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Egloshayle

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Egloshayle (Cornish: Eglosheyl) is situated on the banks of the River Camel, in the Deanery of Trigg-Minor, and in the Hundred of Trigg. It is bounded on the north by St Minver and St Kew, on the east by St Mabyn and Helland, on the south by Bodmin, and on the west by St Breock from which it is separated by the river Camel.

The name Egloshayle is Cornish for 'Church on an estuary' eglos(church} plus heyl(estuary). This parish is by the Camel river, south of Wadebridge, and contains the villages of Washaway, Ford, Sladesbridge, Gonvena, Bodieve and Egloshayle. Egloshayle was a Bronze Age settlement and a river port; it was also a trading port rivalling Padstow a little over five miles down river. The trade consisted of tin, clay, wool, corn and vegetable crops. It is now a busy rural village. A bridge which links it to the town of Wadebridge was originally built by a 15th century vicar who considered the ferry crossing too hazardous. Because it was built on sand it was continually being washed away by the tide, but the problem was eventually solved by building the foundations of the bridge on bales of wool.

Towards the end of the 19th century the town of Wadebridge was growing fast, and was straddling two Parishes, namely St Breock and Egloshayle, which was causing some problems with regards to the day-to-day running of the Town's affairs. In 1898, the two civil parishes united to form the Wadebridge Urban District Council, which continued in existence until 1934.

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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Cemeteries

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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:

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Church History

  • Anglican. The parish church is Located in Egloshayle Rd., on the outskirts of the village of Egloshayle [in OS Grid Square SX0071 (0008471911)]; it is dedicated to St Petroc. It comprises a chancel, nave, south aisle (said to be built by Thomas Vyvyan, prior of Bodmin), and a short north aisle or transept. The south arcade has six pointed arches of granite, with monolith pillars of the same material; the transept has two arches of similar character. There are north and south porches, and a priest's door. The tower, which is 80 feet in height, was built around 1490; it is of three stages, buttressed on the square, and finished with battlements and pinnacles. The church was in existence in 1258, and evidence suggests there was a church here before the Norman conquest of 1066.
    The 15th Century Church was originally dedicated to St Conan; it sits beside the main road but still retains its own distinctive character. The door to the west tower of the church, commemorates John Loveybond, the Vicar who paid for the building of the Bridge at Wade(bridge) in 1468, and because of the shifting sand, large bales of wool were sunk for the foundation of the bridge, hence references to the 'Bridge on Wool'. Loveybond, is commemorated also by carvings on the 15th century pulpit; the church is grander than that of most villages.
    There are two other Anglican churches: one at Washaway, which is dedicated to St Conan and was built in 1882
    The other, dedicated to St Mary, is in Trevanion Road in Wadebridge. The United Benefice of Egloshayle and St Breock was created in 1984. It comprises these two churches plus their daughter churches of St Conan's in washaway and St Mary's in Trevanion Road, Wadebridge.
  • Roman Catholics. The Church is dedicated to St. Michael the Archangel; it is located in Trevanson Street, Wadebridge. Church tradition has honoured St. Michael as a special guardian of souls in the fight against evil and especially at the hour of death. The feast of St. Michael together with SS. Gabriel and Raphael is celebrated on 29th September each year.
  • Non-Conformists. A Wesleyan Methodist chapel was built in the town in 1879, and one for the Free Methodists in 1848. There was another Wesleyan chapel at Washaway. A Congregationalist chapel was built in 1836, and a Bible Christian chapel was built in 1852. There had been a chapel here belonging to the Society of Friends (Quakers); this but was converted to a school in the mid-19th century; the Quakers now meet at the John Betjamin Centre in Wadebridge. There were also chapels belonging to the Methodist Free Church at Egloshayle and at Wadebridge.
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Church Records

  • LDS Church Records.
    • The LDS Church batch numbers for Egloshayle are: C022681/2, E022681, M022681. These are searchable by surname.
    • The IGI coverage of this parish is 1600 - 1875.
  • CRO Record Holdings. The Cornwall Record Office holdings: Baptisms 1600 - 1989, Burials 1600 - 1881, Marriages 1600 - 1924, Boyd's Marriage Index 1600 - 1812, Pallot's Marriage Index 1790 - 1812.
  • Other Non-Conformist Records. OPC Coverage of Non-Conformist records of this parish is available.
  • Baptisms.
    • Baptisms 1813 to 1911 are available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (C-PROP).
    • The Cornish Forefathers' Society have published on CD, baptisms 1705 to 1840 for this parish and are available for purchase on Parish Chest.
  • Banns. Banns 1755 to 1812 are available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (C-PROP).
  • Marriages.
    • Marriages 1600 to 1812 (Phillimore's) are available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (C-PROP).
    • The Cornwall Family History Society have published transcripts of: Parish Marriages 1600 to 1837, which is available in Book, CD or downloadable .pdf file formats.
  • Burials.
    • Burials 1600 to 1812 (with early gaps) are available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (C-PROP).
    • The Cornwall Family History Society have published transcripts of: Parish Marriages 16813 to 1837, which is available in Book or CD formats.
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Civil Registration

The parish of Egloshayle, together with the town of Wadebridge, 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

You can see pictures of Egloshayle which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland - 1868

"EGLOSHAYLE, a parish in the hundred of Trigg, county Cornwall, 1 mile S.E. of Wadebridge, its post town. It is situated on the river Allen, or Camel, which is spanned by a bridge of sixteen arches, connecting the village with the town of Wadebridge, of which it is now considered a part. The parish is of large extent, and the land chiefly arable. Petty sessions for the division are held here on the last Monday in every month. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Exeter, value £327, in the patronage of the bishop. The church is a stone structure, with a tower. It has a stone pulpit and two monuments to the Molesworths, of Pencarrow. The parochial charities produce about £12 per annum. There are chapels belonging to the Wesleyans and Association Methodists. There is a National school. In the neighbourhood are remains of fortifications, and of an ancient treble entrenched camp, called Castle Killibury. The Kelly rounds, or barrows, are also in this parish."

"WASHAWAY, a hamlet in the parish of Egloshayle, hundred of Trigg, county Cornwall, 3 miles N.W. of Bodmin."

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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 Egloshayle ecclesiastical parish:

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Maps

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SX014714 (Lat/Lon: 50.50879, -4.802635), Egloshayle which are provided by:

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Merchant Marine

In 1626 Francis Bassett (of Tehidy) was charged to conduct a survey of all Ports on the North Coast of Cornwall, and to list all Mariners, Sailors and Fishermen working those Ports. An extract of that Survey, covering ONLY those men listed as: "Bargemen Belonging To The Parish of Egloseale and St Breage" (St Breock) is available.

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Occupations

Apprenticeship Indentures for Egloshayle (1802 - 1813) can be found in the Cornwall Record Office.

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Poor Houses, Poor Law

  • Egloshayle parish was part of the Bodmin Union for Poor Law administration and parish relief. However in 1898, Wadebridge town also became part of this Union.
  • Bastardy Bonds (1735) for Egloshayle are available in the Cornwall Record Office.
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Population

Part of Egloshayle was tranferred to civil parish of Wadebridge in 1898. In the 2001 Census, Egloshayle was enumerated as part of Wadebridge.

  • Population in 1801 - 173 persons
  • Population in 1811 - 219 persons
  • Population in 1821 - 229 persons
  • Population in 1831 - 244 persons
  • Population in 1841 - 291 persons
  • Population in 1851 - 252 persons
  • Population in 1861 - 208 persons
  • Population in 1871 - 246 persons
  • Population in 1881 - 223 persons
  • Population in 1891 - 200 persons
  • Population in 1901 - 182 persons
  • Population in 1911 - 205 persons
  • Population in 1921 - 199 persons
  • Population in 1931 - 219 persons
  • Population in 1951 - 195 persons
  • Population in 1961 - 189 persons
  • Population in 1971 - 126 persons
  • Population in 1981 - 105 persons
  • Population in 1991 - 160 persons
  • Population in 2001 - 371 persons
    (6531 persons in Wadebridge)
  • Population in 2011 - 465 persons
    (6636 persons in Wadebridge)
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Societies

The Wadebridge Old Cornwall Society News Page is on-line.

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Statistics

The parish comprised 5285 acres of land, 14 acres of water, 22 acres of tidal water and 122 acres of foreshore.