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St Keyne

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The parish of St Keyne, (Cornish: Sen Keyna), (anciently called Lametton), is situated in the Deanery and Hundred of West. It is bounded on the north and east by Liskeard, and on the south and west by Duloe. According to the Welsh version of the legend St Keyne was the daughter of King Broccan. The tiny parish lies between the parishes of Liskeard and Duloe. In the 16th century it consisted of one estate, Lametton, but in 1911 it was divided into separate lots and sold to individual buyers. The little village of St Keyne has a railway station on the branch line to Looe. In Victorian times the holy well had the reputation of conferring supremacy to the marriage partner who first tasted it.

The Churchtown is the only village in the parish.

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)

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Archives & Libraries

The Liskeard and District Museum have a database of parish records for Liskeard and St Keyne. They can be contacted by e-mail; the address is: museum[at]liskeard.gov[dot]uk.

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Cemeteries

The Cornwall Family History Society have published Monumental Inscriptions for the Parish Church - 400 entries.

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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 St Keyne (HO107/153), Enumeration District 18, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
  • 1851.
    • The 1851 Census of St Keyne (HO107/1902), Enumeration District 6, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
  • 1861. The 1861 Census of St Keyne (RG9/1530), Enumeration District 18, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
  • 1871. The 1871 Census of St Keyne (RG10/2240), Enumeration District 18, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
  • 1881. The 1881 Census of St Keyne (RG11/2286), Enumeration District 18, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
  • 1891. The 1891 Census of St Keyne (RG12/1811), Enumeration District 18, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
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Church History

  • Anglican. The parish church is located in OS Grid Square SX2460. The church is dedicated to St Keyne the Virgin; it comprises a chancel, nave and north aisle. The chancel was rebuilt in 1868. The arcade has three obtuse arches supported on low monolith pillars; the material is granite. There is a south porch, an unused north door, and a priest's door. The tower is of three stages, and is finished with battlements and low crocketed pinnacles.
  • Non-Conformists. There was a Free Wesleyan Methodist chapel in the Churchtown.
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Church Records

  • LDS Church Records.
    • The LDS Church batch numbers for St Keyne are: C053201, E0553201, M053201. These are searchable by surname.
    • The IGI coverage this parish is 1539 - 1837.
  • The Cornwall Record Office holdings: Baptisms 1721 - 1939, Burials 1721 - 1978, Marriages 1722 - 1949, Boyd's Marriage Index 1608 - 1673, BTs 1608 - 1673.
  • The Cornwall Family History Society have published transcripts of:
    • 1813-37 Marriages
    • 1813-37 Burials.
  • Baptisms.
    • Baptisms 1539 to 1673, 1684 to 1773 (Bishop's transcripts), 1683 to 1812, and 1813 to 1911 for this parish are available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (C-PROP).
  • Banns. Banns 1758 to 1773 for this parish are available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (C-PROP).
  • Marriages.
    • Callington Area Heritage Centre (broken link) have placed on-line marriage records for St Keyne parish 1813 to 1837.
    • Marriages 1597 to 1837 (Bishop's transcripts), parish transcripts 1687 to 1772, 1824 to 1909, and 1837 to 1911, for this parish are available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (C-PROP).
    • The Cornwall Family History Society have published transcripts of: Parish Marriages 1601 to 1837, which is available in Book, CD or downloadable .pdf file formats.
  • Burials.
    • Burials 1684 to 1772 (Bishop's transcripts), 1721 to 1837 and 1813 to 1936 (parish transcripts), for this parish are available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (C-PROP).
    • The Cornwall Family History Society have published transcripts of: Parish Burials 1813 to 1837, which is available in Book and CD formats.
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Civil Registration

The parish of St Keyne has always been in the Liskeard Registration District. There were sub-districts at Callington, Lerrin, Liskeard and Looe, but these closed in the 1930s. Parishes within the district are: Boconnoc, Broadoak, Callington, Calstock (1837-60), Duloe, East Looe, Lanreath, Lansallos, Lanteglos, Linkinhorne, Liskeard, Liskeard Borough, Menheniot, Morval, Pelynt, St. Cleer, St. Dominick, St. Ive, St. Keyne, St. Martin's, St. Neot, St. Pinnock, St. Veep, Southill, Talland and West Looe. The Superintendant Registrar can be contacted at: Graylands, Dean Street, Liskeard, PL14 4AH. Tel: 01579 343442.

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Description & Travel

You can see pictures of St Keyne which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland - 1868

"ST. KEYNE, a parish in the hundred of West, county Cornwall, 2 miles S. of Liskeard. This place was anciently called Lametton, but changed its name in consequence of a well dedicated to St. Kayne, or Keyna, the daughter of Brychan, prince of Brecknock, of which tradition says, whoever first drinks, husband or wife, gets the mastery for life. The surface is diversified with hills and the low grounds are watered by the river Loos. The soil is generally a stiff yellow clay. The village is small and wholly agricultural. The tithes have been commuted for a rent-charge of £140. The living is a rectory* in the diocese of Exeter, value (3198. The church, dedicated to St. Kayne, is a small plain edifice, and near it is St. Kayne's Well. The roof of the enclosure supports in a singular manner five trees, two of oak, two of ash, and one of elm.

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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.

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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 1086. The following places have been identified in St Keyne ecclesiastical parish:

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Maps

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SX241606 (Lat/Lon: 50.418805, -4.476704), St Keyne which are provided by:

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Poor Houses, Poor Law

St Keyne parish was part of the Liskeard Union for Poor Law administration and parish relief.

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Population

  • Population in 1801 - 139 persons
  • Population in 1811 - 157 persons
  • Population in 1821 - 153 persons
  • Population in 1831 - 201 persons
  • Population in 1841 - 194 persons
  • Population in 1851 - 213 persons
  • Population in 1861 - 181 persons
  • Population in 1871 - 146 persons
  • Population in 1881 - 162 persons
  • Population in 1891 - 159 persons
  • Population in 1901 - 132 persons
  • Population in 1911 - 136 persons
  • Population in 1921 - 139 persons
  • Population in 1931 - 128 persons
  • Population in 1951 - 132 persons
  • Population in 1961 - 173 persons
  • Population in 1971 - 156 persons
  • Population in 1981 - 365 persons
  • Population in 1991 - 448 persons
  • Population in 2001 - 486 persons
  • Population in 2011 - 492 persons
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Societies

The St Keyne Local History Group was formed when the new Village Hall was opened in August 1998 with the prime objective of collecting together and archiving all the information that could be found from as many sources as possible about the history of the properties, inhabitants and events of the village. Much of this information is now included in a book entitled The People of St.Keyne and provides a fascinating insight to the history of the village.

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Statistics

The parish comprised 942 acres of land.