NEWSLETTER
August 2014
Our Place on the Internet
www.calh.co.uk
CORNWALL
ASSOCIATION OF
LOCAL HISTORIANS
Chairman’s Letter
I hope you are having a lovely summer and
not, like me, wilting in the heat. We have
had a good programme of outdoor events
so far this season starting with the day in
Pelynt. How wonderful that a picture of
CALH members standing by the preaching
cross made its way into the Cornish Times
together with a short report on the event. If
we have an outing in your area maybe you
could send a report to your local paper
about it - the more publicity we get the
better.
We had a brilliant day at Davidstow looking
at all the WW1 and WW2 memorabilia in
the museum and learning the history of the
airfield. We also had a trip on a converted
milk float around what is left of the
buildings, which was fascinating. The
museum is run solely by volunteers and
receives no government funding which
means that everyone involved is there
because they want to be. Needless to say we
encountered some wonderful characters, all
of whom were very knowledgeable about
the museum.
By the time you read this we will have had,
what I know will be, a good and informative
day with Bill Glanville in her patch at St
Columb and St Mawgan, and will be looking
forward to the Autumn conference at
Newquay. As per usual, the conference falls
on the shoulders of our secretary Joan
Webb and this year the subject is the
Cornish connection in South Africa. I am
especially interested as speakers will talk
about two fascinating people with relation
to the Trelawnys - Sir Redvers Buller
(patron of Pelynt church) and Emily
Hobhouse, (tireless worker during the 2nd
Boer War).
I hope you all enjoyed reading this year's
journal. Do let us know what you thought
about the new set up with coloured
photographs. Although this increases the
printing costs I personally think it is worth
doing. I am pleased to report that our
journal editor Jeremy has agreed to carry on
(at least, to be more accurate, he hasn't said
he won't continue). I am also pleased to
report that both Joan Webb and John and
Hilary Ballard have volunteered to proofread the journal from now on.
Jeremy can't do his job unless he has
articles, so it is up to you to keep them
coming. It doesn't matter how long or short
– just send them. Articles can be sent at any
time, but please don’t leave it until the last
minute. The journal will only be as good as
the reports and articles within its pages.
Your Chairman
Carole Vivian
(01503) 272 309
carolevivian309@btinternet.com
Autumn Conference
Cornwall & South Africa:
Many Historical Connections
The Cape Floral Kingdom & its impact
on Cornish Gardening –
Emily Hobhouse: Angel of Love or
that Bloody Woman? –
Sir Redvers Buller – a People’s General
The 1820s Settlers –
Kilbirnie Hotel
Newquay
Saturday 11 October 2014
(Booking form enclosed or on-line)
Display Screens & Book Loans
Journal Index Ready
As a service to members, CALH has some
three-panel, double-sided, hinged table-top
display screens, each panel measuring 70mm
x 100mm. The screens are available to loan
for a two-week period (unless agreed
otherwise), with appropriate Velcro in
return for a donation of £10 each, payable
to CALH’s Book Fund. The Book Fund
itself is another service available for
members who wish to take out an interestfree loan for a year in order to publish a
book.
An index to all of the CALH Journals from
1981 through to 2013 has been produced by
Sally Pocock. A printed copy of this
excellent index will be sent to each member.
Additional copies will be given to the
Record office, the Cornish Studies library
and the Royal Institution of Cornwall. It will
also be available on our webpage. Back
copies of the journal are available from
Carole Vivian for £1 each plus postage.
The display screens are held by Chair Carole
Vivian, who may be contacted at (01503)
272 309 or carolvivian309@btinternet.com.
CALH Day at Tremough?
Applications for Book Fund loans are
available from Secretary Joan Webb at
(01502)
851-498
or
jolyon.webb@btinternet.com.
Days-Out Success, Looking Ahead
So far this year, we have had three
successful study days, accounts of which will
appear in the next Journal.
The last study day of 2014 will be on
Wednesday 3rd September at Illogan and
Tehidy with David Thomas of the CRO.
The accompanying booking form needs to
be sent in before the end of this month!
You can also download it from the Events
page of our webpage.
The programme for our 2015 Spring
Conference “Cornwall in the Reign of
Elizabeth I” is coming together. It will be a
look at what Cornwall was like during one
of the most exciting periods in our history.
Plans for 2015 study days are well under way
but we are always open to ideas for future
visits.
Your Events Secretaries
Hilary & John Ballard
trewhiddle@gmail.com
The Institute of Cornish Studies at
Tremough campus and CALH are
considering a special day next year for our
members to learn about and interact with
the various projects being conducted by the
Institute. These include 19th century
Cornwall, the film and oral history work of
the Cornish Audio Visual Archive and
Cornish landscape history among many
others. Garry Tregidga, head of ICS and
Carole Vivian, chair of CALH, are
discussing a day in May or June 2015 when
we could bring together the tremendous
source of historic knowledge held by our
members and the innovative studies and
projects carried out by the ICS. Any
suggestions for dates, please send to Carole.
New Accessions at the CRO
There have been nearly 50 accessions in
recent months, embracing the full range of
the CRO’s holdings from church and parish
records to mines, railways and families.
Perranzabuloe Parish Church has added its
collection of documents and photos and
there is a folder of new material relating to
St Piran’s Oratory with cuttings about the
difficulties faced at the site in the 1960-70s.
A number of records of Cornish mines have
been added including some with
employment lists. The highlight is an early
19th century petition against a tax on
seaborne coal signed by over 800 people.
Kresen Kernow Progress
WWI Historic Focus
We have now finished phase one of the
consultation programme for the new
history/archives centre in Redruth.
The centenary of World War I is bringing
new historic focus on that era, around the
globe and close to home in Cornwall.
Thank you to everyone who has taken part
in our events and had their say via the
questionnaire. We held twenty roadshows
and exhibitions all over Cornwall, supported
by a series of talks and presentations to local
organizations. Through these we have
discussed the project with over 1700 people
and have collected over 600 questionnaires.
We are now analyzing the results but a quick
look shows the majority of people would
like our new building to have a café, an
exhibition space and online mapping
systems. Family and property history are still
very popular information and exhibition
themes, along with newspapers, historic
building surveys and art.
“War Source: An introduction to First
World War documents and research” is a
new exhibit which just opened in the
Cornish Studies Library featuring a wide
range of sources useful for researching
WWI history relating to Cornwall, from
photographs to newspapers, diaries and
letters, as well as research hints and tips. It
runs to the end of August.
The information from this first phase of
consultation will feed into the next stage of
development, which is designing the
building and drafting the activity and event
programme. These will be part of a smaller
scale consultation this autumn.
Purcell of Redruth have been named as the
team of architects who will lead on the
design of the new centre and bring the
derelict historic brewery building in Redruth
back to life. CORMAC will start initial
preparation work on the site the summer.
The new state of the art archive is a
Heritage Lottery Fund supported project
which will sensitively restore the historic
buildings to create new spaces for people to
discover Cornwall’s extensively recorded
history. Bringing together Cornwall Record
Office, the Cornish Studies Library and the
Cornwall and Scilly Historic Environment
Record, Kresen Kernow will create the
largest collection of material for the study of
Cornish archaeology, landscape, history,
culture and identity in the world.
We are launching a Redruth Community
Project in September, designed to capture
local memories of the brewery site and
engage community members.
Deborah Tritton
Archive Services Manager
The CRO has two new accessions of
interest – a fascinating little album compiled
by L. Opie, a nurse at ‘The Hostel’, a
hospital at Scorrier House, with photos,
sketches, messages and poems written by
the staff and the sick and wounded officers
who were treated there; and a postcard
showing the temporary marker on the grave
in France of Pvt. Charles Henry Matthew of
Constantine.
The Cornish Studies Library has three new
books on Cornwall and the war – Cornwall in
the First World War by Pete London; St Levan
Letters of Love and War: The Stories behind the
letters of Harry Trewern and Gertie Foster in the
era of the Great War by Christine and Judith
Piper; and More Than a Name: Methodist
Truronians Remembered from Two World Wars
by Alison Spence.
The Cornwall Family History Society has
opened a webpage to remember all of the
Cornish killed in the World Wars http://www.cornwallswarhistory.co.uk/.
The National Archives is this month
releasing over 300,000 airmen’s service
records from 1899 to 1939, through
findmypast.co.uk. It’s all part of the massive
commemoration of WW l, which will be
going on for five years. Find out what’s
available and how to keep in touch with
developments:
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/firstworldwar/?utm_medium=email&utm_sour
ce=The+National+Archives&utm_campaig
n=4417163_July+2014+enewsletter&utm_c
ontent=portalsignup
CALH Calendar of Events
3 Sept (Sat) – Study Day at Illogan and
Camborne, Bassett and Pendarves
Country – David Thomas of the CRO will
lead, in his own fascinating way, visits to
Illogan church, Tehidy Mansion, Treslothan
church and the newly re-erected Carwynnen
cromlech. Booking form included and
available on-line. Booking deadline is
August.
2 Oct (Thurs) – CALH Committee
Meeting – 4:45 pm, Stuart House, Liskeard
11 Oct (Sat) – Autumn ConferenceCornwall and South Africa: The Many
Historical Connections – 10 am, Kilbirnie
Hotel, Narrowcliff Road, Newquay
13 Nov (Thurs) – CALH Committee
Meeting – 4:45 pm, CRO, Truro
15 Jan, 2015 (Thurs) – CALH Committee
Meeting – 4:45 pm, CRO, Truro
7-8 Feb, 2015 (Sat/Sun) – AGM & Spring
Conference – Cornwall in the Reign of
Elizabeth I. – Details on the CALH
webpage when available.
Around Cornwall
4 Aug (Mon) – Old Cornwall Society Prayer Book Rebellion event. Bodmin
24-25 October (Fri-Sat) – The Cornish
World/ An Bys Kernewk – The 3rd annual
conference of the Institute of Cornish
Studies focusing on the theme of Cornwall’s
Global connections. Topics include the
impact of global factors on Cornwall’s
history. Details and booking contact:
cornishstudies@exeter.ac.uk or (01326) 371888.
27-28 October (Mon-Tues) – Conference
to Establish a New Cornish Research
Network – Cornwall College, the Cornish
Language partnership MAGA and the
Institute of Cornish Studies joining together
to form a new research network. Cornwall
College, Pool.
Cornish Studies Library
Redruth
28 July – 29 August (Mon-Fri) – WWI
Source: An Introduction to First World
War Documents and Research – An
exhibition featuring a wide range of sources
useful for researching WWI history relating
to Cornwall as well as research hints & tips.
12 Sept (Fri) – Hard Rock Life – An
exhibition which focuses on the lives of
miners and bal-maidens, tied into Redruth’s
Miner’s Day celebrations.
13 Sept (Sat) – Mini-Mining Cartoon
Masterclass – Dandy/Beano cartoonist
Nick Brennan teaches about cartooning.
Also an opportunity to contribute to the
giant mining scene. 10 am to 2 pm
Cornwall Record Office
5 – 8 August (Tues-Fri) – CRO Closed for
Collection Work
16 August (Sat) – CRO Open Saturday –
10 am to 1 pm
2-5 Sept (Tues-Fri) – CRO Closed for
Collection work
13 Sept (Sat) – CRO Open Saturday – 10
am to 1 pm
7-10 Oct (Tues-Fri) – CRO Closed for
Collection Work
18 Oct (Sat) – CRO Open Saturday – 10
am to 1 pm
4-7 Nov (Tues-Fri) – CRO Closed for
Collection work
For daily fun with Cornish history, try the
archives
Facebook
page:
https://www.facebook.com/KresenKerno
w/timeline
Newsletter Editor: Robert Lyle
rhl@lylespride.com