Tag Archives: cornwall

The Spanish in Cornwall and a nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte

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THE DEFEAT OF the Spanish Armada in 1588 did not put an end to Spanish attempts to invade Britain or to terminate the reign of the Protestant Queen Elizabeth I. In summer 1593, the Spanish commander Carlos de Amésquita set sail from Brittany, and headed towards the British coast. His fleet sailed towards Cornwall because the Spanish believed that the Cornish might be likely to give up Protestantism and embrace Roman Catholicism.

In late July 1595, the Spanish fleet bombarded the tiny port of Mousehole. They burned and/or reduced to rubble almost every house in the place, and then departed. The inhabitants of the town fled for their lives.

Today, the 3rd of July 2024, we visited the picturesque village of Mousehole, and came across a house named ‘Keigwin’. It has a wing that projects into the lane, and is supported by stone pillars. A plaque attached to it explains:

“Squire Jenkyn Keigwin was killed here 23rd July 1595 defending this house against the Spaniards.”

His house, which was built by the 16th century, is the only building that survived the Spanish attack on Mousehole. Jenkyn Keigwin (1531-1595) was the publican who owned the Keigwin Arms pub in Mousehole. The house that survived the Spanish attack was part of a manor house.

A few yards away from Keigwin, there is a newer, smaller house, on which we spotted another interesting plaque. It reads:

“Here lived Dolly Pentreath. One of the last speakers of the Cornish language as her native tongue, Died 1777”

Dolly was born in Mousehole, and baptised in 1692. She made a living selling fish. The lawyer and antiquarian Daines Barrington came across her when he was searching for native speakers of Cornish in 1768, and later published an account of her in his learned paper about the extinction of the Cornish language. In about 1777, the Cornish-born artist, John Opie (he became a professor at London’s Royal Academy) painted her portrait.

Dolly was buried in the churchyard at Paul (close to Mousehole). In 1860, the French philologist Louis Lucien Bonaparte (1813-1891), a nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte, set up a monument to honour Dolly. I have only seen a photograph of this. The inscription on it reads:

“Here lieth interred Dorothy Pentreath who died in 1777, said to have been the last person who conversed in the ancient Cornish, the peculiar language of this country from the earliest records till it expired in the eighteenth century, in this Parish of Saint Paul. This stone is erected by the Prince Louis Bonaparte in Union with the Revd John Garret Vicar of St Paul, June 1860. Honour thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. Exod. xx. 12. Gwra pethi de taz ha de mam: mal de Dythiow bethenz hyr war an tyr neb an arleth de dew ryes dees. Exod. xx. 12”

The last few words being in Cornish. I first came across Louis Bonaparte when I met Bejtullah Destani, a diplomat and scholar who researches Albanian history. When he found out that I was researching a book about the Albanian communities which have been in Sicily since the 15th century, he gave me a copy of “Albanian Dialects”, which is a collection of studies of Albanian dialects written in English by Louis Bonaparte. Although his main philological interest was the Basque language, he was also interested in Celtic languages (of which Cornish is one), as well as the dialects of Sardinia and mainland Italy. His book on Albanian dialects is mainly concerned with the numerous Albanian speaking communities in southern Italy.

Mousehole was attacked by the Spanish, but, fortunately, not by Louis Lucien Bonaparte’s uncle. However, while looking around this beautiful place today, we saw the plaque commemorating Dolly Pentreath. Only after leaving the village, I learned of its slightly tenuous connection with the Bonaparte family.

The artist Mark Rothko in Cornwall

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MANY PEOPLE MEDITATE profoundly in front of paintings by the American artist Mark Rothko (1903-1970). I am not one of those people. I can recognise his work and appreciate its originality, but he is not amongst my favourite 20th century artists.

When visiting the branch of the Tate Gallery in Cornwall’s St Ives at the beginning of July 2024, I viewed a small exhibition of painted panels created by Rothko. In 1958, he was commissioned to paint them for the Four Seasons restaurant in the Seagram Building in New York City. In the summer of 1959, he took a break from painting this series of pictures, and visited England. The painter Peter Lanyon invited Rothko to his home in St Ives in Cornwall. During his stay, he met other artists based in the West Country including Alan Davie, Paul Feiler, Patrick Heron, and Terry Frost. Rothko’s visit to St Ives was a factor that helped change his mind about displaying the paintings he was creating for the Four Seasons restaurant. It has been recorded that he said that the restaurant was:

“… a place where the richest bastards of New York will come to feed and show off.” (theartnewspaper.com, 4th of April 2024).

In 1969, Rothko donated nine of the paintings, originally destined for the restaurant, to the Tate Gallery. Seven others can be viewed at the Kawamura Museum of Modern Art in Japan, and another thirteen are housed at the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC. The rest are owned by his children.

Usually, the paintings currently being displayed at the Tate in St Ives are to be found in a dedicated room in London’s Tate Modern. Currently, the room where they are usually stored in Tate Modern is being used to host an exhibition by another artist (Joan Mitchell). The Seagram murals will remain in St Ives until January 2025.

We visit St Ives regularly. Its branch of the Tate is one of several artistic attractions we visit in the town. Although it contains some great artworks, I am not fond of its architecture. I am glad we visited again because had we not done so, I would not have known about Rothko’s holiday in St Ives, and the influence it had on his decision not to display his paintings in a fancy restaurant in New York City.

Indian queens in the heart of Cornwall

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DURING NUMEROUS VISITS to Cornwall, we have driven along the A30 road. Often on these journeys, we have driven past signs pointing to a place named ‘Indian Queens’, but we had never visited it. So, on the 29th of June 2024, we left the main road and headed towards Indian Queens without knowing what to expect. To be honest, at first sight, the place does not seem of any interest to the visitor. But, as we were to discover, Indian Queens contains one of the most unusual sights in Cornwall.

By chance, we pulled up opposite a house, which incorporates two granite pillars surmounted by a triangular pediment on which the following words are inscribed:

“THE INDIAN QUEEN. Licensed brewer and retailer of beer, cyder, spirits, wine, and tobacco. Licensed to the post horses.”

The building to which this was attached was not a pub and looked newer than the pillars and the inscribed pediment. These fragments are all that remains of a pub called ‘The Indian Queen’, which stood in another part of the district: between Goss Moor and Fraddon. The former pub, which had been built in the late 18th century, had a Victorian signboard (now in a museum in Truro). It depicted an American Indian Queen on one side and Queen Victoria on the other. Until about 1780, the pub had been called ‘The Queen’s Head’, but by 1787, it had become ‘The Indian Queen’. It is thought by some that a Portuguese princess, who was travelling between Falmouth and London, stayed at the inn, and because she was olive skinned, the locals thought she was an American Indian queen, and that is how the name of the pub and of the village originated. Later, the village name changed from Indian Queen to Indian Queens, as it is known today.

The village has one Indian restaurant, aptly named “Indian Queen”. Run by some friendly Bangladeshi people, it occupies what was formerly The Railway Tavern pub.  We ate dinner there. The following morning, we returned to Indian Queens to look at something we had missed the day before. Pocohontas Crescent leads to a footpath that heads towards the Indian Queens Pit. This proved to be a most interesting place.

In 1850, local Wesleyans approached the mine owner Henry Jenkyn to convert the local, disused quarry into an outdoor ‘preaching pit’, like the one already created (from a disused mining quarry) at Gwennap near Redruth, which was used by John Wesley – the founder of Methodism. The preaching pits were like amphitheatres in which large numbers of people could listen to the preaching of Methodist ministers. By 1860, the pit at Indian Queens was already being used by the congregations of various local Methodist chapels. Between 1880 and 1907, the pit had been adapted to look as it does today. The sloping sides of the pit were remodelled to create tiers just like those in ancient Greek and Roman amphitheatres, but each row was separated by a much greater height than in the ancient versions. The circular tiers encircle a round, flat area below them. By 1907, the semicircular raised preaching platform was in place. The pit was used for preaching, Sunday School anniversaries, and other events until 1970.

Between 1970 and 1976, the pit became overgrown and was unused. However, in 1976, a local man, Lloyd Truscott, worked hard to restore the pit. On the 20th of May 1978, a service was conducted in the restored pit. Today, the pit is owned by a group of trustees representing the local Methodists and other organisations. It is still used for staging events, and we were lucky enough to attend one of them on the 30th of June 2024.  That afternoon, we watched a highly entertaining improvised version of “Tristan and Isolde” – a play, not the opera. Three young actors performed it very engagingly and with great panache.

Until we ventured into Indian Queens, I had never heard of preaching pits. There are three surviving circular preaching pits in Cornwall, and one, which only occupies a quarter of a circle. I hope to write more on this subject at a later date.

From rural Cornwall to the Royal Academy in London

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ONE OF MY FAVOURITE National Trust properties in England is Trerice, which is about 2.3 miles south of the Cornish town of Newquay – not one of my favourite places in Cornwall.  We visit the house and gardens at Trerice every time we spend time in Cornwall, and always discover soothing there that we had not noticed before.

This tine (June 2024), one of the volunteers working in the house pointed out a painting by John Opie (1761-1807). I had not come across his name before. Our informant told us that he had been born in Cornwall, and thought that he had been involved with the establishment of the Royal Academy. He was born at Trevallas between St Agnes and Perranporth, both of which are not far from Trerice. At an early age, his artistic talents became evident, but his father, a carpenter, wanted John to become a carpenter. A physician, Dr Wolcot, met him at the place where he was an apprentice, and reecognising John’s artistic skills, paid for him to be released from his apprenticeship. Wolcot encouraged Opie, and by the start of the 1790s, he was a successful portraitist in Cornwall.

In 1781, Wolcot took Opie to London, where his works were admired by great artists of the time including Sir Joshua Reynolds, who compared John’s work to that of Caravaggio and Velasquez. A year later, Opie began working independently of Wolcot, who had been supporting him up until then. An acquaintance of Dr Wolcot introduced Opie to the court of King George III. This led to Opie being commissioned to paint portraits of people of high rank in English society and royalty. In 1886, he was elected a full member of the Royal Academy, and in 1805 he was appointed a professor in that esteemed institution.

There are three paintings by Opie hanging on the walls of Trerice house. One is a portrait, and another a self-portrait. The third, which depicts three people playing cards, is a copy of the same picture that can be seen at Petworth house. The version at Trerice is believed to have been painted by Opie and others in his studio. Each of the three people in it have smiles. It is thought that in this painting, Opie was experimenting with the depiction of smiling. Although attractive, this picture is not as attractive as his other two paintings in Trerice.

It is always pleasant to re-visit places, and always exciting to discover something one had missed on earlier trips to that same location. As well as the lovely interiors at Trerice, the gardens surrounding it are always a joy to behold.

A novel about Cornwall by Daphne du Maurier

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I HAVE BEEN TO CORNWALL many times, and always enjoy visiting this unique part of the UK. For many years, it was the home of the author Daphne du Maurier (1907-1989). She died in the Cornish town of Fowey, where she had a house, which is still owned by her family. Despite having visited Cornwall so many times, it was only recently (October 2023) that I first read one of her novels. The one I chose is called “The House on the Strand”. It is an exciting book, which is difficult to set aside once you begin reading it.

Richard Young is spending a holiday in Cornwall in a house owned by his old friend, a scientist Magnus, who is a professor at the University in London. Magnus has developed a set of related drugs, which he and Richard decide to test on themselves. Both men experience the same effects of these hallucinogenic substances. Within minutes of drinking a dose, they are transported back to 14th century Cornwall and become witnesses to events that they later discover had been recorded in historical records. Both men become witnesses to things that were happening during that far off period in the area where Magnus’s house is located. The desire to know more and more leads both men to keep taking the drug.

Things begin to get complicated when sooner than expected Richard’s wife and his stepchildren join him in Cornwall. The drug has odd side-effects that make Richard’s wife both worried and suspicious. As the days pass, things become more and more complicated, and eventually there is a series of tragic events.

The plot is ingenious and intriguing. By transporting Magnus and Richard back to mediaeval times, the author was able to describe Cornwall today and as it might have been in those days. The novel is also about addiction and how it develops. Further, Du Maurier describes the conflict between truth, half-truth, and deception. Not only is this novel a delightful story about Cornwall but also it is a brilliant depiction of certain types of human behaviour and how it has changed over the centuries.

Footsteps of the famous in Falmouth and Sarajevo

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IN THE 1980s when Yugoslavia existed, I used to visit the Bosnian city of Sarajevo regularly. In the centre of the town there was (and might still be) a museum about the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914. Near this, there were impressions of two footprints in the pavement. These mark the supposed spot from which Gavrilo Princip fired the shots that killed the Archduke. You could stand in that very spot if you wished. I have no idea whether this curious memorial still exists but I was reminded of it when walking along the waterfront in Cornwall’s Falmouth.

On the 14th of June 1968, Sir Robin Knox-Johnson (born in 1939) set sail from Falmouth as a competitor in the Sunday Times Golden Globe race. In his small boat, the 32-foot Suhaili (a Bermudan ketch), he circumnavigated the World non-stop. Having won the race, he disembarked at Falmouth on the 22nd of April 1969.

Just as Princip’s exploit was commemorated by imprints of footprints, so was Sir Robin’s. However, at Falmouth there are two sets of footprints embedded in brass plates. One set has its toes pointing towards the sea, and the other, commemorating Sir Robin’s return, has its toes pointing towards the land (away from the sea).

Whereas the impressions of Princip’s footsteps make us remember the terrible consequences of his actions, those of Sir Robin celebrate a great achievement.

Fish as fresh as fresh can get

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OUR FRIENDS ELAINE and Kim spent a few days in the Cornish port of Looe. When we met them after their stay, they told us about the wonderful fish they bought in the town, and cooked in their accommodation. As we love seafood and had never been to Looe on any of our many visits to Cornwall, we decided to visit the town with the aim of buying fish there.

A man working in the crowded car park close to the bridge with many arches that crosses the River Looe, which runs through Looe, suggested we visit a fishmonger called Pengellys. And what a splendid suggestion that was. The shop is small but filled with a wonderful display of fresh fish and other seafood.

Pengellys was established in 1946. The friendly man, who served us, explained that because the firm was started so long ago, all of the seafood (except the salmon) sold in the shop is only a few hours old. Pengellys are able to buy their seafood directly from the fishing boats that dock in Looe. Other fishmongers, which were established more recently, are unable to do this – they have to buy their stock from wholesalers in Newlyn and/or Plymouth. Therefore, the seafood sold by Pengellys has spent less time travelling between ship and shop than that sold at other fishmongers. He told us that the mackerel fillets, which we purchased, had been caught less than two hours before we entered the shop. He explained that one could tell how fresh they were by the green sheen on the skin. This tends to fade the greater the time since the fish was caught. We purchased mackerel and plaice fillets, as well as scallops and samphire. Each of these items were as fresh as fresh can be, and were delicious when fried briefly in butter. Pengellys have certainly caught us as customers – hook, line, and sinker.

A much used word in Cornwall

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FEW, IF ANY people in Cornwall are fluent speakers of the Cornish language. However, one word of this language is still in common usage. That word is ‘dreckly’. When I first noticed it outside a shop we drove past, I imagine the word meant ‘directly’.

Today, we were sitting in Dollies on Molesworth Street in Wadebridge – one of our favourite cafés in Cornwall – when I spotted a notice which read:

“All meals prepared fresh to order – dinner comes dreckly…”

I asked the owner’s son, who works in the place, about the meaning of ‘dreckly’. He told me that it is a very useful word, which means roughly ‘in the future’. If something or somebody is coming dreckly, that can mean its arrival might be in a few minutes, or a few hours, or a few days, or maybe never at all. 

As I am always keen on checking information I have gathered, I looked up ‘dreckly’ on the Internet, and discovered that my informant had been quite accurate. According to urbandictionary.com:

“Dreckly is something that you will get around to at some point in the future, possibly never.”

And another source (Wikipedia) confirms this:

 “Dreckley / Dreckly – at some point in the future; soon, but not immediately; like ‘mañana’, but less urgent.”

So, now I am satisfied about the meaning and usage of the word.

I will endeavour to learn some more words of Cornish … dreckly!

A rook with a book in a Cornish town

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THE AUTHOR DAPHNE du Maurier (1907-1989) was born near London’s Regents Park, but spent much of her childhood in Hampstead. In the summer, she travelled with her family for holidays in Cornwall. They also lived there during WW1. In 1926, the family bought the still extant Ferryside, a house next to the ferry landing at Bodinnick. The eye-catching blue and white house can be seen across the River Fowey from many points in Fowey. I believe that one of her descendants still owns, and lives in, the house.

In the centre of Fowey, on the waterfront, there is a modern sculpture of a bird holding a book with one of its claws. Called “The Rook with a Book”, it was created by the Thrussels, a father and son team of sculptors based in Bodmin Moor at a point near to the source of the River Fowey. The sculpture was unveiled in 2018 by Daphne’s son Christian. The book being held by the rook bears the title of one of Daphne’s short stories – “The Birds”, published in 1952. The story was inspired by seeing a flock of gulls attacking a farmer working on a field. It was set in Cornwall soon after WW2. What makes this short story particularly significant is that it inspired Alfred Hitchcock to create his horror film “The Birds”, which was first released in March 1963.

A grave anagram in a church in Cornwall

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ON OUR WAY TO LOOE (in Cornwall), where we hoped to buy fresh fish – and we did – we passed through an extraordinarily picturesque village called Lerryn, which lies on the banks of the River Lerryn (a tributary of the River Fowey). The shopkeeper in the village store recommended that we took a look at the church in nearby St Winnow (aka ‘St Winnoc’). On our way to this place, which is at the very end of a narrow country lane, we were first slowed down by a flock of pheasants which refused to get off the road, and then by some workers felling a tree.

The parish church of St Winnow was built mainly in the 15th century and is positioned on a slope overlooking a stretch of the River Fowey. It is named after a saint, who is new to me. According to a website (www.anglozuluwar.com/images/Journal_10/St_Winnow_Church.pdf):

“St Winnow was one of the tireless band of Celtic priests and evangelists who consolidated and extended the Christian Church in Wales, Ireland, Cornwall and Brittany after the withdrawal of the Roman legions in the 5th Century. St Winnoc probably grew up in Wales and came here in about 670 AD to begin his missionary work, forming a small religious community and establishing a Lan or sacred enclosure. Eventually he moved to Northern France and founded a monastery at Wormhout, not far from Dunkirk.”

The church contains pews with beautifully carved endings. Two of its east windows have stained glass that dates from 1500. One of these windows contains a good display of the types of clothing worn at that time. The carved granite font, created in the 15th century, has bas-reliefs depicting angels with outstretched arms. All these features and others including the gothic architectural style make the church worth seeing. However, one thing struck me as being particularly unusual. It is an inscribed slate memorial on the north wall of the Lady Chapel.

The slate commemorated the death of William Sawle, who was buried on the 16th of February 1651. Beneath his name there is an anagram of it, which reads:

“I was ill: am wel”

‘Wel’ being a variation of the spelling of ‘well’.

Below this, there is the following verse:

“When I WAS sick, most men did deeme me ILL

If I had liv’d, I should have beene soe still.

Prais’d be the Lord, that in the Heav’ns doth dwell

Who hath received my Soule. Now I AM WEL.”

And beneath this, there is information, carved on the slate, that informs the viewer that Sir JSG Sawle Penrice repaired it “… out of respect to his Maternal Ancestors …” in 1838.

The Sawle family have lived in Cornwall since the time of William the Conqueror. By 1620, they were living at Penrice House near St Austell (see: http://www.sole.org.uk/sole2/penrice.htm). As for William Sawle, whose memorial bears an anagram, I cannot tell you anything yet because I have not found any information about him. However, his memorial in St Winnow is a great example of grave humour.