2021-09 Newsletter

Newsletter – Sept/Oct 2021
News
Feast Days & Celebrations
The feast day of the local saint Rumon falls in September, as does the feast of St Michael who was
one of the three original saints of Cornwall. At the end of October of course there is Allantide, so we
wish you Gool Rumon lowen, Gool Myghal lowen and Kalan Gwav lowen respectively.
Events
The big news is that out talks programme is back, so you can fill in your diaries now to ensure you
won’t miss out. As usual our talks will start at 7.30pm on the second Wednesday of each month and
take place in Gerrans Parish Memorial Hall. It will be great to see everyone again after our extended
break!
We kick off with a talk on “The Torrey Canyon Disaster” by
Martin Brockman. This will be at 7.30pm on Wednesday
13 th October at the Memorial Hall. Those who have seen
this talk elsewhere state that Martin is an excellent speaker
and his talk on the Torrey Canyon is very interesting and will
no doubt bring back memories for many!
Committee News
Our OCS Committee met on Monday 13 th September 2021, for the first occasion since February 2020,
so there was much to discuss.
Maggie George stood down as Treasurer and was thanked for her years of excellent service, thankfully
Luke Dunstone has volunteered to take over the reins.
For the moment Jenny Keymer is unable to resume as Events Secretary, so we are looking for
someone who can take this job on, at least for the interim. The talks for the current year are all
arranged so this should be a smooth transition for anyone willing to take on the task. It is a
tremendously rewarding role, so please step forward if you have a little time.
Subscriptions have been frozen at pre-Pandemic levels for the coming year which is amazing value
when one considers that everyone gets two journals, newsletters, events and talks for that as well as
the more esoteric pleasure of actively supporting Cornish heritage and culture.

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As usual our AGM will take place Wednesday 13 th October at the Memorial Hall prior to the Torrey
Canyon talk.
St Anthony Pilgrimage
The 10 th August is the feast day of both St Anthony and St Gerrans, so to mark the occasion we
undertook a “perambulation” of St Anthony with a visit to St Anthony Church and Monk’s Well.
We were blessed with lovely weather again for our
OCS “perambulation” of St Anthony. We discussed
the various historic assets at St Anthony, including
the battery and lighthouse before heading to Place,
via Molunan and Carrick Nath.
At Place we visited the lovely St Anthony Church
where we discussed its history and 19 th Century
refurbishment. We examined the carvings on a
window jamb which are said to depict an early
Figure 1 St Anthony Lighthouse © Unknown
Christian fish symbol and the head of Christ wearing
a crown of thorns. We found that the path to Monks Well was badly grown in, but a few of us beat a
track down to it and paid or respects on this day.
We continued our walk to Bohortha where we viewed the old Coastguard Cottages, School House
and the sites of the former Methodist Chapel and Pig & Whistle Public House, before crossing over to
Porthbear and returning via the coastal path. It was an excellent visit, enjoyed by all.
Federation News
On 10am on Saturday 2 nd October 2021 the AGM of the Federation of Old Cornwall Societies will take
place at Blackwater Village Hall. All members are welcome to attend, and it would be brilliant to see
a good representation from St Gerrans & Porthscatho OCS.
Lugger Telephone Kiosk
The Telephone Kiosk on the Lugger at Portscatho is currently leased by the Memorial Hall & Heritage
Centre. The Pandemic unfortunately interfered with plans for a community restoration project,
however, the Memorial Hall are currently planning for it to be repaired and repainted, and hopefully
we should see it ready to house exhibition material by Spring 2022. It is planned that it will display
information on the history of Portscatho and particularly the Porth, as well as a ‘taster’ of the annual
exhibition at the Heritage Centre.
Gerrans Parish Heritage Centre
The current exhibition at the Heritage Centre explores the impact of World War 2 on Gerrans Parish
and is an interesting depiction of the “Home Front” from a local perspective. A visit is essential for all
those interested in our local history.
It is currently open daily from 2pm to 4pm, Monday to Friday until the end of September. In October
it will be open on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons. If you are not available during the
week, please contact our Recorder who will arrange a weekend or evening visit for you.
As stated in the August Newsletter, Pam Case will step down as the manager of the Heritage Centre
at the end of October, but it is understood will remain very much involved.
St Just & St Mawes Heritage Group

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It is understood that the Group are currently considering when to return to normal activities. It is
possible that they will resume their winter talk programme in November to coincide with St Mawes
Day – so watch this space!
Additional information can be found on our website, Twitter and Facebook.
Local History
Gull Rock
Last month we featured the names associated with
Gull Rock and the Outer Stones. Member, Christine
Edwards has kindly contributed some additional
information: -
“Gull Rock” was so named on the Elerky 1 estate atlas
of ?c. 1690 [CRO ref AD 51 page 14]. There is a not
very good image on their [Cornwall Record Office]
online catalogue but many years ago I took
photographs of the whole atlas and transcribed the
text.
Figure 2 Gull Rock © Nev Meek 2019
The image shows fields, buildings and occupiers etc for the farms at Pennare, and in the sea off Nare
Head are assorted seabirds including puffins plus (of course) swans, 3 large galleon - type ships, a
?barque, a small sailing boat and 3 fishing boats with nets Most of the large vessels show red and
white flags but one displays a Union flag - suggesting to me that the atlas was compiled, or at least
completed, after the Act of Union between England and Scotland. A large flatfish swims close to the
surface and there is of course the Veryan mermaid, holding a trident and with a basket of fruit on her
head...
In 1785 "the island or rock commonly called Gull Rock" was leased, for 99 years, to William Allen,
carpenter, and Henry Jacobs, mason, both of Tregony, for an annual rent of 2/-, any buildings erected
on it to be maintained at their own expense... The document is endorsed 'no rent paid'!
The Gull Rock was the last part of the Manor to be sold by Mr Welman of Trewarthenick (direct
descendant of the Gregors). It was bought for £500 by Michael Trinick in 1988 who gave it to the
National Trust in 1989 when a great ceremony was held in deep fog with HMS Cornwall ratings landing
on the rock to plant a flag.
Lost Locations – Flagstaff
In this section we highlight the names of some of the less well-known places around Roseland.
1
Ed. “Elergh” is Cornish Language for ‘swans.’

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Flagstaff
Flagstaff is the area immediately above Pencabe
Drang, at Portscatho. It is by the stile which leads
into Little Craig Nellis, at the head of the sanding
road down to New Road Beach.
It is so called because the Coastguard lookout was
situated here in the 19 th Century which one
presumes included a flagpole.
If you are aware of any less well-known names
please highlight with our Recorder.
Committee Spotlight – Jean Rigley
In this section we would like to highlight some of those who work so hard for our Society. In this
article we will look at the work of our Membership Secretary – Jean Rigley.
Jean was born in 1946 in Mansfield, a coal mining town in Nottinghamshire, about 10 miles from
Nottingham. Her parents were Bert and Leila Pickworth and she was the older of 2 girls, her sister
being Barbara, who was born in 1949. She attended a local school until she was 11, before going to
the Queen Elizabeth Grammar School for Girls in Mansfield until she was 18. In 1964, with O levels
and A levels under her belt, she moved to Cambridge for 3 years to do her General Nursing Training
at Addenbrookes Hospital.
In 1968, she moved back to Nottingham and went to work as a staff nurse in the operating theatres
at the Women's Hospital in Peel Street in the city centre. Jean and Patrick Rigley were married in June
1968 and set up home in Arnold, a suburb of Nottingham, that was convenient for both of them to
get to work, but was far enough out of the city itself to have green spaces and parks. Patrick was
working as a policeman in the city centre, so he appreciated the less frantic pace of life in the suburbs
as well.
Jean moved to a Care Home on the other side of the city in 1969, on part time night duty, to try and
have a bit more time at home. However, night duty wasn't conducive to spending time with Patrick,
so after a few months, she moved back to the Women's Hospital as a Staff Nurse on a gynaecology
ward, where she stayed until their son, Adam was born towards the end of 1970, followed by Helen
in 1973.
Patrick was still working in the city centre in the police force and doing shifts, so returning to work
was impossible, while the children were small. Jean was a 'stay at home Mum' for a while, then she
was offered a work-at-home job by a friend's husband making musical instrument bags. She did this
for several years, then when the children went to school, she was offered the chance to become a
'Lollipop Lady'. This fitted ideally with the children, so she seized the chance and combined with the
instrument bag making, life continued until the children went to senior school.
In 1983, Jean started to look for nursing jobs again, but 13 years out meant that she was not an ideal
choice in any department. However, the Neonatal Unit at the City Hospital was looking to expand and
she was taken on with 2 other nurses, firstly for training then on regular night duty. She loved the
work and jumped at the chance to do the full training course at the Unit. At the end of the training,

Kowethas Kernow Goth - Gerens ha Porthskathow
she was offered the chance to train as a midwife, so after nearly 4 years in the Neonatal Unit, she
moved to the midwifery training school, where she stayed, first as a student then as a staff midwife
until 1989. She then got the chance to move to the community unit, where she stayed as a Community
Midwife until 1996.
Patrick had by then retired from the Police force and they decided to move to Cornwall, for him to
start his retired life and Jean to complete her working life; they had long decided that Cornwall would
be their final home. Jean managed to get a job in the Neonatal Unit at Treliske Hospital, they found
an ideal home in Ruan High Lanes, so with Jean's mother with them, they moved down. Jean worked
in the Unit until 2000, when a job vacancy arose in the Maternity Unit at Treliske. She worked there
as a staff midwife until her retirement in 2004.
The first year or so living in Ruan were occupied with settling in and getting to know their new home.
Mum, Leila, found the new life very difficult as her dementia worsened and after about a year, she
moved into Penlee House in Tregony, where she lived contentedly until her death in 2004. Jean and
Patrick started to join different groups to learn more about their interests such as gardening, music
and Cornwall. Jean joined the Women’s Institute (W.I.) first in Portscatho, then in Veryan and she
joined the group that is now Roseland Quilters. When she retired in 2004, walking became a major
interest and together she and Patrick walked the Cornish Coastal Path around Cornwall and visited
all the National Trust houses in Devon and Cornwall. Unfortunately, walking has had to be curtailed
over the last year or so, as arthritis has caused increasing problems. A new hip and knee over the
period of the covid lockdowns, will help things improve hopefully, and enable trips around this lovely
Cornwall to start again, now that we are finally given the freedom to go out and about.
Jean has been the Membership Secretary for our OCS for a number of years, signing people up for
membership, printing and supplying membership cards, keeping the records and ensuring that data
protection rules are properly complied with.
If you feel that you could spare a little time to become more involved in our committee work, please
contact our chairman who will be pleased to discuss opportunities.
Cornish Buildings Group – Buildings at Risk Project
Details of the project can be found: https://buildingsatrisk.wordpress.com.
Please notify our Recorder of any historic buildings at risk.
Pendower Beach Hotel
The former Pendower Beach Hotel is included on the
Heritage Environment Record because at its heart is a
farmhouse which dated from c.1600.
Figure 3 August 2021 Pendower Beach Hotel © Nev Meek
The building has been largely unoccupied for a number
of years and is now in a poor state of repair.
Consequently, an application has now been made and it
has been included on the Buildings at Risk Register of the
Cornish Buildings Group.

Kowethas Kernow Goth - Gerens ha Porthskathow
Further Information: https://buildingsatrisk.wordpress.com/2021/09/16/pendower-beach-hotel
Pomery’s, St Mawes
Recently the Cornish Buildings Group made an
application to have the Pomery’s building at St Mawes
listed. Whilst the application was unsuccessful the
final report did contain some interesting historical
information.
Pomery's building was constructed in the early C19
and was probably initially used as a pilchard store, or
for other maritime related use. In the late C19 it is
possible that it was used as a coal store by the St
Mawes Steamship Company, until after the First
World War. From the 1930s to 1970 it was used as a
motor garage and filling station; it was at this time it
acquired the name of Pomery's. The enterprise at that
time supplied a taxi, charabanc trips, and fuel for
motorboats. More recently the building was occupied
by the local artist Brenda Pye, who left it to the
Roseland Gig Club on her death.
The report stated that the building just fell short of the
national criteria for listing, but nonetheless concluded
that it was "of very strong local interest." It is listed on
the Historic Environment Record.
AONB Monumental Improvement Project – Dingerein
Figure 4 2021 Pomery's Building - © Nev Meek
The project overall is in the process of moving from development to delivery, so hopefully we will see
some interesting action over the next couple of years.
The central ditch has recently been cut but some of the regrowth of bracken on the inner
embankment now needs to be cut back. On the morning of Thursday 7 th October 2021, we will do a
tidy-up at the site, if you can help out, please contact our Recorder.
Details of the project can be found: https://www.cornwall-aonb.gov.uk/monumental-improvement

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Place-name of the Month – Portloe ~ Porthlogh
The historic forms that we have for this name are: -
Portlo 1253 (Gover, 1948)
Porthlowe 1529 (Gover, 1948)
Port Low 1785 (CRO, AD1200)
Porloe 1699 (Gascoyne, 1699)
Porthloe 1748 (Martyn, 1748)
Porthloe 1884 (Symond)
Portloe 1884 (Symons)
Porthloe 1948 (Gover)
The first element of this name is of course <porth> ‘cove, landing place, entrance’, which we are all
familiar with from other local names e.g. Portscatho ~ Porthskathow.
The second element is more difficult; it is probably <logh> ‘lake’, which is often used for a sea-lake.
The same word appears in the place-name Looe.
It is probably less likely, but the second element could also be <lo> ‘spoon’.
Dialect of the Month – Dreklee/Dreckly
Dreklee is of course still in common usage locally. It means ‘later, sometime’, or perhaps even ‘never’.
It has been described as a bit like “mañana”, only less urgent! It has perhaps developed as an ironic
use of the English adverb ‘directly’.
We often use the word when we are asked when we are going to do a chore: “Es, I’ll doo et dreklee!”
Contacts
Chairman: Ralph German - ralphgerman@outlook.com
Membership Secretary: Jean Rigley - jeanrigley@btinternet.com
Recorder: Nev Meek - nev.meek@sky.com
www.stgandpocs.co.uk
www.facebook.com/gerransoldcornwall
www.twitter.com/GerransSt
St Gerrans & Porthscatho Old Cornwall Society is affiliated to The Federation of Old Cornwall Societies. Registered Charity No: 247283