THE FIELD NAMES OF THE MANOR OF MULFRA

by P.A.S. POOL, F.S.A.

The area The object of this study is to record the field names of six adjoining farms in the

highland area of West Penwith, comprising the Manor of Mulfra, in the parishes of Madron and Gulval. The names are recorded over a period of two centuries, c. 1640-1840, during which the language generally spoken in the remoter areas of West Penwith changed from Cornish to English. Particular attention is given to the effects on field names of this change of language, following previous evidence that field names were more transient than farm names, and that changes in their language were quite common and nearly always involved a change in meaning also.1

The Manor of Mulfra was from 1549, and probably earlier, associated with that of Trezelah in Gulval, so that they came to be regarded as a single manor. It is first recorded as the property of the Killigrews, who c. 1537 sold it to the Millitons of Pengersick. In 1571 the latter family died out in the male line, and their lands were divided among six co-heiresses; in the 17th century, following various sales and marriages, the manor was owned in undivided shares by the families of Robartes, Buller and Godolphin.2 The main portion of the manor, the area here studied, comprised the farms of Mulfra and Ninnes in Madron parish, and Bodrifty, Carfury, Boskednan and Tredinnick in Gulval. Mulfra and Ninnes comprise a detached part of Madron, bounded on the north by Zennor and elsewhere by Gulval; the other farms comprise the north-west part of Gulval, bounded on the north by Zennor and on the west by the main part of Madron.

In topographical terms, the area of study is bounded on the east by the Trevaylor stream in the Try valley, and on the west by the crest of the ridge beyond the valley of the next (Chyandour) stream. It contains, north of the cultivated farmlands, large areas of moor, Mulfra Hill and Boskednan and Tredinnick Commons, which extend to the boundary with Zennor, here largely coincident with the watershed of West Penwith and with the ancient track now styled the the Tinners' Way (Map 1).

The area is renowned for its natural beauty and for its wealth of prehistoric antiquities; the latter include Mulfra Quoit, the Nine Maidens stone circle, Bodrifty ancient village, and many barrows, and the field names indicate sites of other antiquities (especially barrows) which have vanished. Agriculture has been, and is, the main occupation of the inhabitants, but tin streaming and mining were important from the 17th century (and probably earlier) to the 19th, and the growth of Ding Dong Mine caused much change in the topography of Boskednan and Tredinnick and in their field names. The most common field names in the whole area are those denoting barrows (nos. 49, 70, 86, 130) and blowing houses (nos. 5, 44, 56, 101).

43

fZ~ MORVAH Z E N N O R

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Venton Bebibell

Nine* m Maidens T u b a n

Broze 1 Boskednan Common

7

Venton Nigga

\ Tredinnick \ Common

Ding Dong Mine

C H Maen Dour

Dorlas • Crofts

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.TREDINNICK

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r> 0 9 j Crofts ; «

j Carfury i Crofts

J5> A •. C A R F U R Y

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• W A R T H A C _ " I -L S

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MAP 1 M A N O R of M U L F R A

with parish and farm boundaries from the maps of 1696 & 1831

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C A R F U R Y W O L L A S

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G U L V A L 1/4 Mile

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44

Z E N N O R

10 idrifty Common

Crofts

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J \ i Hensa\ i Manel \ / A v. \ \ Mulfra Hill Common \

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. 'MULFRA VEAN

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K E Y Letters for field names A Aro B Bill c Creeg C H Checouth C R Crouse o Dre(Bos-

kednan) F Farme G Grambley L S Long-

stone M Menhere N Nenis

Ullas p Pound v Vorne VD Vineyard

• • • A

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\ N 1 NINNES

M U L F R A

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C R

. M

L S /

:'MULFRA 'MILL /

G U L V A L V4 Mile

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A 7 New "v7 Mill

4) Farm . ' Parish • boundary

Farm / boundary 1-11 Parish

boundary stones numbered as in text

45

file:///Tolgreekfile:///Common

Although the area is only three or four miles from Penzance, it is remote from urban and extraneous influences, and thus suitable for continuity and tradition in many aspects of human life, including language, agriculture, and the field names that link the two. The year 1700 is suggested as a round date by which Cornish ceased to be the normal spoken language of the majority of the rural inhabitants of West Penwith, and 1800 as that by which it ceased to be a spoken language at al l .3 It seems reasonably certain that in the 17th century most inhabitants of the Manor of Mulfra would have been Cornish speakers, or at least only one generation away from such, and would have understood the meanings of their Cornish field names. By the 19th century, such understanding would have become limited to a small number of old people, and there is no actual proof of the survival of Cornish speaking in the manor. As their meanings were forgotten, the Cornish names became 'just names', and were increasingly subject both to corruptions making them appear meaningless, and to changes to different names in English.

The sources

The principal sources used in this study are as follows: A. Manuscript lists, in private hands, of field names of the Buller lands, undated but

probably c. 1630-40. B . The Lanhydrock Atlas of the Robartes estates, by Joel Gascoyne, 1696, now in

possession of the National Trust, Vol.1 p. 14 —17. C. Survey of the Manor of Trezella Mulfra, the property of James Wentworth Buller,

by J .H . Rutger, 1831 (CRO, B U 1172). This is stated to be revised from a survey made by Thomas Corfield in 1787, probably referring to a survey of the manor made for the Duke of Leeds in 1788, which Charles Henderson saw but of which the present whereabouts is unknown.4

D. The Tithe Apportionments of the parishes of Madron (1841) and Gulval (1843). (These sources are normally cited hereafter as sources A to D, as above).

The sources thus cover a period of two centuries, A and B being before, and C and D after, the assumed date of the change of spoken language and such changes in field names as it caused. Source A comprises lists only, without maps, so that doubts can arise as to the position of the fields named; the other sources comprise maps as well as lists, enabling the area covered by each name listed to be identified.

The field names

A Cornish field name typically comprises two parts or elements; a generic, a noun denoting a piece of land, and a qualifier, a noun or adjective describing the land and containing the essence of the name. To these may be added a third element, an adjective distinguishing adjoining fields of the same name. In English names the order of the elements is normally reversed; thus, the Cornish names Park Grouse Wartha and Park Grouse Wollas have as their English equivalents Higher and Lower Cross Fields.

The Cornish field names in the Manor of Mulfra commonly used the generics gwel and park, both meaning 'field', found in 61 and 22 fields respectively in source B , and

46

dor, meaning 'ground', found in 17. Gwel is normally found in source A as gwele, in B as gwell, and in C and D as gweal (sometimes as guel or gwelch). No distinction in meaning is here apparent between gwel and park. Of the 61 gwel fields listed in source B , 48 were arable, 11 pasture, and 2 furze; of the 22 park fields, 20 were arable and 2 pasture. The gwel fields were spread evenly over the area, the parks concentrated on the eastern side at Mulfra, Ninnes and Bodrifty; there were only two parks (62, 77) at Carfury, one (101) at Boskednan, and none at Tredinnick. Two other Cornish generics found in source B are len, stitch (106, 107), and erow, acre (72). English generics found are 'Field', 'Meadow', 'Close', 'Stitch', 'Slip' (11), and 'Quillett" (120).

When arranged by their qualifying elements, the field names show a wide range of themes. A field might be named from its size, as being large (50, 59), or small (3, 60); from its area (66, 82, 85, 94); from its position, as being higher (1 , 47, 118), lower (13-15, 20, 50), or middle (2, 118, 124); or from its shape, as being long (17, 38, 42, 81), triangular (57, 86), square (65), round (88), or crooked (4). Its farming use might be indicated by reference to crops, as 'pillas' (40, 83, 84), rye (24, 47), wheat (65), oats (58), hay (72), cabbages (64), beans (68), and peas (96, 115); or to livestock, as sheep (57), horses (96), colts (9), cows (112), or oxen (16). A field might be named by reference to a natural feature, as a slope ( 6 - 7 , 39-40) , a earn (59, 61), a rock (10, 45, 107), a pool (53, 81, 85), a spring (8, 27), a down (23), a moor (128), or a hill (117); or an antiquity, as a prehistoric village (54-55) , a longstone (20,34,71), a barrow (49, 70, 86, 130), a cromlech (99), or a cross (37). Some names record natural vegetation, as trees (26), furze ( 1 , 33, 47), briars (72), thistles (91), ferns (108), and thorns (92, 106); others, the state of the ground, as black (25, 88), yellow (52, 93), stony (10, 103), rocky ( 4 4 - 5 , 80, 102), or dry (Dore Seath on Carfury, source A only). Mining led to names denoting blowing-houses (5, 44, 56, 101), tin-ground (109), stamping mills (6, 24), and shafts (25). Some names referred to communications, as footpaths (50, 83, 86), a road (46), a ford (24), or a lane (Vounder an Noweth on Tredinnick, source C only). According to when it was taken into use, a field might be called old (82), or new (39, 77), and the name Gew (57, 122) is probably in this category. Some fields record personal names, as John (21), Harry (48), and Jeffery (74, 76), and the surnames Noy (4) and Gomer (87). One field is seemingly named from a wild animal (12). Finally a group of names indicates the proximity of fields to the farmstead or 'town', or to features around it; a field might adjoin it (44, 69), or be above it (63, 123), or below it (111), or adjoin the house (28, 63), the garden (18), the door (43, 78, 82, 104), or the barn (49, 90, 126).

Names containing the third element, or distinguishing adjective, are rare in sources A and B: the only examples are the pair Bell Brose and Bian (large and small, 97 — 8); the triple group Tallow Wollas, Crese and Vean (lower, middle and small, 110); and Polispee Vian (85), Redannic Wolas (108), and Gwell Crese Wollas (71), the adjectives here occurring without their accustomed 'pairs'. In sources C and D, the English adjectives Higher, Lower, Great, Little, Outer (or Further), Middle, and Inner (or Homer), are common.

Source B also lists areas of land other than fields, mainly crofts and moors. The crofts, areas of enclosed rough pasture, are frequently un-named and listed merely as 'croft'. By the 19th century (sources C and D) many of these had received specific names, and a few had been improved and become fields. Similar considerations affect the areas

47

described in B in Cornish as hal and in English as 'moor'; sometimes they had specific names, as Halliweeth (26) and Hall an Vah (46), but more often they were listed simply as 'moor'. These areas are 'moors' in the local sense of low-lying marshy places; moors in the sense of uncultivated uplands were styled in Cornish gun (goone in A , 24; goen in B , 23).

Problems arise in determining which entries in the source lists qualify as names, and in classifying names as Cornish or English. The areas listed in source B by innominate descriptions such as 'croft', 'moor', or 'meadow' are excluded from the farm lists printed below, but areas of these kinds are included when given names by added words, such as Croft Goen, Long Moor, and Little Meadow. The excluded areas are mentioned after the farm lists i f they had significant names in sources C and D. When classifying names by language, that of the qualifying element is normally regarded as decisive; thus Park an Marten (12) contains the familiar Cornish generic and article park an, 'field of the', but it is reckoned as an English name as the qualifier is probably an English word for an animal. Names of doubtful meaning, possibly owing to corrupt spelling, are classified according to their general appearance; thus Dobtravas (80) is reckoned as Cornish, Tall Park (19) as English. Where the qualifier is a personal name, the field name is assigned to the language of its generic; thus Dor Juan (21), Gwell Harry (48) and Jeffery's Howas (74) are reckoned as Cornish, but Jeffery's Moor (76) as English.

Changes in field names

A field name in the Cornish Language might, over a period of years, be retained; or replaced by another Cornish name with a different meaning; or replaced by an English name, which might be either the English equivalent of the former Cornish, or an English name of different meaning. Similarly, an English name might be retained, or replaced by a different English name, or by a Cornish name of the same or a different meaning. Changes from English to Cornish were, in a sense, contrary to the natural course of history, and were thus comparatively rare.

The frequency of such changes may best be ascertained by comparison of sources B (1696) and C (1831), both of which provide full lists of the field names in use throughout the area, supported by maps. The two 17th century sources, A and B , both contain a high proportion of Cornish names, as would be expected. Of 87 field names in A, all but two (12 and 55) are Cornish. Of 132 names recorded in B , 104 (79%) were Cornish, 28 (21 %) English. This reckoning is by names, not fields; where two or more adjoining fields on the same farm had the same name, this is here reckoned as one name. Since virtually all such fields had Cornish names, an alternative reckoning by fields rather than names produces a still higher proportion of Cornish. Thus, of 187 fields named in B , 158 (84%%) had Cornish names, and 29 (15%%) English.

This figure of 84%% of fields in the area having Cornish names in 1696, is higher than the figures for other groups of Robartes properties in West Penwith, also obtained from source B . The percentage for properties in Ludgvan and Lelant (Collorian, Boskennal and Gunwin) is 78%%; for those in Paul (Halwyn, Trevithal, Ragennis, Pednolva and Treropy) 74%; for those in Towednack and Zennor (Embla, Trevega, Gwealcarne, Porthmeor and Bosporthennis) 7 1 % % ; for those in St Just (Numphra,

48

Boscean, Boswedden, Brea Vean and Bosorne) 58y2%; and for those in Sancreed (Bodinnar Vean, Bosvenning, and Roskennals Veor and Vean) only 31 %. This figure for Sancreed is probably a 'freak', due to a high proportion of English names on Roskennals, possibly resulting from the arrival of English-speaking farm tenants who abandoned former Cornish names.

The high figure for the Manor of Mulfra may reflect a greater degree of remoteness and isolation. In contrast, source B indicates some very low levels of Cornish names on farms near towns. Al l the fields on Lesingey near Penzance and Tregenna near St Ives had English names, as did five of seven fields on Bahavella near St Ives. It appears that nearby urban influences and contacts tended to accelerate and increase the change of language in field names.5

Comparison of sources B and C, 135 years apart, shows that of 104 Cornish field names in the former, 78 (75%) survived in the latter, either totally or in part. In 57 instances (55%) the survival was total, in the sense that complete areas, each of one or more fields, bore the same Cornish names in both B and C, subject of course to frequent variations in spelling. In the remaining 21 instances (20%) the survival was partial only, usually in the sense that part of a group of fields, similarly named in B , had a different name in C. The remaining 26 Cornish names in B (25%) do not survive in C.

Some Cornish names which did not survive were replaced by other Cornish names of different meaning; examples of such replacement, total or partial, include:

Park an Garrack to Park Minnock (10) Park an Joye to Gweal Ore (28) Park Nowith to Bowgy Reen (39) Pilloes Croft to The Reen (40) Croft an Pilloes to Little Carne (83) Dormelling to Boskednan Erra (93) Croft Checouth to Chyrease (115) Taller Bean to Tol Treen (121) (Part) Pool Noy to Park an Croum (4) (Part) Gwell Creeg to Gweal Skibor (49) (Part) Gwelley to The Qualks (89) (Part) Gwell Darras to Higher Vingham (104)

When a Cornish name was replaced by an English one, logic would suggest that the change should often be by translation into an English name of the same meaning. In fact this very seldom happened, and a change in language nearly always involved a change in meaning also. The only instances of change by translation in the Manor of Mulfra were Gwell Garrack to Rocky Field (45), and part of Gweal Crease to Middle Stitch (124); and even there, better translations would be to 'rock field' and 'middle field'. The only instances found elsewhere in West Penwith were at Corva in St Ives, where Park an Growse c. 1640 became Cross Field in the Tithe Apportionment, and at Numphra in St Just and Trevithal in Paul, where Park an Venton and Park an Here, both in 1696, became respectively Well Field and Long Field in the Tithe Apportionments.6

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The following are examples from the Manor of Mulfra of replacement of Cornish names by English ones of different meanings:

Croft Goen to Great Croft (23) Croft an Ithen to Meadows and Burrows (33) Menhere to Lower Croft (34) Polmeen to Poor Field (35) Tolldowre to Lower Long Moor (41) Gwell Vorne to Town Field and Homer Rocky Field (44) Park an Carne to Higher Great Field (59) Gwell Crese Wollas to Long Stone Field (71) Aro Drisack to Hay Meadow (alternative) (72) Dobtravas to Rocky Meadow (80) Polwavas to Long Meadow (81) Dorcreek to Three Corner Field and Way Field (86) Dore Dew to Further Croft, Inner Croft, and Round Field (88) (Part) Pool Noy to Rocky Field (4) (Part) Park an Vorne to Mill Moor (5) (Part) Grinnick to Lower Field (15) (Part) Cheres to Rye Croft (24) (Part) Croft Due to Shafty Croft (25) (Part) Gwell Wollas to Lower Great Field (50) (Part) Dorcoath to The Acre (82) (Part) Plispe to The Acre (85) (Part) Gwell Varth to Castle Field (96)

Of the 28 English names listed in source B , 8 survive totally in C , and another 6 in part, giving a survival rate of 50% as compared with 75% for the Cornish names. An English name might change to another, such as Little Meadow to Lower Field (14). Instances occur of English names changing to Cornish ones, against the historical trend, always with a change of meaning:

Higher Field to Park Niethan (1) Above Town to Gweal Chye (63) Long Moor Croft to The Howes or Gweal Creege (73) Rocky Meadow to The Vichan and Maen Croum (102) Higher Close to Gweal Crease or Higher Stitch (118) Above Town to The Vichan and Gwelch-an-Brake (123)

The preceding paragraphs are based on comparison of sources B and C. The lists of names in C and D (the Tithe Apportionments) are very similar, as would be anticipated from the short interval between them. But significant differences between C and D occur, and sometimes a name from B , which had been replaced by another in C, re-appeared in D, such as Vingham (58). This strongly suggests that the names in both C and D were in use at the same time. Simultaneous use of two names is also indicated by instances of alternative names, often one Cornish and one English, being given in the same source:

Gweal Cowls or Square Field (65, D) Ero Dry-sack or Hay Meadow (72, C) Churchway or Little Carne (83, D)

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The survival or otherwise of each field name in the area is traced in the farm lists, but many of the factors mentioned above may be exemplified by preliminary examination of the small farm of Bodrifty (Map 2). Source B lists and locates there 16 fields bearing 11 names; two instances occur of three adjoining fields with the same name, and one of two such. Of the 11 names, 9 are Cornish and 2 English; 9, 8 Cornish and 1 English, were listed earlier in source A , which also lists an illegible name which is probably Cornish. Four of the Cornish names in B include the generic park, one (covering three fields) has gwel, and one has dor.

Of the 11 names, 6 (51—56) survive totally in source C; there are some variations in spelling, such as the strange Lidden to Ladden (53), but what are undoubtedly the same names are used for the same areas, Organ, Dormellin, The Lidden, Park Fose, Park Round, Park Vorne. Five of the six also survive totally in source D, but Park Fose (54) is there named as Long Croft.

The cases of partial survival present some complexities. Of three adjoining fields (50) called Gwell Wollas in B , two retain this name in C, but one is there called Lower Great Field. The adjoining field (59), called Park an Carne in B , is in C called Higher Great Field; but neither of these changes is found in D, where the two Great Fields revert to their previous names. Also in D, one of the Gwell Wollas fields, which is crossed by a footpath, is called Gweal Wollas Churchway.

A field (57) called Geaw in B is in C divided into three, called The Sheep Field, The Three Corner Field, and The Stitch, with The Guews given as an alternative name for the first two; but in D The Gew is again the only name of the whole. Similarly, three fields (58) called Wingams in B are in C called Higher Stich, Poor Field and Oat Croft, but in D the two latter are again called Vingham. Little Meadow (60) in B is in C and D called simply The Meadow. Thus the five names in B , which do not survive totally in C , all survive either partly in C or fully in D. No name on Bodrifty in B was totally lost; in this respect it is untypical.

As well as the 16 fields with their 11 names, source B lists at Bodrifty 11 un-named crofts, which have names (all English) in C and D, and two of which were improved to field status. These crofts are considered after the farm list for Bodrifty.

The farms

Before listing the field names of each farm, a short account follows of the farms themselves, with special reference to their names and divisions.7

The name, Mulfra (Moelvre 1284, Molvre 1317, Mulvera 1403, Mulvra 1513, Mulfra 1621) is Cornish mol vre (from bre), bare hill. The farm is thus named from the bare isolated hill, on the southern slope of which the farmstead stands. The name is also found in St Austell as Mulvra and in Lanivet as Mulberry (Moelvre 1302). The Lanhydrock Atlas (source B) recorded that in 1696 Mulfra was divided into three tenements, Mulfra Mill Tenement, Mulfra and Cheres, and Mulfra Vean. Mulfra Mill Tenement, by the stream at the south-east extremity of Mulfra, had an alternative name not given in sources A or B , but recorded as Mulfra Mill otherwise Chynowe in 1607, Choynoy in 1668, New Mill Land or Chynoey in 1831, and Chynoey Tenement at New Mill as late as 1912.8

51

52

This is Cornish chy, house, with probably the surname Noy; one of the fields (4) was called Pool Noy in B . Documents of 1607 and 1621 record three mills here;9 Mulfra Mill, Mulfra New Mill , and Mulfra Stamping Mill , the second of which has given its name to the hamlet of Newmill. Source C records the stamping mill as 'old stamps' (6), and other 'old stamps' 1000 yards upstream at Chyrease (24).

Mulfra and Cheres, later Chyrease, comprised the main part of the farm. The name Cheres (Cornish chy res, ford house) occurs independently as Chyryes in 1403 and Chyries in 1621, but from 1607 it is recorded regularly as part of Mulfra (Mulfra and Chireis in 1607, Mulfra and Cherese in 1672, Mulfra and Cherris in 1726, Mulfra and Chirose in 1831).10 The field name (24) shows that Cheres was about 500 yards north-east of the main farmstead, adjoining the boundary stream.

Mulfra Vean (Cornish vyghan, little, from byghan) is topographically as well as by name part of Mulfra, adjoining the farmstead to the north-west, but it was let and regularly recorded as part of Ninnes (Mulfra Vean and Nenys 1607, Nenis and Mulfra Vean 1653 and 1696, Ninnes alias Mulfra Vean 1831)."

Ninnes is first recorded in 1314 in the Latin form of the name, Insula (island); the Cornish forms contain enys (Enes in 1327, Enys in 1403 and 1524) or an enys (Nenis in 1621 and 1696, Nennys in 1668, Ninnis in 1841), the article an here appearing as an initial n. The primary meaning of enys, as of insula, is 'island', but it can also denote an isolated or detached area. Ninnes and Mulfra are isolated both topographically, on the isolated Mulfra Hil l , and administratively, as a detached part of Madron parish. It is suggested that this area may have been known as 'the Enys', the isolated area; the adjoining farm to the north, in Zennor, is called Bosporthennis, the dwelling at the entrance to the isolated area. There are two farmsteads at Ninnes, about 400 yards apart, now distinguished as Higher and Lower Ninnes; most sources (including A - D ) ignore this division, but its antiquity is shown by a reference in 1403 to Enys Wartha (higher).12

The recorded forms of the name Bodrifty (Bodrythekey in 1344, Botrithky 1456, Bodryghtye 1534, Bodrifkye 1570, Bodrethkie 1610, Bodriftye 1623) show that the first element is Cornish bos or bod, dwelling, possibly here followed (as often) by a personal name. Bodrifty is topographically, but not administratively, part of the 'Enys' of Mulfra Hill; like Mulfra and Ninnes it is on the hill slope, but it is in Gulval parish, not the detached part of Madron.

Al l forms but one of the name Carfury (Carfury in 1380, Carffiiry 1457, Carfurie 1575, Carvery alias Carfury 1607) suggest that the first element is Cornish ker, fortification, but the earliest source gives Carnfuru and Carfuru as alternative forms of the name in 1327. As there is at Carfury a prominent earn or rock-pile, but no recorded fortification, it seems likely that the first element is earn rather than ker. The second element in the name is obscure. The division of Carfury into Wartha and Wollas (Higher and Lower) is first recorded in 1621;13 the farmsteads adjoin.

The name Boskednan (Boskennen in 1310, Boskennan 1313, Boscennen 1327, Boskenan 1457, Boskednan 1609) comprises bos, dwelling, followed probably by a personal name. The intrusive d, found first in 1609 and regularly thereafter, is typical of

53

Late Cornish. Like Carfury, Boskednan is divided into Wartha and Wollas, the division being first recorded in 1607;14 the farmsteads adjoin.

There is between Boskednan Wartha and Boskednan Common an area, topographi-cally very much part of Boskednan, which is recorded by source B in 1696 as part of Tredinnick, but there styled as 'the fields called Boskednan Wartha'; later sources likewise record this area under Tredinnick. It included two adjoining fields called Farme (114) and Croft Checouth (chy coth, old house, 115), names which strongly indicate the site of a former farmstead (see also 111). It is suggested that this was the site of the original farmstead of Boskednan Wartha, abandoned possibly as a result of mining operations, and that the farmstead was moved about 400 yards south-east to adjoin that of Boskednan Wollas, the land around the old farmstead being for some reason incorporated into Tredinnick, from which it is physically detached.

Recorded forms of the name Tredinnick (Tredenek in 1457, Tredennek 1537, Tredenak 1570, Tredinnicke 1621) suggest that it contains tre, farmstead, and dynek, fortified. But there is no record of a fortification here, and early forms of the same name elsewhere suggest that the second element may be redenek, ferny; Tredinnick in St Issey and in Newlyn East both occur as Treredenek, in 1296 and 1288 respectively."

The farm lists

In the farm lists which follow, the first column contains field names from sources A - D , with a reference number for each. The lists are based primarily on source B , the Lanhydrock Atlas of 1696, and include all fields and other areas there named, but not those listed without names. The divisions of the farms are also based on B . The names of c. 1630 - 4 0 (A) are listed with the fields in B to which they appear to belong. The names of 1831 (C), and of 1841 and 1843 (D), are those of the areas shown by those records to correspond with the fields of 1696. Names which appear separately in lists are divided by a colon ( :) . The second column contains interpretations of the names, and general comments, with reference by their numbers to fields with similar or related names.

1. B HIGHER FIELD C PARK NIETHEN D PARK NITHAN

2. B, C MIDDLE FIELD D MIDDLE LAY FIELD

3. B, C, D L I T T L E FIELD

4. B POOL NOY C PARK AN CROUM: ROCKY FIELD D PARK AN CROWN: ROCK FIELD

MULFRA M I L L

Park an eythyn, the furze field (33, 47)

Probably English 'ley', grassland

Pol, pool, with surname Noy; compare the tenement name Chynoey. Later probably park crom, crooked field, with redundant an

54

5. B PARK AN VORNE C PARK AN VORNE: MILL MOOR D PARK AN VORN: MIDDLE MOOR

AND BURROWS

6. B MIDDLE REEN C LOWER REEN AND OLD STAMPS D LOWER REEN

7. B FURTHER REEN C, D HIGHER REEN

Park an font, the furnace field, referring to a blowing-house for tin (44, 56, 101)

Ryn, slope (39, 40)

As above

Source B also lists Moor Plotts at New Mill , called Mill Meadow in C and Meadow in D. C shows a detached area, then forming part of Chynoey or New Mill , north-east of Mulfra Hill adjoining the boundary with Treen Common in Zennor and Tolgreek Common in Gulval. In B it had been part of Mulfra and Nenis Common. C and D record two names here: HENSA M A N E L may contain hensy, roads, perhaps with manal, sheaf, but a meaningful interpretation is difficult. VENTON G I L B E R T S is fenten, spring, with a personal name; C shows Venton Gilberts Barrow on Treen Common adjoining, presumably named from the Gilberts who were co-owners of Treen.

MULFRA A M

8. A PARK AN VINT AN: GWELE VINT AN B PARK AN VENTON: L I T T L E do. C GREAT, L I T T L E and FURTHER

PARK AN VENTON: PARK AN VENTON MOOR

D As C, omitting an, PARK VENTON etc.

9. A PARK ANEBBOLL B PARK AN EBALL C, D PARK NEBIL: PARK NEBIL MOOR

10. A PARK MINACK B PARK AN GARRACK C ROCKY, LOWER, and HIGHER

PARK MINNOCK D ROCKY, LOWER, and HIGHER

PARK MINNICK

11. B SLIP C, D THE GERNICK (part)

12. A PARK ANMARTEN B PARK AN MARTEN C, D PARK MARTEN

CHERES

Park an fenten, the spring field Adjoins 27 on Mulfra Vean

Park an ebol, the colt field

Park meynek, stony field, and in B park an garrek, the rock field

English 'slip', a narrow strip of land. For Gernick see 15

Probably from the marten, an animal of the weasel type; or possibly personal name

55

13. A GWELE LOWER B LOWER MEADOW C, D PARK MARTEN MOOR

14. A MEADOW B L I T T L E MEADOW C LOWER FIELD (part) D Enclosure from FRENCH CROFT

15. A CRANECK B GRINNICK: L I T T L E GRINNICK C LOWER FIELD (part): THE

GERNICK (part) D LOWER MOOR: FRENCH FURZE

CROFT: THE GERNICK (part)

16. A PARK ANOWEN B PARK ANAUHAN C, D PARK OW (also in 1788)

17. A DOR HEERE B DORHERE (2 fields) C LOWER and HIGHER DORHERE D LOWER and HIGHER DOR HEERE

18. A PARK AGARREN B PARK AN GARNE C PARK AN JARN D PARK AN JARNE

19. B T A L L PARK C TORR PARK (also in 1788) D FIR PARK

20. A GWELE GOLLAS B GWELL WOLLAS (4 fields) C LOWER and HIGHER CROFTS,

HIGHER CROFT FIELD, HIGHER LONG STONE FIELD, HIGHER WAY CROFT, HIGHER and LOWER WAY FIELDS, HIGHER, MIDDLE, and LOWER STITCHES

D As C, except FURTHER (for Higher) LONG STONE FIELD, and HIGHWAY (for Higher Way) CROFT

21. A GEORGJOWAN B DOR JUAN (3 fields)

Probably English 'lower', from position; or possibly Cornish lowarth, garden

For French Croft see 15

Probably kernyk, little corner (119). French furze probably as thought to be a strange or alien variety

Park an owen, the oxen field

Dor hyr, long ground, from shape. See 38

Park an jam, the garden field (adjoins farmstead)

Meaning obscure, presumably successive forms of an English name

Gwel woles, lower field, from goles (50). Higher and Lower Way Fields adjoin a farm track, Highway Croft adjoins a road

Dor Jowan, John's ground

56

C, D LOWER GROUNDS: DOR JOAN: DOR JOAN GARDEN

22. A TALPA AN CARNIBBAS B CARNABIS C CARNEVIS D CARNERVES

23. B CROFT GOEN C, D GREAT CROFT

24. A GOONE CHARRESE B CHERES C, D CHYREASE: OLD STAMPS PLOT:

HOMER CHYREASE: R Y E CROFT (RIE CROFT 1788)

25. B CROFT DUE (2 crofts) C CROFT DUE: SHAFTY CROFT D CROFT DEW: SHAFTY CROFT

Cam, rock-pile, with unidentified second element, and unidentified prefix in A

Croft gun, down croft (adjoins Mulfra Hill)

Chy res, ford house, with in A gun, down

Croft du, black croft (88)

Also in source A G W E L E C R E S E (gwel cres, middle field); and in B an un-named Moor, called LOWER MOOR in C.

26. B HALLIWEETH C HALE AN WYTH D Un-named

MULFRA VEAN (part of Ninnes)

Hal an wyth, moor of the trees

Park fenten, spring field (adjoins 8). VENTON

27. B PARK VENTON C, D GREAT and L I T T L E PARK

28. B PARK AN JO Y E C GWEAL ORE D GWEAL ON

29. B PARK BARNE C PARK BARE (also in 1788) D GREAT and L I T T L E PARK BACE

30. B GWELOW C HOMER PARK BARE D HOMER PARK BACE

Park an jy, the house field (adjoins farmstead) (63); later gwel or, boundary field (on farm boundary), or possibly on, ash trees, or on, lamb

English 'barn' does not suit site, away from farmstead; Cornish her, short, is inappropriate, so later forms hare and bace (also 30 and 31) are unexplained

Gwelow in B may be related to Gweal Ore in 28, C

57

31. B CROFT AN POW C PARK AN POUND: HIGHER

PARK BARE D PARK AN POUND: HIGHER

PARK BACE

32. A TOSE (Sic) WIDNE B FOSE WIDDEN (2 fields) C HIGHER and LOWER FOSS WHIDDEN D HIGHER and LOWER FOSS WIDN

Probably English 'pound', enclosure; usually for impounding animals, but here possibly referring to adjoining prehistoric village

Fos wyn, white wall

NINNES

33. B CROFT AN ITHAN C Meadows and burrows D LOWER MILL CROFT: HIGHER

and LOWER NEW MILL CROFTS

34. B MENHERE C, D LOWER CROFT

35. B POLMEEN C, D POOR FIELD

36. A NENIS OLWAS B NENIS ULLAS (2 fields) C HIGHER, L I T T L E , and GREAT

NINNES OLLAS D HIGHER, L I T T L E , and GREAT

NINNIS OLLAS

37. A GWELE CROUSE B GWELLGROWS C HOMER and FURTHER PARK AN

GROUSE D HOMER PARK GROUSE: SOUTHERN

PARK AN GROUSE

38. A DOR HEERE B DORHERE C DOR HERE: L I T T L E DOR HERE D DOR HERE: MOWHAY FIELD

39. B PARK NO WITH C, D BOWGY REEN

40. B PILLOES CROFT C THE REEN D Garden and Town Place

Croft an eythyn, the furze croft (1 , 47). The nearest part of this farm to New Mill

Menhyr, longstone (not otherwise recorded)

Probably pol meyn, pool of stones

Farm name, probably with goles, lower, rather than olas, hearth; between upper and lower farmsteads, and possibly an earlier site of the latter

Gwel crows, later park an grows, (the) cross field (cross not otherwise recorded)

Dor hyr, long ground (17)

Park noweth, new field (77), later bowjy ryn, cow-house on slope

Pylas, commonly 'pillas', naked oats (83, 84), later ryn, slope (6, 7)

58

41. B TOLLDOWRE C LOWER LONG MOOR (part) D THE MOOR (part)

42. B LONG MEADOW: THE MEADOW C THE MOOR: LOWER LONG MOOR

(part) D THE MOOR

Tol dowr, water hole

'Meadow' may be an error for 'Moor'

43.

44.

A GWELE DARRAS: GWELE DARAS B PARK AND ARRAS (2 fields) C GUEL DORRAS: L I T T L E do:

GREAT GWEAL DORRAS D GWEAL DARRAS: L I T T L E and

GREAT GWEAL GARRAS (sit)

A GWELE FORNE B GWELL VORNE (2 fields) C, D TOWN FIELD: HOMER ROCKY

FIELD

Gwel darras, park an darras, (the) door field, the field outside the door (adjoins farmhouse) (78, 82, 104)

Gwel font, furnace field (5, 56, 101). Later named as adjoining the farm-place or 'town' (69)

45. A GWELE GARRAC B GWELL GARRACK AND MOOR C FURTHER ROCKY FIELD:

FURTHER ROCKY MOOR D MOOR

Gwel garrek, rock field (10, 107)

46. A HAL ANVATH B HALL AN VA'H (2 fields) C HOMER and FURTHER HALE'S VA D HOMER HALES VOR: FURTHER

HALES VA

Possibly hal an forth, moor by the road, from position, with hal later misunder-stood as a personal name Hale (68)

47. A GWELE GWARR B GWELL WARTHA (3 fields) C HALE'S OUTER CROFT: EITHEN

HYTHEN CROFT: CHYGOULDER D HALE'S OUTER CROFT: EASTERN

HITHE CROFT: un-named

Gwel wartha, higher field; later eythyn, furze ( 1 , 33), doubled in C, and sugaldyr, rye land, often taken to include chy, house. For Hale see 46

48. A GWELE HARY B GWELL HARRY: L I T T L E GWELL

HARRY C OUTER, MIDDLE, and INNER

GUEL HARRIS D OUTER, MIDDLE, and INNER

GWEAL (sit)

Probably gwel, field, with personal name

59

49. A GWELE CREGE B GWELL CREEG (2 fields) C HALE'S FIELD: GWEAL SKIBOR D LOWER and HIGHER HALE'S

FIELD: GWEAL SKIBBER

Gwel Cruk, barrow field (70, 86, 130); later gwel skyber, barn field (90, 126). For Hale see 46

Source B also lists seven un-named crofts, called in C Middle, Higher, Hale's, Rocky Lane, Carne (two), and Pedn Ren Crofts. In C the list names Pedn Ren Inner and Outer Crofts, but the map shows the name, probably correctly, as PEDN C R E N , for the adjoining part of Mulfra Hill (possibly pen an cren, head of the round, referring to the adjoining prehistoric village on Mulfra Vean). In D the name is given as Pedn Crew Croft.

BODRIFTY

50. A GWELE GOLLOS: GWELE GOLLAS Gwel goles, in mutation woles, lower B GWELL WOLLAS (3 fields) field (20). Churchway refers to a footpath C LOWER and HIGHER GUEL GULLAS: crossing the former Lower Guel Gullas

LOWER GREAT FIELD D GWEAL WOLLAS CHURCHWAY:

GWEAL WOLLAS (2 fields)

51. A ARLAN B, C, D ORGAN

52. A DORMELLEN B DORMELLIN C DOR MELLAN D DORMELLEN

Possibly oghen, oxen, but this is not supported by A

Dor melen, yellow ground (93); not melyn, mill, as no mill nearby

53. A PARK ANLEDEN: PARK LIDEN B THE LIDDEN: L I T T L E LIDDEN C LADDEN OR LADN (2 fields) D LADEN

54. B PARK FOSE C PARK FOSS (2 fields) D LONG CROFT

55. A, B, C, D PARK ROUND

56. A PARK FORN B PARK VORNE C PARK AN VORN D PARK VORN

Park (an) lyn, (the) pool field (pond adjoins). Lyn often becomes lidden, but the change to ladden etc. (already in 1788) is strange

Park fos, wall field, probably from the prehistoric village

Field is rectangular, so probably named from a round structure, such as a prehistoric hut

Park forn, furnace field (5, 44, 101)

60

57. A GEW B GEAW C THE SHEEP FIELD ) OR THE

THREE CORNER FIELD ) GUEWS: THE STICH

D THE GEW

Name often taken as keow, hedges, indicating a hedged enclosure, often adjoining the farmstead (but not in this instance), possibly the first field to be enclosed (122)

58. A WING AN Name not explained (105) B WINGAMS (3 fields) C POOR FIELD: OAT CROFT (part):

HIGHER STICH D VINGHAM (2 fields):

HIGHER STICH

59. A PARK ANCARN Park an earn, the rock-pile field B PARK AN CARNE C HIGHER GREAT FIELD D PARK EN CARNE

60. B LITTLE MEADOW C, D THE MEADOW

Source A contains an illegible name, probably Cornish and possibly representing no.54. B lists 11 un-named crofts. One is called T H E DOWNS in C and P A R K D E V A S (davas, sheep, compare 57) in D. Another is called C A L V E S F I E L D in C and P A R K L I E N in D; the latter may be for L I E U , Cornish lugh, calf, which would be a remarkable instance of a croft becoming a field and being given equivalent names in both languages. The remaining crofts are named in C as Oat, Rough (two), Long, White (two), Burnt (two), and Little Crofts.

CARFURY WARTHA

61. A CARN BIAN Cam, rock-pile, with in A byghan, small B THE CARNE C, D HIGHER, GREAT and ROUND CARNE

62. A PARK LENE B THE LANE C THE LEANS D HIGHER and LOWER LEANS

Park lyn, stitch field, as 116; not English 'lane''

63. B ABOVE TOWNE Both names from position adjoining C, D GWEAL CHYE farmstead; later gwel chy, house field.

See 28, 123

64. A GWELE CALL Probably gwel cawl, cabbage field B GWELL COWLE C, D GWEAL COWLS

61

65. B GWELLGEWANNET C GWANNET GWEAL D GWEAL COWLS or SQUARE FIELD

66. B THE ARO C, D CARFURY ERRA

67. A GWELE ANTER B GWELL UNKER C GWEAL LANCHA (also in 1788) D GWEAL LAMCHA

68. A GWILE FAVE B GWELL FAVE C, D GWEAL VA (also in 1788)

69. A GWILE DRIA B GWELL DREA C,D GWEAL DREN (also in 1788)

70. A GWELE CREG B DORCREEK C GWEAL CREEGE D GWEAL CREEG

71. B GWELL CRESE WOLLAS (2 fields) C LONG STONE FIELD D LOWER LONG STONE

72. B ARO DRISACK C ERO DRY-SACK OR HAY MEADOW D ERRA DRYSACK ATTAY MEADOW

73. B LONG MOOR CROFT C THE HOWES OR GWEAL CREEGE D HEWASES

74. B JEFFERY'S HOWAS C, D SOUTH HOWES

75. B LONG MOOR C, D ROUND MOOR

76. B JEFFERY'S MOOR C, D LONG MOOR

Gwel gwaneth, wheat field. In D, Cornish borrowed from 64 adjoining, English from shape

Erow, acre (area is over 2 acres); adjoins Boskednan Erra (94)

Name unexplained

Possibly gwel faf, beans field; or gwel forth, way field, as adjoining footpath, see 46

Gwel dre, town field, from position near farmstead (44); C and D evidently errors, not dreyn, thorns

Gwel cruk, barrow field, or dor cruk, barrow ground; distant from 86, adjoins 130 on Tredinnick

Appears to be gwel cres woles, lower middle field, but crese in B may be an error for crege, giving gwel cruk woles, lower barrow field (adjoins 70)

Erow dreysek, briary acre

Names from adjoining 70 and 76; also hewas, summer pasture

Hewas, see 73, with personal name

See 76

In B 75 and 76 seem transposed; 76 should be Long Moor, from shape and from name in C and D

62

CARFURY WOLLAS

77. A PARK NOITH: PARK NOWITH (2 fields, 3 in all)

B PARK NOWETH (2 fields) C, D PARK NOWETH

Park noweth, new field (39)

78. A GELL DUR B GWELL DORRAS (2 fields) C HIGHER and LOWER GUEL DORRAS D HIGHER and LOWER GWEAL DARRAS

Gwel darras, door field, adjoining farmstead (43, 82, 104)

79. B L I T T L E MEADOW C, D THE MEADOW

80. B DOBTRAVAS C, D ROCKY MEADOW

81. B POLWAVAS C, D LONG MEADOW

82. B DORCOATH C LOWER CARTH: THE ACRE:

MEADOW D LOWER CURTH: THE ACRE:

FIELD BEFORE THE DOOR

83. B CROFT AN PILLOES C L I T T L E CARNE D CHURCHWAY OR L I T T L E CARNE

84. A DORE POOLOW B DOR PILLOES (2 fields) C LOWER POLLOW (2 fields) D LOWER PELLEW: PELLOW

85. A POLISPE: POLISPEE VIAN B PLISPES (4 fields) C, D PLISBY: GREAT and L I T T L E

PLISBY: THE ACRE

Name in B seems meaningless, may be miscopied from 81 adjoining

Pol gwavas, winter pool

Dor coth, old ground. The third field named in D adjoins a cottage, see 43, 78, 104

Croft an pylas, pillas croft (see 40); crossed by a footpath, and adjoining the common, Carfury Carn

Dor pylas, pillas ground (40, 83)

Pol, pool, with rest of name unexplained. In A, vyghan, small

86. A GWELE CREG In A and B cruk, barrow, as 70, from B DORCREEK which this is distant. Way Field is crossed C THREE CORNER FIELD: WAY FIELD by a path, and in D is probably crugyn, D THREE CORNER FIELD: CROGGAN little barrow

FIELD

87. B GOMERS MOORS (two) Gomer occurs as a surname in West C, D THE GREAT MOOR: THE MOOR Penwith in the 18th century

63

88. A DORE DEW Dor du, black ground (25). Round Field B DOR DEW named from shape C FURTHER CROFT: INNER CROFT:

ROUND FIELD

Source A (which does not distinguish between Carfury Wartha and Wollas) names five further fields: DORE S E A T H (dor segh, dry ground), A L L C H U Y , V A A N C H U E , T A L C H U E , and G W E L E O L L E . These have not been identified with fields in the later sources, nor (except the first) have their meanings been interpreted.

Source B lists six 'parcels which go amain between Carfury Wartha and Carfury Wollas' (presumably meaning that they belonged jointly to the two farms): G R E A T and L I T T L E COMMON MOORS, S T I T C H AND W A S T E PLOT, and three un-named crofts. In C the Great Common Moor is divided up and named as ROBINS CARNE, W E L L C A R N E , C A R F U R Y C A R N E , and T H E STANNACK (STENNACK in D, stenak, tin ground, see 109). The Stitch and Waste Plot is in 1788 and in C called LOWER C A R N E OR V I N E Y A R D , in D V I N E Y A R D ; the writer has elsewhere considered (inconclusively) the 'Vineyard' field names in West Penwith, which first appear in the 18th century, the earliest so far recorded being in 1744.16 The name may sometimes be a corruption of Vinack, a commonly found mutation of meynek, stony. The crofts un-named in B are in C called B L A C K DOWNS, W H I T E DOWNS, WOON D R E Y (DRAY and D R E A in D) , and WOON L O B B E N ( L E B A N in D). Woon Drey is wun (gun, down), with possibly dreys, brambles, since dre, farmstead, is unlikely in this remote place; Woon Lobben may be wun lorn, bare down.

BOSKEDNAN WOLLAS

89. B GWELLEY (2 fields) C GWEAL LEA: THE QUALKS

MEADOW, mine account house, houses and gardens, formerly one field called THE QUALKS

D GWEAL LEA: QUALKS

90. A GWELE SCEBER Gwel skyber, barn field (49, 126) B GWELL SKEBA C GWEAL SKIBOR (five small meadows,

formerly one field) D GWEAL SKIBBER: MIDDLE and

HIGHER GWEAL SKIBBER

91. A GWELE SCELLACK Gwel ascallek, thistly field B GWELL SKELLACK C GWEAL SKELLACK D GWEAL SHELBOCK

92. A GWELE DRIAN Gwel dreyn, thorns field B GWELL DREAN C, D GWEAL DREN

Probably gwel legh, flat rock field; meaning of 'qualks' not understood, unless dialect 'qualk', a heavy fall17

64

93. A DOR MELLEN B DORMELLING C BOSKEDNAN ERRA (part) D BUSKEDNAN ERRA (part)

94. A ERROW B ARO C BOSKEDNAN ERRA (part) D BUSKEDNAN ERRA (part)

95. B LENGIO C, D LENGA

96. A GWELE MARTH (2 fields) B GWELL VARTH (3 fields) C STICH: HIGHER and LOWER

GWEAL VERT: CASTLE FIELD D PEASE STITCH: HIGHER and

LOWER GWEAL VERTH: CASTLE FIELD

97. A B E L L BROSE B BILL VRAUS (2 fields)

98.

Dor melen, yellow ground (as 52). Name in C and D transferred from 94, adjoining

Erow, acre; adjoins similarly named field on Carfury, 66

Probably lynyow, stitches (106)

Gwel margh, in mutation vargh, horse field. Castle Field may relate to a prehistoric dwelling, as at Try and Crankan in Gulval. For Pease see 115

Possibly pell, distant, as being most remote from the farmstead, with bras, in

C, D BULL BRASS AND THE MEADOW mutation vras, large

99.

A BELL BIAN B BILL BEAN C LOWER and HIGHER BULL BEAN D LOWER and HIGHER BULL BEAM

B GRAMBLEY C, D HIGHER, MIDDLE, and LOWER

CROMLEA

As above, with byghan, small

Cromlegh, cromlech otherwise recorded)

or quoit (not

100. B CROFT BY DOWNES C, D PUNCHES DOWNS

Source A also lists a field called (reading doubtful) GRAN L I H E R (lyha, least).

BOSKEDNAN WARTHA

101. A PARK FORNE Park (an) forn, (the) furnace field (5, 44, B PARK AN VORNE 56) C, D PARK AN VORN

102. B ROCKY MEADOW C THE VICHAN: MAEN CROWM D THE VICHAM: MEAN CROWN

Vichan not explained (123); also men crom, crooked stone

65

103. A DORMENE B DORMEAN C, D DOR AN MEAN

104. B GWELL DARRAS (3 fields) C GREAT and L I T T L E GWEAL

DORRAS: HIGHER VINGHAM D GREAT and L I T T L E GWEAL

DARRAS: HIGHER VINGHAM

105. A 7WITHEN? B NINJAM C, D LOWER VINGHAM

106. A LEN AN SPERNAN B SPERNANS (2 fields) C, D LENGIA

107. B LEAN AN GARROCK C, D LEAN AN GARRACK

108. A RIDANNIC WOLAS B REDANNACK C REDANICK: REDANICK VEAN D REDANNACK

109. B WALLO C THE STANNACK D STENNACKS

110. A TALA VIAN B TALLOW WOLLAS, CRESE,

and VEAN C TALLOW GULLAS, CREAS,

and BEAN D As C, except CREES

111. A GWELE ISADREE B DOR AN DRE (2 fields) C HIGHER and LOWER DOR AN DREY D HIGHER DOR AN GREY (sic):

LOWER DOR AN DREA

Dor (an) men, (the) stone ground

Gwel darras, door field (43, 78, 82). For Vingham see 105

Gwedhen, tree, in A may relate to this field, but seems unlikely to have been corrupted to the later forms, otherwise unexplained (58)

Lyn an spernen, the thorn stitch. C and D probably lynyow, stitches (95).

Lyn an garrek, the rock stitch (10, 45)

Redenek, ferny, with in A woles, lower, and in C vyghan, small

B possibly English 'wallow', referring to tin streaming. Later stenak, tin-ground

Unidentified element (tal, brow, does not suit topographically), with woles (goles), cres, and vyghan (byghan), lower, middle, and small

In A apparently gwel ys an dre, field below the farmstead, later dor an dre, farmstead (town) field. It docs not adjoin the farmstead, but is close below the presumed abandoned one (114)

'BOSKEDNAN WARTHA' (part of Tredinnick)

112. B GWELLAMBRA (4 fields) The site adjoins the probable former farmstead (114), and Gwellambra may be an error for Gwellandra, gwel an dre, town field, giving Gwelch an Drey in C.

66

C GWELCH AN DREY OR SHOP FIELD: Bue (C) and View (D) suggest gwel an GWELCH AN DREY OR KILLAS vugh, the cow field (bugh). Shop (D) FIELD: EAST, WEST, and LOWER normally refers to a smithy. Killas (C) GWEAL AN BUE and Killers (D) probably refer to the

D SHOP FIELD: KILLERS FIELD: nearby Killo lode (113). Gwelch (C) is an EAST, WEST and LOWER unusual form of gwel, field (113, 123) GWEAL AN VIEW

113. B GWELL AN TREVACK C GWELCH AN TREVACK D KELLIER FIELD

114. B FARME C, D THE FARM

115. B CROFT CHECOUTH C CHYREASE (also in 1788) D CHIPEASE

116. B LANES (2 fields) C GREAT LEAN: L I T T L E LEAN:

LEAN AN TOL D As C, except TOLL

117. A GWELE MENER B GWEALAMENNAR C GWEAL AN MENNOR D GWEAL AN MENOR

Gwel with unidentified second element in B and C. D refers to the Killo lode of Ding Dong Mine, which passes beneath, probably kylyow, plural of kyl, nook, recess

Presumably English, referring to the supposed former farmstead of Boskednan Wartha. It was a pasture field in 1696 (B)

Probably chy coth, old house, referring to the former farmstead (114). C looks like chy res, ford house (as 24), but this does not fit site. D could be pys, pea-plants (96)

Lyn, stitch (of land), as 62. Lyn an toll, stitch of the hole

Gwel (an) meneth, (the) hill field, from position, rather than menhyr, longstone. Compare farm names Polmennor (Madron), Mennor (Lelant), Penmennor (St Buryan), and Trevenner (Marazion), all with the second element meneth

The significance of this area, topographically and in name part of Boskednan but let as part of Tredinnick, has already been considered. Source A names, as well as Gwele Mener (117), G W E L E LUIS (not identified or interpreted) and 7 'steeches'. Source B includes 'a small plott' (called Boskednan Meadow in C and D) , and seven un-named crofts. One of these crofts has in C and D similar names to those in 112 adjoining: in C , Gwelch an Drey or Ding Dong Field, Gwelch an Drey or Sawpit Field, and Gwelch an Brake Garden; in D, Ding Dong Field, Sawpit Meadow, Guch an Drea Garden. 'Brake', like 'Drey', is probably for dre, farmstead; see 112 and 123. The other crofts are in C and D called Tallow Croft (partly adjoins 110) and White Downs.

67

Two areas, which in source B were included in Boskednan Common, were by 1831 enclosed and named. These were in C called CROFT M A E N DOUR (men dowr, stone in water), and CROFT DORLAS ( D A R L A S in D, dor glas, green ground).

The map of 1831 (C), like that of 1788 seen by Henderson, names three features on Boskednan Common: the stone circle called NINE MAIDENS (called by Lhuyd in 1700 MEIN Y N DANS, meyn an dons, stones of the dance); the spring of VENTON B E B I B E L L (fenten with pybell, pipe, rather than Henderson's suggested byghanbobel, little people); and the barrow TUB-AN-BROZE (tomen bras, great mound). It may have been in error that Dr William Borlase, c. 1740, gave the name T U B A N BRAZ to the prehistoric village north of Mulfra farmstead, which is over a mile from this barrow.18

TREDINNICK

118 B HIGHER CLOSE See 124, which adjoins C GWEAL CREASE OR HIGHER STICH D HIGHER STITCH

119 B GERNICK Kernyk, little corner (15) C THE GERNICK OR GERNICK

D GERNICK COMMON

120 B QUILLETS Quillets are small garden-type C GUEW CROFT: L I T T L E GUEW enclosures, seldom individually named. D GEW CROFT: L I T T L E GUEW For Guew see 57, 122

121 B TALLER BEAN (2 fields) Possibly the same namd as 110, but the C TOL TREEN: MIDDLE GUEW places are distant. Tol Treen may include D TOLL TREEN: MIDDLE GUEW toll, hole, and ryn, slope, but is probably

a corruption of Taller Bean

122 A THE GEWS For meaning see 57. Homer Guew B GEAWS (4 fields) adjoins the farmstead. See 120, 121 C THE GUEW: HOMER GUEW:

MIDDLE GUEW D THE GEW: HOME GEW:

MIDDLE GEW

123 B ABOVE TOWNE Adjoins the farmstead (as 63), and C THE VICHAN: GWELCH AN BRAKE: probably originally called gwel an dre,

MIDDLE GWELCH AN BRAKE town field (see 112). 'Brake' may be an D THE VITCHEN: GWEAL EN BRAKE: error for dre, rather than English 'brake',

HIGHER GWEAL AN BRAKE thicket. Meaning of Vichan obscure, see 102

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Apparent from A and C, and from position, that this is gwel cres, middle field, and that Rese in B is an error and not res, ford. See 118, adjoining

Meaning not apparent

Gwel Skyber, barn field (49, 90)

124. A GWELE CRES B GWELL RESE (2 fields) C GWEAL CREASE OR MIDDLE STICH:

GWEAL CREASE OR LOWER STICH

D MIDDLE STITCH

125. A GWELE STOR B GWELL STEWAR C, D HIGHER and LOWER GWEAL

STORE

126. A GWELE SCEEBER B GWELL SKEBAR C FURTHER and HOMER GWEAL

SKIBOR D FURTHER and HOMER GWEAL

SKIBBER

127. A GWELE TIRNOW B GWELL TURNO C, D GWEAL TURNER

128. A GWELE HALL B GWELL HALL (2 fields) C, D GWEAL HALE: LOWER GWEAL

HALE

129. A LIGGWILL B LEDGWORTH (2 fields) C HOMER and FURTHER LEGIA D HOMER and FURTHER LEDGIA

130. A GWELE CREG B GWELL CREEGS (4 fields) C LOWER, LONG, GREAT, and

L I T T L E GWEAL CREEGE D As C, except for CREEG

131. B LONG MOOR C, D TREDINNICK MOOR: LOWER

MOOR

132. B L I T T L E MOOR C, D THE MOOR

Source A names on Tredinnick a field DOR B R A G , which is not identified or interpreted. Source B lists un-named a meadow and six crofts; in C the meadow is HIGHER G W E A L H A L E (adjoins 128), and the crofts are HIGHER G W E L C H AN B R A K E (adjoins 123), CROFT G E R N I C K (adjoins 119), and GUEWS (some adjoin 122).

Possibly tornow, turnings

Gwel hal, moor field (adjoins moor)

Probably lyjyow, muddy places, from lys, mud

Gwel cruk, barrow field; adjoins 70 on Carfury

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Part of Tredinnick Common bore a name recorded as V E N T A N EGO in 1613 (parish bound, below); Venton Niggo in 1741 and Venton Ego in 1782 (tin bound, below); Venton Nigga in 1788 and 1831 (source C and its predecessor); and Venton Negger in 1886 (Cornish Telegraph). The name is fenten, spring, with possibly either ogo, cave, or ygor, daisy.

Source C names the lane leading to Tredinnick farm as VOUNDER AN NOWETH (either vounder noweth, new lane, with redundant an, or possibly vounder an aweth, the watercourse lane).

Tin-Bounds The names listed below are those of tin-bounds which covered the un-enclosed

commons of Boskednan and Tredinnick. Nos. 1 — 16 are described and mapped in a survey of the tin-bounds of Samuel Borlase made by Charles Moody in 1782, and Moody's plan also shows 17, which did not belong to Borlase. Some of these bounds, with many others throughout West Penwith, had been acquired in 1741 by Walter Borlase from William Arundell of Trengwainton; the document of 1741 included no. 18, which is not listed in 1782. Earlier forms of some of the bound names are from the court book of the Manor of Trezela and Mulfra, 1666-1716.19

1. 1782 HUELPOOL

2. 1741 THE NINE MAIDS OR MYNE AN DANCE

1782 MINE AN DAWNS

3. 1741 VENTON NIGGO 1782 VENTON EGO

4. 1782 HUEL AN GROUSE

5. 1741 WHEALE AN MUNJOR 1782 HUEL MINNOR

6. 1782 HUEL AN DREAN

7. 1782 HUEL AN Y A T E

8. 1782 DING DONG

9. 1782 HUEL AN TEAL

10. 1741, 1782 L I T T L E SPEEDWELL

11. 1692 WHELLAN BUSS A 1782 HUEL BUSS A

Whel pol, pool work (the greater part on Lanyon in Madron)

The English and Cornish names for Boskednan stone circle; meyn an dons, stones of the dance

Probably fenten ogo, cave spring; see above under Tredinnick

Whel an grows, the cross work

Probably whel menhyr, longstone work. Not near Gwelamennar (117)

Whel an dreyn, the thorns work

Whel an yet, the gate work

This bound gave its name to the famous mine, the sett of which included most of Boskednan and Tredinnick

Whel an with unidentified second element

Whel with possibly dialect 'bussa', an earthenware jug

70

12. 1782 L I T T L E PAIR OR HUEL TUT Whel with unidentified second element. A very small bound

13. 1691 WHFI MAI KYN Whel with nosGhlv dialect 'malkin' IIL t VY 1 1 1 1 C J U l U l v b l 1 1 1 U 1 H H 1 , 1692 WHEALAN MALKYN defined as 'a rag mop for clearing ash

1707 GWEALE MAULKIN from an oven', and as 'a dirty person'20 W H F A I F M A T K T N

1782 HUEL MALKIN 1831 WHEAL MALKIN

14. 1782 GREAT SPEEDWELL

15. 1782 TALLOW BOUNDS Near Tallow fields (110) and croft

16. 1782 HUEL AN BOYS Whel an with possibly bos, bush, or 1831 WHEAL BOYS LODE English

17. 1670 WHEALE WHIDDEN Whel wyn, white work, with English form 1688 WHELWIDDON in 1741 1741 THE WHITE WORKS 1782 HUEL WIDDEN

18. 1741 ADSAWENSACK Ajy wynsak, windy gap

Parish boundaries Finally, names are recorded of boundary stones on the west and north of the area

studied, where the parish boundaries cross moorland commons.

The earliest source (for the north boundary only) is a terrier of the bounds of Zennor in 1613.21 Most of the names are in the Lanhydrock Atlas of 1696 (source B ) , and some in the map of 1788 seen by Henderson, but by 1831 (C) most had disappeared and the bounds were marked by anonymous 'bound stones'. In the list below, nos. 1—4 are bounds between Boskednan Common in Gulval, and Bosilliack and Lanyon in Madron; 5 marks the quadrijunction of Gulval, Madron, Zennor and Morvah; 6 - 9 are bounds between Boskednan, Tredinnick and Bodrifty commons in Gulval, and Bosigran, Bosporthennis annd Porthmeor commons in Zennor; 10 is a bound between Mulfra and Ninnes Common (Mulfra Hill) , in the detached portion of Madron, and Treen Common in Zennor; and 11 is the trijunction of Madron (detached), Gulval and Zennor.

1. 1696 A GREAT STONE

2. 1696 THE STONE WITH NINE HOLES 1788 NINE HOLES

3. 1696 A BOUND STONE 1788 WHEAL RUAN ROCK

Wheal Ruan was presumably a tin-bound, not otherwise recorded

4. 1696 A BOUND STONE IN A MARASH Pen, head or end, with unidentified 1788 PEDN ZOURD second element

71

5. 1613 MEANE CROUSE 1696 MENE CROOSE 1782 FOUR PARISHES STONE 1788 PRAZE MAEN CROWZE 1831 A ROCK 1839 FOUR PARISHES BOUND ROCK

6. 1613 MEANE TOLL 1696 A ROCK

7. 1613 CARRAC VUROSE DAN VENT AN EGO

1696 A GREAT ROCK

8. 1696 A BURROUGH (or BURROW)

9. 1613 CARRACK PEDDEN MELLEN 1696 CARRACK KINE HOH 1788 KARRAK AN OW 1831 KARAK AN OW

10. 1613 PEELE MYNE

11. 1613 MEANE WEST TA BRIDGE TOLL 1696 A BLEW STONE

Men crows, cross stone, a natural rock bearing a small cross, with in 1788 pras, meadow

Men toll, stone with hole, not to be confused with the famous Men-an-Tol on Lanyon in Madron

Carrek vras dan Ventan Ego, great rock below Ventan Ego (for name see above under Tredinnick)

English, a prehistoric barrow

Carrek pen melen, yellow head rock, later carrek keyn hogh, hog-back rock, strangely corrupted in 1788 and 1831

Pyl meyn, heap of stones

Men west dhe Bridge Toll, stone west of Bridge (for Cridge) Toll; later Blew (plu, parish) stone. Cridge Toll was a barrow on Try in Gulval, cruk toll, barrow with hole; the elements were later transposed, giving Tolgreek in 1831 (C) and Toll Creeg in 1843 (D)

These names of our dead speech are music still In our dear living land, Which never can be void or desolate While here on every hand Is still the record of our fathers' lives, Though their old hopes and fears Have passed away like sunlight on the hills Down through the path of years.22

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References 1. P.A.S. Pool, Field Names of West Penwith (1990) 13-18.

2 T. Taylor, V C H Hundred of Penwith (c.1908) Pt.I 16, 20; Pt.II 3 (unpublished, copies at RIC and CRO).

3. P.A.S. Pool, The Death of Cornish (1975) 23, 28.

4 Notes by Henderson in Calendar X (loose) and Penwith Topography MS, 166, RIC.

5. Pool, Field Names (note 1 above) 17. gives other examples.

6. Pool, Field Names 16.

7. Farm names mainly from J .E .B . Gover, Cornish Place Names 622 - 5, 646 - 51 (unpublished, copy at RIC), and Henderson's Penwith Topography MS 152-3, 161-2, RIC; see also P.A.S. Pool, Place Names of West Penwith (1973, 1985)

8. RIC Henderson I 101: RIC HU/13/6: source C: Hayle Mail 1912.

9. RIC Henderson I 101, 93.

10. RIC Henderson I 101: HU/13/6: HU/13/7: source C .

11. RIC Henderson I 101: HU/13/7: source B: source C

12. RIC Henderson I 118.

13. Ib. 93.

14. lb. 101.

15. Gover (note 7 above) 340, 373.

16. Pool, Field Names (note 1 above) 27.

17. F.W.P. Jago, Glossary of the Cornish Dialect (1882) 245.

18. William Borlase, Parochial Memoranda MS (BL Egerton MS 2657) 5.

19. Survey of 1782 B/16/1: deed of 1741 HHJ/8/15: court book HU/13/6 (all RIC).

20. Jago (note 17 above) 214.

21. CRO TER/444; C . Henderson, 'The Bounds of Zennor', Old Cornwall I No.7 (1928) 13.

22. From 'The Old Names' by Katharine Lee Jenner; for the full poem see A Cornish Chorus (ed. M. Hawkey 1948) 80.

Acknowledgements The author records his thanks, for access to source material, to the National Trust,

the Royal Institution of Cornwall, the Cornwall Record Office, Martin Picken, Oliver Padel, and the late Vivien Russell; likewise to Dr Padel for reading this work in draft and making many helpful suggestions, and to Roger Penhallurick for drawing the maps.

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