Cornwall

Nearby places

Cardinham

Cardinham (Cornish: Kardhinan) is situated in the Deanery and Hundred of West; it is bounded on the north by Blisland and Temple, on the east by Warleggan, on the south by Bradock and St Winnow, from which it is separated by the river Fowey, and on the west by Lanhydrock, Bodmin and Helland. The parish is named after the Cornish word 'Car' (or 'Caer') meaning fort plus the word 'Dinas' also meaning fortress. This parish is very large (over 9,000 acres); it stretches from near Lanhydrock park in the south to a point 5 miles north of Bodmin on the A30 road. This includes much of the lovely wooded Glynn Valley and the high moorlands above it. The name shows that there was a fortified castle here well over 1,000 years ago, when Cornwall was an independent kingdom. There are several ancient inscribed stones in the parish, dating back to the 5th and 6th centuries, when Christianity first came to Cornwall.

The site of Cardynham Castle is on high ground to the south of the church; the castle was built soon after the Norman Conquest, probably by Richard Fitz Turold, whose family called "de Cardinan" after their dwelling place, lived here for 200 years after that. The shape of the castle can still be seen, but no ruins remain. The oratory founded by St Meubred was no doubt altered and enlarged over the centuries many times.

The main villages in the parish are Cardinham, Millpool and Mount. There is now a small airfield at Cardinham, sometimes called Bodmin Airfield, which is the home of the Cornwall Flying Club.

Cemeteries

• The Cornwall Family History Society have published online Monumental Inscriptions for the Parish Church - 557 entries.
• Some photographs of gravestones at Cardinham have been placed on-line by Steve Beazley.
• Photographs of the War Memorial at Cardinham, and a dedication to the War dead of the parish, are also on-line, courtesy of Steve Beazley.

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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. The 1841 Census of Cardinham (HO107/153), Enumeration Districts 7 to 9, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
• 1851.
  • The 1851 Census of Cardinham (HO107/1904), Enumeration Districts 1a and 1b, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
  • Part of the 1851 Census of Cardinham is also available from the West-Penwith resources as part of the 1851 British Census 2% sample - Cornwall.
  • Ray Woodbine has compiled the 1851 Census for many Cornish parishes. Entries for Cardinham are contained in Volume 4-5. This is available in the Library of the Cornwall Family History Society from which it can be purchased.
• 1861. The 1861 Census of Cardinham (RG9/1535), Enumeration Districts 8 and 9, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
• 1871.
  • The 1871 Census of Cardinham (RG10/2248), Enumeration Districts 8 and 9, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
  • The 1871 Census of Cardinham is also available from the Cornwall Family History Society.
• 1881. The 1881 Census of Cardinham (RG11/2290), Enumeration Districts 8 and 9, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
• 1891. The 1891 Census of Cardinham (RG12/1815), Enumeration Districts 3 and 4, 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 SX1268 and was dedicated to St Meubredus the Martyr in 1085. There was an early church here, but towards the end of the 15th century all the previous building was demolished and the very fine present church built in its place. It comprises a chancel, nave, north and south aisle, and a vestry. The arcades are of different lengths; the south is of six obtuse four-centred arches and the north of five. THe roofs of both aisles are wooden with well-carved bosses. The tower is of granite and is of three stages; it is embattled and has four octagonal pinnacles finished with balls and crosses, and contains five bells.
  Unlike other ancient churches which have grown and changed over the centuries, only the font, the Easter Sepulchre and various stones remain of the previous buildings. In the sedilia (the recesses on the south side of the chancel) are some very ancient inscribed stones, with beautifully written Latin fragments. There are 71 bench ends dating from the 15th and 16th centuries. There are many dolphins and some human heads. The original wagon roofs remain in the aisles, though that of the nave has been replaced. In the churchyard are two fine old crosses. That outside of the south porch has been called one of the best in Cornwall. There is excellent knotwork, and scrolls and plaitwork. The date is about the ninth century; that is in the time of King Alfred.
  Details about the plans of the existing church are available on-line.
• Non-Conformist. There is a Weslyan chapel here.

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Church Records

• LDS Church Records.
  • The LDS Church batch numbers for Cardinham are: C002003, C003007, E002001, M002001, P002001/2. These are searchable by surname.
  • The IGI coverage of this parish is 1675 - 1875.
• The Cornwall Record Office holdings: Baptisms 1701 - 1846, Burials 1701 - 1890, Marriages 1701 - 1837, Boyd's Marriage Index 1613 - 1812, Pallot's Marriage Index 1790 - 1812, BTs 1613 - 1673.
• Baptisms.
  • Cornwall Legacy have also published on CD baptisms (1837 to 1900) of the Bodmin Wesleyan Circuit, including Fletchers Bridge Chapel (1896 - 1900). Areas include: Bodmin, Lanlivery, Lanivet, Roche, Luxulyan, Cardinham, St Mabyn, Withiel, Egloshayle and St Breock.
  • Cornwall Legacy have published on CD, records of the Liskeard Bible Christian Circuit. These include baptisms (1863 to 1900). The areas cover Liskeard, St Ive, St Cleer, Altarnun, Menheniot, St Neot, Broadoak, Cardinham and certain other parishes.
• Marriages. The Cornwall Family History Society have published transcripts of: Parish Marriages 1613 to 1837, which is available in Book, CD or downloadable .pdf file formats.
• Burials. The Cornwall Family History Society have published transcripts of: Parish Burials 1813 to 1837, which is available in Book format.

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Civil Registration

The parish of Cardinham is in the Bodmin Registration District and has been since 1st July 1837; there were sub-districts are Bodmin, Egloshayle, Lanlivery and St Mabyn but these have now been abolished. Parishes within the district are: Blisland, Bodmin, Bodmin Borough, Cardinham, Egloshayle, Endellion, Helland, Lanhydrock, Lanviet, Lanlivery, Lostwithiel, Luxulion, St. Kew, St. Mabyn, St. Minver Highlands, St. Minver Lowlands, St. Tudy, St. Winnow, Temple, Wadebridge, Warleggon, Withiel.

The Superintendant Registrar can be contacted at: Lyndhurst, 66 Nicholas Street, Bodmin, Cornwall, PL31 2AG. Tel: 01208 73677.

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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 Cardinham are available on-line.

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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.
• Mailing List. There is a mailing list for anyone with a genealogical and or historical interest in Bodmin Moor and its surrounding villages. Villages covered are: Advent (Tresinney), Alternun, Blisland, Bodmin, Boventor, Camelford (Lanteglos), Cardinham, Davidstow, Egloshayle, Helland, Laneast, Lanteglos by Camelford, Launceston, Lewannick, Liskeard, Michaelstow, North Hill, St Breward, St Breock, St Cleer, St Clether, St Mabyn, St Neot, St Tudy, Temple, Tresinney, Trewen, Wadebridge (Egloshayle & St Breock), and Warleggan. This list is in support of the OnLine Parish Clerk system. You can also subscribe to the ENG-CON-BODMINMOOR-L for the List version, or ENG-CON-BODMINMOOR-D (digest) for the Digest version.

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Historical Geography

• Cabilla (Cabulian, Cabulion, Cabvlian), Grid Reference 145696.
• Glynn (Glin), Grid Reference 113650.
• Trezance (Thersent), Grid Reference 126693.

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Maps

• Map of the Bodmin Registration District in which the parish lies.
• An old map of the parish of Cardinham in the 19th century is also available.

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Poorhouses, Poor Law, etc.

Cardinham parish was part of the Bodmin Union for Poor Law administration and parish relief.

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Population

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Religion and Religious Life

• 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 Cardinham are available on-line.
• The Incumbents of Cardinham parish church are listed on-line.

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Statistics

The parish comprises 9612 acres of land and 22 acres of water.

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