Old Cornwall Journal  No. 1 April 1925

Contents

EDITORIAL NOTE

WHAT WE STAND FOR. By R. MORTON NANCE 

The Preservation of Ancient Monuments in Cornwall By HENRY JENNER, M.A., F.S.A.

CORNISH MINES AND MINERS BY A. K. HAMILTON JENKIN.

CORNISH FAMILY MOTTOES.' By R. MORTON NANCE

The Cornish Farmyard Song

TWO SHORT DIALECT YARNS BY R. J. NOALL.

             mY FEER-A-MOO-SHINER

                tHE SQuIRES GHOST

A REDRUTH CHRISTMAS PLAY.

AGUISE-DANCE PLAY, ST. KEVERNE.

CORNISH CANTATA. By DAVIES GILBERT

NOTES

WORD COLLECTING

SOME CORNISH SHIMBOLETHS

tHE WORD “LETTERPOOCH”

THE CORNISH LANGUAGE IN AMERICA, 1710

A Hurling-ball Inscription of 1705 in Cornish.                                      4

REPORTS

                fEDERATION REPORT                                                                                 

                sT iVES                                                                                                                

tRURO                                                                                                                 

REDRUTH                                                          

HAYLE

CAMBORNE

Helston

MADRON

St JUST

SYMPATHISERS & SUPPORTErs

EDITORIAL NOTE.

THE present issue of Old Cornwall is an experimental one in many ways. The initial difficulties of producing a first number have been got over by the temporary appointment of two St. Ives members—respectively Hon. Secretary and Recorder of the Federation—as joint editors. This has resulted in what may seem an undue representation of St. Ives in its pages, but the suggestion of the Federation Committee is that until a permanent Editorial Staff can be appointed the various Societies should in turn take upon themselves the task of making up an issue. In the papers and notes contributed to all the Societies we have a vast amount of Cornish matter that ought to be printed. The difficulty will only be in making a selection. Urgency, the unique character of the information given, and the appeal made by them to Cornish patriotic feeling, have been the chief grounds for including the articles here printed.

It is proposed, for this first year at all events, to make Old Cornwall a half-yearly journal. A quarterly issue may he reached next year, and the ideal at which we aim is a monthly journal for lovers of Cornwall throughout the world. If attained, this should be of the greatest use in binding together the scattered little Cornish Nation.

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OLD CORNWALL

WHAT WE STAND FOR.

By R. MORTON NANCE.

When a name was wanted for the first of our Old Cornwall Societies, founded in 1920 at St. Ives, the two suggestions " Cornish Society " and " Old Cornish Society " were made and rejected; the first because it was too vague, and hardly distinguished our aims from those of Cornish Associations outside Cornwall, the second because it might be supposed that our one interest was the long-lost Celtic language popularly known as " Old Cornish." " Old Cornwall Society," however, was thought exactly to meet the case, for we had come together to strengthen one another in our devotion to all those ancient things that make the spirit of Cornwall—its traditions, its old words and ways, and what remains to it of its Celtic language and nationality. The motto that we adopted was a Cornish rendering of the words, " Gather ye the fragments that are left, that nothing be lost," and these fragments we set ourselves to gather, not in the spirit of collectors of quaint and useless curios, but as gleaners of the folk-culture of Cornwall, upon which all really Cornish art and literature of the future must be based, and hoping that future generations will arise, Cornish still, to make good use of them. It is for such a “New Cornwall” that we work, but it is “Old Cornwall” that provides us with all this essence of Cornishness that we mean to hand on to it, so “Old Cornwall Societies” we have been ever since, and OLD CORNWALL is the obvious name for our journal.

For over a century we have had learned societies that deal with Cornish Antiquities, and these have done much to uphold the Honour of Cornwall. To them, however, Cornwall's past is a subject for antiquarian discussions; to us it holds a living spirit, and in our unlearned way we aim at spreading a knowledge of this past amongst Cornish people of every sort as a thing that is necessary to them if they would remain Cornish. From these learned societies, to which we may serve as recruiting bodies perhaps, but which we do not rival, we differ also in that we are as much interested in the holiday, workaday and home life of elder generations—the festivals, the hearthside tales, the printed dialect literature, and the old songs and words--as in any other side of the past of Cornwall, and are as ready to honour the teller of a good Cornish story in the good old way, as we are to recognise the value of more difficult but less love-inspired research on Cornish Antiquities.

To talk with those who remember Cornwall sixty or seventy years ago brings home to us how rapidly things change even in a comparatively unchanging country like ours, and makes us realise how much closer in many ways the Cornishman of that time was to those of centuries before than to any of his descendants to-day. He had almost forgotten, perhaps, that there had ever been a separate Cornish language, but he daily used many words of it in his own re-made Cornish-English speech, and thought in Celtic fashion by arranging his sentences according to its rules. He had but the vaguest notion that Cornwall had ever been a separate Celtic nation, but he kept much of the Ancient British spirit of independence, and scorned to imitate the ways and speech of the up-country "foreigner"; which meant that the " foreigner," if he stayed long enough in Cornwall became as Cornish as the best by imitating his ways instead. He had no particular intention in treasuring up all sorts of traditional knowledge inherited from the Cornish store of ages ago, but he did instinctively treasure it, and thus kept in close touch with "Old Cornwall." His life compared with ours was usually harder, his opportunities fewer, but he had something of such value to Cornwall that no amount of added book-learning or material prosperity could ever make up for its loss, for all this traditional knowledge is the very savour and Cornishness of Cornwall, without which the name is but an empty one; and it is this that we seek to gather up, bit by bit, and to hand on again to those of Cornish origin who are in danger of growing up without any of it. Those who have families of Cornish stock that are developing out of touch with Cornwall—divided by oceans perhaps from the old country, or by barriers stronger than those of mere distance can realise what a loss of its most energetic minds this must mean to a little country that can afford to spare none of them; but in Cornwall itself the loss of the more educated young people is almost as great, for all this traditional Cornishness is apt to be cast away in ignorance, that self-blinding ignorance that despises all knowledge lying near at hand for the sake of standardized book-learning from a distance. The latter has its practical uses in the material life; but in the spiritual and intellectual life that means character and personality, far more depends on that sense of race and locality which has always distinguished Cornish peop

An important part of this local knowledge we hold to be the local speech, which should certainly be kept as a second language. It was no doubt with some idea of "betterment " by learning English that our ancestors gave up their beautiful old Celtic speech, but had they kept it as a second string to their bow they would certainly have done a wiser thing Besides the help that it would have given them in learning other languages (for anyone who knows two learns another, even though quite a different one, more easily) it would have been a help to thought, giving, as it were two sides to the brain, and, most important of all, we should have kept a full sense of our Celtic nationality that would have been the binding material that we need as a race, and would have made it easier for us to do many things, that as a mere "County of England," divided into all sorts of parties of English invention, we have never yet thought worth the attempt. To a limited extent this can be more fully repaired for a very few Cornish people who have sufficient time and determination to set themselves to the work of learning Cornish, but on a wider scale, to include everybody, it must be done as far as possible by means of Cornish dialect speech which happily is still far from being a dead language.

Equally important in other ways are the old customs—Hurling, Christmas Plays, May Games, Carol Singing, etc.—a memory at last of which can be revived, and often, if not too long gone the custom itself. Old industries and methods of work on farm, fishing-boat, mine, or at home, though they cannot be revived, are full of interest, too, and need recording, and here is work that awaits Old Cornwall workers in every parish, who will look up the details of such things as ploughing with oxen, the seine-fishery, local mining and tin dressing, weaving, old-time cookery, etc. The old ways of pronouncing place-names—often the very names themselves—are going fast, too, for want of some opinion that would prevent their being destroyed by the imitating of the new-come English sounds in place of the ancient Cornish ones—" Lan-yona ' Quoit, the " Low-gan " Rock, " Kem-bawne," " Pen-zarnce " are familiar examples of this. We often have an uncertain feeling as to whether it is not "common," or still worse, "affected," to be true and natural in speaking what is left of our own Ancient British language in such names, and we must encourage one another to he firmer, for by no means can we be anything better than ourselves in speaking traditional Cornish, whatever our English visitors or neighbours may think of it. They themselves, in fact, usually have the sense to wish to be right, and only wait to be told one certain pronunciation that they may safely follow. There are, of course a hundred other sides to "Old Cornwall, —if any desirable un-named one should occur to the reader's mind it will probably be safe for him to assume that if not already on our Society's programme it will be put there at the first suggestion; but a typical Old Cornwall member is a person who is first of all on the watch for anything that is not generally known of the words and ways of the Cornish people of old times, with perhaps a preference for those of times not too old; one who never misses a chance of talking over these old times with the right person; who is ready to help with anything that brings Cornish people together as such; is as ready to acknowledge his kinship with a Breton or a Welshman, and who, however able to give the current coin of English speech when it is wanted will be as read' with a good supply of Cornish fashioned small change for familiar use. Such "Old Cornwallites" are the salt of the movement, without which no merely antiquarian, linguistic, or historical members, however brilliant, could long keep it from perishing Up to the present there has been no lack of them one town after another finding in its midst people who had, without so naming it been doing Old Cornwall " work for years. These only needed to he brought into one room together to make at once a living society and to find that there, instead of being regarded as people of "queer" tastes, they were at once recognised as leaders in a movement to keep the Cornishness of Cornwall. This movement has but one enemy—that ugly thing Snobbery. It concerns itself in no way with questions of religion and politics, and has no anti-foreign side to its pro-Cornish propaganda. It asks the comradeship and help of true lovers of Cornwall, "one and all "; saying to them: ‑

KYNTELLEUGH AN BREWYON ES GESYS, NA VO KELLYS TRAVYTH,

Gather ye the fragments that are left, that nothing be lost.

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The Preservation of Ancient Monuments in Cornwall.

By HENRY JENNER, M.A., F.S.A.

Cornwall is probably richer in prehistoric monuments than any district of the same size in Great Britain, or perhaps even in the world. From the by no means exhaustive lists in the Victoria County History and from a schedule made in 1913 by a Committee of the Cornwall County Council for the Preservation of Ancient Monuments the following very imperfect statistics have been collected:

Earthworks, whether cliff-castles, hill-forts, single or double earthworks, or other sorts, 207.

Stone circles, 14.

CORNISH MINES AND MINERS

BY A. K. HAMILTON JENKIN.

Cornish tin mining started so long ago that of its beginnings nothing is known for certain. Only here and there some picturesque story points to its dim antiquity. One of these says that the brass used in the building of Solomon's Temple was made from Cornish tin, another that St. Paul himself came to preach to Cornish tinners and that he actually bought tin from Creegbrawse Mine. Whilst legends such as these are not to be taken as historical facts they do at least point to a very great antiquity for the working of tin in Cornwall. It is not, however, till centuries later that its history begins.le in the past, and comes of just such local knowledge.

The first Charter of the Stannaries which is known, dates from the year 1201, and it is evident from the privileges therein granted them by King John, that the Cornish and Devonshire tinners already formed a considerable body of men. The early records as a whole, however, are dull reading, consisting chiefly of figures and statistics concerning the export of tin and the amount of revenues which the Crown thought it could extract from it.

One thing is clear, however. The early tinners confined their energies to "streaming" or searching for alluvial tin in the low grounds around the foot of the granite hills, nor was it until Elizabethan times or even later that underground mining attained to any importance.

Richard Carew in his fascinating " Survey of Cornwall" gives an account of mining which shows that by 1602 a few workings had reached the depth of 50 fathoms. Into these the miners were let down and taken up in a stirrup, "by two men who wind the rope" "In most places," he writes, "their toil is so extreame as they cannot endure it above foure houres in a day. The residue of the time, they weare out at Coytes, Kayles or like idle exercises."

The tinners of this time are described in one record as "ten or twelve thousand of the roughest and most mutinous men in England," but those who knew them best give a far more attractive picture of them. A "clean-up" on a tin stream near Lostwithiel is thus described by one who stood by and watched it nearly 370 years ago :-

"About 36 years past my fortune was to be present at a wash of a Tynne work in Castle Park by Lostwithiell, where at there was a certain gentleman present whom I could name gatherings out from the heap of tynne certain glorious comes affirmed them to be pure gold which the tynners permitted him very gently as they will gentily suffer any man to doe most chefly if any of liberalitie will be shown amongst them but the value of one 2d to drink, then shall you have them dili very ently to go to their Buddies themselves and seek out amongst their comes of tynne which they' call Rux, the finest and most radiant comes and present them to you."

Another early writer tells of the friendliness of these early streamers to each other, how at dinner time all hands would sit down "in a little hedge made up with turfs, covered with straw, and made about with handsome benches to sit on. Here they used to sit and eat their bread cheese, butter and beef, and gave of their store to their poorer neighbour, who carried home the overplus to his family." The Cornish tinners however, much resented any foreign intrusion, and the same writer quotes an order by which:-

“searching, digging or mining for tin, all the tin they raised was to be forfeited, and the men were to be committed to Launceston gaol"

In spite of this, German miners, on account of their skill in metallurgy, were constantly employed in England in Elizabethan times. It is well known that Sir Francis Godolphin had over a Dutch or German mineral man to Godolphin to teach Cornish miners a better way of extracting tin, and in 1586 another German called Ulricke Frose was in charge of copper mining and smelting operations at Perranporth. At the latter place it was suggested by one of the "venturers" that a competition should be held between the German and Cornish workmen to try their respective merits. As feelings on both sides ran high, such a contest is likely to have ended in a set to with "shovel-hilts." In later centuries Germans were still occasionally employed in Cornish mines, one of the most famous being Rudolph Raspe, the narrator of Baron Munchuusen's Travels, who was assayer and storekeeper at Dolcoath between 1782­ - 1788.

In addition to the miners and streamers, there were nearly as many subsidiary trades connected with the tin industry in these early days as there are at present. Foremost amongst these were the Blowers or Smelters of tin. Though tin is still largely smelted in Cornwall, the use of the reverbatory furnace has done away' with the service of the blowers, and only the word "Blowing House" as a place-name reminds us of this once important occupation.

Down to 1700, however, all tin ore had 'to be carried to a blowing house. Here it was laid out with its proper flux on great moorstone hearths, and by the action of charcoal fanned to an intense heat by bellows worked with a waterwheel, was fused to a metallic state. Smelting under these conditions required great skill on the part of those who superintended it, but Beare says that the Blowers of his day were so skilful that one of them, on merely entering a blowing house, could tell by the sound of the bellows if there was any fault in its construction, or how the tin in process of smelting would turn out.

The use of charcoal for firing produced another class of men whose business it was to cut and burn the wood for this purpose and who afterwards peddled it from blowing house to blowing house in their packs. It was largely this use of charcoal for smelting which caused West Cornwall from Elizabethan times onwards, to be almost entirely denuded of trees.

The amount of carrying connected with the mines was formerly very great. Apart from the question of materials and supplies, the tin itself had frequently to be brought first from the mine to a place where sufficient water power could be got for stamping it, thence to the blowing house, thence again to one of the coinage towns where the tax or duty had to be paid, and finally, after coinage, to the ports where the tin ships were waiting to carry it to London

All this carrying was done, in districts where scarcely even roads existed, on the backs of mules, and the keeping of trains of these animals provided an occupation for many men. Almost within living memory an old man called Neddie Bennets kept 200 mules near Nancledrea, and I have talked with those who have seen a string of a hundred or more munching their hay outside Chyandour, Penzance, whilst their drivers went to dinner.

The fact that down to 1838 tin might only be sold at the Coinage Towns on two, or latterly four, occasions in the year meant that the poor tinner in earlier times was almost always forced to apply to the merchant for an advance of ready money to enable him to live in the mean time. Money was generally lent on the condition of so much tin being forthcoming at the next Coinage, and as the rate of loan was generally extortionate, the tinner's output was almost always overpledged. Hence the saying " poor as a tinner" was one drawn from bitter experience.

Poor as he was, however, and subject at all times to periods of great hardships, the early tinner was not always the loser in life. In return for the tax or coinage which he paid, he received many privileges. He paid no tithes, neither dues at fairs and markets. He had a Court of Laws and a stannary parliament of his own. He could not be summoned for military service save at the special command of the Lord Warden. Most important of all he had the right of freely entering all wastrel or unenclosed land and there searching and mining for tin from becoming a slave as the colliers of the North practically did. Nor did the tinner consider himself, as a whole, a very miserable or ill-used man. "As for his labour he has a kind of content therein," wrote Westcote in 1630, whilst a hundred years later Tonkin said that what with his numerous holidays, holiday eves, Tinner Feast days, Chewiddens, Maze Mondays and the like, he did not believe the Cornish miner worked more than half the month underground.

Living however was very rough according to modern standards. The cottages, in Carew's time, had no planchons or glass windows, no chimnies beyond a hole in the roof, their beds consisted only of straw and a blanket, and their furniture of a few pots and pans

The food they eat was chiefly fish, cheese, milk and sour curds, and was generally "much to the ill relishing of strangers."

Outdoors, men, women and children alike went about bare­legged and without shoes. Carew says that the old people of his day could rarely be brought to wear anything on their feet, complaining that it made them over hot. A hundred years later the " lappiors " and " buddle boys " might still be seen treading out the tin slimes with naked feet, in winter and summer alike.

The following notes, written by a Londoner visiting Cornwall in 1775, show the harsh impression which Cornish life made on him :‑

'This county in general has nothing to bespeak the good opinion of travelers. The West End of it must undoubtedly be very unhealthy, as being but a few miles across from the northern to the southern channel, by which means it is always subject to heavy, cloudy, rainy weather, so that those people whose business or calling oblige them to be much abroad, are almost continually wet to the skin and over shoes in dirt.

"The Natives indeed, through constant use, think little of this, but seem to be very happy when they can sit down to a furze blaze, wringing their shirts and pouring the mud and water out of their boots. But the common people here are very strange kind of beings, half savages at the best. Many thousands of them live entirely underground, where they burrow and breed like rabbits. They are rough as bears, selfish as swine, obstinate as mules, and hard as the native iron."

"Those of the very lowest sort live so wretchedly that our poor in the environs of London, would soon perish if reduced to their conditions. The labourers in general bring up their families with only potatoes or turnips, or leeks and pepper grass, rolled up in black barley crust, baked under the ashes, with now and then a little milk. Perhaps they do not taste a bit of flesh-meat in three months. Yet their children are healthy and strong, and look quite fresh and jolly,"

Dr. Pryce, of Redruth, whose book entitled Mineralogia Cornubiensis was written about this time, though not so troubled in mind by Cornish weather, cave-men and pasties, bears out this account of the hardness of the tinners' lives.

In his capacity as a" bal " surgeon he was often called upon to visit the home of some poor sufferer after an accident at the mine. Here he would find him, he says, lying in some wretched hut, " full of naked children, but destitute of all conveniences, and almost of all necessaries. The whole, indeed, such a scene of completed wretchedness and distress, as words have no power to describe."

That which caused most hardships in the miners work at this time was the labour of the hand pumps and the toil in climbing a thousand or fifteen hundred feet of perpendicular ladders after working in the hot levels below. Speaking of the hand pumps, Pryce wrote, " the men work at it naked excepting their loose trousers, and suffer much in their health and strength through the violence of their labour, which is so great that I have been witness to the loss of many lives by it.

This hardship was removed at last by the gradual substitution of steam power for human labour in drawing water, whilst in the deep mines ladders gave way to the man engine, and these in turn to the gigs and cages of today. The length of the underground "coors" which had increased from four hours in Carew's day to twelve hours by the beginning of the 18th century, was decreased again at the time when Pryce wrote to six or eight hours. The old long cores were generally abandoned, as it was realised that twelve hours was too much for any man to work without intermission underground. As long as they were customary, it was the habit of a "pare" of men on going underground to lie down and sleep out a candle, then rise up and work for two or three hours pretty briskly, after that "touch pipe " again for half an hour, and so play and sleep half their working time. It must have been in those quiet resting times when the men lay between sleeping and waking, and the levels were silent but for the dripping of the water in the ends, that the voices were heard underground which we rarely hear of now. For it was then that the spirits which formerly haunted many of the old mines (as "Dorcas" did Polbreen) spoke to the miners, warning them of a coming "seal of ground," or luring them on to risk their lives in the pursuit of phantom lodes.

Often the old miners believed that such spirits might be appeased by offerings left in the levels. Readers of Bottrell will remember the story of the miner Tommy Trevorrow, who believing such tales to be nonsense used regularly to eat up all his " croust," and laughed at the warnings of his comrades who told him to leave something for " Bucca," until one night when he was at work by himself he suddenly heard a voice saying,

Tommy Trevorrow, Tommy Trevorrow

We'll send thee bad luck to-morrow,

Thou old curmudgeon, to eat all thy fuggan,

And not leave a didjan for Bucca! "

Bad luck he had, too, for shortly afterwards there came a "seal of ground" and covered up all his best work, the labour of months.

Another story says that on Christmas Eve the Spriggans, Small People (or Pick and Gad Men as they are sometimes called) used to meet at the bottom of the deepest mines and there hold midnight mass. Those who have been underground on such occasions have heard melodious singing - "No well! No well ! the angels did say," whilst at the same time deep-toned organs shook the rocks.

Many other tales are related of the old mines of Cornwall. There were the dead hands seen holding candles in the shafts, the black dogs which haunted an old Woolf's engine at Wheal Vor, and the white hare which always appeared in a certain engine house on the same mine just before a fatal accident.

With the advent of the 19th century, improvements in the conditions of work did not come all at once. Ventilation underground was often extremely bad. In the United Mines near St. Day the temperature of the rocks rose to 115 Fahrenheit; and in some of the hot levels the men plunged into water over 92 degrees in order to cool themselves.

An old St. Just miner recently described to me how he once worked in a close place in a shallow level at Wheal Cunning, where there was a bunch of tin in an end far from the shaft. Even with a fan going all the time the candles would only burn right over on one side, and when the boy working the fan fell asleep, as he frequently did with the great heat, the candles went out immediately, and they had to stumble out of the level as best they could in the darkness.

Good pitches were thus often worked by the tributers under punishing" conditions. In addition many of the men walked six miles or more to and from the mine, and then had to climb a thousand or fifteen hundred feet of ladders at the beginning and end of each core. No wonder that the more reckless of them often leapt into a passing kibble as it came rattling and bumping up the shaft, and so saved themselves this added labour at the risk of their lives.

Nor were the wages earned by Cornish miners generally at all in proportion to their skill. Under the tribute system which was in general use in Cornish mines until 30 years ago the men got so many shillings for every pound's-worth of ore they raised. Their earnings thus varied with the richness of the lode. Sometimes they might get £50, in a month sometimes nothing at all. As an average, £3 a month was the wage on which many miners families now living were brought up.

In some mines a certain system was in force which actually did not allow the men to earn more than a certain sum per month, which was as unfair as it was short­sighted. Tributing, however, trained men to be expert miners as no other system ever could. A man had to " knaw tin " in the most literal sense, to make a living on tribute. Tributing, too, was a local system which was thoroughly understood by everyone concerned in the mines, masters and men alike. Everybody cheated the other a bit, but most of them knew where to stop. Many miners would not hesitate to "prill " their samples now and again, or to smoke over the rich parts of the lode with their candles if they thought they could get a pitch at a better rate by doing so. In the same way the "venturers" were always on the lookout for a chance to cut the rate of tribute. In the end a rough sort of justice was generally upheld, but tributing was doomed when strangers who knew not Cornish ways, began to take part in the management of the mines.

The skill and patience shown by the old men towards their own work was extraordinary. As a miner once said to me " the old men would go in anywhere after a bit of tin." The holes and crannies in almost every hill and cliff from the Tamar to the Land's End prove how true this statement was. So small are some of these little places that they seem at first sight scarcely big enough for a man to breathe or turn in, far less work, yet into them the old miners crept like bees after pollen, picking the tin out with crooks and pokers.

The patience shown by the miners in their work under­ground was equalled by the women and girls who worked the buddles and hand frames on the dressing floors "at grass." A generation ago it was a common sight to see women cleaning up the frames with bunches of fine feathers, that the smallest grains might not be lost.

It was the fact that many or them started life as " bal maidens" which gave to the Cornish miners' wives that had surprising knowledge of the men's conditions of work which the older ones still possess. Further, the old men took an intense interest and pride in their work, and delighted in talking it over with their families.

Bottrell tells how one old tinner of Lelant used to go home every evening and explain to his wife with the aid of diagrams drawn with a poker upon the "cravel," the nature of his day s work up to “ bal ” ; how he had sunk so many feet in the new winze, or driven so many fathoms along the course of ore, asking her how she would have shot the holes if she had been in his place, and scarce waiting for an answer before he explained how much better and more economically he had done it himself.

It was this intelligent interest in their work, whatever it might be, which enabled the old miners to be successful at many other things besides mining.

In their hours "out of core," many of them worked small wheelbarrow farms, or in seaboard districts like St. Ives and St. Just, held shares in a boat and went a-fishing. Often like a colonist in a new land the miner, at vast expense of time and labour, took in portions of the rough crofts and there built his own cottage with the first moorstone, cob and thatching material which he found to hand.

In these cottages of West Cornwall, many of which are now sinking into ruin and decay, were reared the fathers and grandfathers of many Cornish mining families who are now scattered throughout the globe.

The best of their descendants, however, have always remained true to their Cornish blood, and when they have made their pile have gladly returned to the old Duchy.

With the revival now taking place in Cornish mining it is to be hoped that before long many will once again find work, where they have long wished it - at home.

Amongst many ancient customs retained by the Cornish tinners down to the 19th century, a few clearly date back to the Roman Catholic England of before the Reformation. Mr.F.J. Stephens, of Reskadinnick, tells me that though they had long ceased to attach any religious significance to it, it was the habit of miners within living memory to place a little image of clay over the first set of timbers in the entrance to a level. Again, when a new level was begun a curious formula was uttered, beginning, " Send. for the merry curse and the priest," which our Recorder suggests may be a Cornish invocation to Camborne's patron

 sa i n t "S y n t Me r a y e s k, n y a' t h p y s...."  " S a i n t Meryasek, we pray thee," etc.

Other customs such as that of christening the " bob by breaking a bottle of whisky over it at the starting of a new mine, or of hanging up a bush of holly on the tackle of the headgear at Christmas time, are customs which have been continued almost to the present day.

Formerly a time of great jollification for all people in Cornwall was Midsummer. This, happening also to be the occasion of the Coinage, especially affected the Tinners, who would come to town en masse, and with money in their pockets, celebrate the evening with noisy festivities. Tar barrels used to be lighted in the streets and candles placed in the windows of the houses. This day was celebrated in the outlying mining districts until recent years. Early in the morning, a flag was hoisted on the top of the headgear, or else at the corner of the engine house, and those who were not working first core by day went up to the carns to beat the Midsummer holes. At twelve o'clock all work ceased, and the men came up from underground. Afterwards the holes which had been charged with gunpowder were fired off, and by the time night came on bonfires would be blazing on all the hills and beacons as far round as eye could reach.

Though such customs as these were practised within living memory, they belong as much to a past age of Cornish mining as do the old men who can still remember them. Modern machinery and the introduction of new mechanical terms has given birth to a new speech and a new race of men. Though one would not willingly believe that the modern Cornishman is a less skilful miner than his forefathers, it is a different kind of skill. And as the men are changed, so are the captains and managers. No longer does the old type of Cornish mining engineer exist, such as was represented through many generations in such families as the Vivians, the Teagues, Thomases, Leans, Whites, Henwoods, Michells, Harveys, and an infinite number of others.

Men of this type, who had been underground in almost every mine in Cornwall and who knew the districts like an open book, might be seen until recently in the streets of the mining towns, dressed in their high pole hats and frock coats of rusty black, the regular insignia of a Cornish mine manager. But now they are nearly all gone and their place has been taken by a race of specialists, machine men, geologists and electricians. May these in their turn carry on the great traditions of Cornish mining, and meet with successes no less memorable than those which have made Cornish mines and miners so famous in the past.

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CORNISH FAMILY MOTTOES.'

By R. MORTON NANCE

Some few of the families in Cornwall that can claim a right to a coat-of-arms, not content with more commonplace Latin or other mottoes, have chosen words in the Cornish language. Here, collected from various sources, will be found fourteen of them, probably completing their number.

The Carminow motto, the only very ancient one, dates from about 1300, when it was adopted as a protest against a famous heraldic judgement. In this a Scrope, a Grosvenor, and a Carminow were concerned, each of whom claimed as his own exclusive bearing azuve, a bead or - a blue shield with a band of gold. The last named, claiming that such had been the arms of Carminow since the days of King Arthur - and thus before the invention of heraldry - lost his case, but defiantly said, in Cornish, "A straw for whiddles! "Next to this for age is probably Godolphin, which, however, can hardly be older than the 16th century. Others may well be of the 17th century, but many more are no doubt effects of the printing in 1707 of Lhuyd's Archeaeologia Britannica, the Cornish grammar in which gave a short vogue to the disappearing language even among some who were, in spite of their Cornish names, many generations removed from anyone who had spoken it, and were obliged to go to such Cornish students as Gwavas or Tonkin for their mottoes, with results that are sometimes a little over artificial.

The use of Cornish mottoes by English-speakers may seem an affectation, but in Cornwall it is at least as natural as the use of Latin, and a great deal more interesting. It is in fact just in such ways that a memory of our old Celtic language can best be preserved. The mottoes, in themselves a little lesson in Cornish, are arranged here under family names in alphabetical order In many cases it seemed advisable to give a re-spelt version, according to modern practice; such re-spellings are put between brackets.[1]

BOLITHO. Re Deu (Re Dhew). By God. Re Dev, in which v is for u, is found in the Cornish play Origo Mundi, lines 1919 and 2274; elsewhere we find re Thew more commonly, now spelt as above

BOSCAWEN. Bosco Pascho Karenza Venza (Carensa - a-vensa . . . Love would. Carensa a-vensa, as Karendzhia vendzhia, appears elsewhere as part of a proverb. Bosco has been said, but doubtfully, to mean "cottage." Pascho is found as a spelling of the personal name Pascoe, but ch for c is rare in all but very ancient Cornish. Pascho, so spelt, is in the Cornish Passion Poem, stanza 229. It actually means " it was Easter." but may easily have been guessed by the motto-maker to bear some other meaning, and both doubtful words have been chosen apparently as puns on 'Boscaw(en).'

CARDEW. Bethoh Fyr,, ha heb Drok (Bedheugh Fur ha heb Drok.) Be ye Wise and without Evil. As a family motto this seems to be taken from Pryce's Archaeologia Cornu-Britannica, 1790, where it is given without any family name.

CARMINOW. Cala rag Whethlow. A straw for tales. Whethlow is the plural of whethel from which comes our still familiar word " whiddle "; it is mistranslated by Pryce. and a false version of the motto, Cala rag Gerda, "A straw for fame, " exists.

GLYNNE. Dre Weres agan Dew. By help of our God. An exact quotation from the Cornish play Origo Mundi, line 535, Dre Weres agan Dev (ny).

GODOLPHIN Frank ha Leal etto ge (Frank ha Lel ota jy.) Free and Loyal art thou. Here frank and lel are both from French. Ustick, spelling this motto Franc ha Leal e dho chee, wrongly makes it " Free and Loyal is to thee. "

GRYLLS. Hag y Matern ha y Pobel (Ha y Maghtern ha'y Bobel.) Both his King and his People.

GWAVAS. En Hav, perkou Gwav (En Hav perth Coy Gwav). In Summer remember Winter. A pun on "Gwav(as)." En haf peragoh Gwav, Borlase MS., is a mistaken version by Lhuyd, who was puzzled by perth coy, pronounced per' co', and meaning literally " Bear thou a memory (of)."

HARRIS OF HAYNE. Car Dew dyes Pubtra (Love thou God beyond All Things). Tonkin writes and translates this correctly ; Nicholas Boson, Nebbaz Gerriau, c 1665, makes it Car Dey res Pubtra, "The Great God giver of All Things," and Pryce has Car Dew reyz pub tra "The Love of God gives everything." The words are adapted from the Cornish Passion Poem, stanza 24, . . . neb a gar Du dres pub tra .... 'Had this been adopted by Cardew, the pun "Cardew over all things" would have been very neat. if a little boastful.

NOYE. Teg yw Hedhwch (Teg yu Hedhugh). Fair is Peace. This is spelt in an old Welsh fashion, but is presumably Cornish, the difference in pronunciation being here very slight.

POLWHELE. Karenza whelas Karenza (Carensa yu ow-whelas Carensa). Love seeketh love. A pun on "(Pol)whele." The literal meaning of yu ow-whelas is "is seeking."

TONKIN. Kens ol tra Tonkin, Ouna Dew Matern yn. (Kens ol, Tonkin, owneugh Dew en Maghtern). Before all, Tonkin, fear God in the King. 0l tra is not good Cornish, though pubtra would be, yn has been misplaced to make a rhyming couplet. This rhymes better in English as, "Tonkin, before all thing, Fear God in the King." Perhaps this came first, and the Cornish later.

TREMENHEERE. Thrugseryssough ne Deu a lVe (Na dhescresseugh Dew a lVev). Do not disbelieve God of Heaven. A quotation from the Cornish play Origo Mundi, line 1657, no thyscryssough Dev a Nef ; the long word has been a stumbling block, y being made rug ; and na and nef both become ne.

WILLYAMS OF CARNANTON. Meor Ras tha Dew (Mur Ras dho Dhew). Much thanks to God. Meor 'ras tha Dew is printed, as an expansion of the Cornish ejaculation, .Merastadu ! in Pryce's preface Archaeologia Britannica, 1790. There it is copied from a letter in which Tonkin, writing to Gwavas, quotes it from a previous letter by Gwavas, written in 1731, which still exists but as a motto it is due, no doubt, to Pryce's work.

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The Cornish Farmyard Song

Sung' by Mr.Jas.Thomas,Camborne. Set by R.J.Noa11

Note.For cock is substituted first "hen" and then "duck", "Goose", Turkey; in each successive verse. Each new name with a cry attached is added in turn at the head of the cumulative part, the duck saying "qacky-quack"; the goose "hicky-hack'; and the "turkey" picky-back so than the hen's "dolly-jack always remains next to the cock's 'Cock-a doodle-doo '; Other names may of course be added; at St. Ives the "gleany' went come-back, but the above are the traditional ones. Elsewhere horse, cow, pig, etc, are used with a similar rhyme, each making a more realistic cry, but this is not a song.

Verse

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TWO SHORT DIALECT YARNS

BY R. J. NOALL.

MY FEER-A-MOO SHINER.

I've got some purty recollections of Jinney, that's my old omman now, especially when we was courten. I remember when I fust had her far a shiner. Et was down to Feer-a-Moo : She had another maid weth her, a cussen, who dedn't live far from Sti'cs, but 1 dcdn't have no mind to she.

Jinney was a bray keenly maid; and I'd heerd that she was a bray study maid, and brave and handy in the house. She was one that dedn't go traapsen about a lot, like a passle of th' highty-tighty town's maidens do.

When I saw her in the feer. I said to myself, "I d like to put she home to-night; but which way can I manage et, weth that other old maid weth her. But what's th' good to be allus putten of et off—proscratchanation es the waaste of time, and I'll hit en ar miss en to-night. '

So I keep'd doddling about, tell I saw them laave th' feer. As soon as they'd left th' Green Court I whipped up to Hamlyn's stannen and I sed, " Plaase far a shellen bag of furrens ? " He said, " How will a habb'n maade up ? ' I said, "I arnmet no ways nice about et; lem'me see—I'll have six-pennard of gingerbread nuts, three-pennard of almond comforts, and three-pennard of macaroons, and you can thraw in ovver a few brandy-balls of you like." As soon as I had'nt, I. put th' bag inside of my jacket and buttoned en up, and stanked off atter them as fast as I cud.

I nearly ovvertook'd them when she'd raached her cussen's frunt door; but, I thought I'd wait a few minutes tell they said good night. So I went to set in the hedge. After waiten a bray bit, I beginned to git tired ; all scrumped up, sctten on my heels. I keep'd my ears abroad, and cud hear them taalken and laffen, and I said to myself, "I wish that old maid wud go in." The old brembles keep'd ticklen my face, and then a old grammersow crawled down my nuddick: I thought, " Good job aw wadn't a earwig, or a might have, crawled in my ear ! " At laast my leg goat so cramped that I had to stand up. " Drat et! " I said, "I wish that old cussen was gone to Van Daman's Land!" Then I quatted down again far a change, tell wan of my feet got that dead that I cudn't feel em. So I rawse up; but I cud'n stand 'pon em, and I had to stamp 'pon th ground a bit to git any feelen in em.

After a bit I sed, "I don't hear they taalken now. How's that en, I wonder ? I'll gone to creepy up closer, to see. - Darn et ! " I said, "I believe they're gone!"

'Pon that I stapped out, smart-like, upon the road ; but my old foot had gone to slaape, and I nearly went down whop ! I jest managed to saave myself; but I cud awnly hobble on like a laame duck far a bray way. Aw most maade me sweat, far I was afeerd I shudn't awvertake her. " Darn et," I sed, " I'm done again ! - I'm bewitched, that's what I am!" But after a bit I goat on better. When I passed her cussen's house there wadn't a sight nar sign of them nowheer. At last, I cud maake her out, on ahead—ar I hoped aw was she. And when I goat closer up - ayce, aw was she, all right. I knawd her by her little coxy­turben-hat. " Now," I sed, "I'll doddle on a bit, so as to git my wind," far I was purty well out of breath. But I found, when I slacken' d my raach, she slacken' d her raach, and when I beinn'd to waalk faster, she waalk'd faster. Laast, I said, " Drat my picters, I shall never ovvertaake she like this!" so I put on a regler spurt, and ovvertook'd her ; out of breath wess than ever. And my heart was so thumpen 'genst my side that I had a job to gasp out, " Goo'—good evenen, Je—JemimaJane ! " And she turned 'round, all surprised like, and said, "Good evenen, John­Thomas-Henry-James."

I said, " Purty evenen, edden aw?" and she said, "Ayce, aw es." I said " Goen home'long, area?" And she said, "Ayce. You goen home'long, are a?" And I said, "Ayce. I said, " Ben to feer, have a?" And she said, "Ayce. You ben to feer, have a?" And I said, "Ayce." I said, "You hab'nt goat a shiner, en, Jamima ? " And she said, "No; nar I doant want noan--theer now!" After I slipped et out, I cud see I'd put my foot in et, and wished I'd keep'd my tongue 'tween my teeth. Nar I ded'nt mane et the way she took et, nother, far I was thinken how plaized I was that she ded'nt have no shiner. And so as to cover et up, I said, " Braave and waarm, edd'nt aw?" And she said, " Rayther." Then I said, " E'z purty weather, though!" Upon that she says, " You said that before." I said, "I ded'nt know et en ; I awnly now thought 'pon et." She said, " Git's out, weth'a, you gaate chuckle-head, you're in love! "

"Well," I said, " P'raps I am, but et es a queer place to faal into, and I am most stagged ! I hope to git out obb'n soon­e'z th funniest place I've ever ben in, yo ! "

After a bit, she said, all in'cent-like, " Do a live by yourself still ? " I said " Ayce—" She said, " You ought to have somebody to look after a." I said, " P'raps so." Then she fatched to et—" Ef you had a nice person to look after a and cook a bit of maate far a; and laace up yer boots after a good Sunday's denner ; and comb yer heer, and put a nice bit of scented beer-oil in em, before ou went to church; and to brush yer cloaths a bit, you wed, be mutch better off, and you wed'nt have no feathers sticken to your back, then."

"Whaat! " I said, turning round, and clappen my hand to my back, "I hab'nt goat noane sticken theer, now, have I? " 'Pon that she said, smiling, " Git's out, you gaate booba !-_why-, thee'rt as green as a lick!

By this time my head was feelen all mizzy-mazy, and I most­nain wished I had'nt come ; and I wad'nt sorry when we raached her garden gaate. Theer she maade a bit of a stand. Semmen to me I can see her now standing so modest-like, looking down, as of she ded'nt quite knaw what to do.

I tried to say sumfen ; but I cud'nt find nawthen to say but—that ate- was a fine and purty evenen. 'Pun that she bust out laughen, and said, "Come; I must be gone in, too—Mawther will be wonderen wheer I've ben so long." Then she tooked off her glove, and gove me her hand to shake—.Ah ! Dear little hand ! I shaked hands and wished her good night; and as I turned to go, I catched sight of a strange and purty lil' smile from her eye, which somehow went home weth me all the way'. And when I goat home I found I'd forgoat to give her the ferrens. Now, as they was squabbed up quite a bit, I aate them for supper, myself; but I ded'nt find the nicy at all, and I staved the almond-comferts, think-en they would do for another time. And in think-en ovver what she'd said, while I was haven supper, I said, " Darn my picters, but I'll send she a bit of a note ! " So I fetched pen, ink and peaper, and I sot down, and this es what I w'raut her:-

My dear Jemima Jane,

I now set down to write you theuse few lines, hoping they will find you in good health, as they laave me at present. Ef you don't mind, so as to continny our conversation, I'll , mit you down in your lane on We'nsday evenen about a quarter after seben. And ef you're theev fust, you put two stones on the gaate poss, and ef Im theer fust, Ill scat then off.

Your humble Sarvant,

John Thomas Henry James.

Now I caal that a fitty letter ; I thought theer was sense in et. And in a short time I had a aanswer from she, and this es what she said :‑

Dear Mr. John Thomas Henry James,

Recaived your very welcome letter, and hope you are quite well, as it laaves me at present. Here are some nice lil verses which I have been reading, and I hope you will read and p'ruse them, and like them too; they are caal'd,

NA WTHEN, 'CEPT YOU!

Well, I'm sarten,

I hab'nt goat nawthen,

Hab'nt had nawthen,

Don't want nawthen­'Cept you.

I hab'nt seen nawbody,

Hab'nt had nawbody,

Hab'nt loved nawbody.

That's true.

And ef you'll love me,

I'll love you;

But of you want MONEY,

 I shzan't do,

'Cause, I habn't boat nawthen,

Never had nawthen,

Don't want nawthen­

'Cept YOU!

Then theer was a P.S. " Oh ! " I said, "I suppose I must mind my P's and Q's, now, en!

P.S.—I'll be down in the laane at haaf past seven o clock, on We'nsdav evenen.

Yours sincerely,

Jemima Jane.

Well,, I said, " tha's a braave and purty letter; no fullishness about that. And I'll mit her theer; or my name es not John Thomas Henry James."

Now what we said that night es nobody's business but our Owen. I was never a tongue-tabbas, nar given to a lot of flummery, but I mit her, and tha's how she become my old omman.

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THE SQUIRE'S GHOST. -

A TRADITIONAL LELANT TALE.

Aw, drat the cheldurn! Th young sculyacks ! They'm oallez so curyus, nar never satisfied. Time you'm told wan strop - afore you'm done spayken an' catched your wind—e'z, " Aw, Grammer, tell es nawther storay 'bout ghostes, plaise."

Lar, Jimmity ! what shall I tell a, now ? Plaise, sure, I'm most tackt. Tell'a 'bout that theer Squire's Ghost, must I? An' how I an' yer granfer an' yer Uncle Aby (short for Abraham) saw en weth our awn eyes! Tha's what you'm oallez hankeren atter­oallez daggen to knaw summat that edden good far'a.

Howsumever I ded say I'd tell'a oal 'bout et when you'm graved bigger; but aw was awnlv tawther day you axed me far th' same thing. Atter oal I mat as well tell'a fust as laast, an' I hope you'll larn, aich wan of'a, by th' 'speeryance aw do teach, an' never run the risk of braaken th' Sabbath, an' disturben th' sperrets of good men in their graaves as we ded.

Aw was on aw Saturday' night in venter; we had had a brave an' longish scat of fine hurlen weather, an' now th' fine weather seemed most awver, an' the nice bit of scat we'd had braaken up. I an' yer granfer an' yer uncle had jest come homelon ; from Sties. Theer we'd ben t' feer ; things wodden slack down theer then, an' Neer Mo in thuse days was keep'd up sure 'nuff. Now et ez aw brave stank from down long to Sties home here, an' when I went to git aw dish of tay far es, I fount we'd no turves in now I'd towld favther toe cut them, days afore, but aw'd oallez keep'd footchen et off, an' here we was, an' ded'n have aw dinyun of turf far Sunday.

I knaw I was feelen brave an tired weth stanken home-long from town, an slaapy as well, which must have maade me as tayzy as aw pig, far I started to jaw, an sed I'd have the turves fatched in theer an then.

Yer granfer grumbled 'bout et, an said, says he, "I'd rayther lev them 'lone tel Monday' now, Siney (short for Zenobia) ; far see, et ez most twelve a'clock by th' night, and getten on strong far Sunday mornen." " Drat th' Sunday mornen ! " say's I, oal reckless like ; "I'm most maazed weth th' toatlish ways of th' traade I've goat round may (me) plaise sure, I'm most bedoaled out of m' life by th' chuckle-heads. Et ez, ' Leb'm 'lone tel t'marraw ' and ' I'll do et drecklv,' an', now, eb'n Sunday ez brought in as aw barefaced excuse—nawthen moure nar less, says I, than aw barefaced excuse. Sunday am no Sunday, them theev turves shall be fatched in."

Yer uncle ded'n say nawthen, but sot on the firm, near th' ale (" hale," parlour) door, far avow was aw good chapel-goen man, and mostly had the sense t' keep his tongue 'tween his teeth when I an' yer grenfer had aw bit of a scat-off.

Yer granfer was brave'n niffed 'bout et ; an' risen up he lashed on ez billycock an' haaled on ez jumper (short loose jacket, made of blue, or white coarse duck;, an' said, says he, Theer's no sense nar raysen in th' skull of thee, nar nar'a awther woman when she's maazed; they'm toatlish oal of them, an' awnly fit far th' 'sylum—wilful, evil sperrets, an' theer's no rest nar paace tel you go an' do what they ax a too, whether e'z right ar wrong. Ayce !" Fatch in th' turves ! "—Et ez aysier t' talk than t' hacky Come 'z long, Aby. Thee's better come too, Siney, an. lev ex finish this lil job as quick as we can, an' git back agen."

Without more courant we sot off—three of ez. Fayther had th' bettox (sort of adze for cutting turves), an' yer uncle th' barrow; I cum'd too, toe plaase th' times, an' to pick up th' turves, an' see things was done fitty. I must say I ded'n feel 'zactly, atter oal, toe do what we was doen. Far we oal liked the' Old Squire, may his sperret rest in paace, as of he'd en a fayther to ez; an' he wed never agreeify far es to cut" burves in the hills

Th' Squire took'd gaate pride in th' hill—the semply worshipped th' hill. He had aw bueful carriage-road made toe th' tip-top of un, so aw maat ride up. theer when aw cudden ride 'pon ez hoss. Semmen t' me I can see now his honour, riden an' setten on ez hoss, looken round pon th' country from th' top ob'm. We ded'n care haaf so much far th' newsquire, who was caaled Jaames, f r all a war a son toe th old Squire, far th' new Squire ded'n care a farden (farthing) 'bout home-here ; he war swallowed up weth furren paarts, uplong. He wad'nt nawthen.

At laast we cum toe the green splat, an fayther pitched to cut. He'd hardly spawk nar turned tongue in his mouth sense we'd started, but was glumpen oal th' way. Brawther Aby sot down 'pon aw rock an' smawked his pipe. I sot down on th' barraw an haaled m' shawl in tight round m' cheens (small of the back) t' keep m' waarm, far m' teeth war knacken in m' head.

I do mind the night well. Theer was ah haaf of ah moon up in th' sky, like a soacer brawk in two. Et was lven on e'z back—aw sign of bad weather. An' it looked fine an' ghostly as et sahled in an' out of aw passel of gaate black clouds scatter' up one 'genst tother. Et was jest clemmen up aw bit of 'way ovver toe th' Bastard. Now et wud peep out, so cunnen like, from behind a gaate cloud, as of aw war obzarvan what we war doen on the sly; an' ez slanten rays wud shave up one side of things, in aw gashly awld way I ded'n haaf like, and then oal of a suddent aw gaate black cloud wud come rollen awver en, an', before we knaw'd et, we shud be left footchen in th' darkness agen.

I ded'n feel haaf fitty, an' goat toe wish we'd never cum'd. I was afeered of m soul et v as twelve aclock, an was most sarten aw was, by th' night. Oal we cud hear was th' hackerr of th' bettox. At laast fayther stopped toe have aw touch-pipe, an' said, says he, " Et ez atter twelve a'clock ; must be most­'nain wan, by th' night. I'm some an plaised we've jest done. Pick up th' turves that's cut theer, 'Sinew, 'tes th' dead hour of th night, now ; les go far'n, an git in as fast as we can. We shall finish now in a jiffy."

Nobody war more angshes then me to git in, far aw brave bit ago I'd feelt I'd raither we'd never cum'd ; and I was getten quaamish in m' innerds toe be out theer braaken th' Sabbath at that time of th' night--an' knaw'd a was oal my fawt. Brawther catched up th' barraw, an I grabbed into the turves. Jest then th' moon went behind a passle of gaate clouds agen an' we had t' footch round in th' dark as well as we cud.

Oh, how I wished we was in! Every scurryen rabbet made m’ blood boil. Th’ wind was risen, an th’  say  moaned an wailed awver Market Jew way, an th' dry griglans rustled on top of th' hedge, and the words of my old grammar keep'd ringen in m' ears " Theer's nar'a (not a) downs without a eve, nar vit a hedge without ears," an' et seemed t' me I cud picter th' sperret of th' old Squire lurken in the shaddahs an behind m' back, far unabaven his commaands, an' braaken th' Sabbath.

Oal of a suddant th' moon flipped out from behind the clouds, wheer she had ben heeden away' far thuse laast few minutes, an' shaw'd up the top of things as bright as day, while paarts of them looked as black as thunder. Every­thing seemed so wisht an gashly—th' rocks looked like head-stones, an the bushes like ghostes. Th' light seemed to scat up agen es so that anybody cud have seen es far aw mile off. I looked up, flustered like, far th' minute, an' m' eyes rested on th' top of 'Crobben Hill, which was tipped by light like selver, while oal the way up toe theer was black as mednight, an'—Lar a'massv, upon my sarten ! On the tip-top was the old Squire, a setten on his hoss, looken down upon es!

Lar, Jimmitv !—Ded'n I scraame ? "What ez et ?" says they, not obsarven what it was. " Marcy, save es! " saws I, "Why theer's th' old Squire,' up theer, looken down 'pon es!" When they saw en they was thunder-struck, an' stood gaazen far aw minute spaychless. Then I turned tail an flyed far m' life. Now fayther wodden wan of th' most fearsome of men, Yet aw bolted atter may (me) like aw shut out of aw gun. Brawther, who was oallez aw brave en quiet sort of aw man, an' raither 'stishus, was hurried more than any of es, far aw bolted off, barraw an' oal.

In racen in, I ded'n feel th' ground under me, 'cepts when faaled down awver aw bush of furze—wop!- headan'-heels. Fayther grabbed hold of me an' haaled m up afore I knaw'd et, an' we goat in weth no moure wind in our chestes than you cud knack down aw feather weth. We looked round far brawther; but aw war no wheer toe be seen. Fayther went toe the door, which had slammed abroad again, an' we harked, an', plaise sure, theer aw was, comen round th' tother side of the hill, with the old barraw rattlan and staven awver the rocks, liks th' bayten of the heads of aw fire-stomps. In hez fright ha'd bolted off in th' wrong d'reckshun, an' ha'd forgoat toe drop th' barraw ; nar aw ded'n leb'm out of hez hands tell aw cum'd in, racen awver the cawnse (paved court) like aw waggon and farty teem of horses, frightenen oal th' sparraws out from roosten under th' awvis (eaves), an' wheeled en stram into th kitchen, turves an' oal.

So tha's how we cum toe see th' SQUIRE'S GHOST, an how we brought turves home on a Sunda' mornen.

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A REDRUTH CHRISTMAS PLAY.

Communicated by Miss L. Eddy to Mr. A. K. Hamilton
Jenkin, a witness of its performance.

Enter Jack.

Jack. I open the door, I enter in;

I hope the game will soon begin.

I'll stir up the fire and make a light, And in this house will be a fight.

Enter King George.

King George Here comes I, King George;

King George is my name.

With the sword and thistle by my side

I'm sure to win the game.

Jack. You, sir?

K.G.    I, sir!

Jack. Take the sword, and try, sir!

[They fight; Jack falls.]

K.G. Now I've knocked him to the ground,

There's not a doctor to be found.

How much for a doctor?

A Dutch auction for a doctor takes place here. A player perhaps the Doctor himself, leaving out the obvious “Fifty pound,' that would complete King George’s last line , calls successively. 'Forty ?­ – Thirty? Twenty? “ To each which George answers, ' No! and then, 'Ten? 'to which he replies,

“Bring him in.”

Enter Doctor.

Doctor. Here comes I, old Doctor Brown; The best old doctor in the town.

K.G. Why became you the best old doctor?

Dr. By my travels.

K.C. Where did you travel?

Dr. England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, and back to old England again.

K.G. Cure Jack!

Dr. Here, Jack, take my medicine and rise.

[ He doctors Jack, who rises; all stand back.]

Enter Jacky Sweep.

Jacky Sweep Here comes I. old Jacky Sweep;

All the money I catch, I keep. [sings—

Lord Nelson, Lord Nelson, Lord Nelson I see;

With a bunch of blue ribbons tied up to his knee.

[Here the party sings a wassail song.

All:. Whe'er its silver or copper, I do not refuse ;

Put you hand in your pocket and give what you please,

For our warsale, warsale,

And jolly come to our jolly warsale.

If the missus is sleeping, I hope she will wake,

And go to the cupboard and cut up some cake,

For our . . .

'I here's the missus and master sitting down by the fire,

And we poor warsale boys are travelling a mile, With our ..

If the missus and master don't take amiss,

And send out their daughter to give us a kiss,

With our .. .

The roads are so dirty' ; our shoes are so thin

Oh, do give us something for singing so well

With our .. .

Finis.

NOTE.—This version of the Christmas Play, performed at Redruth within the last fifteen years, is remarkable as being far closer to versions from the North of England than to other West-Country versions. Thus "Jack's" opening speech is found in Derbyshire, "Doctor Brown" is a Northern name for this important character, "Jacky Sweep" uses lines given to " Devil Doubt" in Yorkshire, and Lord Nelson is a character in Northern " Pace Egg " plays, performed at Easter. The play, though very much cut down, keeps all the essentials:—A fight; a man slain and revived by the doctor, and comic relief to the tragedy in the "Jacky Sweep," with blackened face and broom. There are several curious substitutions, as—" sword and thistle," for "sword and buckler," "Scotland and Wales," for "France and Spain," and in the Wassail Song "give what you please," instead of "choose," and "Oh do give us something for singing so well" where one expects " We've got a little pocket to put a penny in."

R.M.N.

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A GUISE-DANCE PLAY, ST. KEVERNE.

Communicated by Capt. F. J Roskruge, RN, and written
after Mr. Wm. Mitchell's memory of performances
over seventy years ago.

Enter Father Christmas.

Father Christmas. Here comes I, old Father Christmas Welcome or welcome not;

I hope old Father Christmas

Will never be forgot.

I've not come to laugh nor jeer,

But I've come to taste your beer;

And if by chance your beer is done,

I'll have some Christmas cake or bun.

He raps his stick on the ground, saying—Come on, my children, come on!

Enter Turkish Knight.

Turkish Knight. Here comes I, the Turkish Knight,

Come from Turkish lands to fight;

First I fought in Ireland, then I fought in Spain,

Now I've come to England's land, to fight

King George again.

Enter King George.

King George. Here comes I, King George,

A man with courage bold; If your blood is hot,

I soon will make it cold.

[King George and Turkish Knight fight with swords, one falls.

FC Is there a doctor to be found,

To cure this deep and deathly wound ?

Enter Doctor.

Doctor. Yes, there is a doctor to be found,

To cure this deep and deathly wound.

[He steps forward, saying‑

I've got a little box in the west side of my breeches,

That goes by the name of Elecampane;

Drop a little on this poor man's lips,

And that will bring him to life again.

F C. What can you cure ?

Dr. The hesick, pesick, pox and gout,

If there are ninety-nine devils in,

I can drive them out.

Enter Little Man Jack, grotesquely dressed and carrying on his back the effigy of a woman,

Little Man Jack. Here comes I, Little Man Jack,

Carrying my wife upon my back .. .

[He throws his "wife" to the ground, and all sing and dance until offered food, drink, or money.

Finis

NOTE. This is a very cut down version of a West-country form of the Christmas Play. St. George again becomes “King George” but the Turkish Knight keeps his true name. There is some confusion in "Doctor's" part. He should have been asked, "What can you cure?" and have given his response (usually " If there are nineteen devils in, I can drive twenty out ") before showing the little bottle, " in the waistband of my breeches," and curing the slain man, which important detail is not here given. " Little Man Jack," too, has lost the family of dolls that shouid have accompanied his wife, and his lines have been forgotten. Both of these plays are quite characteristic of the versions that are found here and there all over the country, and like every other version, however fragmentary, they are useful in piecing together the original lines of the various complete versions. We should be very glad of other Cornish unprinted versions from those whose memories are stirred by the reading of these. R.M.N.

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A CORNISH CANTATA.

By DAVIES GILBERT

[Reprintedl from the Cornish Magazine, Falmouth, 1828

As Lap-yeor Tom from Ball-a-noon did hie,

He saw Shalal-a-shackets passing by:

With Jallow Clathing Lap-yeor's lembs were grac'd,

Shalal a Petticoat had round his waist ;

Tom ded rejoice, and as he walk' d along,

Sweet as a Jaypie--sung a Cornish song..

Vel-an-drukya. Cracka Cudna

Truzemenhall Chun Crowzanwhrah,

Banns Burnuhal Brane Bosfrancan,

Treeve Trewhidden Try Trembah.

Carn Kanidgiac Castle-Skudiac,

Beagle-Tuben Amalvear,

Amalibria Amel-whidden,

 Skilliwadden Trink Polpeor.

Pellatith Pellalla-wortha,

Buzza-vean Chyponds Boswase,

Venton-gimps Roskestal Rafra,

Hendra Grancan Treen Bostraze.

Treganebhris Embla Bridgia,

Menadarva Treveneage

Tregaminion Fougc Trevidgia

Gwarnick Trewey Reskajeage.

Luggans Vellan-vrane Treglisson,

Gear Noon-gumpus Helan-gove,

Carnequidden Brea Bojouean,

 Drym Chykembra Dowran Trove.:

Menagwithers Castle-Botha,

Carnon-greaze Trevespan-vean,

Praze-an-beeble bleu Trebarva,

Bone Trengwainton Lcthargwean.

Stable-hohba, Bal-as-whidden,

Tringy Trannack Try Trenear,

Fraddam Crowles Gwallan Crankan,

Drift, Bojerina Cayle Trebear.

Haltergantir C'arnaliezy,

Gumford Brunion Nancekeagc

Reen Trevasken Mevagizzy,

Killiow Carbns C'arn Tretheage.

Of these lines the old magazine says that when given the correct local pronunciation : "they cannot fail to affect a Cornish heart with that peculiar sort of pleasing melancholy which is excited by the portrait of a dear departed friend," and Davies Gilbert's intention in writing them seems to have been that of preserving in rhymed verse the sounds of the "clear departed" old Celtic Language as still traditionally used in place-names. In this he has been more successful than some of his imitators in more recent Years. His spellings are occasionally' questionable and his hyphens seem misplaced at times, but on the whole there is little difficulty in identifying the places and giving their names the correct Cornish pronunciation. To identify all, and, still more, to attempt to interpret their meanings, would be an interesting task, but if this is to be done it must be in a later issue of Old Cornwall. Sung to a Welsh penillion air, these verses have a truly Celtic ring, and should make a welcome feature at Cornish concerts.

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NOTES.

WORD COLLECTING.

Most Old Cornwall members are alive to the importance of collecting the words that are in use in Cornwall, and not generally current elsewhere. Some hints as to how these may best be written down, may induce more to begin their own lists of these words; for one often hears the objection made, "I don't know how it ought to be spelt," and words are often reported in a very incomplete way, that makes them of less value than they should be. Block capitals should always be used, so that there may be no doubt as to a letter.

Of course there is no one correct way of spelling words that are not to be found in dictionaries, and as good a plan as any is-to spell the word, in more than one way if possible, with the letters used to represent the sounds in the ordinary English words that seem to sound most like it.

There are systems of spelling, of course, that are better than this, but unfortunately they are all too difficult for the amateur collector. To take a word that is familiar—' cloam'—one might spell this 'clome,' 'cloam,' 'clomb,' to rhyme with 'home; 'foam,' or 'comb,' and the sound is thus well fixed.

Another important thing, after the sounds are spelt, is to get the accent right. This may be done by putting a stroke over the strongest vowel as ' lúbbercock,' ' bulórn,' or perhaps better still by putting a dot after the vowel ' lu-bbercock,' ' bulo-rn.' Celtic Cornish words tend to have one strong vowel only, the others being given a sound like u in 'bun'; where the weak vowels have this sound they may be represented by an apostrophe only, as, in spelling the Cornish name (Mousehole) for an earthworm, 'b'lug'n.' This of course would need also to be spelt out in block capitals, so it would appear as BULOO-GEN as well (St. Just has it as'buli•gan'; the Cornish u was between these two sounds).

When the name is thus spelt, preferably in more than one way, the place where it is used should be written, in brackets, unless the whole list is from one place ; and then comes the definition, with if possible a short sentence showing how the word is used, especially if it should he a verb or an adjective

SOME CORNISH SHIBBOLETHS.

Floating about in Cornwall are some curious sayings or sentences in which as many local words as possible have been crammed together. There are always many variants of these; and naturally enough, since they are passed on from one person to another, continually losing or gaining something in the process. Two short ones are known to almost everyone :—' Ded 'ee ever see a mollard clunk a gay.' ' Did you ever see a drake swallow a sherd of china-ware. Some times the mollard is ' down in a cundard' and 'clunking gays, shards, and hellins.

'There's a muryan on thy nuddick' is another equally well-known.—' There's an ant on the back of thy neck.' Such sentences are often used as tests of the Cornishness of anyone claiming to belong to our ancient race, and though they are mainly dialect English, 'clunk' and 'muryan' at least belong to our old Celtic language. Here is a longer one :-'

There was a man putting hellin-stones pon the paint-'ouse out in the bully-court, and he fall'd down on to the caunse and scat his nuddick so he caan't clunky.'

'There was a man putting slates on the pent-house out in the pebbled court yard, and he fell down on to the paving and hit the back of his' neck so that he can't swallow.'

There are, I daresay, a dozen versions of this, most of them shorter than the above; but still longer is one called 'The Cloam Man,' which is almost a story.—'

As I was going uplong t'other day, I seed a cloam-man with a flasket o' cloam 'pon a's head. A knacked a's foot 'gin the durns o' the dooer; faalled down on the caunse; tored a's flasket en lembs ; scat a's cloam all to sherds, and put a's nuddick out of truckle, so's he cudn' clunky. Up comes a's missus en sane stroath. —' Lor'-a-miny ! ' sez she 'Here's our Jan, down en a quaame! Edn' a. fine an' wisht, you?'

Here we have no more Celtic words than in the shorter version, unless ' stroath ' is one; but a saying, variously reported, though in words always much as follows, is quoted as having been given as evidence by a

Sennen fisherman at a Board of Trade Shipwreck inquiry held

in London, and this gives us two more:—

'Well, gintlemen, you've broft me all the way heere uplong for to tell 'ee what I do knaw 'bout this 'eere wreck ! All I can tell 'ee es, the shep come en pun the Cowloe, an' scat all to scubmow, an' the browjans was all about the cove an' washin' up on our caunse!' Scat to scubmow, 'broken to chips,' and 'browjans, bits, are very near to Cornish.scatties dho scubmow and browjion, and might stand more chance of being understood in Brittany than in London. This last is reported as a genuine speech, and is a very likely one from such a man on such a subject ; the others, too, are probably merely improved versions of something once actually heard. The temptation to put in another word to increase the ' local colour' is difficult to resist, and many readers will be annoyed, perhaps, to find that their own, the 'only correct ' versions of these sayings are not given. They should report these to the recorders of their own O.C.S., together with any other such randigals as they may have heard_

R.M.N.

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THE WORD "LETTERPOOCH.

This quaintly sounding word is quite a characteristic Cornish one by usage, but like most of our dialect words it is a form of an old English one. Its history is as odd as its sound. In Cornwall we use it of a clumsy, lazy, or slovenly person, sometimes in the form slawterpooch,' and this is its use in Devon, too, though there it is perhaps less common ; but this is taken from an old step-dance, that was called ' Letterpooch ' in the West of England and ' Leather-te-patch,' ' Ledderdy-spatch,' and such games in the North. A feature in this dance was a rattling of the heels on the floor, and in old books of the 17th century we find what was evidently the same dance called 'clutter de pouch ' and 'clapper de pouch.' Now, ' clapper de pouch' in the North is still used, but with quite another meaning, being the name of what is generally called 'Shepherd's purse' ; a familiar little weed that has seed-vessels very much like an old-fashioned wallet or purse—the ripe seeds representing the coin ; and this brings us closer to the first meaning of the word.

Beggars in ancient times used to carry about an alms-dish' or 'clack-dish'; either a wooden receptacle or a leather pouch or wallet, but in either case provided with a lid that could be clattered on its hinges by the beggar to attract the attention of passers by. This had many names, all implying its noisy nature; clap-dish and -clatter-wallet' were among these, as well as clack-dish, and it seems fairly obvious that 'clapper-dy-pouch,' and "clatter-pouch' were others, with 'pouch' for ' dish' or ' wallet.' From their alms-collecting implement beggars, too, were called by the similar names 'clatter-wood' and 'clapper-dudgeon,'' dudgeon' being an old name for a fine-grained wood.

The ' clatter-pouch' itself once gone out of use and forgotten, the clattering dance named after it suffered a change of name, so that in it 'pouch,' as 'pooch,' or ' patch,' became joined elsewhere to such words as 'leather,' litter,' 'slattern,' etc., and in Cornwall and Devon to ' letter.' Then, the dance forgotten, a person with a stack gait, who slapped his heels on the ground in walking, became a 'letter-pooch.' The history of many of our words is strange, but few have changed more.

R.M.N.

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THE CORNISH LANGUAGE IN AMERICA, 1710.

Amongst the Gwavas MSS. at the British Museum is a version in Cornish of the Apostles Creed--Kredzhans an Ebestel en Tavaz Kernuak, which has the additional interest that it was evidently written out to be sent, as a specimen of the language, to some persons or group of persons in America. Gwavas kept copies of such things and it is very possible that the original may yet be found preserved in the United States. Here is the inscription on the reverse which tells us why it was written.

THE APOSTLES CREED IN YE BRITISH, OR CORNISH LANGUAGE.

An [Why erased] poble hui, en pow America, uncuth dho nei, huel deskaz dho gurria an Deu. guir an nev h'an doar Neb g'ryk an Houl, an Lur, ha an Steren Rag porth an Tiz war an Tir, ha g 'ryk kynifara tra en Dallath ha Eu Deu„ olghalluzek dres of an Beyz.

Bounaz hep Diueth

Amen

En Blethan a'n Den.

Arlueth nei, 1710.       W. GWAVAS,

a an Tempel Krez en Loundres

Ere Pow an Brethon.

The Cornish, a mixture of Lhuyd's and older ways of writing it, is not faultless, but the meaning is clear :-

" You people in the land of America. unknown to us, you [have] learnt to worship the true God of the heaven and the earth, Who made the sun, the moon, and the star[s] for the aid of the people on the earth, and made everything in the beginning and is God almighty over all the world.

Life without end.

Amen.

W. GWAVAS.

In the year of the God

our Lord[sicl, 1710

From the Middle Temple in London

in the land of the Britons. R.M.N.

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A Hurling-ball Inscription of 1705 inCornish.

The following Cornish hurling-ball inscription is of unusual length ; the ball that bore it has disappeared, but the inscription itself is in the Gwavas MSS. (B.M., Add. MSS. 28, 554f. 137). It was composed by Thomas Boson, son of Nicholas Boson, the author of Nebbaz Gerriau, in 1705, before the publication of Lhuyd's Archaeologia Britannica had encouraged the artificial writing of Cornish, and is thus the genuine language as used in ordinary speech at that date:

An pelle .Arrance ma ve resse,

gen mere Hurleyey [2], Creve ha brosse

Do Wella Gwavas an Deane gentle [3]

an Kensa journa a messe Heddra an Centle

en Plew Paule, in Cernow Teage

an Blooth Creste an Arleuth whege

Meele Sith Cans ha hanter Deege

The translation is given as:-

" This silver bale was given

Wthh many Hurlers Stronge & greet,

To William Gwavas gent.

the first day of September was the times [4]

in the Parish of Paule [5] in Cornwall faire

 in the yeare of Our Sweete Lord Christe

a thousand seven hundred & the half of ten (viz) five,"

and Gwavas adds, " Inscription in Cornish for my ball, per Tho.Boson."

Re-spelt, as one now writes Cornish, minus accents, it would read :—

An pel arghans-ma a-ve res,

Gans mur a hurleyorion. crev ha bras,

Dho Wella Gwavas, an den jentel,

An kensa journa mys Hedra, e'n. Kentel

En Plew Paul. en. Kernow teg,

En, bloth Crest. an Arluth wheg,

Myl,  seith. cans. ha, hanter- deg

R.M.N.

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REPORTS.

FEDERATION OF OLD CORNWALL SOCIETIES.

The Federation Committee, formed last year, and giving representation to each society, has drawn up a set of Rules and Recommendations for the guidance of Old Cornwall Societies, which while remaining independent in minor matters all desire to work together in harmony in furthering the Old Cornwall ideal.

The idea of publishing a journal in which to preserve the best material collected had long been debated by societies individually, but the formation of the Federation seemed a step necessary for the fulfilment of their hopes, and the present issue is directly due to this.

Another object, which has long been in view, and may be realized through the same means, is the establishment in Cornwall of something akin to the Welsh National Eisteddfod. The existence here already of a well-established Musical Festival and Competition, would make it necessary that our Asedhvos, to give it a Cornish name, should concentrate rather on the literary side, but something in which an appeal would be made to the best side of local patrotism in the mass should exist here as it has existed in Wales.

The Federation forms a means of keeping its component societies in touch not only with one another, but also with all other Cornish societies throughout the world, and, through the Celtic Congress, with all other Celtic societies, most of which are like ourselves striving to preserve the national traditions of a Celtic people.

President. Henry Jenner, M.A., F.S.A.

Vice- President, Rev. J. Sims-Carah.

Hon. See, A. K. Hamilton Jenkin, B.A., B.Litt. (St. Ives).

Recorder, R. Morton Nance (Chylason, Carbis Bay).

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ST. IVES.

This was the pioneer Old Cornwall Society, and has been in existence since the spring of 1920. It has now for some time had its own picturesque old room, in which a Cornish library and an Old Coriiwall museum are gradually being got together. Besides lectures and papers from members of this and other societies, given monthy through the winter, a monthly fireside chat on dialect words, dialect writings, or folk-lore, has been held, and a small Cornish Language Class has worked with assistance from Mr. Nance. Occasional public lectures and dialect plays have been organized with the Society's help.

Pilgrimages have been made in the summer to many places of interest, and last winter a Christmas Play and a programme of Folk Songs and Carols were given at Hayle and Towednack as well as at the Old Cornwall Room. Many members are active collectors of dialect words, traditions, or folk-lore, and a most useful piece of work is now being done by those who have volunteered to make a fair copy of the sometimes very illegible old parish registers. Several members have lectured to other Old Cornwall Societies, and a campaign to interest the villages round in Old Cornwall subjects is to be undertaken next winter.

St. Ives from the first has known that in " Old Cornwall " it has got hold of a good thing, and is eager to share it with Cornishmen everywhere. The hearthside spirit of its meetings is perhaps its strongest feature. Bedhengh why lowenak, " Be ye merry," has been adopted as a sort of password amongst its members.

President, Henry Jenner, M.A., F. S.A.

Vice-Presidents, R. J. Noall, R. Morton Nance.

Hon. Treasurer, A. Williams.

Hon. Sec., Mrs. A. Pool (Woodside, St. Ives).

 Recorder, R. Morton Nance

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TRURO

The Society was formed on June 9th, 1922. Interest in its meetings is maintained and its membership steadily increases Pilgrimages are made to places of historical interest during the summer months and are found a valuable social and educational feature. A collection of objects connected with Old Cornwall " is being formed.

Lectures have been given on various Cornish subjects by Mr. A. A. Clinnick, whose " Notable Events in the History of Truro," has been adopted by the Cornwall Education Committee for use in the elementary schools of the district. Some of these were illustrated by lantern slides. Mr. T. H. Rogers has also given several lantern and other lectures, and furthers the interest of "Old Cornwall" by his contributions to newspapers and magazine. Lectures have been given by Mr. A. M. Bluett, Mr. H. Pascoe, and Mr. J. N. Rosewarne, all of whom have taken up special Cornish subjects of study. All these lectures are available for other societies, and several have already been repeated elsewhere.

President, A. A. Clinnick.

Hon. Sec., T. H. Rogers (Western Lodge, Treliske, Truro)

Recorder. None yet appointed.

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REDRUTH

The Society held its first meeting on August 9th, 1922. It meets on the first Monday of each month during the winter, at the Free Library, Clinton Road, and has a membership of about 50. Interesting lectures have been given, and much valuable information has been collected by the Society's Recorder.

During the summer, Pilgrimages are made to places of interest, either separately or in combination with other Old Cornwall Societies.

The Society has acquired about too lantern slides of 'Old Redruth," many of which were used to illustrate a lecture given by the late Mr. T. C. Peter in 1909. The loan of these is offered to other Old Cornwall Societies

A notable event was the performance, on June 12th, 1924, of an adapted English version of the Cornish Miracle Play Beunans Meriasek. This, though not actually the work of the Society, was due to the Celtic enthusiasm of the Rev. G. H. Doble, one of its members.

President, A. Pearce Jenkin.

Vice-Presidents, Miss E. E. Simmons, F. F. Beringer.

Hon. Treasurer, W. K. Wilton.

Hon. Sec., W. T. Martin (11, Trefusis Road).

Recorder, Miss M. Smith.

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HAYLE.

The Society was founded on February 10th, 1923, and now has about 90 members. From October to May it holds evening meetings at the Passmore Edwards Institute, at which papers are read and discussions take place. During the summer it organises Old Cornwall Pilgrimages to places of interest. Papers have been read by Mr. H. Jenner, Mr. C. Crowle, Mr. T. J. Porter, and Mr. J. Acutt, dealing with prehistoric urn burials, Roman, Celtic, and 18th-century Cornwall, and the history of locks; and several of the most interesting places in the neigbourhood have been visited.

The Society has several times taken advantage of offers of lectures from members of other societies, and has taken an active interest in the joint meetings that have been arranged, acting as host to all "Old Cornwall " on the last such occasion.

President, Henry Jenner, M.A., F.S.A. Hon.

Treasurer, H. J. Porter.

Hon. Sec., H. W. Turner.

Recorder. None yet appointed.

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CAMBORNE.

The Society has now been in existence for about two years, and has amply justified its inception.

Much original matter has been brought to light respecting the old manors of the district and their inhabitants; ancient carols have been recorded and folk-lore of a valuable nature has been collected and preserved, whilst some important work has been done in connection with old Cornish crosses and stones.

The Society is fortunate in having several members who speak authoritatively on these and kindred subjects, and up to the present the drawing up of a syllabus of papers on Cornish subjects has presented little difficulty.

There are about 100 members, and their number is steadily growing.

President, F. G. Stephens, F.R.G.S.

Chairman. Rev. J. Sims Carah.

Hon. Treasurer, Mrs. Savage.

Hon. Sec., T. Leonard Fiddick (Moseley, Bassett St.)

Recorder. None yet appointed.

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HELSTON

The Society was founded on the 17th of November, 1924, and already has a membership of 40.

Several meetings have been held and interesting lectures have been given by Mr. F. H. Cunnack, Mr. C. G. Henderson, and Mr. W. J. Winn.

As a result of Mr. Henderson's lecture, at which, by kind permission of the Mayor and Town Clerk. the Borough Charters were shown, the society is hoping that the Town Council will take steps to have the charters copied, many of them proving to be in a sadly decayed condition.

The Recorder is making a special study of the pedigrees of local families. This will result in a valuable contribution to local history, making a vital link with the past.

The Society is indebted to Mr. A. H. Hawke not only for granting to it the free use of his studio for its meetings, but also for the work which, in company with the Secretary, he is doing to arouse interest in local history and antiquities, through the medium of lantern lectures given in neighbouring towns and villages.

President, Col. Sir Courtenay Vyvyan, Bart., C.B., C.M.G.

Vice-President, F. H. Cunnack, J.P.

Hon. Sec., A. S. Oates (9, Church Street).

Recorder, J. Percival Rogers.

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MADRON.

The Society started in September, 1924, since when meetings have been held on the last Monday in each month. It now has about 40 members, and that great interest is being taken in its work is shown by the increased membership each month. Though the Society as a body has not yet undertaken any special study, Mr. Cooper and Mr. Le Grice are both interested in place-names. Canon Jennings has read amongst other things a paper on " Piskeys," and some notes on churchwardens' accounts. Local folk-lore is being collected, notably that dealing with piskeys and with charmers, of whom three have been known to practice their skill within the last half-century.

President, C. H. Le Grice.

Vice-President, Rev. Canon Jennings.

Hon. Sec., H. Dixon (Bcllair Road, Madron)

 Recorder, J W. Reed.

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ST. JUST.

A Society was formed in August, 1923, but no meetings have yet taken place, owing chiefly to difficulties in finding officers. The inaction of St. Just is the more to be regretted since it is one of the best districts in Cornwall for the collection of " Old Cornwall " material, and the Federation Committee hopes that life may be roused in it before long—[Edl.

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SYMPATHISERS AND SUPPORTERS.

The Old Cornwall movement has received help and benedictions from several old-established Cornish societies, and rebuffs from none. The London Cornish Association, which has amongst its objects the fostering of an interest in the History, Literature, Antiquities, and Social Conditions of Cornwall, has in its Literary Committee the nearest approach to an Old Cornwall Society to be found in London, and Cornish exiles interested in our work should write to the secretary of that committee, Mr. Trclawny Roberts, 21, Canon St., E.C.4., who is himself thoroughly imbued with the Old Cornwall spirit.

In Cornwall the Royal Institution of Cornwall has given us its aid in many ways, and is now co-operating with us in a scheme for the collecting and storing of ancient documents. The Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society is also in full sympathy with our ideals. The Penzance Natural History and Antiquarian Society, a long-established one that for many years has done work akin to ours, but has lapsed into quiescence, will probably be revived shortly on lines even more closely resembling our own, and affiliate to the Federation.

Besides such welcome support from the Cornish societies, we have had much encouragement from the newspapers that circulate most widely in Cornwall, whose reports have unfailingly approved of all that we do or dream of, and whose editorials have done much to spread our ideas.

We have also received much help and encouragement from individual Cornishmen, most of them exiles in towns where no Cornish Association exists, or at the ends of the earth, but whose patriotism is as keen as ever, and whose letters are most heartening. One such, from an ardent Cornish Association promoter in Australia, seems especially worthy of print :

June 10th, 1924. CLARE. SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

To THE SECRETARY, FED. O. C. SOCIETIES.

0-0

Dear Sir,

I had a West Briton sent me this week from Cornwall and noticed a paragraph about your new Federation.

I am so glad to know of such a society and I hope and trust that it may grow and flourish ; as a Cornishman, 12,000 miles or more away from the dear old land I love so well, I send you hearty Cornish-Australian greetings. Please convey to all members my sincere wishes for a great International Cornish and Westcountry Association

I came out about three years ago and I have never regretted the step, and can say that Australia's need is for more Cornishmen. We could take 1,000 men of the right type right away. "There is room," as the old song says, " for millions more " Our new Labour Premier The Hon. John Gunn, is a firm believer in Cornishmen as settlers, his secretary is a Cornishman (Mr. Harry Kneebone, and I am sure he would favour the flow of his countrymen hither.

Our three-daily paper editors in Adelaide are Cornishmen: Sir J. Langdon Bonython. edits the Advertiser, Sir William Snowden edits the Register and the Journal—an evening paper.

Mr. Harry Kneebone, M.P., is the Chairman of the Labour Party and edits the Daily Herald. I am sending you interesting particulars of the Cornish Association.

We have a branch in Adelaide 400 strong—and by my efforts I have been successful in forming a branch at Clare, 90 miles from the city (Adelaide), a country town of about 1,000 inhabitants—about the size of Lostwithiel —membership 60 to 100.

We shal be pleased to get into touch with your society, and any books, rules, papers, etc., which you have at your disposal we should only be too glad to distribute.

My desire is that such branches of the Cornish Association should be formed in all parts of the Empire and World, and that an International Headquarters should be formed at, say, Truro—being the capital with a paid General Secretary. I will send you a copy of our rules further on.

Trusting to hear from you soon. I am, yours fraternally,

OLIVER J. CASTINE.

Mr. Castine's desires and hopes are no narrow ones, but the time reall%- does seem to he approaching when they may be realized. The Cornish A'sociations are coming together more and more, and the Cornish sense of nationality is becoming articulate, at home and abroad.

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[1] Note: The modern spelling is that of Mr. Jenner's Handbook. It will be noticed that sometimes an initial letter has been changed, as Deu to Dhew, pobel to bobel. This " initial mutation " is a feature of Celtic languages that was sometimes neglected by the motto-makers. Other points, such as dh; for soft th, are mere modern improvements in representing the sounds: letters that though not sounded are part of a word, as gh in maghtern, are here restored.

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[2] 'The y is possibly for rs

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[3] .The Breton form for "gentleman" is also, denjentl. The plural is found in " Wheal 'tis Gentle," St. Agnes, where " 'tis gentle is for tus_. Jentel. Breton tudjentl, gentlemen.

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[4] 'The Cornish means at the gathering," not " was the time."

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[5] The Cornish custom of putting plew before the name of a saint is the reason of the frequent absence of " St." before the present name of the parish. " Paul Parish " in English became "Paul" alone not " St. Paul." Plew list " however, has become " St Just," and the rule does not alwa^ys hold.

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