Cornwall

Cornwall is a historic county located in the southwestern peninsula of England, bordered by the Celtic Sea to the north and west, the English Channel to the south, and the county of Devon to the east. It's known for its rugged coastline, dramatic cliffs, and picturesque villages.^[1] Truro is the county town of Cornwall and the largest town within its borders.^[2]

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Cornwall landscape, Industry, agriculture, and attractions

Cornwall's 422-mile coastline is made up of cliffs, coves, bays, and islets. The south coast, known as the "Cornish Riviera", is more sheltered and has broad estuaries for safe anchoring. Fishing: Cornwall's coastline has many ports and harbors, and fishing has historically been a major part of the economy. However, the fishing industry has not been as successful in recent years, and many related jobs are now connected to tourism and recreation.^[3] Cornwall was once a major producer of tin, one of the earliest metals produced in Britain.^[4] With over 70% of Cornwall’s land dedicated to agricultural use and 400 miles of coastline surrounding its perimeter, the region offers a wealth of fresh produce and seafood and is a major food and drink exporter.^[5]

St Michael's Mount is a well-known island with a castle, village, harbor, and gardens. You can walk to the island along a causeway when the tide is low. The Lost Gardens of Heligan is a 200-acre site with a fascinating history and beautiful gardens that are open all year. Minack Theatre is an open-air theater carved into a cliffside that ends at the sea. Tintagel Castle is a castle in North Cornwall that's steeped in legend and folklore, and is often called "Arthur's Castle". Trebah Garden is a 26-acre garden with subtropical trees, exotic blooms, and a secluded beach.

Cornwall History

Continuous occupation began around 10,000 years ago after the ice age ended.^[6] Hunter-gatherers built stone circles and burial tombs, known as Barrows, to worship their gods.^[7] The Romans referred to Cornwall as "Cornubia," likely derived from the Cornish word "kern" meaning "horn" or "promontory."^[8] The Romans began their invasion of Britain in 43 AD, but Cornwall was not under their control until much later.^[9] Formerly an independent kingdom, Cornwall was annexed by the Anglo-Saxon kings in the 9th century AD, to be integrated into the English feudal administration. Since then, and until today, it has retained a distinct territorial identity: first as an earldom, and then as a duchy.^[10] Cornish is the historical language of Cornwall. It is a Celtic language of the Brythonic branch, along with Welsh and Breton.^[10]

In the 18th century, Cornwall was a center of mining and industrial growth, and was considered distinct from the rest of Britain. During the 18th century Cornwall occupied a uniquely powerful political position and was one of the first areas of sustained industrial growth in the country. Fortunes were made in mining tin, copper and china clay.^[11] By the mid-nineteenth century, Cornwall was a heavily industrialized tin- and copper-producing region, with a Methodist-majority population and a rapidly developing emigration culture.^[12] The opening of Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s Royal Albert Bridge in May 1859 marked a turning point in Cornwall’s history. No longer cut off from the rest of the country by the wide, watery barrier of the River Tamar, the bridge connected the county to the expanding British railway system.

Cornwall's mining industries, which were once dominated by copper, tin, and rare metals, diminished during the 20th century. The last tin mine closed in 1998.^[13] The loss of the mining industry was matched by a decline in the fishing industry due to the rise of a national fishing fleet.^[14] In the 20th century, Cornwall, England experienced a revival of interest in its Celtic past, which included a resurgence of the Cornish language and a political party that sought greater autonomy for the county.^[10] In the 21st Century, Cornwall saw an increased revival of Cornish culture, a renewed interest in Celtic Christianity, and challenges to the social structure.^[1] Cornwall's social structure has changed due to tourism and the popularity of the county as a retirement destination. Holiday-home buyers have priced many Cornish locals out of the housing market.^[15]

Cornwall parishes and unparished areas

Cornwall, England has 213 civil parishes, with the exception of the unpopulated Wolf Rock, which is the only unparished area in the county. These parishes are governed by a variety of local councils, including: 168 parish councils, 28 town councils, A city council, A community council, and 15 parish meetings.^[16]

Cornwall geography

Cornwall is the only county in England to only have one bordering county, that being Devon. It is the 9th largest county in the UK covering an area of 1376 sq/mile with over 25% of this designated as ‘Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty’. The Cornish coast stretches 422 miles. The highest point of the county is Brown Willy which is found on the Bodmin Moor standing at 420m above sea level.^[13] Cornwall's geology includes granite intrusions, ophiolites, and mine stacks. The intrusion of granite into sedimentary rocks led to Cornwall being a major mining area until the early 20th century.^[17] Cornwall has many short rivers, including the Tamar, which forms the border with Devon.^[18]

Researching family history in Cornwall

Kresen Kernow (‘Cornwall Centre’) is home to the world’s largest collection of documents, books, maps and photographs related to Cornwall’s history.^[19] The Cornish Archives Network (CAN) is a free network of over 80 archive and heritage organizations across Cornwall.^[20] The Cornwall Online Parish Clerks (OPC) is a group of volunteers who transcribe parish records in Cornwall, England, and share them with researchers for free.^[21] The Cornwall Council Family History has registers recording births, deaths and marriages in Cornwall since July 1837 when civil registration began.^[22] The Cornwall Family History Society was formed in 1976 and now has a great many active members.^[23]

Ethnicities in Cornwall

The demographic distribution of English surnames is as follows:^[24]

In 2021, 1.1% of Cornwall residents identified their ethnic group within the "Other" category ("Arab" or "Any other ethnic group"), up from 0.2% in 2011. The 0.9 percentage-point change was the largest increase among high-level ethnic groups in this area. Across the South West, the percentage of people from the "Other ethnic groups" ("Arab" or "Any other ethnic group") increased from 0.3% to 0.9%, while across England the percentage increased from 1.0% to 2.2%. In 2021, 96.8% of people in Cornwall identified their ethnic group within the "White" category (compared with 98.2% in 2011), while 1.2% identified their ethnic group within the "Mixed or Multiple" category (compared with 0.8% the previous decade). The percentage of people who identified their ethnic group within the "Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh" category increased from 0.6% in 2011 to 0.7% in 2021.

Surnames in Cornwall

The demographic distribution of Cornwall surnames is as follows:^[25]

Surname	Incidence	Frequency
Williams	5,796	1:95
Smith	4,908	1:112
Thomas	3,795	1:145
Jones	3,568	1:154
Richards	3,231	1:170
Taylor	2,693	1:204
Brown	2,684	1:205
Rowe	2,580	1:213
Roberts	2,533	1:217
Harris	2,362	1:233

Explore more about English Counties

MyHertage.com has 351 collections that contain millions of English records that cover a huge variety of genealogical historical events that can help you find your ancestors. The MyHeritage Knowledge Base contains helpful information about genealogical research. The Legacy Family Tree Webinars website contains more than 2000 valuable genealogical webinars including over 50 webinars about English research.

References

[:2-1] 1.0 ^1.1 Cornwall | History, Coast, Economy, Map, & Facts | Britannica

[2] Truro | Cornwall, Cathedral, Market Town | Britannica

[3] Industry in Cornwall

[4] England’s Cornwall and Its Former Tin-Mining Industry

[5] Agritech Cornwall - Cornwall's Agritech Industry - Leading The Way - CTI

[6] 10,000 years of Cornish history uncovered during A30 improvement works - Cornwall Council

[7] The History of Cornwall - Wrinklers Wood

[8] Kingdoms of British Celts - Cornovii / Cornubia / Cerniw

[9] Cornwall Heritage Trust ~ Preserving Cornwall's Story

[:1-10] 10.0 ^10.1 ^10.2 Cornwall

[11] Trewithen and its Cornish Context in the Early Eighteenth Century

[12] A Fluid Border: The River Tamar and Constructed Difference in Travel Writing of Cornwall

[:0-13] 13.0 ^13.1 All you need to know about Cornwall - Stay In Cornwall

[14] The Twentieth Century – Wilcuma

[15] The UK's forgotten 'fifth nation'

[16] General information on parish and town councils - Cornwall Council

[17] About Cornwall

[18] River Tamar | Devon, Cornwall & Estuary | Britannica

[19] Kresen Kernow

[20] Cornish Archives Network (CAN)

[21] Cornish Parish Records - search the Cornwall genealogy database

[22] Family history - Cornwall Council

[23] Cornwall Family History Society

[24] How life has changed in Cornwall: Census 2021

[25] Most Common Last Names In Cornwall

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