Andrew Langdon,  Archaeological Recorder

The Federation of Old Cornwall Societies, would like our members to unite in collecting Cornish data each year on a different  theme. There are many different artefacts we could record throughout the county that can be used by anyone to do further research.  

We are in a far better position than most history groups and societies; as we have a network spread across the whole country and I think we should be using this to our advantage.

Several recorders have noted Victorian post boxes and now with major changes likely to the Royal Mail, I suggest a simple survey of all post boxes particularly those in rural areas should be our first project.

What is needed:

• A photograph, either digital or printed.

• Details of where the box is situated.

• Type (i.e. Pillar, wall mounted, pedestal.

• Symbol or motif it has to represent the monarch.

Phil Ellery of St Columb Society has provided the following URL's of web sites which lists every Royal Mail post box in Cornwall.

TR POSTCODE AREA http://edwardbetts.com/postboxes/TR.html

PL POSTCODE AREA http://edwardbetts.com/postboxes/PL.html

It give a basic location and Street names. Now all we need is to visit them to get a photo and record details of the boxes

Once you have collected the photo and information pass them on to your Society's Recorder so that it can be collated.

Brian Stevens, Dialect Recorder

I am grateful to various Society members and others who have donated words or expressions to me. This report contains entries from Mousehole to Cawsand, so perhaps come my next report, we can go a little further down west and a little more up towards the borders with England.

Leon Pezzack has given me a most comprehensive printed list of Mousehole dialect. Unfortunately I have forgotten the name of the compiler. 

The cuttlefish, whose bone is used between the bars of bird cages is called `Shegeen' (R. M Nance omits the `n' and spells it as 'Shegee'. BS_) `Murfles' are freckles,

`Timmynoggy' referred to as an odd - shapeless item, (in fact, R. M. Nance gives it four other descriptions for nautical uses. BS.)

Joy Stevenson has passed on to me a few papers of interest, and amongst the dialect therein are:

and one I noticed most appropriate from the article in the .Spring 2008 Old Cornwall Journal, "A Nineteenth Century Conjuror's Archive from North Tamerton by Jason Semmens", `She's conjuring' - working something out.

Zip Roberts, Dialect Recorder for Madron OCS, provided a number of words, one is:- 'Bow-di-go' for the discretion of a person dressed like a tramp. (Many years ago I worked with a labourer Who said to a fellow workmate, "The'art dressed like a ditty-guy" which, he informed me, referred to Irish men who worked on road works and were dressed summer and winter in rubber boots, overcoats and trilby hats. BS.)

Also of Madron OCS, Audrey Thomas sent a list of her dialect recollections: `Like Great bunt ,laane, don' want nobody weth 'er and don' want to he left 'lone'.

`Faace like a rusticock' - is person with a red face.

When presumably a person was asked with regards to his health the reply was:-'I eats well and I sleeps well, but when it comes to work I shivers all over'.

Daniel Green of Redruth contributed 'Hildahoop' for the colour purple. 

Cornish riddle:- 'No bottom or top, holds gallons of water and never leaks a drop'- referring to a brandis, a three legged stand placed over afire to support a container of water.

A certain man who was praised for fathering two pretty daughters replied, 

`The uglier the ram the prettier the lamb'.

Another man who was told to make more haste in his work in the Camborne - Redruth area would reply `The Bassetts are dead old pal' meaning that the days when the Bassets of Tehidy, who owned both property and workforce, were no more.

Bill Glanville of St. Columb OCS, forwarded to me a page or two from a most interesting 1898 publication entitled:- `The Cornish in Southwest Wisconsin'. That particular USA state had a large Cornish population connected with the mining, and it was said that for other nationalities it was nigh impossible to understand two Cornishmen talking. Dialect went with them and continued in their communications. A list of words and sayings is contained in these writings. A sample is:

`Crabit' for scarf,

`Kicklish' for tottering'

`'E cla 'naw tin' - a wise man who could discern the difference in tin and iron ores,

"E da 'naw prils from 'elvins' - prils -good ore, 'elvins - deads or waste. Then there is the interpretation of the saying, `cream 'pon pilchards'. I quote: "As cream is the height of luxury in Cornwall, while pilchards are common food-----the expression means luxury heaped upon commonplace. If an ordinary man affects too much, dresses above his means, lives too high, or is vain, he is likened to `cream 'pon pilchards'."

Some dialect was passed on to me whilst with members of the Chacewater OCS a few months ago. Father Jim Vincent mentioned a Camborne saying, `Gabby Lark' for a talkative person.

Dr John Chesterfield brought to my attention three from Cawsand in East Cornwall:

`Coucth' - clobed up job, ('clobed' - dialect for cadged' most probably. BS) `.

fakes' - not quite as many,

`Scarlon - crawling around. 

(With regards to the latter, I was brought up saying the word as 'scrowen around'. This illustrating how certain words sound different by the time they reach the foot of Cornwall. BS.)

Please keep dialect, likes and anything Cornish, coming along to provide me with another report soon.