Cornwall

Nearby places

St Michael Penkivel

The parish of St Michael Penkivel (or Penkevill), (Cornish: Pennkevyll), is situated in the Deanery and Hundred of Powder. It is bounded on the north by St Clement's Creek and Merther, on the east by Lamorran, on the south by Lamorran Creek, which separates it from Philleigh, and on the west by the river Fal, which separates it from Kea. The parish is named after the dedication of the church to St Michael, and the name of the manor Penkivel. This unspoilt village lies hidden in woods between the Truro and Fal rivers. The house at nearby Tregothnan was built in 1816 and was designed by William Wilkins, who also designed the famous gothic screen fronting King's College, Cambridge. Much of the woodland of the parish is managed by the Tregothnan estate, whose sawmills provide sawn wood and wood products. Tregothnan House, the residence of the Boscawen Family, was built c.1818 by Edward Boscawen, fourth Viscount and first Earl of Falmouth. Lake's 'Parochial History of Cornwall' states:

The structure....comprises a main body with lateral extensions, the whole supported and tastefully ornamented with octagonal turrets, enriched chimney stacks, and battlemented parapets. A broad terrace protected with massive iron railing extends along the front and the chief entrance is a projecting porch with open arches....the grouping is rendered still more interesting by the beautiful parish church, the tasteful and commodious school premises, erected in 1844, and the neat rectory house.

The Rt. Hon Admiral Boscawen was born here. In 1740 he assisted in the capture of Porto Bello and in 1741 bravely attacked a took a battery of fifteen 24-pounder guns at Carthagena. He distinguished himself in Lord Anson's actions at Finisterre in which he was wounded. In 1758 he was appointed commander-in-chief of the British naval forces in America. He assisted in the reduction of Louisberg and the island of Cape Breton. For these duties he was nominated a Privy Councillor.

St Michael Penkivel parish has the villages of Tregonian, Tregothnan, Nancarrow and Penkevel.

Cemeteries

The Cornwall Family History Society have published Monumental Inscriptions for the Parish Church - 208 entries.

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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. 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 St Michael Penkivel (HO107/148), Enumeration District 2, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
  • The Cornwall Family History Society have published transcripts of: Parish 1841 Census, which is available in CD format.
• 1851.
  • The 1851 Census of St Michael Penkivel (HO107/1909), Enumeration Districts 4 and 5, 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; St Michael Penkivel is listed in Volume 17. 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 St Michael Penkivel and Lamorran (RG9/1552), Enumeration District 7, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
  • The Cornwall Family History Society have published transcripts of: Parish 1841 Census, which is available in CD format.
• 1871.
  • The 1871 Census of St Michael Penkivel and Lamorran (RG10/2273), Enumeration District 7B, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
  • The Cornwall Family History Society have published transcripts of: Parish 1841 Census, which is available in CDformat.
• 1881. The 1881 Census of St Michael Penkivel (RG11/2306), Enumeration District 7, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
• 1891. The 1891 Census of St Michael Penkivel (RG12/1826), Enumeration District 7, 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 SW8542; it was dedicated to St. Michael on 13th August 1261 by Walter Bronescombe, bishop of Exeter. In 1319 the patron, Sir John de Trejago founded a chantry here, and bishop John Stapledon of Exeter made the church into a collegiate foundation with four priests. The archpriest was to have the 'cure of souls' and the other three were to serve chantries in the church.
The existing church was built in 1862-66 on the site of the old one. It consists of a chancel, nave, and north and south transepts. The pulpit consists of an alabaster basement surmounted with a tracery of Pentewan stone supported on serpentine pillars. The tower consists of two stages, the first being heavily buttressed; it is surmounted by a steeple. The belfry contains four bells. There is a record that the old tower was lowered at the order of Admiral Boscawen in 1761 so that it could not be used as a landmark for the enemy (presumably the French). The church contains many monuments to the Boscawen family who have lived at Tregothnan in the parish for many centuries. Entrances are by a south porch and a north door.
There is an Indulgence in favour of this church 'given at Avignon the 4th day of May, in the year of our Lord 1335, and the Pontificate of our Lord Pope Benedict the 12th, the first.' Various duties are outlined, and the observer of these 'should have forty days indulgence from the penances enjoyned upon them.' This indulgence may have been granted to augment the incomes of the priests, but the Black Death (1349) and the rise in prices seem to have sealed the fate of the 'archpresbytery' which before 1426 was a Rectory once more.
The parish is now part of the Lamorran with Merther, Tresillian and St. Michael Penkivel Team Ministry.

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Church Records

• LDS Church Records
  • The LDS Church batch numbers for St Michael Penkivel are: C024971/2, C053561. These are searchable by surname.
  • The IGI coverage of this parish is 1546 - 1875; the records are NOT believed to be fully included in the LDS Church's International Genealogical Index (IGI).
• The Cornwall Record Office holdings: Baptisms 1546 - 1812, Burials 1576 - 1812, Marriages 1577 - 1939, Boyd's Marriage Index 1597 - 1623, Pallot's Marriage Index 1790 - 1837, BTs 1597 - 1623.
• The Cornwall Family History Society have published on-line transcripts of:
  • Pre 1813 Marriages
  • 1813-37 Marriages
  • 1813-37 Burials.
• Baptisms. Baptisms 1538 to 1565, and 1576 to 1911, for this parish are available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (C-PROP).
• Banns. Banns 1755 to 1809, and 1832 to 1911, for this parish are available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (C-PROP).
• Marriages.
  • Phillimore's marriages 1577 to 1836, and parish marriages 1577 to 1899, and (separately) 1756 to 1899, for this parish are available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (C-PROP).
  • The Cornwall Family History Society have published transcripts of: Parish Marriages 1594 to 1837, which is available in CD or downloadable .pdf file formats.
• Deaths/Burials.
  • Deaths 1849 to 1899 for this parish are available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (C-PROP).
  • Burials 1576 to 1911 for this parish are available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (C-PROP).
  • The Cornwall Family History Society have published transcripts of: Parish Burials 1813 to 1837, which is available in Book and CD formats.

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Civil Registration

The parish of St Michael Penkivel 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

• 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).
• Photographs of St Michael Penkivel 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.

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Maps

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

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Poorhouses, Poor Law, etc.

St Michael Penkivel parish was part of the Truro Union for Poor Law administration and parish relief. Overseers' Accounts (1766 to 1828) are available in the Cornwall Record Office.

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Population

Lamorran and Merther parishes were included into St Michael Penkivel for civil purposes in 1934.

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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 St Michael Penkivel are available on-line.
• A list of communicants on the 19th May 1650 (with additions for 1651), taken from the Vestry Minutes of St Michael Penkvel, is available on-line, courtesy of the OPC.
• Vestry Minutes, 1843 - 1862 are available on-line, courtesy of the OPC.
• Notes transcribed from different pages of the Vestry Minutes covering the period 1833 to 1867 are also available.

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Statistics

The parish contains approximately 1000 acres of land.

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Taxation

The Hearth Tax entries for St Michael Penkivel (1660-1664) are available on-line.

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