The Cornish Crier, Volume 14, Number 3 Newsletter of the Cornish Heritage Society East for the Cornish of New England, New York and New Jersey June 14 meeting At our June 14 meeting, the guest speaker was Ralph Colfax, President of the North Jersey Highlands Historical Society. Because of time constraint we ate our usual pasty lunch while Mr. Colfax gave us a detailed history of the Ringwood Iron Mines and iron mining in this area of North Jersey. His talk was very informative and of great interest to all 25 members who were present. Chimneys Smoking again on the Great Flat Lode June 30, 2008 Imagineers Week 21 smokin’ chimney stacks 21 mine chimneys were set alight on 30th June along the Great Flat Lode as part of the Mineral Tramways Imagineering week of activities. At 8 pm the 21 mine chimneys were set alight by members of the Smokin’ Chimneys Project. Dried hay was used at the base of the mine chimneys near Carn Brea in west Cornwall. Over 5,000 people turned up to witness the spectacle funded by the heritage lottery. Well done to all concerned. Photos by Charles Winpenny at: www.Cornwallcam.co.uk. President’s Message Joan Iva Wheeler As the summer draws neigh and we begin to look forward to planning activities for CHSE, I hope everyone had a great summer and are well rested to begin the planning, fun and learning about our great heritage for the coming year. We have planned our first meeting for Sunday, September 14 to meet at Gerry’s house and then venture off to the Long Pond Mines for a tour. I do look forward to learning more about the mines, as I lived in Ringwood for the decade of the sixties. My interest was further peeked by the wonderful guest speaker at the last meeting, Ralph Colfax, President of the North Jersey Highlands Historical Society. As stated in my original message, this organization is a best kept secret, let’s try to each bring one new member to the September meeting to share all of the wonderful knowledge that exists here with others of Cornish Heritage. Lillie Harry and Sam Stephens My Parents’ Wedding By Sylvia Stephens Hadawanetz Several weeks ago, while cleaning out a seldom-used cabinet, I came upon a box that looked vaguely familiar. It was filled with papers of my parents’, Lillie and Samuel Stephens, estate. They must have been put in the box over 30 years ago. Among all the official documents I found two of my mother’s passports and my father’s discharge papers from the U.S. Army at the end of World War I. What a find! But best of all, inside of one of the passports was a “cutting” from a newspaper. The clipping was small, the paper brown with age and so fragile that I was almost afraid to touch it. However, it was readable, in spite of missing a few words along one edge. It was the story of my mother’s arrival in the U. S., and of my parents’ wedding. The article was evidently written by Sid Blake, who operated the Cornish Arms, a hotel in New York City catering mostly to people traveling to and from Cornwall. Although Sid had published his own newspaper about the Cornish Arms,the clipping appears to have been sent to Cornwall, since a notation at the top appears as follows: In order to appreciate the bit of humor that Sid had injected into the article, one should know a little of my parents’ meeting and subsequent romance. They both were born and raised in Redruth, but because they attended different schools, they never managed to meet in their early years. Samuel left school after completing the 5th grade and went to work for a farmer. This was necessary because his father Thomas Stephens had died 1897 while gold mining in South Africa and Sam had to help his mother and older brothers to support the family. When he turned 14 he was old enough to become a miner. So, at that tender age he went to work in the tin mine at Pool. Seven years later he joined his brothers, Thomas, Matthew and James, who had emigrated to Calumet, Michigan to work in the copper mines. Later the four brothers, following the lead of other Cornishmen, moved once more; this time to Franklin, NJ to work for the New Jersey Zinc Co. In the meantime, World War I was raging and eventually Jimmy and Sam, being single, were inducted into the US Army. They trained together at Camp Dix in NJ and eventually were shipped to England in preparation to enter the battle in France. They requested time to go to Cornwall to visit their mother and sisters. They were granted two weeks leave. So Sam and Jimmy, handsome young soldiers from America, had no trouble finding girls to date. Sam met Lillie Harry and the two weeks leave was enough time for them to fall in love. Plans were made for the future. When the war ended, Sam would work in the Franklin mine, save for Lillie’s passage to America and they would be married. The brothers, Sam and Jmmy completed their training in England and then were shipped to France. Early in November 1918 they were marching to the front when the Armistice was signed and the war ended. Eventualy the two brothers were returned to the US and were discharged from the Army in June 1919. Sam returned to the Zinc Co., and in the next year saved enough money to pay for Lillie’s passage to America. Sid Blake’s article regarding their meeting reads as follows, with dotted lines inserted where parts of the wording are missing. “Quite a number of Cornish on the Incoming steamers, and the list below tells the different destinations. Mr. Sam Stephens came in from Franklin, New Jersey, to meet Miss L. Harry, of Paull’s Row, and like all young men about to be married could become interested in nothing but the shipping news. He kept looking out towards the ocean, wondering what made the steamer take so long. Miss Harry’s sisters, Miss Mabel Harry, Miss Adeline Harry and Mrs. Ellen Faulkner, came down from Bridgeport also to meet her, and although they tried to cheer Sam up it was a very hard proposition. The first real look of happiness I had seen on Sam’s face for the week was when he met Miss Harry on the pier and he kissed her. They were married at the 18th Street .............. .and are spending their honeymoon in Bridgeport, Conn. They will make their home at Franklin.” The article seems to indicate that the steamships did not travel on a regular schedule, since my father stayed at the hotel for nearly a week, waiting for my mother to arrive. Mr. Blake’s article was not entirely correct; Miss Adeline Faulkner (not Harry) was not my mother’s sister, she was her niece. From their marriage certificate I found that my parents were married on March 23rd, 1920 in the Eighteenth Street Methodist Church, New York City. They did go to Franklin, where they spent the rest of their lives. My dad never went back to Cornwall, but in 1931, in the midst of the Great Depression, he sent my mother, my brother Russell and me to Redruth for the summer. He wanted so much for his mother to see his children. Although I was only 7 at the time, I well remember my Granny in her home on 23 North Street, the train trip from Southampton to Redruth, our lovely days on the beach at Portreath, and the huge number of aunts, uncles and cousins that we visited. Although my dad never saw his mother again he wrote to her religiously every Sunday afternoon, often inserting a $5 bill in the letter. He retired from the Zinc Co. in October 1956 and was making plans for the two of them to go “ ’ome ” for the next summer. However, it was not to be. He died in January 1957, from a coronary thrombosis, after an ulcer operation. Mom did go to Cornwall twice more; from May until October 1958 and again in 1964. She was one of 11 children who survived to adulthood, so she had many, many relatives to visit. She lived in their home in Franklin, which they had bought from the Zinc Company, and died at the age of 80. Cornish Arms Hotel 23 rd St, Manhattan, NY CORNISH ARMS—A modern hotel in Old Chelsea district offers you accessibility to all parts of New York and only five minutes from Times Square and the shopping districts. Steamship piers within easy access for the European traveler. ca. 1900 Sid Blake, Proprieter provided a NYC stopover for the Cornish folks traveling to and from Cornwall. He published a newsletter and even ran a travel agency for the Cornish who stayed at his hotel. MAINE AND NEW HAMPSHIRE: CORNWALL'S EARLY DIASPORA The Rediscovery of America's Cornish Colonial Heritage By Barry E. TRACY Today there are perhaps millions of Americans and Canadians who have roots in Cornwall. Many of these precede the well-known mass Cornish migrations of the mid-19th Century by more than 200 years. The following is a summary of my research, outlining my own "discoveries" and linking them to the work of the late Dr. A. L. Rowse and other researchers. We are a people of diversity, not only with our hyphenated American this or that identities, but more often proud of our multi-ethnic heritage. After many years of genealogical research most of us in the United States and Canada are now more aware that our roots are even more varied than we might suspect. Cornish roots are now being rediscovered in many an 'old' American family, often without the person knowing that Cornwall, as a place of an ancestor's origin, really isn't Merry Old England! What I have personally found exciting in my own rediscovery of a part-Cornish ancestry is a new window on the wonderful world of little Cornwall with its wide and fascinating heritage. A terrific new treat awaits those who rejoin their Cornish cousins in Cornwall and throughout the Cornish diaspora. There were occasional Cornish immigrants throughout colonial America, as was well documented by that prolific Cornish researcher, Dr. A. L. Rowse in his book The Cousin Jacks: The Cornish in America. However, several Cornish fisherfolk were especially drawn to the renowned waters of coastal Maine and New Hampshire as early as the 1630s. Although there seems little doubt that there were even earlier Cornish sailors to these shores, as well as to Newfoundland, the first settlements of Cornish in colonial Maine and New Hampshire are clearly documented in the 1630s. This was not a particularly Cornish movement, but one in which many from the West Country of Britain chose new opportunities in colonial New England. It must be stressed that Devon led the way in numbers, but many Cornish, who lived in the shadow of Plymouth, felt the attraction as well. It is easy, of course, to identify the truly Cornish names among many of the early settlers, such as those beginning with "Tre-, Pol- and Pen-." Other surnames were shared by many West Country people, especially the Devon folk. What must be fully understood is that the further one researches back in time the fewer the extant records, making it more difficult to precisely prove the place of origin. As these Cornish folk were of humble origin looking for a better life, they were not concerned about leaving numerous records for their descendants to trace them. Furthermore, there is often confusion of later family traditions as to where their ancestors originated. Many later descendants described their ancestors as being Welsh, and some indeed were. But this term frequently meant non-Anglo-Saxons, that is, native British. Let us not forget that the Cornish were once also known as the West Welsh, a term that may surprise many. It is therefore often difficult to fully document our ancestors in the old country. At the end of the article I have provided a list of known or suspected families of Cornish heritage, based on research. Some can be accurately documented, and many others are of reasonably certain Cornish heritage. Undoubtedly, there may be many more. So, researcher beware! The open door to Cornwall beckons its long-lost sons and daughters. , Number 3 Gwynngala/September 2008 Early Maine particularly acknowledged its primary connection to the West Country. At various periods some of the first [though no longer so designated] territories were named the County of Cornwall, County of Devonshire, and even New Somersetshire. In fact, all of eastern Maine was designated as the County of Cornwall in 1665! Of primary interest to Cornishmen is the settlement of Richmond Island, just south of Cape Elizabeth, Maine, [and due south of Portland, today's largest city]. Two prominent merchants of Plymouth in Devonshire, England, were issued a patent for a colony there in 1631. They were Moses Goodyear and Robert Trelawny. Needless to say, there is no doubt of the latter's Cornish identity. Many of this merchant company's papers were preserved and published by the Maine Historical Society. Called the "Trelawny Papers," they provide a glimpse into the harsh realities of the rugged Maine coastal region, portraying a land of wealth from the sea, as well as the land, but we are reminded that of the constant vigilance both from the harsh weather and the Native Americans who were protecting their homeland from the newcomers. Trade and fishing flourished. A large communal house was soon built, and the fireplace reportedly allowed for boiling, brewing and baking all together at the same time. In 1636 the small colony received its first minister of the gospel, the Reverend Richard Gibson, to serve its spiritual needs. The Church of England was long favored in Maine's early days before the Puritan takeover. A ship named the Richmond was built and launched here in 1637 to facilitate more trade. It seems that by 1650 this colony waned and many of the fishermen and tradesmen who stayed settled elsewhere along the coasts of Maine and New Hampshire. There were Cornish settlers on the mainland [hence the origin for the name of the State of Maine] and in the Isles of Shoals [now divided between Maine and New Hampshire]. Many of the Cornish at Richmond Island are mentioned in Rowse's book: Billings, Bonython, Freethy, Edgcombe, Herle, Hunkin, Jope, Jose, Libby, Hancock, Mellin, Mitchell, Stephens and Treworgy. The latter surname often became Trueworthy among numerous descendants. Rowse was indeed correct when he stated on page 42 of his book: "Altogether, early Maine had quite a Cornish element." Another means for identifying other early Cornish settlers in colonial Maine and New Hampshire is the absolutely marvelous (and fortunately reprinted!) Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire, a thorough work commenced by a Cornish descendant himself, Charles Libby. A careful checking of this immense volume reveals many confirmed and suspected persons of Cornish heritage. As one can tell, some names, such as Carkeet, Carveath, Curnow, Kitto, Lander, Penhallow, Polgreen, Trefethen and Treworgie are recognizably Cornish. Other names are also common throughout the West Country, while many more are ordinary English names also common in Cornwall. Before giving an alphabetical listing, here are some of the people identified in Cornish towns: Sampson Angier, baptized 1624 in Lezant; the Freathy family from Landrake; Arthur Gill, baptized 1608 in Saltash; Herculles and Mark Hunking, brothers who were baptized in Saltash in 1604 and 1615, respectively; Charles Martin of Newlyn; Paul Mitchell and John Odiorne of Sheviock; Samuel Penhallow of St. Mabyn and Philleigh; Benjamin Stevens from Landrake; and one Nathaniel Wallis who was born somewhere in Cornwall in 1631. Certainly, the vast majority of Cornish settlers have not been fully documented. As an example, one of my own ancestors John Libby seems to have originated around the Fowey area, where his leader Robert Trelawny's wife came from. There are thousands of Libby descendants all across North America, and they have endeavored for years to locate John's home in Cornwall. A recently reprinted volume of the Libby family genealogy addressed the problem. By the mid-1800s, after over two centuries of the family's being in America, John was often termed "Welsh" [that is, of native British ancestry] by many of his descendants. Some incomplete data would seem to place him within some of the neighboring parishes of Polperro. However, the attraction to this area by many later descendants seems to be more that scanty church and probate entries. Many descendants mentioned how the area of Polperro "felt" right. Is this a Celtic trait that seems to haunt the souls of descendants down through the ages? I'm proud and excited to have rediscovered my own Cornish heritage. Hopefully, more researches will visit their own family trees and find their own Cornish branches. Angell Angier Boaden Billings Bonyton Bray Broad Carkeet Carveath Carwithy Cornish Couch Cox Creber Cummings Cundy Curnow Dill Drowne Edgecombe Fenton Freathy Geach Geare Gendall Gill Gove Gummer Gwinn Ham Hancock Hawkins Hearl Hicks Hill Hobbs Hockaday Hocking Hodge Holman Hunking Jenkins Snell Tenny Thomas Jewell Jose Kendall Kitto Knowles Landall Lander Langdon Leach Libby Maddiver Martin Mellin Mitchell Nossiter Nichols Odiorne Oliver Otis Parnall Penhallow Penny Peter Polgreen Pomeroy Prout Randall Reynolds Richards Ricker Roberts Rouse Rowe Rule Sampson Searle Shortridge Tibbets Tidy Trafton Treble Treby Tredick Trefethen Trelawny Treleague Tremills Trenick Treworgie Tristram Trundy Urin Vivian Wallis Weare Welch Williams Wills This is an updated article that was originally printed in issue number 15 of the Cornish World. Here is a list of some known and suspected Cornish families in colonial Maine and New Hampshire: Libby Family, Scarborough,Maine OUR FRIEND, MARTIN L. TRENGOVE By Ann Trezona Dalrymple On May 8, 2008, at the age of ninety, Martin passed away peacefully at the Hospice at St. Clare’s Hospital, Dover. Our sincere sympathy goes out to his wife Edith. He was the son of Joseph Trengove from Port Oram and Myrtie Young from Pen Argyl, Pa. He often told the story about how his father wooed Myrtie by going to Pen Argyl many times. His parents married and lived in Port Oram and raised their family there. Martin was a lifelong resident of Wharton. He graduated from Wharton High School in 1935. He served in the Army during WWII from 1941 to 1945, earning the rank of 2nd Lieutenant. Eventually he became the owner of the Trengove Insurance Agency which had been in the family since 1924. He worked there until his retirement in 1991. Martin was a faithful member of the St John’s Methodist Church now known as Wharton United Community Church at St Johns. Some of us remember Martin as a wonderful and devoted Sunday school teacher but he served the church in many other ways. Through the years, Martin was active in the community. According to the Morris County Daily Record he served on the Juvenile Conference Committee, the Morristown Memorial Hospital Corps in the days before rescue squads as well as driving for the FISH organization. He was a member of the American Legion and the Wharton Fire Department and was a loyal member of Gideons International for 40 years. An interest in history led to his being a founding member of the Wharton Historical Society as well as being a member of the Morris County Historical Society, the Dover Area Historical Society and the Hackettstown Historical Society. As most of us know, Martin and Edith have been involved with our CHSE group from the beginning. Martin was very much aware of his Cornish background as his grandfather had come from Cornwall to mine in New Jersey. Martin was known as a descendant of Cornish in the community. Nancy Heydt and Ginny Richmond were interested in forming a Cornish group and were told Martin would be a good Cornish contact at St John’s Methodist Church so the two women contacted Martin and thus the organization called Cornish Heritage Society East was founded.. Both he and Edith have been active ever since. Those of us who knew Martin Trengove knew him as a fine human being devoted to his family, his church and his community. We will all miss him! NEW BOOK TO BE RELEASED BY YEAR'S END ABOUT 9/11 AND FEATURING OUR OWN RICK RESCORLA Our diligent and dedicated Desktop Publisher and Co-editor Anne Stephens is excited to tell us of an upcoming book about the tragedy of 9/11 by author Loren Ellis of New York City. It should become available by year's end, a fine gift for members and friends. Of special note is the featuring of an essay by Rick's widow Susan, who has spoken to us before about her life and memories with her hero husband Rick Rescorla, who was a member of our society. The book will also feature stories, poems, art and photos, according to an interesting Morris County newspaper article. We will keep the membership informed of when and how the book finally becomes available. We proudly remember our hero and member Rick Rescorla. C.R. “Rick” Rescorla evacuating the 42nd floor of World Trade Center Tower 2 September 11, 2001 CHSE LIBRARY New addition to our CHSE Library Review by Anne Stephens A Dangerous Place to Work! Women & Children of the Devon & Cornwall Mining Industries 1300 to 1970 Lynne Mayers She is the author of the comprehensive book, Balmaidens published in 2004. She has promised her readers another book on balmaidens to be published in the fall of 2008. Hopefully it will be in time for Christmas presents. This little book contains articles that are based on papers which first appeared in the Cornwall Family History Journal between 2001 and 2006. They have since been updated with additional images and statistics. The articles include chapters on: Balmaidens, Bal Boys, At the Courthouse, At the Clay Works, Slate Dressers and Packers, Smelters, Foundries,and Sampling Offices, At the Explosives Works, Women Traders and Managers, Interviews with Bal Maidens (1841) and Bal Boys (1841). This book is not as comprehensive as her earlier book, Balmaidens, but does offer several topics of interest in this phenomena of the dangerous work of the Cornish women and their contribution to the great Cornish Mining Industry. If the book is not available at your bookstore, it is available on Amazon.com for $16.95. Using a credit card is very helpful in the exchange from pounds to dollars; they do it for you. Barret and Ann Trezona Dalrymple celebrated their 50th Anniversary on June 14th.† They also were celebrating the 200th year anniversary of their farm and Barret’s birthday.† The party took place in the back yard of their home.† A large white tent was set up to protect from rain…which it did!† Many relatives, friends and neighbors came to the farm with at least 170 people attending.†† Even though it rained, everyone had a wonderful time and the anniversary couple enjoyed visiting with many people including friends they hadn’t seen in many years. A good time was had by all. REAL CORNISH COUSINS Sylvia and Judi Their common ancestors are Thomas Stephens and Ellen Partridge Stephens of Redruth, Cornwall. Sylvia is the daughter of their son, Samuel and Judi is the granddaughter of Thomas, another of their sons.