Cornwall

Nearby Places

Gulval

The pleasant little village of Gulval (Cornish: Lannystli) is near Penzance overlooking Mounts Bay. The parish was originally called Lanisley, taken from the old Cornish Lan meaning church and ishei lower meaning the low (or lower church) which agrees with the situation. The present name, which has been used for many centuries, is probably derived from St Gulval, about whom nothing is known but was believed to be a female. There is a legend of a St Gulval's Well where one could seek news of absent friends by gazing into the water.

The parish of Gulval, otherwise known as Lanesly, is situated in the Deanery and Hundred of Penwith; it is bounded on the north by Zennor, a detached portion of Madron which it nearly surrounds, and Towednack, on the east by Ludgvan, on the south by Mount's Bay and on the west by Madron. it is mentioned in the Domesday survey of 1086. The surrounding area abounds in archaeological remains which show evidence of habitation since earliest times. The Bolitho family were influential in this parish and Mr RF Bolitho was responsible at the turn of the 20th century for building many of the granite houses, the almshouses and Lanisley Hall. Since the last war there have been many new housing developments and Europe's first heliport (Penzance) is located nearby.

Gulval was incorporated into the parishes of Penzance, Madron and Ludgvan in 1934, and is now virtually a suburb of Penzance.

Cemeteries

The Cornwall Family History Society have not yet published any Monumental Inscriptions for the Parish Church.

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Census

Census information for this parish (1841 - 1901) is held in the Cornwall Records 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 Gulval (HO107/142), Enumeration Districts 24 to 27, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
• 1851.
  • The 1851 Census of Gulval (HO107/1918), Enumeration Districts 2a, 2b and 2c, 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; Gulval is listed in Volume 27. The booklets are available in Cornwall at the Cornwall Centre (formerly known as the Cornish Studies Library), and is also available in the Cornwall Family History Society Library from which it can also be purchased.
• 1861. The 1861 Census of Gulval (RG9/1595), Enumeration Districts 25 to 27, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
• 1871
  • The 1871 Census of Gulval (RG10/2342), Enumeration District 25 to 27, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
  • The 1871 Census of Gulval is also available from the Cornwall Family History Society.
• 1881. The 1881 Census of Gulval (RG11/2347), Enumeration Districts 27 to 29, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
• 1891. The 1891 Census of Gulval (RG12/1859), Enumeration Districts 27 to 29, 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 SW4831 and was dedicated to St Wolvela (or St Gudwal), a British saint who flourised here in the 6th century.
  There was an early christian church here which was rebuilt in the early 14th century. On July 10th 1336 the present church was consecrated. There are pictures and a history of Gulval church available.
  The church is divided into a chancel, nave, south aisle and north transept. The transept is separated from the nave by two arches similar to that of the arcade. The church has a south porch and a priest's door. The tower is of three stages and is finished with battlements and pinnacles.
  A further description and history of Gulval Church, extracted from Blight's Churches of West Cornwall - 1864, is also available.
  Gulval is now part of the United Benefice of Gulval-Madron.
• Non-Conformist. There were three chapels for the Wesleyans situated at Cross, Gear and Trezelah, and two for the Bible Christians at Carfury and New Mill.

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Church Records

• LDS Church Records.
  • The LDS Church batch numbers for Gulval are: E002771, M002771/3, P002771/2. These are searchable by surname.
  • The IGI coverage of this parish is 1598 - 1895.
• The Cornwall Record Office holdings: Baptisms 1599 - 1886, Burials 1599 - 1925, Marriages 1598 - 1882, Boyd's Marriage Index 1598 - 1812, Pallot's Marriage Index 1800 - 1812.
• General.
  • Information about Gulval's baptism registers, marriage registers and burial registers is available.
• Baptisms.
  • Baptisms 1813 to 1886 for this parish are available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (C-PROP).
  • The Cornish Forefathers' Society have published on CD baptisms 1713 to 1840 for this parish.
  • Cornwall Legacy have 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 published on CD, baptisms (1839 to 1900) of the Penzance Bible Christian Circuit. The Circuit covers Penzance, Sancreed, St Just, Madron, Gulval, St Hilary, Ludgvan, Paul, Sennen, St Buryan, Zennor, Towednack and Morvah.
  • Cornwall Legacy have published on CD, baptisms (1844 to 1900) of the Penzance Primitive Methodist Circuit. The Circuit covers Penzance, Madron, St Ives, Gulval, Lelant, Ludgvan, Paul, Newlyn St Peters, and Towednack.
• Marriages.
  • The Cornwall Family History Society have published transcripts of: Parish Marriages 1598 to 1837, which is available in Book, CD or downloadable .pdf file formats.
  • Phillimore's marriages 1686 to 1741 and marriages 1813 to 1901 for this parish are available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (C-PROP).
  • Details of Gulval Marriages 1883-1902 are on-line.
• Burials.
  • The Cornwall Family History Society have published transcripts of: Parish Burials 1813 to 1837, which is available in Book or CD formats.
  • Burials 1700 to 1900 for this parish are available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (C-PROP).

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Civil Registration

The parish of Gulval 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.

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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).
• An extract of TONKIN's NATURAL HISTORY OF CORNWALL (circa 1700) describes Gulval at that time. Hals' History of Cornwall - 1750 also gives much further historical information.
• Details from Lake's Parochial History - 1868 (part 1) concerning Gulval is also on-line.
• The following is from [Lewis Topographical Dictionary of England 1831] and must be read in the context of that date.
  
  "GULVAL, a parish in the hundred of PENWITH county of CORNWALL, 1½ mile (N.E.) from Penzance, containing 1353 inhabitants. The living is a vicarage, in the archdeaconary of Cornwall, and diocese of Exeter, rated in the king's books at £6. 11. 0½., and in the patronage of the Crown. The church is dedicated to St. Gulwal. There is a place of worship for Wesleyan Methodists. A stream, called Dane river, from its passing under a bridge of that name, runs through the parish, in its course to Mount's Bay. Several tin mines have been worked in the northern part of the parish, but being in an exhausted state, they are now almost relinquished. At Rosemorren are the remains of a cromlech, near which several sculptured stones, earthern urns containing ashes, burnt bones, and ancient belt, etc., have been found. There is a spring called Gulfwell, or the Hebrew brook, which is held in great veneration by the superstitious."
  
  
• Pictures of Gulval are available on-line.
• More Photographs of Gulval are also available.

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Directories

• Kelly's Directory of Cornwall 1856 covering Gulval.
• Kelly's Directory of Cornwall 1873 covering Gulval.
• Kelly's Directory of Cornwall 1883 covering Gulval.
• Kelly's Directory of Cornwall 1893 covering Gulval (including Trevarrack).

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Genealogy

• 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 West Penwith Resources have produced a genealogical website for the parish.

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Historical Geography

• Gulval (Landicla, Landicle), Grid Reference 485317.

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Maps

• Map of the Penzance Registration District in which the parish lies.
• An old map of the parish of Gulval in the 19th century is also available.
• A separate map of Gulval parish, which places it in context with its neighbours, is also available on-line.

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Names, Personal

A list of surnames in Gulval, which are being researched by those who are email capable, is available on-line.

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Occupations

Apprenticeship Indentures for Gulval (1773 - 1832) can be found in the Cornwall Record Office.

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Poorhouses, Poor Law, etc.

• Gulval parish was part of the Penzance Union for Poor Law administration and parish relief.
• Overseers' Accounts (1784 to 1825), Settlement papers (1737 to 1818) and Bastardy Bonds (1616 - 1807), are available in the Cornwall Record Office.

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Population

Gulval was incorporated into parishes of Penzance, Madron and Ludgvan in 1934. Population figures from 1951 are usually included with Penzance.

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Probate Records

Wills & Admons for Gulval parish, 1660-1773 are available on-line.

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Statistics

The parish comprises 4355 acres of land.

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Voting Registers

The Gulval Register of Electors in 1914 is available on-line.

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