Text[0]=["Camborne","
In 1867, Camborne (Cornish: Kammbronn) was situated in the Deanery and Hundred of Penwith. It was bounded on the north and east by the sea and Illogan, on the south by Crowan and Gwinear, and on the west by Gwithian. The parish is thought to take its name from the Cornish for a 'crooked hill', but it was also the site of a 'holy well' situated within it, from which the name could be derived.
Until the mining boom towards the end of the 18th century, which saw the Camborne and Redruth district become the richest mining area in the world at that time, Camborne was just a village. Influx of miners transformed the village into a town in a very short space of time. The town of Camborne is surrounded by numerous mine workings; it comprises several uniform streets which were filled with miners' cottages. The growth caused the parish to be spilt and three new parishes were created from Camborne to serve this boom: Tucking Mill in 1845, Treslothan also in 1845, and Penponds in 1854.
From the middle of the 19th century and into the 20th century, many mines closed which led to mass migration from the area. The last tin mine in Cornwall to close was the South Crofty mine in Camborne which ceased operations in 1998.
Richard Trevithick is probably Camborne's most famous son. He was born in a cottage a mile or so from Dolcoath Mine in Camborne, where his father was a mine Captain. His curiosity about the engineering aspects of the mining area in which he grew up, started at an early age, and this led to a career during which he pioneered the use of high pressure steam, and increased the efficiency of the engines used to pump water from the lower levels of Cornwall's tin and copper mines. Trevithick's inventive mind was never still - his ideas ranged from the first successful self-powered road vehicle, and a steam railway engine, to schemes for wreck salvage, land reclamation, mechanical refrigeration, agricultural machinery and for tunnelling under the Thames. Trevithick spent eleven years in South America, working for owners of silver mines. His memory is preserved in the annual Trevithick Day festival in the town.
Camborne became pre-eminent in the training of mining engineers; the Camborne School of Mines continues with this task into the 21st century.
Illogan (Cornish: Egloshal)is situated in the Deanery and Hundred of Penwith. In the early 19th century, it was bounded on the north by the sea, and St Agnes, on the east by St Agnes and Redruth, on the south by Wendron and Camborne, and on the west by Camborne and the sea. Named after an obscure Cornish saint, St Illogan parish stretches south from the north coast of Cornwall and is between the towns of Camborne and Redruth. The parish contains Portreath, originally called Basset's Cove, a quiet fishing village situated about a mile and a half to the north-west of Illogan Churchtown, and which was developed in the 18th and 19th centuries into a port with a railway connecting to the Pool and Hayle Foundry. Copper ore was exported to Swansea for smelting and coal and iron were imported for the mines in Cornwall.
Richard Trevithick, the celebrated Cornish Engineer who was the inventor of the Cornish Steam Engine, used both in mining and locomotive transport. He was born in Illogan on 13th April 1771 and, on 7th November 1797, he married Jane Harvey, the daughter of the owner of Harvey's Iron-Foundry at Hayle.
Out of this parish and St Agnes was formed the ecclesiastical district of Mount Hawke, which was gazetted on 4th July 1846.
The parish of Helston (Cornish: Hellys), (or more properly Helleston or Helstone), which includes the old municipal borough, is situated in the Deanery and Hundred of Kirrier (Kerrier). It is bounded on the north by the parish of Wendron, on the south by Mawgan-in-Meneage and Gunwalloe, and on the west by Sithney. There has been a settlement in this area since the Iron Age, the basis of the name being hen-lys, meaning 'ancient court'. In the Domesday Survey of 1086 it is called the 'manor of Henlistona'.
Helston is an old coinage town, and at one time the focal point of mining and trading in Cornwall. The town stands on the side of a hill, and declines towards the west terminating on th borders of a vale, through which runs the River Cober. In the middle of the main street formerly stood a Coinage Hall, with which was connected a prison, and dwelling house for the Duchy officer. Many of these buildings were emoved but the street still retains the name of Coinagehall Street. In spring every year the Furry Dance takes place. In the past this has been mistakenly called the floral dance. The towns people dressed in formal attire dance in and out of the streets and houses. It is a very sedate affair, which must be very different from the days when Wilkie Collins called it 'A sort of barbarous carnival... where even the 'genteel' residents allow themselves to be infected with the general madness'.
The Borough of Helston was originally the chief town in Wendron ecclesiastical parish, but in 1865 a separate parish of Helston was created for the Borough. The Workhouse of the Helston Union used to be in Meneage Street.
Constantine (Cornish: Lanngostentin) is situated in the Deanery and Hundred of Kerrier. In 1869, it was bounded on the east by Budock and Mawnan, on the south by Helford Creek, which separates it from Manaccan, St Martins and Mawgan-in-Meneage, and on the west and north by Wendron, Stithians and Mabe. The parish is named after its patron, Saint Constantin. The village is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Saint Constantin.
Constantine Churchtown is a well-built village seated on the brow of a hill in the midst of open country. Villages and hamlets in the parish include: Gweek, Seworgan, Brill, Port Navas, Budock Vean and Helford Passage.
Falmouth (Cornish: Aberfal) was originally called Peny-cwm-cuic, which became 'Pennycomequick'. It was formed from the older parish of Budock in 1661. The borough of Falmouth is on a peninsula at the west side of the entrance to Carrick Roads, a large natural harbour on the south coast of Cornwall fed by the river Fal. It is situated in the Deanery and Hundred of Kerrier, and is bounded on the north and north-east by the harbour and which separates it from Mylor, St Just-in-Roseland and St Anthony-in-Roseland, and on the east, south and west by Budock.
Henry VIII built a fort here at Pendennis Point and another on the opposite shore at St. Mawes, both of which are still in excellent condition. Apart from a harbour at Falmouth Haven, the only other place was Arwenack Manor - the home of the Killigrew family. The main town was then at Penryn.
During the English Civil War of 1642-45, Charles I's Queen, Henrietta Maria, fled into exile via Pendennis Castle. At the end of the War, the King being a prisoner, his heir did the same, planning before he left to build a chapel for public worship... and when the war ceased, to send an able on conscientious chaplain to preach God's word therein. After the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, Sir Peter Killigrew had a long-standing ambition to found a town and church on Falmouth Haven (as the harbour here was then called). So he sent an emissary to the new King at his new court in London, seeking the grant of a Charter for the town. He also offered to give land for a church, parsonage and a churchyard if the King would sponsor the project. Owing partly, perhaps, to his diplomatic dedication of his new church to the King's martyred father, Sir Peter succeeded in modifying the royal vow and received much help from King Charles II and his brother, the Duke of York.
Falmouth became the largest port in Cornwall whose real prosperity began in 1688 when it became a Post Office packet station. Brigantines sailed with mail to Spain, Portugal, West Indies and North American Colonies until 1852, when mail traffic was transferred to Southampton. The port and shopping area are on the north side of the peninsula, while on the south coast are sandy beaches and hotels.
Today Falmouth is a combined holiday resort, fishing port and ship repairing centre. Ambitious plans to transform the waterfront will no doubt increase its attractions as a tourism centre in the future.
The town of Falmouth is situated on the south-westyern side of the harbour and stetches along its shore for more than a mile. The old town received a charter of incorporation from King Charles II in 1661. There appears to have been no plan on the laying out of the buildings. On the adjoining hills, with every advantage of space, air and picuresque scenery scarcely to be equalled, the town was extended into open terraces. These extentions added much respectability to the appearance of the town. The Church of King Charles the Martyr lies on the main street running through the town.
The parish of Mawgan-in-Meneage, (Cornish: Sen Mowgan), is situated in the Deanery and Hundred of Kerrier, and is so denominated to distinguish it from Mawgan in Pydar Hundred. It is bounded on the north by Wendron and the Helford estuary which separates it from Constantine, on the east by St Martin-in-Meneage, on the south by Cury and on the west by Gunwalloe.
St Meugan was venerated in south-west Wales and also in Brittany, where he was known as Maugan or Mogan. Meneage is believed to be a derivation of 'monk'. Mawgan is an Attractive village in south-west Cornwall between the Helford River and Gunwalloe. There are memorials in the church to the influential Vyvyan family.
Three noble Cornish families, the Roskymers, Carminowes, and Vyvyans, were once settled in this parish. Only the latter remains (1894). Their seat is a fine old castellated building with a chapel, called Trelowarren. The family of Vyvyan dates from the time of Edward VI. In the civil wars they attached themselves with the most devoted loyalty to the royal cause, and suffered severely from the Parliamentary forces. In testimony to the eminent services of Sir Rd. Vyvyan, then the head of the family, there hangs in there house a large painting, by Vandyke, of King Charles I on horseback, presented to the family by Charles II. Another Sir Richard Vyvyan, a lineal descendent of this brave old cavalier, was imprisoned in the tower by George I, on suspicion of being concerned in favouring the design of the Pretender. Still another Sir Richard Vyvyan died at Trelowarren on August 15th, 1879. He was a Tory of the old school, and represented Bristol in Parliament after the passage of the Reform Bill in 1832 until the dissolution of 1837. In 1841 he was returned as Member for Helston, which borough he continued to represent up to 1857, when he finally retired from public life. (The Vyvyans still live at Trelowarren at the beginning of the 21st century). At Mawgan Cross, in this parish, is a very old stone, with an inscription in Cornish, which has been thus interpreted 'What lieth here is not the soul.
At Gear, Gweek Wood and Carvallock, are remains of extensive earthworks. On Goonhilly Downs, which extends into this parish, are many barrows, in which have been found coins and weapons of war. A 'fogou' or cave exists at Trelowarren near the entrance to an ancient entrenchment, the remains of which can still be traced. This parish was well wooded, and the walks and drives along and about the Helford River are scarely to be equalled for variety and picturesque beauty in the county. Numerous Roman coins have from time to time been found in this parish.'
The Churchtown is the chief village of the parish.
The parish of Grade (Cornish: Sen Grad) is situated on the Lizard, in the Menege district, and in the deanery and Hundred of Kerrier. The parish was divided into four detached portions. The first portion, upon which the church stands, is bounded on the west and north by Ruan Minor, on the east by the sea, and on the south by Landwednack. The second portion was bounded on the north and east by St Keverne and the sea, on the south by Ruan Minor, and on the west by Ruan Major. The third portion is surrounded by the parish of Ruan Major. The fourth portion was bounded on the on the north, east and south by the parish of Ruan Major, and on the west by Mullion.
Grade is situated on the most southerly peninsula in Cornwall. The fishing village of Cadgwith, which was partly in this parish and partly in Ruan Minor, is still active but was more important in the days of pilchard fishing, when the cry of 'Hevva! Hevva!' alerted the fisherman that a shoal of fish had been sighted. By the end of the 19th century the pilchards had completely disappeared.
Because of small populations, in 1934 Grade united with Ruan Major and Ruan Minor to form a single parish of Grade - Ruan.
