CORNWALL ONLINE PARISH CLERKS - helping bring the past alive

 
Resources

Resources For Researchers

As well as all the resources which link from the individual parish pages, the following are available:
 

FAQs - help on various topics Emigrants to New Zealand
Surname files - linking related people in several parishes Emigrants to Australia
Transcribed documents mentioning several parishes Epidemics
Malcolm McCarthy's Index of Transcribed Documents
(last updated Aug 2010)
Old Occupations and Trades
Other County OPC schemes Online Books about Cornwall
An Index of the transcribed Wills which are available via Parish pages Weather and effects on farming
    
   

Useful Website Links

Non-conformist Literature

Cornish parishes, non-commercial websites As well as the website links (left and below), there are copies of several relevant books in the Shaw Collection at the Royal Institution Library (Courtney Library) in Truro (Museum).
Terry Moyle also has a complete set and is willing to answer email enquiries. Click here for a full list.
Cornwall general, non-commercial websites
Commercial/fee-based websites
Cornish Clergymen (C. of E.)
Methodist/Wesleyan etc. Ministers
 

Resources for OPCs

 
Examples of publicity material for download Qs & As for Tithe Apportionments
Sample transcription files and help with transcribing Offers of photographs
Additional help with the transcribing of early records  
   
 

FAQS.  Have you ever wondered about . . .

Online Parish Clerks - an article by Julia Mosman (pdf)

Cornish Parishes - a short history, and explanation

Parish Codes - as used by the Cornwall Records Office

Regnal Years - for example, in the fortieth year of George III.

Change of Calendar in 1752 - and how it affects your family records

Common Naming Patterns, 1750 -1875 - that might help move your research forward

Websites with data available by parish, non-commercial

The sites below have data either listed or searchable by parish.

Cornish Cemeteries - a personal website, created and maintained by Christine Uphill; has many transcriptions of various cemetery records.

Cornish Onine Census Project - an almost-completed set of transcriptions of the 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881 and 1891 Censuses; transcribed, checked and verified by volunteers worldwide.

A Cornish Sourcebook - a compilation of a variety of historical facts, at http://cornovia.org.uk/.

Cornwall BMD Database - A compilation of birth, marriage, and death records from dedicated transcribers, for a wide assortment of parishes.

GenUKI - Cornwall - information county-wide and by parish, maintained by Ian Argall; VERY helpful, an almost-essential starting point for Cornish genealogy.

Gleanings in Graveyards by Horatio Edward Norfolk. Unusual epitaphs from several Cornish cemeteries.

The National Archives - if a surname, parish, or even county is entered, all results associated with those search parameters are returned. The summaries of the documents are free, copies of the originals are fee-based, some being available  immediately, others can be ordered from the CRO.

Old Cornwall Society - established 1927, a group of individuals trying to save historic cultural records, stories, and memorabilia. Website has puzzles, maps, and many interesting sections.

West Briton/Cornwall Advertiser - searchable 1800s newspaper transcriptions; updated weekly; includes BMDs, News, Coroners' Inquests, & Court Sessions

West Penwith Resources - covering the western parishes of Cornwall in depth, with maps, history, and much more - good for all Cornish researchers for background details.

Websites with general Cornish information, non-commercial

The sites below have been selected as a broad representation of what is available to researchers; however, the list is far from comprehensive. Many worthwhile sites have not been included; please use this merely as a guide, and explore on your own. All sites in this section provide some information at no cost, although some might have commercial sections too.
Bible Christian Magazine - being compiled by Rita Bone Kopp and Graham Warmington. A good reference resource if your ancestors were Bible Christians, or for background information.

BBC Photographs - photographs of Cornwall - a variety of unusual photographs, including modern mines (underground)

Cornish Mailing List - plus searchable archives of the discussion list for all things Cornish, including genealogy

Cornish-Gen Mailing List - more specialised, includes searchable archives of the discussion list for Cornish genealogy

Other Cornish Mailing Lists include those for individual parishes or related clusters, some are more active than others.

Online Cornwall Maps - a variety of maps, from ancient times to modern, which are sizeable.

Cornwall Cam - photographs of Cornwall, updated daily. A personal site maintained by Charles Winpenny; unique compositions, great atmosphere, interesting subjects that are not standard. After 3 days, most photographs are removed. CDs of former photos are available for purchase, but site is totally free of charge.

Historical Directories - maintained by the University of Leicester, a selection of 23 different Cornish directories covering 1830-1910. Directories have descriptions of towns and parishes, as well as lists of commercial ventures, institutions, and inhabitants - all of which may aid in locating ancestors. The directories are downloadable, or can be viewed online. Included is the Post Office directory of 1856.

Stone and Quarry Men of The West Country - an extensive, personal website of references to men who worked with stone or as miners, this is an extremely worthwhile site.

Victoria County History Project - founded in 1899 and originally dedicated to Queen Victoria, the VCH is an encyclopaedic record of England's places and people from earliest times to the present day.

Vision of Britain - an extensive and easy-to-use website, from which much historical data about Cornwall is available. Topics include Population, Life and Death, Work and Poverty, Housing and Roots and Religion. Developed and maintained by the University of Portsmouth and others.

West Country Photographs - views of Cornwall, and parts of Devon, by Simon Lewis; professional photographs of many Cornish sites and views.

Commercial / Fee-based sites relating to Cornish research:

Some of these sites provide basic information at no cost, but charges apply for details or copies. Many more such sites can be found by using a search engine such as Google or Yahoo.
 
Ambra Books - old, rare, and hard-to-find books, run by Ivor Cornish. Large stock, and will search for specific titles.Archive CDs - books placed on CD; issued at low cost (the UK branch closed in 2007, but others still exist).

Belerion Books/CDs - books placed on CD; issued at low cost; has a variety of books for sale.

Cornwall Family History Society - Most information is available for a small fee, such as results from the searchable database here.

Cornwall Legacy - transcriptions of various items available on CDs.

Francis Frith Collection - viewable old photos, for free, available for purchase.

Old Maps - from the late 1800s, searchable by county and town. Use the link 'Start your Search' which is almost in the centre of the home page.

Other OPC Schemes

Since we started this scheme in January 2001, other counties have adopted the idea, either from scratch or in conjunction with an earlier, similar scheme.

Devon Online Parish Clerks and One-Place Studies
 
Dorset Online Parish Clerks

Essex Online Parish Clerks
 
Hampshire Online Parish Clerks
 
Kent Online Parish Clerks - now asking for donations, which goes against the original OPC concept.
 
Lancashire Online Parish Clerks
 
Somerset Online Parish Clerks
 
Sussex Online Parish Clerks
 
Warwickshire Online Parish Clerks - est. Jan, 2006
 
Wiltshire Online Parish Clerks - a re-formed group, appreciative of offers of help

Other Counties/Areas with useful websites

Cheshire Parish Register Project
 
Forest of Dean Transcription Project
- many Parish Register transcriptions for parts of Gloucestershire and Herefordshire are free to view online.
 
Leicestershire Genealogical Resources
 
Monmouthshire Family History - a comprehensive set of online transcriptions. It claims to be an OPC scheme on one landing page, but it isn't as it has no OPCs.
 
There are signs of similar schemes being started in Cambridgeshire, Surrey and North and West Ridings of Yorkshire but currently there is no mention of any county coordinators or web sites.

Individuals who are willing act as OPCs for specific parishes ONLY

Gloucestershire, Winchcombe - Rob White
 
Berkshire parishes. Currently John Slann is willing to field enquiries for the county, but would welcome contact from anyone who is interested in helping him form a Berkshire OPC group.
 
Worcestershire, Kidderminster, St George - Mattie Underhill
 

Non-conformist Literature

The Shaw Collection -  at the Royal Institution Library (Courtney Library) in Truro (Museum), look-ups available from Terry Moyle.
Methodism in
Lana
Bridgerule 1880-1953
St Mawgan in Pydar 1810-1980
Voguebeloth 1803-1966
Pipers Pool 1808-1976
Pancrasweek
Probus 1781-1961
Fraddon 1819-1977
Camelford and Wadebridge 1743-1963
Illogan 1743-1958
 
Seven Circuits mostly Cornish (Camelford/Wadebridge, Holsworthy, Camborne, Redruth and Truro + Rotherham and Holbeach)
Gwennap Pit
Foolish Dick (Dick Hampton) and his chapel at Porthtowan 1796-2000
Fraddon Book of Memories 1977
Probus Book of Memories
Roscarrock Hill Methodist Church, Port Isaac 1869-1969.