THE CORNISH BIRD REVIEW

The origins of the modern transformation of Charlestown are not rooted simply in aristocratic enterprise, but in the bleak realities of the eighteenth-century parish poor law system. Richard Larn records that Joseph Dingle was taken out of the St. Austell Workhouse at the age of twelve by Francis Polkinghorne and Charles Rashleigh, who approximately two years later apprenticed him to a carpenter. Larn says both Joseph's parents had passed away in the poor house just weeks apa

The Hotel Opened in 1930 — Not 1925 There is a long-standing misconception surrounding the early history of the Carlyon Bay Hotel. Numerous references on the internet and the hotel's website give 1925 as the year in which the hotel opened. It even celebrated it's Centenary last year! However, contemporary newspaper reports from the period tell a different story. The evidence shows that the hotel opened in April 1930, originally under the name The St Austell and Carlyon Bay Ho

Duporth has a much older history than the manor house, which once stood overlooking the bay. The name appears in records dating back to medieval times. During the reign of Edward III, in the fourteenth century, a Simon de Deuporth was recorded as holding land there at an annual rent of 7s. 8d. Another entry from the same period gives us a fascinating glimpse of life around the little bay. It refers to the “way of the sea at Deuporth” and records that eleven carriers of sand h

I have previously argued that John Smeaton was involved in the construction of Charlestown Harbour. Like many others who have studied the village's history, I accepted that the celebrated engineer had played an important part in its creation. When I returned to the subject, I was not attempting to disprove his involvement, but wanted to establish exactly what he had done and, if possible, find the documentary evidence behind a story which has been repeated for generations. Ha

The Rashleigh Arms was built just before 1829, although for many years the Charlestown Estate believed that it dated from 1851. This was clearly not the case. I have found an auction reference to the building from 1829, followed by a reference to its existence in Pigot’s Directory in 1830. The first landlord listed there was a Mr James Truscott. Truscott was already the landlord; I don’t think for a minute a building of that scale was built in less than a year. This new evide

For more than two centuries, Joseph Dingle has occupied a rather uncomfortable place in the history of Charlestown. The story most often repeated is that Charles Rashleigh created the harbour, placed Dingle in a position of trust and was eventually ruined when Dingle misappropriated, or even embezzled, an enormous amount of money. The figure usually given is £32,000 and, having been repeated for so long, the story has gradually come to be regarded as fact. However, newspaper

Some of the following text is adapted from my St Austell book, The Porcelain Parish, published in 2023. However, new information has since come to light, which I have added here, making the subject worthy of a fresh look. History is fluid, and I like to keep up the pace. Great Crinnis, near Charlestown and St Blazey, became one of the most remarkable copper mines in the St Austell district during the early nineteenth century. The mine had previously been known as Wheal Fanny

When I was a boy, a tall ship entered Charlestown harbour. She was the first to do so for a generation. Her name was Marques, and hers is a remarkable story. My own memories of Marques go beyond simply seeing her in the harbour. I can remember her enormous sails hanging in the old Lovering’s clay-drying facility in Charlestown village when we were children. They were suspended from the roof trusses and, to us, became enormous hammocks. We could climb into them, and they were

When I published Charlestown – Time and Tide five years ago, I believed I had uncovered much of the true history of my ancestors' village. The book was the culmination of years of research into Charlestown's past, drawing together original records, maps, newspapers and family documents to tell the story as accurately as the evidence allowed. But history has a habit of refusing to stand still. Since the book was published, new evidence has emerged, overlooked documents have co

Personally, I believe far too much of our local history has been set in stone, so to speak. A story is written down, repeated often enough and, over time, simply accepted as fact. Rarely do we stop to question where the information originally came from or whether the evidence actually supports it. I've always been someone who goes against the grain. I don't accept history simply because it's the version we've always been told. I like to look at things differently, to question

For many years, I have suspected that the change of name from West Polmear to Charlestown took place earlier than prominent local historians, including A. L. Rowse and Richard Larn, have suggested. I have openly said this at talks and on my tours. However, I needed evidence. The date usually given is 1800 or 1801, when the new village was said to have been completed. Yet it always seemed more likely to me that such an important change would have marked a specific achievement.

This is a story, a Cornish story, about a little Georgian port that would grace television and cinema screens worldwide, famed for its unspoilt character, and it became a go-to location for film companies Early Film History in Charlestown Filming in Charlestown began in 1936 with The Cornish Pyramids, a black-and-white film exploring the china clay industry. Its Charlestown scenes show dock workers manning the capstans to open the harbour gates and release the Dutch vessel Be

Reconsidering the Origins of The Grove Some earlier Charlestown historians have written that the residence known as The Grove, number 181 Charlestown Road, later called Charlestown Hill, was built by either the Crowder or Lovering family as a private home. Although it was certainly a grand house, I believe that interpretation is mistaken. The Crowder family did not move to The Grove until well after the Second World War, so they cannot have been its original builders or firs

Decline of Metaliferous Mining and the Rise of China Clay As mining declined sharply in the 1850s, Charlestown needed a new export to replace falling copper and tin cargoes. China clay and china stone filled that gap. At first, dried clay was brought to the port in wooden carts from pits at Carloggas, Trelavour and Hendra Downs, with each cart carrying between three and four tons in block form. As demand increased, more pits were opened, including Lower Ninestones, Lantern an

Noël Coward first visited Charlestown in 1907, when he was just seven years old. He came to stay with his aunt, Laura Antoinette Bulteel, née Veitch, at Pond House, also known locally as “Bulteel’s”. A frequent visitor in childhood, Coward later recalled Charlestown in his autobiography. Noel Coward in 1907 at Aunt Laura's, Charlestown. Photo given to me by the Bulteel family. Background to the Bulteel Family The Bulteels were an aristocratic family with links to the Spencer

The Luke Family and the First Spire Campaign In the early years of Charlestown, Anthony Luke, a former shipping agent, took over the shipyard from William Pearce Banks. This happened in 1840. The shipyard was located in front of Sawmills Row (formerly the Smoked Fish building at the head of today's dock). My ancestors would have known the Luke family well. When Anthony became ill in 1862, his son William assumed responsibility for the day-to-day running of the shipyard right

Charlestown Walking Tours I founded Charlestown Walking Tours in 2021 to share the rich and varied history of Charlestown village in Cornwall, covering not only its maritime heritage but also its social and economic past. How the Tour Has Evolved The tour began as a one-hour experience. As with any new venture, I listened carefully to feedback and adapted it over time in response to visitors’ comments. Today, the tour lasts two hours and costs just £15 per person. I have work

My memories of working lobster pots along Appletree Cove towards Crinnis Beach. My first memory of seeing a traditional Cornish willow lobster pot break the surface is one that has stayed with me throughout my life. I was about five years old at the time. For ages, I had pestered my neighbour, Bill Kelloway, to take me out in his fishing boat. I never really thought he would, but eventually, he did. Bill had a little clinker-built wooden boat named “Suki,” which was varnish

Charles Rashleigh understood that a constant supply of running water was essential for his basin for shipping. The new port could not function without it. When a ship entered the dock at high tide, its keel would nearly touch the bottom. As it began to take on cargo, it would settle deeper into the water, eventually resting on the bottom. Grounding could cause significant damage, so it was crucial to maintain a supply of water to replenish the harbour with water as cargo was

Today, there are very few properties that date back to Charlestown's beginnings as Polmear, but this building is one. It predates the harbour by about 10 years. It was used to process fish with net lofts above. Its name was 'Content' Cellars, and the fishing business was sold in 1833. It then became 4 dwellings. In 1900 it became a cooperage making barrels for St Austell Brewery, and remained that way until 1950. The building was converted once more to a dwelling, a bungalow,