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Newlyn, St Peter, (Cornish: Lulynn Sen Peder), is in the Hundred and Deanery of Penwith. It is sometimes referred to as Newlyn West or Newlyn-by-Penzance to differentiate it from St Newlyn East.
The parish is located just to the west of the town of Penzance. The name is taken from the Cornish Street-an-Nowan. It was created in 1851 from part of the parish of Paul. It contains the picturesque fishing port of Newlyn which in the past has attracted artists influenced by the French Impressionists. They became to
be known as the 'Newlyn School', and their paintings are becoming
increasingly popular today.
Census information for this parish (1851 - 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:
The parish of Newlyn St Peter has been in the Penzance Registration District continuously since its creation. 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.
Cornish Emigrants to Akron, Ohio, USA is a partial list of the Penzance, Newlyn, & Mousehole Cornish that went over to Akron, Ohio, during the 1910 time period to work in the five major rubber factories in town.
Although this description is in respect of Newlyn, the way of life was
similar in many Cornish villages if not towns. "Ope" is a diminutive of
opening. These were common in the old Newlyn and, unlike a lane, were not open
to the sky but were a way of interconnecting courts, lanes and allies. The
entrance way went underneath a first floor dwelling.This opened out the end of
what would otherwise be a dead end. The room above was on what we call a
"flying freehold", having only air beneath it. Many of the entrances
to
the old courts were once like this and the op/ope gave access to the net lofts
and yards/courts that were communally used. This was where the women could beat
or braid nets and the men cutch/bark the nets or sails in the pits, all within
sight and sound of the children. Children would always be children however, and
sometimes they fell through the ill-fitting pit lids and were
"tanned"
for several weeks. Boys anxious to show of their sculling skills
'borrowed' punts tied up at the wharf and used any old piece of wood as
an oar....they were often found, beyond the old quay stuck on the mud as the
tide fell. Stuck they stayed until the turn. It was impossible to walk on the
sand at certain states of the tide, despite it looking firm. This is why so
many little boats were kept bottom-up in the courts. Oars were always taken
ashore to prevent mischievous boys showing off to the girls. They would go to
sea for real at 12 years of age so they learnt many skills at an early
age.
Where several courts joined up there was created an open square
large enough to dry nets and sails in, after barking. These were called
"Gearns" and were more common in the 'Newlyn Town' area. Later
on, the narrow cuttings between houses, making short cuts between long streets,
were also called opes, although, strictly speaking, they were not of the
same construction.
As for down-along, this word was in good
company; there were also up-along, out-along, in-along,
and home-along. These were used to describe any place in relation to
your current position, although down-along was only used when going back
uphill and the upalong when going downalong [if you get the meaning].
In-along was to anywhere slightly towards the inland country not up a
hill eg.Stable Hobba or Larrigan or perhaps as far as Penzance. Anything some
distance away like St. Ives, Marazion or Hayle was over- to. For
example: "over to Hayle".
The Cornish use of 'to' is
confusing. It is sometimes used as in the question "Where is it?",
"Where's Mum to?", "Where's dinner to?". One
person was
on a railway platform in London some time ago, and asked the porter
"Where's the train too?". "Train to where?" came the
reply!
There was only one train leaving at a time at Penzance and one up track!
Paddington was a revelation.
"Out-along" was a short way along
the cliff/strand road beside the harbour in either direction.
"Home-along" was usually said by the old men after spending the
morning
discussing things amongst themselves. This could have been on the seats outside
the Seamens' Mission at Newlyn Bridge, Street-an- Nowan or at the
Seamens' Rest at the bottom of Church Street on the Cliff in Newlyn Town.
They could have used "Up-along" but at the disappearance of one of
their number, the conversation went something like this. "Where's
e'
gone to ?", and the answer came back "'ome along for 'is
denner".
Some old-timers in St. Ives have been heard to use these
expressions also but whether from their own tradition or picking up the Newlyn
one is not clear.
Several places had houses name Up-Along,
Down-Along and Homealong in the 1950s, as if trying to preserve
the custom and language. However, name changes have taken place. Today these
names are replaced with "Ebb-Tide", "Cosy Nook",
"Demelza", "Nampara" and "Matelot's
Cottage".
The two parts of Newlyn were once very distinct. Newlyn Town was above the old
medieval harbour and was cut off twice a day by the tide from
Street-an-Nowan.This was originally so named as it was at the end of the new
road they built from Penzance alongside the Western Green beside the sea and to
the old Newlyn bridge. This was in the early 1800s, then literally "The
New
Street". This was washed away several times, in the storms of 1880 & 1895
in particular, after the last of which they were re-constructed in its present
position, 100yds further back. Then they built the new bridge and "Buccas
Pass" to link with the old way up Jack Lane. This was so steep for horses
they had to zig-zag up it, wedging the wheels as they went. It was not popular
with the tradesmen and, when the tide was favourable, they still went via the
strand. However, if they took this route sometimes horses were swimming in an
attempt to gain a foothold on the far side, rather than wait or go the long way
around. The sight of a four horse team and a cart loaded with granite stone
from the quarry, swimming for the shore must have been something worth
watching. Motor lorries had no choice and although they were few they were on
the increase. Trades people were pressing for a road to be built connecting
the two halves of the village along the strand from Champions Slip to the
wharf. This was rumoured to have the effect of increasing the rates and there
was a protest movement amongst the local residents of Paul, Mousehole and
Newlyn. Their slogan was "We ed'n goin' to ab'n". However,
when the local 'establishment' got behind the plans and promised, at a
special meeting in Paul Church Hall, that the rate would be so small that they
would hardly notice it; the protest gradually faded.
The quarry between
the south pier and Penlee Point would provide the stone & more jobs for the
local men and this was probably the deciding factor. The rampart started from
the Penlee end and gradually grew in length until it reached the Wharf
opposite, where the present day Fish Market is. It was officially opened in
1908. This is why the boat-building yards ended up the wrong side of the road
and the Nor'ard,[also known as Gwavas], Champion's and Newlyn Slips end on
tarmac instead of the water. The old Keel Alley beach at the Fradgan remained
but accessed only through the columns supporting the road. The fish cellars and
waterside homes were cut off from the sea. Many hours could be spent combing
this little beach as a child whilst thinking how lucky were those who lived in
the little cottages on the rocks above. They had pretty little gardens with
rose arches over garden gates that opened on to the water. This little tidal
waterside beach was finally filled in about 1980 as it was claimed that the
smell from the tidal mud was offensive to the residents! Was this progress? It
always seems that the baby was thrown out with the bathwater, even if it is
attempting to preserve things.
My Granma who died in 1948 still referred
to Newlyn by the name Streetnowan and I was always very puzzled, then
and later, when I could find no reference to it on any map.. I have many old
maps now and I still can find no such name. The locals had a good oral
tradition but much has been lost in the last 50 years through emigration and
the immigration if those not directly connected to it. Sad to say, the two
meeting places of the "parliament "of old men have both gone in recent
years.The buildings remain but the seats outside have been removed. The other
two favourite debating places were the blacksmiths and cobblers shops but who
"taps" shoes for man or beast these days.There were two blacksmiths when I was
young, Clements on the pier and James Rowe by the old bridge. There were 5
cobblers of which two were Madderns: Tommy was a Streetnowan lad and Jimmy was
a Towner. I remember they were related to each other.[cousins, I 'spect!].
Funny thing was, each were in premises next to a gents.' barbers, another
talking shop.
I have seen some howlers of explanations as to why places were named so & so
and who ran what shop and when, which I know, from personal witness, are not
true. The Cornish are inclined to leave the search for our forgotten or hidden
history to strangers which is a shame. Not that their research is invalid it is
that ours would be of a different character and emphasis. We all need to
understand what makes us what we are and where we come from. Why, even though
we do not appear to have any links with a certain places or people, they draw
us back. I think we Cornish often thought that there would always be someone
more ancient and revered who held the knowledge like some Holy Grail if we did
not. We then suddenly realise too late that these old ones are no more and what
they knew went with them. As a race few write their memories down, either in
prose or poetry or encapsulate them in works of art. Subsequently, our
experiences are lost, as the oral tradition today has been lost. When we were
young we did not always listen to the tales our elders told us. It is only
afterwards that we realise our mistake and wish we had been more interested.
The world changes faster with every passing hour. We cannot be in the
close-knit family units we once were but the internet has come at a time that
enables us all to link in ways we could never imagine. The whole world has
become our village. Ask a question on it, someone may have the answer or can
tell you how to find it. We can gossip and natter about this or that
inconsequential thing, even those not strictly speaking Cornish, and disagree
and fall out. Friends and family have done the same thing for eons. But
talking is better than silence; that way we can learn. Whether it is vital or
not is a subject for debate.
(Reminicences by Sandra Pritchard)
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.
Newlyn parish was originally part of Paul parish. After it was created in 1851, it became part of the Penzance Union for Poor Law administration and parish relief.
The parish was created in 1851 from parts of Paul and Penzance St. Mary parishes.
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The parish comprises 386 acres of land
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