Cornish History

The following article was written for a revived online version of The Cornish Banner back in 2019. I was drawn to the life of Cuthbert Mayne due to his connection to Cornwall during the Tudor period. His end was brutal and the methods employed by the Tudor state raise many questions regarding the morality of […]

The Elizabethan era of the late 16th century was filled with problems between England and Spain. When Elizabeth I came to the throne in 1558 the two kingdoms had enjoyed a few years of alliance due to the ‘Spanish Match’ between Queen Mary I and Philip of Spain. Although the marriage does not appear to […]

Recent research has allowed me the opportunity to delve back into the events of the Cornish rebellions of 1497. I’ve posted about these uprisings previously on the blog, including one focusing on Michael Joseph (the Cornish Braveheart), as well as an article on how on how a considerable number of textbooks have mixed up the […]

Last week I taught a session about the importance of local history on the History foundation degree at University Centre South Devon. I outlined my interest in local history and the role that it plays in promoting the identity of communities. I also developed this further to suggest that local history can apply new approaches […]

There is a connection between the interestingly named MP Freeman Freeman-Thomas and my maternal Rollings family in Cornwall. But before I reveal the connection, perhaps it is best to provide an overview of Freeman-Thomas himself. Freeman Freeman-Thomas was born in 1866 in Eastbourne, East Sussex. He was from a family of notable standing (his maternal […]

Back in 2018 – in the early days of this blog – I spent a lot of time delving into research of the earls of Cornwall. This interest was based on an earlier article I had written for The Cornish Banner (published in 2011), and a series of other smaller articles for another publication. In […]

Whilst browsing on Reddit in the interesting “subreddit” r/todayilearned, I came across Bishop Rock which is situated in Cornwall. Due to the location, I was instantly hooked; further reading revealed the following: ‘TIL Bishop Rock is a tiny island 4 miles off the coast of Cornwall, and its single lighthouse makes it the “world’s smallest […]

The other day whilst browsing Cornish related topics on Reddit, I came across an incredibly long war – perhaps one of the longest in world history. The so-called Three Hundred and Thirty-Five Years War of 1651-1986, which surpasses even the likes of the famous Anglo-French Hundred Years War (which, of course, as we all know […]

Earlier this month I crossed the Tamar river to find a few geocaches just outside of Saltash in Cornwall. I parked in Forder village and walked alongside the water from the creek out toward the Lynher river. Whilst doing so I took a few photographs of the rail-bridge that connects Cornwall to the outside world. […]

In 2009, as part of a continuing series, I wrote a short article about the speculation of Jesus Christ visiting Cornwall. I found the topic an intriguing one, but as is to be expected the suggestions have no actual basis in fact. Jesus Christ is identified with many things – Christianity, Jerusalem and Christmas – […]

In Saltash, in the park at the top of Fore Street, is a monument for William Penn Symons. Whenever I’m in the town I will make a point of stopping by, not because I have any special connection with him or invested involvement in his deeds, but rather out of interest in how he links […]

The following article was originally published in a 2013 edition of The Cornish Banner (An Baner Kernewek). It was written due to the wrong information printed in the A-level textbooks that I had started to use when becoming a teacher. The textbook managed to completely confuse and muddle the events of 1497, and so after […]

A decade ago I wrote a series of short history articles about Cornwall, with a specific focus on the south-east of the county. They were published in an advertiser magazine called ‘Cramleigh’ and a couple of them have re-surfaced on this blog. Here’s another one – ‘Trematon Castle’ – published in 2009. For over a […]