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Philleigh

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The parish of Philleigh, (Cornish: Eglosros), or Filly was anciently called Eglos Ross or Heath Church; it is situated in the Deanery and Hundred of Powder. Named from St. Fily, a saint about whom little is known, Philleigh is situated on the beautiful rural Roseland peninsula, which is almost an island in the south of Cornwall, bounded by the sea on two sides and the Fal river on the third. On the east, it is bounded by Ruan Lanihorne and Veryan and on the south by Gerrans and St Just-in-Roseland.

Philleigh is listed in the Domesday Survey of 1086 when 'Earl Harold held it before 1066, and paid tax for 1f; 1v. of land there, however. Land for 2 ploughs; ½ plough there; 3 slaves, 3 Smallholders, Pasture 20 acres. Value formerly and now 10s'.

There was a Tolverne ferry across the River Fal from Philleigh to the parish of Kea, with a branch ferry going to the grounds of Tregothnan. The road through the village leads to the King Harry Ferry, where there has been a ferry across the river since medieval times.

The 16th century Roseland Inn beckons the traveller with its low beamed ceilings and reputation for good food. Villages in the parish are the Churchtown, White Lanes and Treworthall.

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:

  • 1841.
    • The 1841 Census of Philleigh (HO107/148), Enumeration District 4, is also available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
  • 1851.
    • The 1851 Census of Philleigh (HO107/1909), Enumeration District 3, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
    • Part of the 1851 Census of Philleigh is available from the West-Penwith resources as part of the 1851 British Census 2% sample - Cornwall.
    • The New Zealand Society of Genealogists have compiled separate surname indexes of the 1851 Census for each Cornish registration district. Entries for Philleigh are contained in Volume 17. The booklets are available in Cornwall at the Cornwall Centre, (formerly known as the Cornish Studies Library), and is also in the Library of the Cornwall FHS from which it can be purchased.
  • 1861. The 1861 Census of Philleigh (RG9/1553), Enumeration District 6 [including Merchant Shipping], is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
  • 1871. The 1871 Census of Philleigh (RG10/2275), Enumeration District 6, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
  • 1881. The 1881 Census of Philleigh (RG11/2307), Enumeration District 6, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
  • 1891. The 1891 Census of Philleigh (RG12/1827), Enumeration District 6, 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 SW8739 and was dedicated to St Filius or St. Felicitas. There was a church here from the 13th century, although the present building dates from the 15th century. It comprises a chancel, nave, south aisle and a north trancept - a portion of which is used as a vestry. The tower has two stages and has a single buttress at the square of the western angles. It is finished with battlements and contains three bells. The churchyard is entered by a lych gate.
  • Non-Conformist. A Wesleyan Chapel was built in the Churchtown in 1838 and there was another sited at Treworlas.
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Church Records

  • LDS Church Records.
  • The Cornwall Record Office holdings: Baptisms 1733 - 1954, Marriages 1733 - 1979, Burials 1733 - 1955, Boyd's Marriage Index 1597 - 1673, Pallot's Marriage Index 1790 - 1812, Bishops Transcripts 1597 - 1673.
  • The Cornwall Family History Society have published on-line transcripts of:
    • Pre 1813 Marriages
    • 1813-37 Marriages
    • 1813-37 Burials.
  • Baptisms.
    • Baptisms 1613 to 1911 for this parish are available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (C-PROP).
    • The baptisms of the St Mawes Wesleyan Methodist Circuit, taken from LDS film 2276204, images 1789-1989 (courtesy of the Church of Latter Day Saints) are available on-line, courtesy of the OPC. These records relate to the whole of the Roseland Peninsula including St Mawes, St Just in Roseland, St Anthony in Roseland, Gerrans, Portscatho, Philleigh, Veryan, Ruan Lanihorne etc.
  • Marriages.
    • The Cornwall Family History Society have published transcripts of: Parish Marriages 1601 to 1837, which is available in CD or downloadable .pdf file formats.
    • Phillimore's marriages 1613 to 1837, together with parish marriages 1613 to 1912, for this parish are available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (C-PROP).
  • Burials.
    • The Cornwall Family History Society have published transcripts of: Parish Burials 1813 to 1837, which is available in Book format.
    • Burials 1613 to 1825, and 1755 to 1935, for this parish are available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (C-PROP).
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Civil Registration

The parish of Philleigh has been in the Truro Registration District continuously from 1st July 1837. There were sub-districts at Kea, Kenwyn, Probus, St. Agnes, St. Clement and St Just-in-Roseland, but these have now been abolished. Parishes in this registration district are: Cornelly, Cuby, Feock, Gerrans, Kea, Kenwyn, Ladock, Lamorran, Merther, Perranzabuloe, Philleigh, Probus, Ruan Lanihorne, St. Agnes, St. Allen, St. Anthony in Roseland, St. Clement, St. Erme, St. Feock, St. Just in Roseland, St. Michael Penkevil, Tregavethan, Tregony St. James, Truro St. Mary, Veryan.

The address of the Registration Office is: Dalvenie House, New County Hall, Truro, TR1 3AY.
Tel: 01872 322241.

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Description & Travel

You can see pictures of Philleigh which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

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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. British-genealogy.com operate a mailing list for anyone with a genealogical and or historical interest in the Parish of Philleigh. To post a message to all the list members, send an email to: opc-con-philleigh[at]british-genealogy[dot]com.
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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 Philleigh ecclesiastical parish:

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Maps

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SW872396 (Lat/Lon: 50.218182, -4.98458), Philleigh which are provided by:

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Poor Houses, Poor Law

Philleigh parish was part of the Truro Union for Poor Law administration and parish relief.

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Population

  • Population in 1801 - 315 persons
  • Population in 1811 - 342 persons
  • Population in 1821 - 395 persons
  • Population in 1831 - 432 persons
  • Population in 1841 - 456 persons
  • Population in 1851 - 446 persons
  • Population in 1861 - 363 persons
  • Population in 1871 - 287 persons
  • Population in 1881 - 269 persons
  • Population in 1891 - 244 persons
  • Population in 1901 - 245 persons
  • Population in 1911 - 213 persons
  • Population in 1921 - 217 persons
  • Population in 1931 - 194 persons
  • Population in 1951 - 192 persons
  • Population in 1961 - 268 persons
  • Population in 1971 - 166 persons
  • Population in 1981 - 155 persons
  • Population in 1991 - 170 persons
  • Population in 2001 - 159 persons
  • Population in 2011 - 163 persons
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Religion & 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 Philleigh are available on-line.

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Statistics

The parish consists of 2403 acres of land, 20 acres of tidal water and 107 acres of foreshore.