres he owned in perpetuity for a Nature Reserve. You will find information on all his books and other information at The Friends of Minack Society
ASTLE DOR by Du Maurier and Arthur Quiller-Couch. Set near St. Columb and Indian Queens and east toward Bodmin. It takes the legend of Tristan and Iseult into 19th century Cornwall, mentions Troy, Bodmin, Truro, etc. I haven't read any of her other books, but did enjoy this one. Mary and Joan recommend this one.
FRENCHMAN'S CREEK Helford and Helston area in late 1700s -- London society lady meets and loves French pirate. Lots of fun. Recommended by Fran.
HUNGRY HILL Not set "in" Cornwall, but about a "driving Irish family" of mine owners, and includes an imported settlement of Cornish miners to work the mines. 1820 to 1920. Good for understanding the mine owners of the time. Submitted by Fran.
JAMAICA INN at Boscastle, Launceston south to Bodmin Moor. My favourite, set in the smuggling areas near Helston. Gives a very good description of the landscape. Reviewed by Debbie.
MY COUSIN RACHEL
REBECCA 1938. Doubleday. A Gothic Romance story of the second bride of Maxim de Winter, set at ìManderley Houseî on the Cornish coast. Made into a movie by Alfred Hitchcock.
RULE BRITANNIA (A novel) 1972 Doubleday & Co., US Marines in Cornwall.THE BIRDS, The area of Gribben Head north and east.
THE FLIGHT OF THE FALCON
THE HOUSE ON THE STRAND by Daphne Du Maurier (A Novel) 1969 Doubleday. Set in the area of St Austell Bay. It's a strange tale of time travel &endash; back to the middle ages and Civil War era. Very realistic &endash; odd but interesting. Reviewed by Fran.
THE KINGS GENERAL. Menabilly and Fowey area. Set in the time of Charles I. There is mystery, hairbreadth escapes and exciting events; love, war and lots of Rashleighs. c 1946 Hanover House. - ISBN 0 330 24223 7. Contributed by [email protected].
THE LOVING SPIRITVANISHING CORNWALL by Daphne Du Maurier; Penguin Books; 1967; Nostalgia.
The author lives, or used to live, in Pentewan, near Mevagissey. He knows the geography of the area very well, and has a good reputation for historical and other research. There is much description of mining life, technology, poverty and hope. An easy way to understand Cornish life in the last century.
MISTRESS OF POLRUDEN mentions Mevagissey, St. Ewe, and area.
POLRUDDEN
BEN RETALLICK
CHASE THE WIND
LOTTIE TRAGO
THE RESTLESS SEED
MOONTIDE
TUDOR CORNWALL pub. by Dyllansow Truran, Redruth. ISBN 185022 0581.
A.L. ROWSE'S CORNWALL: A JOURNEY THROUGH CORNWALL'S PAST AND PRESENT. photographed by John Hedgecoe. pub. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1988. 182 p. ill. (some col.), maps, ports. (some col.) ; 26 cm. Includes index. ISBN/ISSN 029779230X. A coffee table book to borrow from the library.
THE LITTLE LAND OF CORNWALL Redruth, Cornwall: Dyllansow Truran, Redruth. [1993] 301p. Previously pub. by Gloucester: Alan Sutton, 1986. ISBN/ISSN 185022062X.
A CORNISH CHILDHOOD Anthony Mott Ltd., London. The Cornish Library #2 (paperback). Autobiography of the well-known Cornish scholar -- opinionated and quirky, but delightful. The child of working class parents in the village of Tregonissey near St. Austell and his determination to make his escape through education.
THE COUSIN JACKS - THE CORNISH IN AMERICA (Indexed)
TOMORROW'S TIDE, St. Martin's Press, NY, 1996. ISBN 0-312-15676-6. The story begins in 1910 when the main character, Jennifer Owens is 14 years old. The book takes the reader through some of the main character's growing-up years during the time period of the Great War, as she falls in love and finds a career. Contributed by Mary Tanner
A NOTORIOUS WOMAN, 1988. St. Martinís Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y.10010. 635 pages. First published in Great Britain by Judy Piatkus Limited under writerís pen name Malcolm Ross. He was born in the West Country in England, and writes historical novels; he lives in southern Ireland with wife and two daughters. An orphan since childhood, Johanna Rosewarne grows up as a servant to her aunt and uncle. She senses Anthony Moore, the doctor chosen as a husband for her cousin, has fallen in love with her. She becomes a companion to Lady Nina Brookes, falls in love with Hal Penrose, who emigrates to America, but makes her own way. Set in the 1840's in the Helston, Breage area, it shows the gentry and some mining.
AN INNOCENT WOMAN, 1989. St. Martinís Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y.10010. 379 pages. First published in Great Britain by Judy Piatkus Limited under writerís pen name Malcolm Ross. First U.S. edition 1991. Jane Hervey and her father arrive in Breage. She has grown up in France, and is an heiress. She chafes under the unbending rules of her widowed father. Drawn to the less desirable elements in the district, a woman of the streets, a smuggler and a lawyer, she lives among the gentry. However she has a secret. The setting is about the 1860's in Breage, and Penzance, there are colorful descriptions of the countryside and mining, fishing and smuggling. Has some of the same characters from A Notorious Woman, although it can be read on its own.
KERNOW AND DAUGHTER, 1995. St. Martinís Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y.10010. First published in Great Britain by Judy Piatkus(Publishers) Ltd. First U.S. edition Feb.1996. 391 pages. At the turn of the 20th Century, the Kernow family of father Barney, sons Harry, Frank, Godfrey, and daughter Jessica,along with ìhousekeeperî Pym, faces the changing relationships in the family as daughter Jessica embarks on a commercial adventure. Set in Helston.
ON A FAR, WILD SHORE 1986. St. Martinís Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y.10010. First published in Great Britain by Judy Pitkus Limited under the title Mistress of Pallas under writerís pen name Malcolm Ross. In 1899 Elizabeth Troy inherits Pallas House and its estate of farms and mines. She takes over from her husbandís sister the management of the estate. She brings improvements to it in farming and mining. Good descriptions of the mining and farming life. Map of Helston District where novel is set is in the front. As with all of his books, there are sketches of people and places in each section.
THE TREVARTON INHERITANCE ,1995. First published in Great Britain by Judy Piatkus (Publishers) Limited. Printed US Oct. 1996 St. Martinís Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010. Set in 1890 around Helston, Penzance, Falmouth; Seventeen year old Crisotbel Moore Collettís family of five siblings is broken up upon the death of both parents. She plots to reunite the family. Her mother was upper class but eloped with the coachman. She takes a position as lady ís maid with her grandmother, and marries. Lots of local color and dialect, several black/white line drawings: Camborne, Falmouth Harbour, Penzance after the Great Blizzard1891, Penzance Promenade. 395 p.
THE CARRINGTONS OF HELSTON, 1977. First published in Great Britain by JudyPiatkus (Publisher) Ltd. USA -- published June 1998 by St. Martinís Press, N.Y.. hardcover $24.95. ISBN: 0-312-18552-9. In 1914, the Carrington family of father John, son William and daughter Leah return to Cornwall from the USA, and buy land. Involved with ìfeudî with Liddicoats: Philomena, brother Clifford, and his two sons, Harvey and Nicolas.
THE MOUSEHOLE CAT by Antonia Barber and Illustrated by Nicola Bayley, MacMillan Publishing, Inc., 1990 The legend of Tom Bawcock (and his cat, Mowzer) told with fun and beautiful illustrations on every page (even a star gazey pie) and Mousehole, at Christmas time, "lit up with a thousand lights, shining their message of hope and a safe haven to all those who pass in peril of the sea." Lovely, lovely book.
THOMASINA AND THE TOMMYKNOCKER by Juanita Kennedy Browne, Browne Books in the Hollow, 11252 Zoriat Court, San Diego, CA 92124 email <[email protected]> $6.83 The quest of a young girl to "be somebody" in 1892 Grass Valley, California. Cornish are much in evidence, complete with saffron buns and pastys. Illustrated by historic photos and by drawings of the author's grade school granddaughter. Rich in culture and story.
BEATRICE OF ST. MAWES. Anon. Wells Gardner, Darton & Co. London: 1891. The place is St. Mawes in Roseland, though there is not a lot that is recognisable. The time is probably earlier than the publication date & endash; say middle C19th. The gist of the story is that Beatrice (a Spanish girl of 6 years old) is shipwrecked on St. Mawes beach with no other survivors. She is taken in by the Rector to live with his family ... It is basically a Victorian "improving tale" about looking after strangers etc. and intended for children, but it has a lot of charm. (p.s. there isn't a rectory at St. Mawes, it is in the St. Just in Roseland Parish) Rick Parsons Contributed by Fran)