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St Clether

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St Clether, (Cornish: Sen Kleder), is situated in the Hundred of Lesnewth, and the Deanery of Trigg Major. It is bounded on the north by Davidstow and Treneglos, on the east by Laneast, on the south by Altarnun, and on the west by St Breward and Advent. The parish is named after its patron, Saint Clederus.

St Clether is a small village beside the River Inney with the parish Church standing some distance away. A little way on from the church following the river stands what is considered Cornwall's most beautifully situated Holy Well. There are over two hundred Holy Wells in Cornwall, however few can compere with the beauty and tranquillity of the well and chapel at St Clether. Tucked away in complete isolation and only reachable by a footpath across a moorland meadow, the small chapel stands between the river and an outcrop of limestone rocks. The spring bubbles up behind the chapel and then the water flows under the altar and leaves the building to join the river below. Possibly originally built in the 5th Century by St Clederus himself, the well was rebuilt in the 15th Century and restored in 1895.

Most parish and church description(s) on these pages are from Lake's Parochial History of the County of Cornwall by J Polsue (Truro, 1867 - 1873)

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Cemeteries

The Cornwall Family History Society have published Monumental Inscriptions for the Parish Church - 202 entries.

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Census

Census information for this parish (1841 - 1901) is held in the Cornwall Record Office. The Cornwall Family History Society offers a census search service for its members.
Specific census information for this parish is available as follows:

  • 1841.
    • The 1841 Census of St Clether (HO107/140), Enumeration District 7, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
  • 1851.
    • The 1851 Census of St Clether (HO107/1898), Enumeration District 4, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
    • The New Zealand Society of Genealogists have compiled separate surname indexes of the 1851 Census for each Cornish registration district; St Clether is listed in Volume 4. The booklets are available in Cornwall at the Cornwall Centre, (formerly known as the Cornish Studies Library), and is also available in the Cornwall FHS Library.
  • 1861.
    • The 1861 Census of St Clether (RG9/1516), Enumeration District 7, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
  • 1871. The 1871 Census of St Clether (RG10/2220), Enumeration District 7, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
  • 1881. The 1881 Census of St Clether (RG11/2273), Enumeration District 7, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
  • 1891.
    • The 1891 Census of St Clether (RG12/1800), Enumeration District 5, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
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Church History

  • Anglican. The parish church is located in OS Grid Square SX2056284357 and was dedicated to St Cleder, or Clederus, on 23rd October 1259. He was one of the twenty-four children of St Brechan, a Welsh saint and king, in the 4th century. The church was antintly considered as part of the manor of Treglasta, which lies chiefly in Altarnun, but the sire of which is in Davidstow. In 1865, the church was almost entirely rebuilt - only the tower precedes this date. It comprises a chancel, nave, south aisle, and vestry. The arcade consists of three low round piers, and one square; the arches are segmental and acutely pointed, with plain soffits. There is a south porch and a priest's door; the west, or tower door, is blocked. The tower, built of granite, is on three stages, and is embattled. It now contains five bells.
  • Non-Conformist. There were Chapels here for the Wesleyans and the Bible Christians.
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Church Records

  • LDS Church Records.
  • The Cornwall Record Office holdings: Baptisms 1640 - 1979, Burials 1640 - 1975, Marriages 1640 - 1964, Boyd's Marriage Index 1640 - 1811, Pallot's Marriage Index 1790 - 1812, BTs 1610 - 1673.
  • The Cornwall Family History Society have published on-line transcripts of:
    • Pre-1813 Marriages
    • 1813-37 Marriages
    • 1813-37 Burials
  • Baptisms.
    • Baptisms 1640 to 1911, and Bishop's transcripts 1676 to 1771, are available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (C-PROP).
    • The Cornish Forefathers' Society have published on CD baptisms 1727 to 1812 for this parish which can be purchased on Parish Chest.
  • Marriages.
    • The Cornwall Family History Society have published transcripts of: Parish Marriages 1610 to 1837, which is available in Book, CD or downloadable .pdf file formats.
    • Phillimore marriages in the parish church 1640 to 1811, the Bishop's transcripts 1676 to 1770, and partial parish transcripts 1817 to 1910, are available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (C-PROP).
    • The Cornish Forefathers' Society have published on CD marriages 1730 to 1811 for this parish which can be purchased on Parish Chest.
  • Burials.
    • Burials 1676 to 1776 (Bishop's transcripts), and 1680 to 1910 (parish transcripts), are available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (C-PROP).
    • The Cornish Forefathers' Society have published on CD burials 1730 to 1812 for this parishwhich can be purchased on Parish Chest.
    • The Cornwall Family History Society have published transcripts of: Parish Burials 1813 to 1837, which is available in Book or CD formats.
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Civil Registration

Although originally in the Camelford Registration District, the parish of St Clether is now in the Bodmin Registration District; there were sub-districts at Boscastle and Camelford but these are now abolished. Parishes within the Camelford district were: Advent, Davidstow, Forrabury, Lanteglos, Lesnewth, Michaelstow, Minster, Otterham, St. Breward, St. Clether, St. Juliot, St. Teath, Tintagel, Trevalga.

The Superintendant Registrar of Bodmin can be contacted at: Lyndhurst, 66 Nicholas Street, Bodmin, Cornwall, PL31 2AG. Tel: 01208 73677.

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Description & Travel

You can see pictures of St Clether which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland - 1868

"ST. CLETHER, a parish in the hundred of Lesnewth, in the county of Cornwall, 6 miles E. of Camelford. It is situated on the river Inny. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Exeter, value £165, in the patronage of J. Carpenter, Esq. The Trevelyans formerly resided at Basil.

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Genealogy

  • OPC Assistance. The On-line Parish Clerk (OPC) scheme operates a service to help family historians; the OPC page for this parish is available on-line, from where the OPC can be contacted by email.
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Maps

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SX191847 (Lat/Lon: 50.633684, -4.55879), St Clether which are provided by:

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Poor Houses, Poor Law

St Clether parish was part of the Camelford Union for Poor Law administration and parish relief.

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Population

  • Population in 1801 - 134 persons
  • Population in 1811 - 165 persons
  • Population in 1821 - 175 persons
  • Population in 1831 - 171 persons
  • Population in 1841 - 221 persons
  • Population in 1851 - 280 persons
  • Population in 1861 - 229 persons
  • Population in 1871 - 240 persons
  • Population in 1881 - 215 persons
  • Population in 1891 - 197 persons
  • Population in 1901 - 161 persons
  • Population in 1911 - 172 persons
  • Population in 1921 - 165 persons
  • Population in 1931 - 131 persons
  • Population in 1951 - 134 persons
  • Population in 1961 - 129 persons
  • Population in 1971 - 127 persons
  • Population in 1981 - 170 persons
  • Population in 1991 - 154 persons
  • Population in 2001 - 149 persons
  • Population in 2011 - 143 persons
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Statistics

The parish comprises 2961 acres of land and 5 acres of water.