Cornwall

Nearby places

Tywardreath

Tywardreath, (Cornish: Chi war Dreth), parish is situated in the Deanery and Hundred of Powder. It is bounded on the north by Luxulyan and Lanlivery, on the east by Golant (St Sampson) and Fowey, and on the south and west by the sea, Par harbour and the River Par, which separates it from St Austell and St Blazey. Tywardreath has suffered from a multitude of different spellings since it appeared in the Domeday Survey of 1086 as Tiwardrai. The name possibly means 'House on the strand' (O.J.Padel). It is located inland from Par Sands on the south coast of Cornwall. A Benedictine priory was established here soon after the Norman Conquest. The occupants however seemed more concerned with amassing wealth rather than spreading the word of God, and consequently received a reprimand from their bishop. The priory was eventually dismantled in 1540.

The village of Tywardreath lies on the Pilgrim's Way and through which many pilgrims passed on their way to Fowey for onward travel to holy shrines in southern Europe and the Holy Land. The parish has been closely associated with the Rashleigh family, some of whom lived here. Apart from Tywardreath, the villages are: Polkerris, Highway, Par, Polmear, Middleway Bridge, and Chapel Down. Tywardreath is now closely connected with the parish of Golant (St Sampson).

Cemeteries

The Cornwall Family History Society have published Monumental Inscriptions for the Parish Church - 1176 entries, and the municipal cemetery.

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 Tywardreath (HO107/146), Enumeration Districts 1 to 7, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
• 1851. The 1851 Census of Tywardreath (HO107/1906) is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project as follows:
  • Enumeration Districts 3a, 3b and 3c.
  • Enumeration Districts 3d, 3e and 3f.
• 1861. The 1861 Census of Tywardreath is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project as follows:
  • RG9/1545. Enumeration Districts 7, 8 [including Prisons], 9 and 10.
  • RG9/1546. Enumeration Districts 11 and 12.
• 1871. The 1871 Census of Tywardreath is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project as follows:
  • RG10/2258. Enumeration District 7.
  • RG10/2259. Enumeration Districts 8 to 11.
• 1881. The 1881 Census of Tywardreath (RG11/2299), Enumeration Districts 7 to 11, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
• 1891. The 1891 Census of Tywardreath (RG12/1821), Enumeration Districts 7 to 11, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.

Church History

• History. In around 1135, the Benedictine priory of St Andrew was founded at Tywardreath, overlooking St Austell Bay, a daughter house of Saint's Sergius and Bacchus of Angers, with which its relationship persisted not always harmoniously, for nearly 300 years. At one time it was a substantial place consisting of a chapel, a refectory, dormitory, prior's lodging, guest chamber, chapter house and cloister. The buildings of which were situated South of the present church. The Priory Church, 80 feet long and 57 feet wide, catered for the needs of the local population, possibly a reason why there was no parish church in Tywardreath until the 14th century. The priory was closed in 1540 under the Reformation undertaken by Henry VIII. There are now three places of worship in the parish remaining:
  • Tywardreath Parish Church (dedicated to St Andrew).
    Details about the plans of the modern church are available on-line.
  • Tregaminion Chapel-of-Ease, near Polkerris.
  • Tywardreath Methodist Church in Well Street.

• Churches:
  • Anglican. The parish church is located in OS Grid Square SX0854 and was dedicated to St Andrew by David Mageraghty, Archbishop of Armagh, on 30th July 1347. It comprises a chancel, nave, south aisle and north transept. The arcade has six semi-circular arches supported on monolith granite pillars. There are a south porch, a north door, a priest's door, and a vestry door. The tower, which was added in 1480, has four stages, and is finished with battlements only; it contains six bells. Apart from the Tower, the church was almost completely rebuilt in 1880, when an organ chamber was added and a new organ installed.
    William Rashleigh built the chapel-of-ease at Tregaminion in 1815.
  • Non-Conformists. The Wesleyan Methodists built a large stone chapel in Tywardreath town in 1828, and another was located at Polkerris. The Bible Christians also built a chapel at Tywardreath in 1858; they had built another at Highway in 1841.

Church Records

• LDS Church Records.
  • The LDS Church batch numbers for Tywardreath are: C0533501, C021682, P0216681. These are searchable by surname.
  • The IGI coverage for this parish is 1608 - 1875; it is NOT believed to be fully included in the LDS Church's International Genealogical Index (IGI).
• The Cornwall Record Office holdings: Baptisms 1642 - 1967, Burials 1642 - 1972, Marriages 1642 - 1975, Boyd's Marriage Index 1608 - 1812, Pallot's Marriage Index 1790 - 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.
  • The SOCIETY of FRIENDS (Quakers) - Christenings taken from Fowey Circuit Records, is available on-line, courtesy of the St Austell OPC. These include individuals from Tywardreath.
  • The Cornish Forefathers' Society have published on CD baptisms 1715 to 1841 for this parish.
  • Cornwall Legacy have published on CD baptisms (1874 to 1900) of the St Austell Primitive Methodist Circuit. Areas include: St Austell, St Blazey, St Winnow, Par, Polgooth, Tywardreath, Roche and Holmbush.
• Marriages.
  • The Cornwall Family History Society have published transcripts of: Marriages in the Parish 1642 to 1837, which is available in CD or downloadable .pdf file formats.
  • Phillimore's marriages 1642 to 1812 in this parish are available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (C-PROP).
• Burials. The Cornwall Family History Society have published transcripts of: Burials in the Parish 1813 to 1837, which is available in Book and CD formats.

Civil Registration

The parish of Tywardreath has been in the Registration District of St Austell continuously from 1st July 1837. There were sub-districts at Fowey, Grampound, Mevagissey and St Austell, but these have now been abolished. Parishes within the district are: Creed, Fowey, Gorran, Grampound, Mevagissey, Roche, St. Austell, St. Blazey, St. Dennis, St. Ewe, St. Mewan, St. Michael Carhays, St. Sampson, St. Stephen in Brannel, Tywardreath. The Superintendant Registrar can be contacted at: 12 Carlyon Road, St Austell, PL25 4LD. Tel: 01726 68974. Fax: 01726 68974.

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 Tywardreath are available on-line.

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.

Historical Geography

• Lanescot (Lisnestoch), Grid Reference 081555.
• Tywardreath (Tiwardrai), Grid Reference 085543.

Maps

• Map of the St Austell Registration district in which the parish lies.
• An old map of the parish of Tywardreath in the 19th century is also available.

Poorhouses, Poor Law, etc.

• Tywardreath parish was part of the St Austell Union for Poor Law administration and parish relief.
• Overseers' Accounts (1819 to 1837) are available in the Cornwall Record Office.

Population

Religion & Religious Life

Vicars of Tywardreath from AD 1261 are listed and are available on-line.

Statistics

The parish comprises 3365 acres of land.

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