Hide

Perranuthnoe

hide
Hide

The parish of Perranuthnoe, (Cornish: Pyranudhno), (Little Pieran, Lanuthnoe), is situated in the Deanery and Hundred of Penwith. It is bounded on the north, east and west by St Hilary, and on the south by Mount's Bay. The name is composed of the saint's name, Piran, plus the name of the manor: Uthno. The village is situated on the south coast of Cornwall within sight of St Michael's Mount. Prussia Cove, in this parish, was home to perhaps the most famous 17th century family of Cornish smugglers, the Carters. John Carter, the eldest son, named the cove Prussia Cove, because of his deep admiration for Fredrick the Great, King of Prussia. John Carter himself became known as the King of Prussia, as he engaged in ever more daring encounters with the revenue. Although John Carter's cottage was demolished in 1906, the cove still holds the romance of its notorious connections with wrecking and smuggling.

Within the parish is the village of Goldsithney which means: 'Sithney Fair', a fair was moved to Goldsithney from Sithney in 1283. The only other village is the Churchtown.

Most parish and church description(s) on these pages are from Lake's Parochial History of the County of Cornwall by J Polsue (Truro, 1867 - 1873)

Hide
topup

Cemeteries

topup

Census

Census information for this parish (1841 - 1901) is held in the Cornwall Record Office. The Cornwall Family History Society offers a census search service for its members.
Specific census information for this parish is available as follows:

  • 1841. The 1841 Census of Perranuthnoe (HO107/143), Enumeration Districts 5 to 8, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
  • 1851.
    • The 1851 Census of Perranuthnoe (HO107/1918), Enumeration Districts 1a, 1b and 1c, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
    • The New Zealand Society of Genealogists have compiled separate surname indexes of the 1851 Census for each Cornish registration district; Perranuthnoe is listed in Volume 26. The booklets are available in Cornwall at the Cornwall Centre, (formerly known as the Cornish Studies Library), and is also available in the Cornwall FHS Library from which it can be purchased.
  • 1861. The 1861 Census of Perranuthnoe (RG9/1591), Enumeration Districts 5 to 7, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
  • 1871. The 1871 Census of Perranuthnoe (RG10/2336) is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census projectas follows:
  • 1881. The 1881 Census of Perranuthnoe (RG11/2343), Enumeration Districts 5 to 7, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
  • 1891. The 1891 Census of Perranuthnoe (RG12/1855) is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project as follows:
topup

Church History

  • Anglican. The parish church is located in OS Grid Square SW5329 and was dedicated to St Piran & St Nicholas. It was originally erected in the middle of the 13th century, and it consists of a chancel, nave, north aisle and south transept and south porch. The north aisle was added in Tudor times when the tower was also added. The arcade consists of five four-centred arches supported on monolith granite pillars. There is also a north door. The tower has three stages, and is finished with battlements and pinnacles; it contained three bells. The church was restored in 1883.
  • Non-Conformist. The Wesleyan Methodists and Association Methodists each had a chapel in Goldsithney; the Wesleyan Methodists also had chapels at the Churchtown and in Trevean.
topup

Church Records

  • LDS Church Records.
  • The Cornwall Record Office holdings: Baptisms 1562 - 1883, Burials 1562 - 1906, Marriages 1589 - 1971, Boyd's Marriage Index 1589 - 1812, Pallot's Marriage Index 1800 -1812.
  • The Cornwall Family History Society have published on-line transcripts of:
    • 1813-37 Marriages
    • 1813-37 Burials in the parish.
  • Baptisms.
    • Baptisms 1726 to 1883 are available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (C-PROP).
    • The Cornish Forefathers' Society have published on CD, baptisms 1726 to 1841 for this parish which can be purchased on Parish Chest.
  • Marriages.
    • The Cornwall Family History Society have published transcripts of: Parish Marriages 1589 to 1837, which is available in Book, CD or downloadable .pdf file formats.
    • Phillimore marriages 1589 to 1812, and parish transcriptions 1837 to 1901 are available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (C-PROP).
  • Burials.
topup

Civil Registration

The parish of Perranuthnoe has been in the Penzance Registration District continuously from 1st July 1837. There were originally sub-districts at Marazion, Penzance, St Buryan, St Just, St Ives and Uny-Lelant but these have now been abolished. Parishes within the district are: Gulval, Ludgvan, Madron, Marazion, Morvah, Penzance, Perranuthnoe, St. Buryan, St. Erth, St. Hilary, St. Ives, St. Just in Penwith, St. Levan, St. Michael's Mount, St. Paul, Sancreed, Sennen, Towednack, Uny-Lelant, Wolfe Rock Lighthouse, and Zennor. The Superintendant Registrar can be contacted at: Alphington House, Alverton Place, Penzance, TR18 4JJ. Tel: 01736 330093.

topup

Description & Travel

You can see pictures of Perranuthnoe which are provided by:

topup

Gazetteers

The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland - 1868

"PERRAN-UTHNOE, (or Perran-uthoe), a parish in the hundred of Penwith, county Cornwall, 1 mile S.E. of Marazion, its post town, and 4½ miles from Penzance. The village, which is of small extent, is situated on Mount's Bay, and is wholly agricultural. The parish includes the hamlet of Goldsithney, at which place was a chapel dedicated to St. James, but which, having become dilapidated, has recently been taken down. The soil is of a loamy nature, with a subsoil of killas. A portion of the inhabitants are employed in the mines, of which the South Wheal Neptune copper mines, and the St. Perran tin mine, are the most considerable; the former runs for some distance under the sea. The parish is intersected by the roads from Falmouth and Truro to Penzance. The tithes have been commuted for a rent-charge of £290, and there are about 17 acres of glebe. The living is a rectory* in the diocese of Exeter, value £320. The church dedicated to SS. Piran and Nicholas, is an ancient stone structure, with a square embattled tower containing three bells. The register dates from 1562. The Wesleyans and Wesleyan Association Methodists have each a place of worship. There is a National school for both sexes, built by Lady Carrington. Acton Castle is the principal residence. W. J. Trevelyan, Esq., is lord of the manor. An annual fair is held on the 5th August at Goldsithney for cattle, cloth, and hardware.

topup

Genealogy

OPC Assistance. The On-line Parish Clerk (OPC) scheme operates a service to help family historians; the OPC page for this parish is available on-line, from where the OPC can be contacted by email.

topup

Historical Geography

The Domesday Settlements of Cornwall, a study undertaken by the Cornwall Branch of the Historical Association, has identified and located settlements listed in the Exeter and Exchequer Domesday Survey of AD 1087. The following places have been identified in Perranuthnoe ecclesiastical parish:

topup

Maps

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SW543295 (Lat/Lon: 50.115052, -5.437546), Perranuthnoe which are provided by:

topup

Poor Houses, Poor Law

  • Perranuthnoe parish was part of the Penzance Union for Poor Law administration and parish relief.
  • Overseers' Accounts (1716 to 1769) are available in the Cornwall Record Office.
topup

Population

  • Population in 1801 - 506 persons
  • Population in 1811 - 626 persons
  • Population in 1821 - 786 persons
  • Population in 1831 - 1033 persons
  • Population in 1841 - 1438 persons
  • Population in 1851 - 1229 persons
  • Population in 1861 - 1507 persons
  • Population in 1871 - 1191 persons
  • Population in 1881 - 896 persons
  • Population in 1891 - 819 persons
  • Population in 1901 - 812 persons
  • Population in 1911 - 798 persons
  • Population in 1921 - 748 persons
  • Population in 1931 - 742 persons
  • Population in 1951 - 886 persons
  • Population in 1961 - 868 persons
  • Population in 1971 - 1131 persons
  • Population in 1981 - 1540 persons
  • Population in 1991 - 1830 persons
  • Population in 2001 - 2200 persons
  • Population in 2011 - 2184 persons
topup

Probate Records

topup

Statistics

The parish comprises 1101 acres of land and 64 acres of foreshore.