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Crantock

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The parish of Crantock (Cornish: Lanngorrek) is situated in the Deanery and Hundred of Pydar. It is bounded on the north and west by the sea and St Columb Minor, on the east by Newlyn East, and on the south by Cubert. Crantock was founded by St.Carantacus in the 5th century. The son of a Welsh chieftain, he went to Ireland where he met St. Patrick, and they studied together. They went their separate ways and St. Carantoc (as he was now known) came to Cornwall in his 'coracle' (which was presumably an Irish 'currah', or leather skinned, long open canoe) in which he brought an altar stone and a pet dove, and he came to rest in the Gannel. The dove picked up a stick in its beak, and upon the spot where it dropped the stick St. Carantoc established his church; the present church is upon the same site.

The village is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as 'Langoroch' (meaning dwelling of the monks). Besides the Churchtown, the villages are Trevemper and Trevelveth.

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

The Cornwall Family History Society have published on-line Monumental Inscriptions for:

  • The Parish Church - 419 entries.
  • Methodist Chapel - 123 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.
Specific census information for this parish is available as follows:

  • 1841. The 1841 Census of Crantock (HO107/149), Enumeration District 1, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
  • 1851. The 1851 Census of Crantock (HO107/1905), Enumeration District 1, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
  • 1861. The 1861 Census of Crantock (RG9/1544), Enumeration District 6 [including Merchant Shipping], is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
  • 1871. The 1871 Census of Crantock (RG10/2257), Enumeration District 6, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
  • 1881. The 1881 Census of Crantock (RG11/2298), Enumeration District 6, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
  • 1891. The 1891 Census of Crantock (RG12/1820), Enumeration District 1, 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 SW7960 and was dedicated to St Carantock. It comprises a chancel, north and south chancel aisles, north and south transepts, and a nave. The arcades have pointed arches of Newquay sand-stone, supported on octagonal pillars of the same material. The eastern end of the north aisle is used as a vestry. There is a south porch and a priest's door. The tower is of three low tapering stages, with Early English buttresses; the parapet is embattled. It contains six bells.
    A church existed here before the Norman conquest of 1066. UIt is certain that in 1283, the church of St Columb Minor was appropriated to Crantock. In 1412 it is recorded that the belfry of the collegiate church fell upon the nave and reduced it to ruins. Bishop Edmund Stafford, on the 11th August of the same year, invited the faithful to assist in its restoration. In 1417, the chancel was recorded as being in a ruinous state.
  • Non-Conformist. There were two Wesleyan Methodist chapels in the parish.
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Church Records

  • LDS Church Records.
  • The Cornwall Record Office holdings: Baptisms 1620 - 1903, Burials 1559 - 1970, Marriages 1559 - 1983, Boyd's Marriage Index 1559 - 1812, Pallot's Marriage Index 1800 - 1812.
  • Baptisms.
    • Baptisms in the parish 1682 to 1804 (Bishop's Transcripts), and 1813 to 1903 (parish transcripts), are also available on-line through the OPC Search Facility - (C-PROP).
    • Wesleyan Methodist chapel baptisms 1874 to 1914 in this parish are available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (C-PROP).
    • The Cornish Forefathers' Society have published on CD baptisms 1722 to 1851 for this parish and these are available for purchase from Parish Chest.
  • Marriages.
    • Marriages in the parish 1688 to 1804 (Bishop's Transcripts), and 1559 to 1812 (Phillimore's) are also available on-line through the OPC Search Facility - (C-PROP).
    • The Cornwall Family History Society have published transcripts of: Parish Marriages 1559 to 1837, which is available in Book, CD or downloadable .pdf file formats.
  • Burials.
    • Burials in the parish 1682 to 1804 (BTs), and 1813 to 1837, are also 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 format.
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Civil Registration

The parish of Crantock was originally in the St Columb Registration District. There were sub-districts at Newlyn, Padstow and St Columb Major, but these have now been abolished. It is now in the Registration District of St Austell. Parishes within the old St Columb district were: Colan, Crantock, Cubert, Little Petherick, Mawgan in Pyder, Newlyn, Newquay, Padstow, St. Breock, St. Columb Major, St. Columb Minor, St. Enoder, St. Ervan, St. Eval, St. Issey, St. Merryn, St. Wenn.

The Superintendant Registrar of St Austell can be contacted at: 12 Carlyon Road, St Austell, PL25 4LD. Tel: 01726 68974. Fax: 01726 68974.

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Description & Travel

You can see pictures of Crantock which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland - 1868

"CRANTOCK, a parish in the hundred of Pyder, in the county of Cornwall, 7 miles W. of St. Columb Major, and the same distance from St. Michael. It is situated at the mouth of the river Gannel, which falls into Crantock Bay, forming a small harbour in the Bristol Channel. In the reign of Edward the Confessor, the Bishop of Bodmin made the church collegiate for secular canons, and at the Dissolution it had a revenue of £89 15s. 8d. The living is a perpetual curacy in the diocese of Exeter, value £78, in the patronage of Lord Churston. The charities consist of part of those of St. Columb. In the vicinity is St. Ambrose's Well, and the old seats of the Mynorse and Tregonell families."

"PENTIRE, a headland near Holywell Bay in the parish of Crantock, county Cornwall, 7 miles W. of St. Colomb."

"PENTIRE POINT, a headland on the Bristol Channel in the parish of Crantock, county Cornwall, 3 miles N.E. of Padstow. In the neighbourhood lead has been found."

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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.

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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 Crantock ecclesiastical parish:

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Maps

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SW795591 (Lat/Lon: 50.390089, -5.102946), Crantock which are provided by:

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Occupations

Apprenticeship Indentures for Crantock (1803 - 1829) can be found in the Cornwall Record Office.

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Poor Houses, Poor Law

  • Crantock parish was part of the St Columb Major Union for Poor Law administration and parish relief.
  • Overseers' Accounts (1740 to 1778), Settlement Papers (1817 to 1847) and Bastardy Bonds (1809 to 1838) are available in the Cornwall Record Office.
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Population

  • Population in 1801 - 299 persons
  • Population in 1811 - 358 persons
  • Population in 1821 - 389 persons
  • Population in 1831 - 458 persons
  • Population in 1841 - 450 persons
  • Population in 1851 - 451 persons
  • Population in 1861 - 376 persons
  • Population in 1871 - 367 persons
  • Population in 1881 - 344 persons
  • Population in 1891 - 301 persons
  • Population in 1901 - 326 persons
  • Population in 1911 - 308 persons
  • Population in 1921 - 385 persons
  • Population in 1931 - 316 persons
  • Population in 1951 - 432 persons
  • Population in 1961 - 480 persons
  • Population in 1971 - 683 persons
  • Population in 1981 - 830 persons
  • Population in 1991 - 805 persons
  • Population in 2001 - 764 persons
  • Population in 2011 - 720 persons
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Statistics

The parish comprised 2438 acres of land.