Cornwall

Nearby places

Hessenford

Hessenford (Cornish: Rys an Gwraghes) is in the Hundred and Deanery of East. Originally called Hestonford, believed to mean the 'witches' ford/place in the woods'. There was a mill at Hestonford here in 1286; there were still mills here up until the mid-20th century. It is a charming village in picturesque scenery situated about five miles west of St Germans; it contains a pretty cluster of late 17th/18th century lying on the main road from Looe to Plymouth. It is located at the foot of a well-wooded valley crossing the Seaton river.
The parish was created from part of St Germans parish in 1834. Hamlets within the parish are: Seaton, Downderry, Polbathic, Deviock and Narkurs.

Cemeteries

Monumental inscriptions for this parish have not yet been recorded. However Burials are recorded by the Cornwall Family History Society under 'St Germans', and are on-line.

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. In the 1841 Census, Hessenford was enumerated as part of St Germans.
• 1851. The 1851 Census of Hessenford (HO107/1900), Enumeration Districts 2e and 2f, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project..
• 1861. The 1861 Census of Hessenford (RG9/1524), Enumeration Districts 4c, 5c and 6a, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
• 1871. The 1871 Census of Hessenford (RG10/2230), Enumeration Districts 4 to 6, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
• 1881. The 1881 Census of Hessenford (RG11/2281), Enumeration Districts 4 to 6, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
• 1891. The 1891 Census of Hessenford (RG12/1807) is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project as follows:
  • Enumeration District 4.
  • Enumeration Districts 5 and 6.

Church History

• Anglican. There are two Anglican Churches in this former ecclesiastical parish:
  • Parish Church. The parish church is situated in OS Grid Square SX3057, and is dedicated to St Ann. It was originally built in 1832 as a district chapel-of-ease in St Germans parish to serve the growing population in Hessenford. It was consecrated on 26th September 1833. In 1871 it was rebuilt as a church, in the early English style and has a fine barrel-vaulted roof. The church now comprises chancel, nave, aisles, with a small tower and spire. It did not contain a bell, so the church became renowned for its shotgun weddings because a volley was fired in lieu of a peal. The stained west window is a memorial to a Mrs Abraham. The registers date from 1832.
  • Downderry. There is also a separate mission church of St. Nicholas at Downderry, built in 1883-4, at a cost of £1,000, by the Rev. J.T. Fisher B.A. vicar of Hessenford, 1851-85. It is an edifice of stone in the Early English style, and has a belfry containing one bell, erected as a memorial to the Rev. J.H.S. Staveley, a former curate; an oak pulpit was provided in 1893, and in 1905 a stained window was given by the widow of Col. Phillips in memory of two sons. There are 100 sittings. In 2001, a new wing with kitchen and toilets was added.
    Details about the plans of the modern church are available on-line.
  Hessenford is now part of the united parishes of St Germans, Hessenford, Downderry and Tideford.
• Non-Conformist. There was a Methodist chapel here which is now closed.

Church Records

The Cornwall Record Office holdings: Marriages 1834 - 1980, Baptisms 1834 - 1916, Burials 1834 - 1980.

Civil Registration

The parish of Hessenford is in the St Germans Registration District and has been since 1st July 1837; there were sub-districts at Antony, St Germans and Saltash but they have now been abolished. Parishes within the district were: Antony, Botusfleming, Landrake, Landulph, Maker, Millbrook, Pillaton, Quethiock, Rame, St. Erney, St. Germans, St. John's, St. Mellion, St. Stephen's, Saltash, Sheviock, Torpoint.

The Superintendant Registrar of St Germans can be contacted at: Ploughastel Drive, St Germans, Cornwall. Tel: 01752 842624.

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).

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.

Maps

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

Poorhouses, Poor Law, etc.

Hessenford parish became part of the St Germans Union for Poor Law administration and parish relief.

Population

The parish was created from St Germans parish in 1834; population figures before this date are included with St Germans.

Statistics

The parish comprises 6000 acres of land.

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