• Statistics
• “Online Parish Clerk”
• Links
• Hals’ History of Cornwall (c1730)
• Tonkin’s Natural History of Cornwall (1739)
• Lysons’ History & Topography (1814)
• The Topographical Dictionary of England (1831)
• Kelly’s Directory (1856)
• Blight’s Churches of West Cornwall (1864)
• Lake’s Parochial History of Cornwall(1868)
• Kelly’s Directory (1883)
• Kelly’s Directory (1893)
• Detailed Map of the Parish
• The Parish in Context (44K)
• Gazetteer
• Picture Gallery
• Baptism Registers (Transcript 1566–1812, Transcript 1813–1905)
• Marriage Registers (Transcript 1559–1837, alternative Transcript 1754–1812 (inc. Banns), Banns Transcript 1813–1901, alternative Transcript 1813–37, Transcript 1837–1903)
• Burial Registers (Transcript 1579–1812, Transcript 1813–37, Transcript 1838–52, Transcript 1853–89, Transcript 1889–1905)
• Monumental Inscriptions
• Methodist Chapels
• Census 1841

Statistics

Sancreed parish occupies 4608 acres [ GENUKI 1997].

The later figures were obtained from from the Country Socio-Economic Statistics of Sancreed civil parish.

Online Parish Clerk

A new (Jan 2001) initiative that has started in Cornwall is the Online Parish Clerk. One person is encouraged from the CORNISH-L or CORNISH-GEN-L mailing list to be the custodian of historical records, including transcripts of registers, for each parish and will supply extracts to researchers as they need them. This person may be geographically distant from the parish, but their heart will be there. Parish information

Links

SOSKernow (friends of Cornwall) have a detailed history of Sancreed church.

The Sancreed OPC site run by Ian Soulsby (formerly Gwen Attridge), the OPC for the parish.

George Prichard has put a lot of Sancreed Records On-Line.

Sharon Symons has some records online including Marriages, Banns and Burials transcribed by Diane Donohue.

See also the general West Penwith Links.

Tonkin’s Natural History of Cornwall—1739

The following description is quoted from [Tonkin 1739] and must be read in the context of that date. The extract is taken from [Polsue 1868]. Other extracts are available online.

Sancreed is in the hundred of Penwith, and hath to the west, Just; to be north, Morva; to the east, Maddern and S. Paul; to the south, S. Buryan.

This parish takes its name from and is dedicated to S. Sancred.

It is a vicarage, valued in the King’s Book, £8; the patronage in the Dean and chapter of Exeter.

In anno 1291, 20 Edward I., this church was valued (Tax. Ben.) at £6, being then appropriated to the Dean and chapter of Exeter.

Hals’ History of Cornwall—c1730

The following description is quoted from [Hals 1750] and must be read in the context of about 1730 when it was written. The extract is taken from [Polsue 1868]. Other extracts are available online.

Sancreed is situate in the hundred of Penwith, and hath upon the north, Morva; west, S. Just; south, Buryan; east, Madderne.

At the time of the Norman Conquest this district passed under the jurisdiction of Alverton. In the inquisition of the Bishops of Lincoln and Winchester, aforementioned, 1294, Ecclesia de Sancti Credi, in decanatu de Penwith, was rated at £6. In Wolsey’s inquistion, 1521, at £8. The parish was rated to the four shillings per pound Land Tax, 1696, at £91 9s.

The earth of this parish hath tin lodes in it of great riches.

Lysons’ History & Topography—1814

The following description is lifted directly from [Lysons 1814]. It must be read in the context of that date.

Sancreed, or Sancreet, in the deanery and in the west division of the hundred of Penwith, lies six miles and a half nearly north-east from the Land’s-end, and three and a half nearly west from Penzance, which is the post-office town. The principal villages in this parish are, Bejouans, Bosvennen, Botreah, Sellan, Trenuggo, and Tregonnebris.

The manor of Tregonnebris, the only manor now known in the parish, is in severalties between James Buller, Esq., M.O., by inheritance from Grosse; Messrs. Alexander Marrack, George Hosken, and Pascoe Ellis. Bosvennen, formerly esteemed a manor, belonged, in the reign of Edward IV., to the family of Phelips^e: the barton, on which is now a farm-house, is the property of Mrs. Hunt. The bartons of Botreah, belonging to the family of Usteck, and Sellon, belonging to John Borlase Esq., are occupied also by farm-houses. Drift, which we suppose to be the same as Driff, which was the ancient seat of the Trewrens, is now a farm-house, the property of Mr. Alexander Marrack, and Mr. Peter Harvey.

The great tithes are appropriated to the Dean and Chapter of Exeter, who are patrons of the vicarage. There are the remains of three ancient chapels in this parish; chapel Uny, in the small village of Brahan; another in the small village of Bosence; and a third on Chapel-downs.

e See Rot. Pat. 20 Edw. IV.

Additions and Corrections

We were misinformed as to several particulars relating to this parish. The manor of Tregonnebris is wholly in Mr. Buller: the other persons mentioned are only tenants. Bosvennan is the property of the Honourable Mrs. Agar (formerly Miss Hunt). John Borlase, Esq. is dead, and succeeded by his son, a minor.

Topographical Dictionary of England—1831

The following is from [Lewis 1831] and must be read in the context of that date.

SANCREED, a parish in the hundred of Penwith county of Cornwall, 4 miles (W. by S.) from Penzance, containing 1001 inhabitants. The living is a vicarage, in the archdeaconry of Cornwall, and diocese of Exeter, rated in the king’s books at £8, and in the patronage of the Dean and Chapter of Exeter. Besides the church, here were three ancient chapels, of which there are still some remains. There is a place or worship for Wesleyan Methodists.