Cornwall

Nearby places

St Minver

The parish of St Minver is situated in the Deanery of Trigg Minor, and the Hundred of Trigg. It is bounded on the north by the sea, on the east by Endellion and St Kew, and on the south and west by the River Camel and Padstow Harbour, which separates it from the parishes of St Breock, St Issey and Padstow. The parish is named after St Menwreda (Mynfreda or Minefreda), the patron saint of the Church, and the sister of St Nectanus, St Tetha, and several others, all of whom were believed to be some of the 24 children of King Broccan.

St Minver is first mentioned in episcopal records in 1269. This parish is on the eastern side of the Camel estuary, and the pleasant village is dominated by the tall spire of the Church. The parish is nominally divided into the Highlands and Lowlands; the parish mother Church being situated in the former, and the two chapels-of-ease called St Enodoc and St Michael's, were in the latter. A town is said once to have stood between St Michael's Church and St Enodoc. In 1778, in consequence of the shifting sands, a chapel amd cemetery were discovered at what is now a place called Rock, and many slate coffins and human bones, were exposed. Spoons, utensils, rings and other ornaments were found, together with a quantity of English coins of various reigns, especially from Henry I to Elizabeth I.

The principal villages are the Churchtown, Rock, Tredrissick, Trevanger, and Penmean. North of St Minver is the 'scattered' village of Trebetherick, which is close to Polzeath with its magnificent view of Pentire Point. Bronze Age and Roman artefacts have been found in this area.

Cemeteries

• The Cornwall Family History Society have published Monumental Inscriptions for:
  • The Parish Church - 901 entries
  • Porthilly St Michaels, Rock - 538 entries
  • St Enodoc Church - 375 entries.
• The War Memorials of St Minver are available on-line.

Return to top of page

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 Minver, (HO107/152), is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project as follows:
  • Highlands. Enumeration Districts 2 and 3.
  • Lowlands. Enumeration District 1.
• 1851.
  • The 1851 Census of St Minver (HO107/1904), Enumeration Districts 3a, 3b (Highlands) and 4 (Lowlands), is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
• 1861. The 1861 Census of St Minver (RG9/1539), Enumeration Districts 6 and 7 (Highlands) and 8 (Lowlands), is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
• 1871. The 1871 Census of St Minver (RG10/2252) is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project as follows:
  • St Minver Highlands - Enumeration Districts 6 and 7.
  • St Minver Lowlands - Enumeration District 8.
• 1881. The 1881 Census of St Minver (RG11/2293) is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project as follows:
  • St Minver Highlands - Enumeration Districts 6 and 7.
  • St Minver Lowlands - Enumeration District 8, and Merchant Shipping.
• 1891. The 1891 Census of St Minver (RG12/1817) is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project as follows:
  • St Minver Highlands - Enumeration Districts 6 and 7.
  • St Minver Lowlands - Enumeration District 8.

Return to top of page

Church History

• Anglican. There are three Anglican churches in this parish:
  • The parish church is located in OS Grid Square SW9677it is dedicated to St Menefreda who is thought to have been one of the 24 children of St Brychan. Her first shrine in or near Tredrizzick was associated with a well. This may be the same as the Jesus well, which still exists. Its water was at one time credited with curative properties, and there was an ancient chapel there once known as the South Chapel. The chapel was built near a holy well on the banks of the Camel.
    The church comprises a chancel, nave, and north and south aisles. The chancel was repaired in 1811, when a window of stained-glass, displaying the Sandys arms, was added. The south arcade consists of seven lofty Early Perpendicular arches, supported on massive octagonal piers. The entrances are a south porch and a priest's door. The tower has two stages which are strongly buttressed, and is surmounted by a spire; it contains five bells.
    Details about the plans of the modern church are available on-line.
    There is a separate page dedicated to the St Minver parish church.
  • There is a chapel-of-ease of St Enodoc (or as it is called in some records St Gwinnodock) is situated on the north-west side of the parish; it stands by the side of a clear rivulet of frsh water. This area was originally composed of shifting towans (or sandhills), and the little church of St Enodoc was so buried by the shifting sands, that for its priviliges, services were performed once every yoear only, the clergyman being admitted through a skylight, made especially for that occasion. This church was said to have been first built in 1430. It consists of a chancel, a nave, a short south aisle and a north transept to which is joined a tower surmounted by a spire containing one bell. The church was restored in 1863. The south porch is the only entrance to trhis church. The churchyard contains numerous graves, including that of Sir John Betjamin.
    Details about the plans of the modern church are available on-line.
  • The church of St Michael Porthilly, at Rock, is the other ancient chapelry included in the parish of St Minver. It comprises a chancel, nave, south transept and vestry. Over the south porch is a bell turrent containing one bell. This church was also substantially restored in 1867. In the churchyard are a great number of tombs and headstones. St Michael's chapel was mentioned in a deed dating 1299.
    Details about the plans of the modern church are available on-line.
• Non-Conformist. There was a Wesleyan Methodist chapel at Rock, and a Wesleyan Methodist Free Church chapel at Tredrissick.

Return to top of page

Church Records

• LDS Church Records.
  • The LDS Church batch numbers for this parish are: C002325, P002351, M002351. These are searchable by surname.
  • The IGI coverage of this parish is 1558 - 1877.
• The Cornwall Record Office holdings: Baptisms 1559 - 1978, Burials 1559 - 1978, Marriages 1559 - 1912, Boyd's Marriage Index 1559 - 1812, Pallot's Marriage Index 1800 - 1812.
• The Cornwall Family History Society have published transcripts of:
  • Pre 1813 Marriages
  • 1813-37 Marriages
  • 1813-37 Burials.
• Baptisms.
  • Baptisms 1690 to 1833, 1698 to 1805 (Bishop's transcripts - with gaps) and 1835 to 1870, for this parish are available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (C-PROP).
  • The Cornish Forefathers' Society have published on CD, baptisms 1695 to 1842 for this parish.
  • Cornwall Legacy have published on CD baptisms (1863 to 1900) of the Camelford United Methodist Circuit. Areas include: Camelford, Boscastle, Tintagel, St Gennys, St Teath, St Kew, St Minver, St Mabyn, Michaelstow, St Endellion, Altarnun, St Breward, St Tudy, Advent, Lanteglos, Minster and Wadebridge.
  • Cornwall Legacy have also published on CD, baptisms (1836 to 1900) of the Camelford Wesleyan Circuit. Areas include: Camelford, Advent, St Teath, Lanteglos, St Breward, Wadebridge, Boscastle, Port Isaac, St Breock, St Minver, St Endellion and St Mabyn.
  • Cornwall Legacy have published on CD, baptisms (1869 to 1900) of the Michaelstow Bible Christian Circuit. The Circuit covers Michaelstow, Blisland, St Teath, Minster, Advent, Tintagel, St Breward, Forrabury, Lanteglos, St Endellion, Trevalga, St Neot, Temple, St Minver, Altarnun, Lesnewth, St Tudy, Davidstow, and Camelford.
• Marriages.
  • Phillimore marriages 1559 to 1812, 1726 to 1805 (Bishop's transcripts - with gaps), and 1696 to 1787 and 1813 to 1885 for this parish are available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (C-PROP).
  • The Cornwall Family History Society have published transcripts of: Marriages in the Parish 1559 to 1837, which is available in CD or downloadable .pdf file formats.
• Burials.
  • Burials 1678 to 1812 (in woollen), 1698 to 1805 (Bishop's transcripts - with gaps), and 1813 to 1869, for this parish are available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (C-PROP).
  • The Cornwall Family History Society have published transcripts of: Burials in the Parish 1813 to 1837, which is available in Book format.

Return to top of page

Civil Registration

The parish of St Minver is in the Bodmin Registration District, and has been since 1st July 1837; there were sub-districts are Bodmin, Egloshayle, Lanlivery and St Mabyn but these have now been abolished. Parishes within the district were: Blisland, Bodmin, Bodmin Borough, Cardinham, Egloshayle, Endellion, Helland, Lanhydrock, Lanviet, Lanlivery, Lostwithiel, Luxulion, St. Kew, St. Mabyn, St. Minver Highlands, St. Minver Lowlands, St. Tudy, St. Winnow, Temple, Wadebridge, Warleggon, Withiel.

The Superintendant Registrar can be contacted at: Lyndhurst, 66 Nicholas Street, Bodmin, Cornwall, PL31 2AG. Tel: 01208 73677.

Return to top of page

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).
• The OPC has produced a picture gallery of St Minver parish.
• Other photographs of St Minver are available.
• Photographs of St Enodoc are also available.

Return to top of page

Directories

• Kelly's Directory 1873 of St Minver.
• Harrod & Co's Directory of Cornwall, 1878 contains a section on St Minver.
• Kelly's Directory 1889 of St Minver.
• Kelly's Directory 1893 of St Minver.
• Kelly's Directory 1902 of St Minver.
• Kelly's Directory 1939 of St Minver.

Return to top of page

Genealogy

• 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 for St Minver has produced a genealogical website for the parish. A list of resources available is listed.

Return to top of page

History

Various histories of St Minver parish , are available on-line, courtesy of the OPC.

Return to top of page

Historical Geography

• Trewornan (Tregrenou, Tregrenon), Grid Reference 985744.

Return to top of page

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.
• Return of the Possession of the Inhabitants of St. Minver, 1521-1523 is available on-line, courtesy of the OPC.

Return to top of page

Maps

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

Return to top of page

Newspapers

Extracts, relating to St Minver Parish or St Minver folk, have been taken from the West Briton Newspaper. These are on-line, courtesy of the OPC.

Return to top of page

Occupations

Apprenticeship Indentures for St Minver (1802 - 1829) can be found in the Cornwall Record Office.

Return to top of page

Poorhouses, Poor Law, etc.

St Minver parish was part of the Bodmin Union for Poor Law administration and parish relief.

Return to top of page

Population

From 1881, population totals are divided in the Highlands and Lowlands area of the parish.

Return to top of page

Probate Records

Some St Minver Wills in the 17th to 19th centuries are available on-line.

Return to top of page

Statistics

The parish comprised 7621 acres of land.

Return to top of page

Taxation

• The Subsidy Roll (poll tax), 1st Edward III. (1332) 87/7 Granting a Twentieth to the King. [Parachia Sancte Mynreude] is on-line, courtesy of the OPC.
• The Subsidy Roll (poll tax), 34th Henry VIII (1543) 87/154. [Parochia de Minver], is on-line, courtesy of the OPC.

Return to top of page

Are you lost in the GENUKI hierarchy or arrived here from a Search Engine?
If so, use the up-arrow(s) at the top of the page to go up the hierarchy.

Copyright and Disclaimer The information on the GENUKI (www.genuki.org.uk/) website must not be used for commercial purposes, and all specific restrictions concerning usage, copyright notices, etc., that are to be found on individual information pages within GENUKI must be strictly adhered to. Violation of these rules could gravely harm the cooperation that GENUKI is obtaining from many information providers, and hence threaten its whole future. Whilst we take every care to keep the information on our web pages accurate, we disclaim any warranty or representation, express or implied about its accuracy, completeness or appropriateness for a particular purpose. Thus, you assume full responsibility for its use, and you understand and agree that neither GENUKI as an organisation nor any of its maintainers or providers are responsible or liable for any claim, loss or damage as a consequence. GENUKI contains many hyperlinks and directives to sites developed by others. They are provided for your convenience only. We do not control nor guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of such sites, and in the event of a link to such a site being 'broken', or otherwise unavailable, our only recourse is to remove that link. Thank you for your cooperation. GENUKI is a registered trademark of the charitable trust GENUKI - see About GENUKI as an Organisation.