Cornwall

Nearby places

Breage

Originally called St Breock-in-Kirrier (Kerrier), St Breaca or St Briack, the parish is now just called 'Breage' (Cornish: Eglospennbro). It is situated in the Deanery and Hundred of Kirrier (Kerrier), and is bounded on the north by Crowan, on the east by Sithney, on the west by St Hilary and Germoe, and on the south by the sea. The parish of Breage is named after Saint Breage and is either pronounced 'Braig', or 'Breeg' as it is now more often heard.

Tregoning Hill (596 feet) and Godolphin Hill (495 feet) are in this parish. On the top of the former are the remains of a large Iron Age fort. It appears to have been of great strength and was one of the largest of the kind in Cornwall. The granite on Tregoning was of two types: one was used for ornamental building under the name of Breage stone; the other, abounding in talc, was worked as china clay.

Besides the Churchtown, the principal villages in this parish are: Ashton, Trew, Rinsey, Kenegy, Hendra, Tregunno, Trescow, Trevervas and Herland (where the Godolphin church stood). The fishing village of Porthleven was partly in this parish and partly in Sithney. The two new parishes of Godolphin and Porthleven were created from parts of this parish in 1846.

Archives & Libraries

• The OPC has listed references to Breage records on the ACCESS to ARCHIVES (A2A) site.

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Bibliography

• A book entitled Story of an Ancient Parish - Breage with Germoe, Index & Chapter 8, is available on-line.

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Cemeteries

• The Cornwall Family History Society have published Monumental Inscriptions for the Parish Church - 1838 entries.
• War Memorial inscriptions for Breage parish (1914-1918 and 1939-1945 Wars) are separately available.

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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. The Cornwall Family History Society have also published on-line census detail by surname on the FamilyHistoryonLine site.

Specific census information for this parish is available as follows:

• 1841 Census.
  • The 1841 Census of Breage (HO107/136) is also available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project as follows:
    • Enumeration Districts 1 to 5.
    • Enumeration Districts 6 to 11 [including Workhouses].
  • A separate record of the 1841 Census of Breage is also available.
  • The Census has also has been filmed by the LDS church - Film No. 241260.
• 1851 Census.
  • The 1851 Census of Breage (HO107/1913) is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project as follows:
    • Enumeration Districts 1a and 1f.
    • Enumeration Districts 1g, 1h, 1k and 1l.
  • Part of the 1851 Census of Breage is available from the West-Penwith resources as part of the 1851 British Census 2% sample - Cornwall.
  • For persons recorded in the 1851 Census as having been born in Breage but living in other parishes, see under Genealogy Strays.
  • The New Zealand Society of Genealogists have compiled separate surname indexes of the 1851 Census for each Cornish registration district; Breage is listed in Volume 33. 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 whom it can be purchased.
  • Names appearing in the 1851 Census of Breage are available on-line courtesy of the OPC.
• 1861 Census. The 1861 Census of Breage (RG9/1574) is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project as follows:
  • Enumeration Districts 6 to 8.
  • Enumeration Districts 9 and 10.
• 1871 Census. The 1871 Census of Breage is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project as follows:
  • RG10/2307. Enumeration District 6.
  • RG10/2308. Enumeration Districts 7 to 10.
• 1881 Census. The 1881 Census of Breage (RG11/2326), Enumeration Districts 6 to 10, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
• 1891 Census.
  • The 1891 Census of Breage (RG12/1842) is available on-line courtesy of Ken Stewart.
  • The 1891 Census of Breage (RG12/1842) is also available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project, as follows:
    • Enumeration Districts 5 and 6.
    • Enumeration Districts 7 to 9.
• 1901 Census. The 1901 Census of Breage is available on-line.

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Church History

• Anglican. The parish Church is located in OS Grid Square SW6128 and was dedicated to St Breaca in 1130. The church boasts one of the most remarkable wall paintings belonging to a style which has been labelled "Christ as Piers Plowman". It depicts a crowned near naked and wounded figure of Christ surrounded by the tools of husbandry, fishing, cloth and metal-working trades. In the many wounds is, perhaps, a message about man's sins and the continuing Passion of Christ.
  Breage has a fine 15th century Church; it stands on a hill with views across to the sea. It comprises a chancel, nave, north and south aisles, and north and south transepts. The arcades are each of seven semi-circular arches and pillars of granite. The north transept has a flat massive roof of oak, with well-carved bosses. This was the burial place of Margaret, the wife of Sidney, first Earl of Godolphin, and daughter of Col. Thomas Blague. The tall tower is embattled with pinnacles at each corner. The porch is of granite, inside the nave and aisles with carved beams give a feeling of space. A large carved walnut reredos hangs on the east wall of the chancel.
  Further information about the parish church is available.
  Details about the plans of the existing church are available on-line.
• Non-Conformist. There were chapels in Breage belonging to the Wesleyan Methodists, Bible Christians, and the Methodist New Connexion.
  Some Bible Christian Magazine Transcripts 1841 & 42 are on-line, courtesy of the OPC. These include some obituaries for Breage.

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Church Records

• LDS Church Records.
  • The LDS Church batch numbers for Breage are: C053321/2, E015541, M015541/2, P015541, Bible Christian (Breage Circuit) C065021. These are searchable by surname.
  • The IGI coverage of this parish is 1559 - 1875.
• The Cornwall Record Office holdings: Baptisms 1603 - 1918, Burials 1559 - 1966, Marriages 1559 - 1982, Boyd's Marriage Index 1559 - 1812, Pallot's Marriage Index 1800 - 1812, Non-Conformist records 1821 - 1837.
• Baptisms. Baptisms beginning with 1603 ending with 1700 are imperfect for the first six years, deficient in the years 1657-1678, deficient from 1683 to 1697, but regular from 1697 to 1700.
  • Church baptisms 1676 to 1681 and 1697 to 1900, together with Bible Christian baptisms 1821 to 1837 and Bishop' Transcripts (BTs) 1697 to 1724, are available on-line through the OPC search Facility - C-PROP.
  • The OPC of Breage has transcribed Breage Circuit: Bible Christian Births & Baptisms 1821 to 1837. Parishes mentioned include: Breage, Crowan, Gwinear, Helston, Mullion, Porthleven, St Anthony, St Hilary, St Keverne, Sithney and Wendron. These can be searched on-line.
  • The Cornish Forefathers' Society have published on CD baptisms 1724 to 1839 for this parish.
  • The OPC has transcribed baptisms at Breage 1827 to 1901. These can be searched as follows:
    • 1827 to 1839. By Year or By Surname.
    • 1839 to 1849. By Year or By Surname.
    • 1850 to 1859. By Year or By Surname.
    • 1859 to 1867. By Year or By Surname.
    • 1868 to 1902. By Year or By Surname.
  • Cornwall Legacy have published on CD baptisms (1845 to 1900) and Burials (1892 to 1900) of the Breage and Crowan Methodist Chapels, (including Black Rock, Horsedowns, Nancegollan, Praze, Townshend, Trenwheal chapels). Areas include: Breage, Crowan, Gwinear, Sithney, and St Erth.
  • Cornwall Legacy have also published on CD, baptisms (1863 to 1900) of the Marazion Methodist Circuit and baptisms (1877 to 1900) of the Marazion Ebenezer Chapel. Areas include: Marazion, St Hilary, Ludgvan, Germoe, St Erth, Breage, Gulval, and Goldsithney.
  • Cornwall Legacy have also published on CD, baptisms (1866 to 1900) of the Hayle Wesleyan Methodist Circuit. The area covers Hayle, Phillack, Breage, Crowan, Gwinear, St Erth and Gwithian.
  • Cornwall Legacy have also published on CD, records of the Hayle Wesleyan Circuit (Wall Section). These include: baptisms (1862 to 1900), Wall Chapel marriages (1867-1884, 1899-1900, Connor Downs Chapel baptisms 1900. The areas cover Hayle, Phillack, Breage, Crowan, Ludgvan, Gwinear, Copperhouses, St Erth and Gwithian.
  • Cornwall Legacy have also published on CD, records of the Lelant, Ludgvan and St Erth Chapels. These comprise baptisms (1855 to 1900) for Chyangwheal, Hayle Foundry, Ludgvan & St Erth Chapels (Ludgvan Chapel Register is called "Marazion Wesleyan Circuit from 1883". St Ives, Penzance, Towednack, Lelant, and Ludgvan). The areas cover Lelant, Breage, Crowan, St Erth, Hayle, Ludgvan, St Hilary, Germoe and Marazion.
• Banns.
  • The OPC has transcribed on-line the following Banns for Breage parish, which can be searched by either gender:
    • Banns 1823 - 1841.
    • Banns 1841 - 1888.
• Marriages. Marriages from 1559 to 1650 both inclusive, deficient from thence to 1654, and deficient from 1656 to 1678. Irregular from 1678 to 1682, and again deficient to 1699.
  • Some additional marriages at Breage 1663 to 1672 are available on-line, courtesy of the OPC. At beginning of this register are the marriages, with this note "Marriages which do not occur in the Breage Register, (are) taken from the Bodmin Register by Mr Martin Furge of Falmouth".
  • The Cornwall Family History Society have published transcripts of: Parish Marriages 1559 to 1837, which is available in Book, CD or downloadable .pdf file formats.
  • Marriages 1663 to 1900 are available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (C-PROP).
  • The OPC has transcribed marriages at Breage 1564 to 1900 as follows:

    Marriages 1564 to 1722 sorted by: Bridegroom. Bride. Marriages 1722 to 1754 sorted by: Bridegroom. Bride. Marriages & Banns 1754 to 1794 sorted by: Bridegroom. Bride. Marriages & Banns 1794 to 1812 sorted by: Bridegroom. Bride.

    Marriages 1813 to 1837 sorted by: Bridegroom. Bride. Marriages 1837 to 1848 sorted by: Bridegroom. Bride. Marriages 1848 to 1873 sorted by: Bridegroom. Bride. Marriages 1873 to 1900 sorted by: Bridegroom. Bride.

• Burials. Burials from 1559 to 1564 are deficient from thence to 1569 to 1641.
  • The Cornwall Family History Society have published transcripts of: Parish Burials 1813 to 1837, which is available in Book or CD formats.
  • Burials 1681 to 1901 are available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (C-PROP).
  • The OPC has transcribed burials at Breage 1681 to 1915, as follows:
    • Bishop's Transcripts.
      • BT Burials for 1676.
      • BT Burials 1678 to 1717 by year or by surname.
    • Parish Registers.

      Burials 1639 - 1643 and 1678 to 1717 sorted by year or surname. Burials 1718 - 1721 sorted by year or surname. Burials 1722 - 1763 sorted by year or surname. Burials 1764 - 1812 sorted by year or surname. Burials 1813 - 1820 sorted by year or surname.

      Burials 1821 - 1836 sorted by year or surname. Burials 1836 - 1861 sorted by year or surname. Burials 1861 - 1879 sorted by year or surname. Burials 1880 - 1904 sorted by year or surname. Burials 1891 - 1904 at Breage (undertaken without Services).

• Other Non-Conformist Records. OPC Coverage of Non-Conformist records of this parish is available.

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Civil Registration

• The parish of Breage was originally in the Helston Registration District; there were sub-districts at Breage, Crowan, Helston, St Keverne and Wendron. It is in the Helston (now Kerrier) Registration District. Parishes in this registration district are: Breage, Crowan, Cury, Germoe, Gunwalloe, Grade, Helston, Landewednack, Manaccan, Mawgan-in-Meneage, Mullion, Ruan Major, Ruan Minor, St. Anthony-in-Meneage, St. Keverne, St. Martin-in-Meneage, Sithney, Wendron.
  
  The address of the Registration Office is: The Willows, Church Street, Helston, TR13 8NJ.
  Tel: 01326 562848.
• The OPC has transcribed the WIDOW's BOOK 1843 to 1912 (Cornwall Record Office: AD 894/1/2). This lists some personal details of Widows in Breage parish around the turn of the 19th/20th centuries.

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Description & Travel

• ePodunk's Cornwall page - providing general, plus some historical and genealogical information, about Cornwall and its parishes, together with links (mainly relating to general sites and services, rather than ones that are specific to Cornwall or particular parishes).
• Photographs of Breage are available.
• More pictures of Breage are also available.

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Directories

• Piggot & Co's 1823 Directory of Helston, including Breage.
• Piggot & Co's 1844 Directory of Helston, including Breage.
• Slater's 1852/53 Directory of Helston, including Breage.
• Kelly's 1873 Directory of Breage.
• Kelly's Directory of Cornwall 1883, Page 827-828 BREAGE.
• Kelly's Directory of Cornwall 1889, Page 943-944 BREAGE.
• Kelly's Directory of Cornwall 1893, Page 1047-1048 BREAGE.
• Kelly's Directory of Cornwall 1897, Page 42 BREAGE.
• Kelly's Directory of Cornwall 1902, Page 45-46 BREAGE.
• Kelly's Directory of Cornwall 1906, Page 45-46 BREAGE.
• Kelly's Directory of Cornwall 1914, Page 52-53 BREAGE.

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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.
  • The OPC has produced a family history website for the parish.
• Strays. Persons living in a parish but born elsewhere are known as "Strays".
  • Strays from Wendron who are buried in Breage Churchyard, are separately listed.
  • Some 1296 strays from the 1851 FreeCensus for people born BREAGE but residing in other Parishes have been listed by the OPC and are available on-line.

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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 Breage ecclesiastical parish:
  • Crawle (Carahoil, Cariorgel), Grid Reference 617311.
  • Methleigh (Matela, Matele, Mathela), Grid Reference 624464.
  • Rinsey (Rentis, Renti, Rentin), Grid Reference 594273.
  • Trescowe (Trescau, Trescav), Grid Reference 579310.

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History

A Parochial History of Breage (PAROCHIAL HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF CORNWALL VOLUME 1, 1867. Pages 132 to 140 [S. BREOCK IN KIRRIER, OR BREAGE]) is available on-line.

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Land & Property

• The Return of Owners of Land (around Breage) - 1873.

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Maps

• Map of the Kerrier Registration District in which the parish lies.
• An old map of the parish of Breage in the 19th century is also available.
• A copy of the 1841 Tithe map, taken from an earlier map believed to date back to the 1780's, is on-line.

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Names, Personal

• A list of surnames being researched in Breage, and email links to their researchers, are available on-line.

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Newspapers

• 1836 - 1839
• 1850.
• 1887.

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Occupations

• Information on Mines in Breage and Godolphin is available on-line.

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Poorhouses, Poor Law, etc.

• Breage parish was part of the Helston Union for Poor Law administration and parish relief.
• Overseers' Accounts (1762 to 1772, 1775 to 1784, 1793 to 1813, 1806 to 1812) are available in the Cornwall Record Office.

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Population

The parish of Porthleven was created from parts of this parish and Sithney parish in 1846.

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Probate Records

• Wills & Admons for Breage parish, 1660-1730 are available on-line.
• Some Wills relating to the Kitto family of Breage are available on-line, courtesy of Ken Stewart.

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Religion & Religious Life

• A list of the Vicars and Curates of Breage parish 1147 to 1907 are available on-line.
• St Breaca Church, BREAGE - Seating Plan as at 12th May 1666 is available on-line.
• In the May of 1641 it was agreed and ordered that every Member of the House of Commons and House of Lords should make a protestation (declaration of loyalty) to the crown. The Protestation was printed and then distributed by the Members to their counties. The Protestation was to be made by everyone and the Rectors, Churchwardens and Overseers of the Poor, had to appear before the Justices of the Peace in their Hundred to make their protestation and, on returning to their parishes, any two of them were to witness the taking of the Protestation Oath by all males over the age of 18 years. All names were listed and anyone who refused was to be noted.
  
  The Protestation Returns of 1642 for Breage are available on-line.

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Statistics

The parish comprises 7257 acres of land, 9 acres of water and 121 acres of foreshore. The two parishes of Godolphin and Porthleven were created from parts of this parish in 1846.

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Taxation

• 1524 SUBSIDIES ROLL for BREKE (Breage).
• 1543 SUBSIDIES ROLL for SEYNT BRECKE (Breage).
• Those covering 1523, 1526 and 1545.

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