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Jacobstow

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Jacobstow (Cornish: Pennalyn) is situated in the Deanery of Trigg-Major and in the Hundred of Stratton. It is bounded on the north by Poundstock, on the east by Week St Mary and the detached part of Warbstow, on the south by Warbstow, and on the west by St Gennys. There was an isolated portion of the parish which was bounded by Week St Mary, the detached part of Warbstow, and North Petherwin. This parish is located in the north-east of Cornwall on the Bude to Boscastle road. The name has Saxon origins, meaning the 'holy place of St James' (Jacobus being the latin for James).

The area is unspoilt and mainly devoted to agriculture. Besides the Churchtown, the chief village is Southcott.

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 Monumental Inscriptions for the Parish Church - 276 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 Jacobstow (HO107/151), Enumeration Districts 8 and 9, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
  • 1851.
    • The 1851 Census of Jacobstow (HO107/1897), Enumeration Districts 3a and 3b, 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; Jacobstow is listed in Volume 5. 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 Jacobstow (RG9/1514), Enumeration District 5B and 6B, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
  • 1871. The 1871 Census of Jacobstow (RG10/2217), Enumeration Districts 5 and 6, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
  • 1881. The 1881 Census of Jacobstow (RG11/2271), Enumeration Districts 5 and 6, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
  • 1891. The 1891 Census of Jacobstow (RG12/1798) is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project as follows:
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Church History

  • Anglican. The parish church is located in OS Grid Square SX1995 and was dedicated to St James. The church comprises a chancel, nave, and north and south aisles. The arcades each have four four-centred arches of granite supported on monolith pillars of the same material. The rood stairs are in the north wall. The south porch is embattled; there is also a north door and a priest's door.
    The tower, which is also built of granite, is of three stages, and is finished with battlements and crocketed pinnacles. The tower contains six bells.
    Evidence of a Saxon church can be found in the Holy Water Stoup beside the South entrance of the present church, as it is thought to be constructed from part of the Saxon font. There was a Norman church on this site which must have replaced an earlier building. The Norman Font is a splendid example of the period (1150-1200) and is cut from Tintagle Greenstone. A very similar font in Polyphant Stone is to be found in St Werburgha's in Warbstow - it, too, has geometric patterns encircled by strange serpents and Norman male heads at the four corners; there are nine such fonts in Cornwall which appear to be the work of the same craftsman.
    The present church dates from a major rebuilding which took place in the 15th century. Details about the plans of the modern church are available on-line.

    There is another church at Carnworthy in this parish which was built in 1899; it is dedicated to St Sidwell. Details about this plans of the modern church are available on-line.
  • Non-Conformist. There was a chapel for the Bible Christians in the Churchtown.
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Church Records

  • LDS Church Records.
    • The LDS Church batch numbers for Jacobstow are: C023101/2, E023101, M023101/3. These are searchable by surname.
    • The IGI coverage for this parish is 1612 - 1895.
  • The Cornwall Record Office holdings: Baptisms 1653 - 1869, Burials 1653 - 1811, Marriages 1656 - 1837, Boyd's Marriage Index 1612 - 1812, Pallot's Marriage Index 1790 - 1812, BTs 1612 - 1673.
  • The Cornwall Family History Society have published transcripts of
    • Pre 1813 Marriages
    • 1813-37 Marriages
    • 1813-37 Burials.
  • Non-Conformist records are increasingly being added to the OPC database. Coverage of these can be found on-line.
  • Baptisms.
    • Baptisms 1813 to 1846 for this parish are available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (C-PROP).
    • The Cornish Forefathers' Society have published on CD, baptisms 1717 to 1840 for this parish which can be purchased from Parish Chest.
  • Marriages.
    • The Cornwall Family History Society have published transcripts of: Parish Marriages 1612 to 1837, which is available in Book, CD or downloadable .pdf file formats.
    • Phillimore's marriages 1656 to 1812, and marriage transcriptions 1837 to 1911, for this parish are available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (C-PROP).
    • The Cornish Forefathers' Society have published on CD, baptisms 1705 to 1837 for this parish which can be purchased from Parish Chest.
  • Burials.
    • Burials 1653 to 1936 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 format.
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Civil Registration

The parish of Jacobstow is in the Stratton Registration District, and has been since 1st July 1837; there were sub-districts at Kilhampton, Stratton and Week St Mary but these have now been abolished. Parishes within the district are: Jacobstow, Kilkhampton, Launcells, Marhamchurch, Morwenstow, Poughill, Poundstock, St. Gennys, Stratton, Stratton and Bude, Week St. Mary, Whitstone. The Superintendant Registrar can be contacted at: The Parkhouse Centre, Ergue Gaberic Way, Bude, EX23 8LF. Tel: 01288 353209.

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Description & Travel

You can see pictures of Jacobstow which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland - 1868

"JACOBSTOW, a parish in the hundred of Stratton, county Cornwall, 8 miles S.W. of Stratton. The parish is bounded on the S. by the river Derrington, and intersected by the road from Barnstaple to Falmouth. The village is small and wholly agricultural. The soil is a strong clay, with some marsh and bog. The tithes have been commuted for a rent-charge of £310. The living is a rectory* in the diocese of Exeter, value £243. The church, dedicated to St. James, is an ancient structure with a granite tower, and was repaired in 1831. There are places of worship belonging to the Primitive Methodists, Brianites, and Thornites, also a National school. At a place called Headon are two ancient barrows. Degory Wheare, the first Camden Professor of History at Oxford, was a native."

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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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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 Jacobstow ecclesiastical parish:

  • Hele (Hela), Grid Reference 216979.
  • Penhallam (Penallu', Penhalvn), Grid Reference 214975.
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Maps

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SX203957 (Lat/Lon: 50.732965, -4.547879), Jacobstow which are provided by:

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Poor Houses, Poor Law

Jacobstow parish was part of the Stratton Union for Poor Law administration and parish relief. Overseers' Accounts (1834 to 1837) are available in the Cornwall Record Office.

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Population

  • Population in 1801 - 432 persons
  • Population in 1811 - 489 persons
  • Population in 1821 - 571 persons
  • Population in 1831 - 638 persons
  • Population in 1841 - 585 persons
  • Population in 1851 - 487 persons
  • Population in 1861 - 462 persons
  • Population in 1871 - 446 persons
  • Population in 1881 - 428 persons
  • Population in 1891 - 375 persons
  • Population in 1901 - 369 persons
  • Population in 1911 - 372 persons
  • Population in 1921 - 312 persons
  • Population in 1931 - 327 persons
  • Population in 1951 - 336 persons
  • Population in 1961 - 321 persons
  • Population in 1971 - 306 persons
  • Population in 1981 - 305 persons
  • Population in 1991 - 403 persons
  • Population in 2001 - 421 persons
  • Population in 2011 - 494 persons
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Statistics

The parish comprises 4467 acres of land and 4 acres of water.