Cornwall

Nearby places

Sithney

The parish of Sithney, (Cornish: Merthersydhni), is situated in the Deanery and Hundred of Kerrier. It is bounded on the north by Crowan, on the east by Wendron and Helston and the Looe Pool which separates it from Gunwalloe, on the south by the sea, and on the west by Breage. It is named after the patron saint of the church, who chose to be the patron saint of mad dogs (in preference to young women). The parish lies about three miles north west of the town of Helston in a mainly agricultural area. In the 19th century there were at least eight tin mines in the area, none of which are working today. There are the ruins of an old farmhouse Plane-an-Gwary, meaning 'place of the plays'. Here Cornish Miracle plays were acted in medieval times, and later Cornish wrestlers were seen here on feast and fair days.

The principal villages are the Churchtown, Porthleven, St Johns, Penrose, Mellangoose, Lower Prospidnick, Dowga, Sithney Common, Sithney Green, Coverack, Crown Town (or Gudna), Lowertown, Chyreen and Lower Tregadjack. Porthleven, which was originally part of this parish, became a separate parish in 1844.

Cemeteries

• The Cornwall Family History Society have published Monumental Inscriptions for:
  • The Parish Church - 1028 entries
    
  • Chynhale Methodist Chapel - 112 entries
• War Memorial inscriptions for Sithney parish (1914-1918 and 1939-1945 Wars) are separately available.

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Census

Census information for parishes in this town (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. The 1841 Census of Sithney (HO107/139), Enumeration Districts 1 to 8, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
• 1851.
  • The 1851 Census of Sithney (HO107/1912), Enumeration Districts 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, 1g and 1his available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project. [District 1b includes Porthleven, but page 2 is missing].
  • The New Zealand Society of Genealogists have compiled separate surname indexes of the 1851 Census for each Cornish registration district; Sithney is listed in Volume 31. The booklets are available in Cornwall at the Cornwall Centre (formerly known as the Cornish Studies Library), and is also available in the Cornwall FHS Library.
• 1861. The 1861 Census of Sithney (RG9/1571) is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project as follows:
  • Enumeration Districts 17 - 18.
  • Enumeration Districts 19 - 22).
• 1871. The 1871 Census of Sithney (RG10/2302) is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project as follows:
  • Enumeration Districts 17 and 18.
  • Enumeration Districts 19 to 23.
• 1881. The 1881 Census of Sithney (RG11/2322), Enumeration Districts 19 to 24 [including Merchant Shipping], is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
• 1891. The 1891 Census of Sithney (RG12/1839), Enumeration Districts 18 to 23, 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 SW6328 and was dedicated to St Sidinius (Siduinus, or Sithuinus). The existing church was consecrated in 1497, and was built on the site of a Norman Church. It comprises a chancel, nave, north and south aisles, shallow north transept, and a south transept. The arcades each consists of six four-centred arches of granite. There is a south porch, the north porch is used as a vestry, and there is a priest's door. The tower has three stages, and is finished with battlements and pinnacles. It is 50 feet in height or, including the pinnacles, 67 feet. The belfry contains three bells.
  Details about the plans of the modern church are available on-line.
• Non-Conformist. There was a Wesleyan Methodist chapel in the Churchtown which was built in 1861, and another at Lower Prospidnick. The United Methodist Free Church had a chapel at Crown Town, built in 1835, and others at Tregathenan and Tuckingmill. A Bible Christian chapel was located at Gwavas.

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Church Records

• LDS Church Records.
  • The LDS Church batch numbers for Sithney are: P021561. These are searchable by surname.
  • The IGI coverage of this parish is 1666 - 1875; it is NOT believed to be fully included in the LDS Church's International Genealogical Index (IGI).
• The Cornwall Record Office holdings: Baptisms 1667 - 1834, Burials 1664 - 1895, Marriages 1664 - 1981, Boyd's Marriage Index 1608 - 1812, Pallot's Marriage Index 1800 - 1812, BTs 1608 - 1673.
• The Cornwall Family History Society have published on-line transcripts of:
  • Pre 1813 Marriages
  • 1813-37 Marriages
  • 1813-37 Burials.
• Baptisms.
  • Baptisms 1666 to 1901 in this parish are available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (C-PROP).
  • The OPC of Breage has transcribed Breage Circuit: Bible Christian Births & Baptisms 1821 to 1837. Parishes mentioned include: Breage, Crowan, Gwinear, Helston, Mullion, Porthleven, St Anthony, St Hilary, St Keverne, Sithney and Wendron. These can be searched on-line.
  • The Cornish Forefathers' Society have published on CD baptisms 1730 to 1838 for this parish.
  • The OPC has listed baptisms at Sithney, which are on-line as follows:

    Baptisms 1666 to 1695. Baptisms 1695 to 1737. Baptisms 1737 to 1812 for surnames A to J. Baptisms 1737 to 1812 for surnames K to Q. Baptisms 1737 to 1812 for surnames R to Z.

    Baptisms 1813 to 1906 for surnames A to H. Baptisms 1813 to 1906 for surnames I to O. Baptisms 1813 to 1906 for surnames P to R. Baptisms 1813 to 1906 for surnames S to Z.

  • Cornwall Legacy have also published on CD baptisms (1845 to 1900) of the Breage and Crowan Methodist Chapels, (including Black Rock, Horsedowns, Nancegollan, Praze, Townshend, Trenwheal chapels). Areas include: Breage, Crowan, Gwinear, Sithney, and St Erth.
  • Cornwall Legacy have also published on CD, baptisms (1838 to 1900) of the Helston Bible Christian Circuit. Areas include: Helston, St Keverne, Constantine, Wendron, St Anthony-in-Meneage, Manacccan, St Martin-in-Meneage, Sithney, Stithians and Lizard.
• Banns. The OPC has listed banns at Sithney, which are on-line as follows:
  • Banns 1824 to 1905 are available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (C-PROP).
  • By Groom 1824-1905.
  • By Bride 1824-1905.
• Marriages.
  • The Cornwall Family History Society have published transcripts of: Parish Marriages 1608 to 1837, which is available in CD or downloadable .pdf formats.
  • Phillimore's marriages 1654 to 1812, and marriages 1691 to 1901, in this parish are available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (C-PROP).
  • The OPC has listed marriages at Sithney, which are on-line as follows:

    Marriages 1691-1737 (by Groom). Marriages 1691-1737 (by Bride). Marriages 1737-1761 (by Groom). Marriages 1737-1761 (by Bride). Marriages 1762-1837 (by Groom).

    Marriages 1762-1837 (by Bride). Marriages 1837-1862 (by Groom). Marriages 1837-1862 (by Bride). Marriages 1862-1906 (by Groom). Marriages 1862-1906 (by Bride).

• Burials.
  • The Cornwall Family History Society have published transcripts of: Parish Burials 1813 to 1837, which is available in Book format.
  • Burials 1663 to 1901 in this parish are available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (C-PROP).
  • The OPC has listed burials at Sithney, which are on-line as follows:

    Burials 1663 to 1683. Burials 1695 to 1737. Burials 1737 to 1812 for surnames A to O. Burials 1737 to 1812 for surnames P to Z.

    Burials 1813 to 1906 for surnames A to H. Burials 1813 to 1906 for surnames I to O. Burials 1813 to 1906 for surnames P to R. Burials 1813 to 1906 for surnames S to Z.

  • Cornwall Legacy have also published on CD Burials (1892 to 1900) of the Breage and Crowan Methodist Chapels, (including Black Rock, Horsedowns, Nancegollan, Praze, Townshend, Trenwheal chapels). Areas include: Breage, Crowan, Gwinear, Sithney, and St Erth.
• Other Church Records.
  • Church Rates of 1623.
  • Church Fees of 1870.
  • Sithney Parish Council Minutes 1895-1899.
  • Sithney Parish Council Minutes 1900-1904.
  • Sithney Parish Council Minutes 1905-1910.

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Civil Registration

The parish of Sithney was originally in the Helston Registration District; there were sub-districts at Breage, Crowan, Helston, St Keverne and Wendron. It is now in the Kerrier Registration District. Parishes in this registration district are: Breage, Crowan, Cury, Germoe, Gunwalloe, Grade, Helston, Landewednack, Manaccan, Mawgan in Meneage, Mullion, Ruan Major, Ruan Minor, St. Anthony in Meneage, St. Keverne, St. Martin in Meneage, Sithney, Wendron.

The address of the Registration Office is: The Willows, Church Street, Helston, TR13 8NJ.
Tel: 01326 562848.

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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).
• Pictures of Sithney are available on-line.

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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.
  • The OPC has produced a website for Sithney to help those researching in that parish.
• Stray. Persons living in a parish but born elsewhere are known as "Strays". Strays found in Sithney/Porthleven in the 1861 Census are available on-line, as are those strays found only in Sithney.

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Historical Geography

• Truthall (Trouthel, Trovthel, Treuithal), Grid Reference 655303.

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Land & Property

• The parish and town tithe maps, and accompanying survey books of c1840, provide a fascinating snap-shot of land use and ownership in the 19th century. In order to preserve the documents and improve access to them, the Cornwall Record Office are digitising these maps and survey books. The CD ROM tithe package include a map and survey books, together with a reader, for this parish; it is now available from the Cornwall Record Office. Details are on their website.

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Maps

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

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Poorhouses, Poor Law, etc.

• Sithney parish was part of the Helston Union for Poor Law administration and parish relief.
• Overseers' Accounts (1744 to 1788, 1805 to 1823) are available in the Cornwall Record Office.

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Population

The parish of Porthleven was created from parts of this parish and Breage parish in 1846.

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Probate Records

Wills & Admons for Sithney parish, 1660-1730 are available on-line.

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Schools

Sithney/Porthleven Board School Admissions - 1886-1921 are on-line, courtesy of the OPC.

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Statistics

The parish comprises 4028 acres of land.

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