GENUKI: Isles of Scilly, Cornwall

Hide

hide

Hide

The Isles of Scilly comprise some 55 islands and over 90 rocks lying in the Atlantic Ocean some 28 miles south-west from Land's End on the Cornish mainland. The name 'Scilly' comes from SULLY meaning the Sun Isles which describe its climate with an excellent sunshine record. The temperature is remarkably constant throughout the year with only a 9° variation between the average of the hottest and coldest months.

There are five inhabited islands: St Mary's, (Cornish: An Nor), St Martin's, (Cornish: Breghyek), St Agnes', (Cornish: Pennpras), Tresco (Cornish: Treskaw), and Bryher, and about 50 others which would be classed as islands as well as hundreds of rocks. One of these, the island of Samson was inhabited by one family in 1669; this had increased to six dwelling houses and 30 inhabitants in 1794. By 1829 there were 36 residents on Samson. In 1855, the last 10 residents were ordered to evacuate the island; the remains of their houses can still be seen.

The islands are comprised of granite, which has broken down to form a stony, sandy or gritty soil, as well as bright sandy beaches. In places the granite forms block cliffs and tors, rounded boulders or tilted slabs. The rocks around the islands became a graveyard for numerous shipping over the years, although many lighhouses were built towards the end of the 19th century, including the Bishop Rock which is the most westerly in the UK.

The islands were inhabited during the Bronze age, and this is marked by a number of standing stones and burial chambers. During the Roman occupation, trade was conducted on the islands as roman coins have been recovered. In later centuries, early christian hermits were attracted to the islands, as were pirates. It appears to have passed unnoticed in the Domesday survey of 1087. A Benedictine priory was founded on Tresco in the 12th century and Henry I granted the islands to Tavistock Abbey. By the 14th century the islands formed part of the Duchy of Cornwall, and Edward III gave them to the Black Prince who was made Duke of Cornwall. In the 16th century Queen Elizabeth I granted the lease of the islands to Francis Godophin. Godolphin built the eight-pointed Star Castle over the harbour of St Mary's, and Prince Charles (later Charles II) stayed there for a period during the English Civil War.

The 18th century saw a great deal of poverty on the islands but, despite there remoteness, John Wesley visited them during the course of his preaching. Shipbuilding became an important occupation on the islands and this extended into the 19th century. From 1800 until 1831 George Osborne, the 6th Duke of Leeds was the Governor of the Isles of Scilly. In 1831 he surrendered the lease back to the Duchy of Cornwall. About this time, the islands began to export flowers with mixed success, although the trade continues to this day.

Originally Old Town on St Mary's was the chief centre of population for the Isles, but the centre shifted to Hugh Town in the middle of the 19th century.

Hide

Cemeteries

The Cornwall Family History Society have published Monumental Inscriptions, which are available on-line, for:
- St Mary's Parish Church - 32 entries
- Bryher Island Church - 136 entries.
There is also a burial ground at the Anglican Church of St Mary at Old Town on St Mary's, which contains the graves of many old Scillonian families, of some service personnel from the second World War, and some 335 passengers whose lives were lost when the liner Schiller was wrecked on the western rocks in 1875. In 1995, Lord Wilson, a former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, was buried here.
There is another burial ground in the churchyard on St Agnes, where the majority of names on the headstones are for the surname HICKS.

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 the Isles of Scilly (HO107/154) is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project as follows:
- St Mary [including Barracks] - Enumeration Districts 1 and 2.
- Tresco - Enumeration District 3).
- St Agnes - Enumeration District 4.
- St Martin - Enumeration District 5.
- Bryher - Enumeration District 6.
- St Samson - Enumeration District 6.
1851.
- The 1851 Census of the Isles of Scilly (HO107/1919), Enumeration District 1 - (St Martins, District 2a - St Mary's Hughtown, District 2b - St Mary's, District 3 - Tresco, Districts 4 and 5 - Bryher, Sampson and St Agnes) 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; The Isles of Scilly are listed in Volume 30. 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 the Isles of Scilly, (RG9/1600), is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project as follows:
- Enumeration Districts 1 and 2 - St Marys.
- Enumeration Districts 3 to 6, and which includes Merchant Shipping, St Martins, Tresco, Bryher, and St. Agnes.
1871. The 1871 Census of the Isles of Scilly (RG10/2347), Enumeration Districts 1 to 6, (including St Mary's, St Martin's, Tresco, Bryher, St Agnes and Merchant Shipping), is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
1881. The 1881 Census of the Isles of Scilly (RG11/2352), Enumeration Districts 1 [including Merchant Shipping] and 2, (St Mary's), Enumeration District 3 (St Martin's), Enumeration District 4 (Tresco), Enumeration District 5 (Bryher), Enumeration District 6 (St Agnes), and Merchant Shipping, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
1891. The 1891 Census of the Isles of Scilly (RG12/1862), Enumeration Districts 1 to 6, including St Mary's, St Martin's, Tresco, Bryher, St Agnes, Lighthouses and Merchant Shipping), is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.

Churches

**Anglican**
All Saints, Bryher, Church of England
St Agnes the Virgin, St Agnes (Scillys), Church of England
St Martin, St Martin (Scillys), Church of England
St Mary , Isles of Scilly, Church of England
St Mary the Virgin, St Mary (Scillys), Church of England
St Nicholas, Tresco, Church of England

**Methodist**
St Martin (Scillys), Methodists
St Mary (Scillys), Methodists

**Roman Catholic**
Our Lady Star of the Sea, St Mary (Scillys), Roman Catholic

Church History

Anglican. All Anglican churches in the Scilly Isles form the single ecclesiastical parish of the Isles of Scilly; each church has its own burial ground. There were originally early christian chapels on St Helen's (St Elidius) and Teän.
The churches are:
- Bryher. The only church on Bryher is All Saints' (Anglican) church (OS Grid square SX880149). It claims to be the most westerly church in the (Anglican) Provinces of Canterbury and York. The earliest record of a permanent church on Bryher is the account of the dedication of a small building to 'God and All Saints' by the Chaplain of St Mary's in 1742. The building was renovated and enlarged in 1822, and a new chancel was added in 1897/98.
- St Agnes. St Agnes (Anglican) church serves this island. (OS Grid square SX876084). It was built by the islanders using the proceeds of the sale of a wreck, and the bell in the church was taken from that wreck.
- St Martin's. There were two churches on St Martin's: the Anglican church of St Martin (OS Grid square SX928155) and a Methodist one. The Anglican church was rebuilt in 1886 having been considerably damaged by lightning. The bell in the turret belonged to a vessel wrecked on the islands.
- St Mary's. In the 12th century a large cruciform church was built at Old Town, but the present church dedicated to St Mary was built on the site during the early 19th century and is still in use today. However, in Hugh Town, another church was built in 1835 to 1838 to serve the population of the town which had replaced Old Town as the main centre. Here, the present church of St Mary the Virgin in Hugh Town is now the Anglican parish church of the Islands (OS Grid square SX907106). It was commenced in 1835 under the auspices of King William IV who granted £1500 towards its erection; it was consecrated on 7 September 1838. It replaced the earlier church on a different site built between 1662 and 1677.
- Tresco. A Benedictine priory was founded on Tresco in the 12th century, and the ruins of this remain in the Abbey gardens. The church of St Nicholas (OS Grid square SX893155) was built on Tresco between 1877 and 1879, when Edith Dorrien-Smith laid the foundation stone on 12 September 1877. The church was opened for worship on 17 June 1879 and was consecrated on 16 July 1882.
Roman Catholic. The only Roman Catholic church in the Scillys, is located in Hugh Town; it is dedicated to Our Lady, Star of the Sea. It is served from The Immaculate Conception of Our Lady church in Penzance.
Non-Conformist. There is an Isles of Scilly Methodist Circuit. This has two Methodist Churches: one in Hugh Town, on St Marys, and another one on St Martins.

Church Records

LDS Church Records.
- The LDS Church batch numbers for the Isles of Scilly are: C022062, M022061, P022061, Bible Christian Church C045721, St Mary Baptist Church C045201, St Mary Hugh Town Wesleyan Methodist Church C045731. These are searchable by surname.
- The IGI coverage of St Mary's is 1726 - 1875.
The Cornwall Record Office holdings: Baptisms 1726 - 1949, Burials 1579 - 1973, Marriages 1726 - 1940, Non-Conformist records 1819 - 1837.
Baptisms.
- Baptisms 1837 to 1901 in this parish are available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (C-PROP).
- The Cornish Forefathers' Society have published on CD, baptisms for this parish as follows and these are available for purchase from Parish Chest:
  - St Mary's & Tresco 1726 to 1843.
  - Outer Islands & St Mary's 1799 to 1833.
  - Off Islands & Tresco Church 1796 to 1843.
- Baptisms 1837 to 1903 are available on-line, courtesy of the OPC, in Excel or PDF.
Banns.
- Banns 1825 to 1910 in this parish are available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (C-PROP).
- Marriage Banns 1835 to 1925 are available on-line, courtesy of the OPC.
Marriages.
- The Cornwall Family History Society have published transcripts of: Parish Marriages 1726 to 1837, which is available in CD or downloadable .pdf file formats.
- Marriages in St Mary's 1837 to 1900 are available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (C-PROP).
- Cornwall Family History Society have published on-line transcripts of 1813-37 Marriages.
- Marriages are available on-line, courtesy of the OPC, as follow:
  - Marriages 1837 to 1900 in Excel or PDF format.
  - Marriages 1700s to 1900s, sorted by Groom's surname, in html format.
  - Marriages 1700s to 1900s, sorted by Groom's surname, in PDF format.
Burials.
- The Cornwall Family History Society have published transcripts of: Parish Burials 1813 to 1837, which is available in Book format.
- Burials 1819 to 1886 in this parish are also available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (C-PROP).

Civil Registration

All the inhabited Isles of Scilly are in their own Registration District and have always been since 1st July 1837; however some links are maintained with the Penzance Registration District. The Superintendant Registrar of the Isles can be contacted by telephone. Tel.: (0)1720-422537. There was once a sub-district also in the Scillys but that has now been abolished.

The Superintendant Registrar can be contacted at: Town Hall, St Mary's, Isles of Scilly, TR21 0LW. Tel: 01720 422537.

Description & Travel

You can see pictures of Isles of Scilly which are provided by:

Gazetteers

The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland - 1868

"SCILLY ISLANDS, comprising the parish of St. Mary, in county Cornwall. These islands, of which there are about 40 in number, besides numerous rocks, form a cluster lying off the S.W. coast, and annexed to the western division of the county of Cornwall. They are situated about 40 miles due W. from the Lizard Point, and 30 S.W. from the Land's End. Sailing packets ply regularly twice a week between Hugh Town, in the island of St. Mary's, and Penzance. These islands are generally considered to have been first known to the Greeks and Phoenicians by the name Cassiterides, or tin islands; and both Diodorus Siculus and Strabo distinguish between the Cassiterides and Britain, though modern antiquarians are inclined to believe that the western extremity of Cornwall must have been included in the term Cassiterides, as there are no traces of workings in the islands sufficient to countenance the opinion that much tin was ever obtained from them. In the time of the Romans, who called them Sellinæ or Siluræ Insulæ, they were employed occasionally as a place of banishment for state criminals, but there are now no traces of their ancient importance. There are a few primeval monuments, but the early inhabitants appear to have been replaced by others of Saxon origin, as indicated by their names, language, and customs. In the early part of the 10th century the Danes, who had taken possession of them, were expelled by King Athelstan. They appear from this time to have been the property of the crown, but were subsequently in part granted to the abbey of Tavistock on its endowment. In the reign of Edward I. the remainder not so granted was held of the king at a yearly rent of 300 puffins, and at present they form part of the Duchy of Cornwall, although they are not so enumerated in the original grant of Edward III. to his eldest son.

In the civil war of Charles I.'s reign they afforded a temporary asylum to Prince Charles and his followers, and in 1649, the king having been executed, Sir John Grenville, as governor, fortified and held them for King Charles II. At length in 1651 the parliament finding their trade much molested by Sir John's frigates, fitted out a formidable armament, under the command of Admiral Blake and Sir George Ascue, which effected the reduction of the islands in the following June. In 1707 Sir Cloudesley Shovel, on his return from Toulon, was lost on the Gilston rocks, which form the south-western portion of the group, and several of the officers lie buried in the churchyard of St. Mary's Isle. For several centuries these islands were held on lease from the crown by the lords Godolphin, and after them by the Duke of Leeds, but they are now in the possession of Augustus Smith, Esq., who is lord proprietor of the whole. The total surface of the islands is between 3,500 and 4,000 acres, and the number of inhabitants 2,431. The principal islands with their acreage are St. Mary's 1,640 acres, Trescaw or Tresco 720, St. Agnes 550, St. Martin's 500, Bryher or Brehar, 320, Sampson 80, St. Helen's 40, Annette 40, Tean 35, Great Gannilly 35, Arthur 30, Great and Little Genniomick 10, North Withial 8, Giveal 8, and Little Gannilly 6. The whole of the underlying rocks are igneous, consisting chiefly of granite, intermixed with felspar, quartz, and mica slate, and occasionally schorl, chlorite, and hornblende, in isolated patches. The soil is commonly a black peat intermingled with granitic sand, but is tolerably fertile, producing potatoes, barley, wheat, and rye. The produce of the land might easily be increased with improved modes of agriculture, but at present is scarcely sufficient for the inhabitants. The natural growth is a short, thin grass, intermixed with wild camomile, fern, heath, dwarf furze, and moss. Seaweed is commonly employed as manure, and the cattle are partly fed on it, which occasions their meagre appearance. The sheep are of a peculiar breed, and small sized, as are also the horses. Rabbits are less numerous than formerly, and puffins, once very abundant, are now but rarely seen. There are no timber trees and no fruit trees, except in a few sheltered spots in St. Mary's Island, which is the largest of the group and the seat of government. Its capital is Hugh Town, situated upon a sandy isthmus about a mile distant from the Old-town. The island is protected on the W. side by Star Castle, built by Queen Elizabeth, and the Garrison, with its numerous batteries and barracks. There is a new pier, built in 1838, and a good harbour, called the Pool. In 1855 a lighthouse was erected off this pier, another lighthouse has also been erected on Bishop's Rock, in the S.W. part of the group, and a floating light has recently been stationed near Leven Stones by the Trinity House. The military commandant at St. Mary's, and a collector of customs, are appointed by the authorities in London, but the lessee usually appoints the council, who exercise civil jurisdiction. The council hold their sittings at Hugh Town monthly for the trial of minor offences, but persons charged with capital crimes are remitted to Penzance, to be tried before the justices of the county of Cornwall. The islands are under the spiritual jurisdiction of the Bishop of Exeter, and form part of the archdeaconry of Cornwall. In former times the Abbot of Tavistock held the whole of the tithes on condition of finding two monks to reside there, and to provide for the spiritual wants of the inhabitants, but since the Reformation the tithes have been vested in the lord proprietor, who is patron of the donative curacy, and pays the minister an optional salary. Until of late years the minister of St. Mary's Isle was the only clergyman, but another has been appointed by the Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge, who resides at Tresco. When these ministers cannot visit the churches on the other islands the service is performed by the clerks. The same society also supports schools on the principal islands. The Wesleyans have a place of worship. The Baptists have several preaching stations. In 1865 these islands were visited by the Prince and Princess of Wales."

"ST. MARY, a parish, and the principal of the Scilly Isles, coast of the county of Cornwall, 25 miles W. by S. of the Land's End. It is about 2½ miles long by 1½ mile broad. The surface of the island, which rises in some parts to a considerable elevation, is in general rocky and barren, but in the vales are some fertile spots. Minerals are found in the hills. It contains Heugh, or Hugh Town, the only town in Scilly, situated on the S.W. side of the island, at the foot of Garrison Hill, which is joined to it by an isthmus. The town, which was much damaged by inundation during the great storm in 1744, contains a townhall, custom-house, and a prison, and is defended by the Star fort, originally built by Sir Francis Godolphin in 1593. Its harbour, which is defended by a pier, has from three to five fathoms water, where vessels of 150 tons may ride in safety, but it is difficult of access owing to the Woolpack, Bartholomew, and other ledges of rock. About a mile from Hugh Town is the Church Town, consisting of a few houses and the church, in the chancel of which were buried the bodies of several persons of distinction who were drowned with Sir Cloudesley Shovel in October, 1707, when the Association man-of-war was cast away upon the Gilston rock. To the N. of the island is Crow Sound, and a little to the eastward Pomellin or Porthmillin Bay, famous for its white sand, used as writing sand. There is also another small village called Old Town, formerly the most important place in the island, and on the W. side, of the island are St. Mary's garrison, with the barracks and the remains of several batteries. The Baptists and Wesleyan Methodists have chapels. There are several schools, one of which is aided with £12 per annum by the Duchy of Cornwall. The Pilots' Fund Charity consists of the interest of £365 government stock, applied to the relief of the widows of pilots lost by drowning.

Numerous Druidical and other British remains have been met with on the island, and on a promontory called the Giant's Castle are traces of an ancient fortress.

"BRYHER, a small island in the parish of St. Mary, Scilly Islands, in the county of Cornwall."

"GANILLY ISLES, on the N.E. side of the Scilly Islands in the parish of St. Mary, county Cornwall. They are distinguished as Great, Little, and Gannick, and comprise about 20 acres each."

"GWYNHILL and GWYNHILLVEOR, islets of the Scilly group in the parish of St. Mary, off the coast of Cornwall."

"HEUGH TOWN, in the parish of St. Mary, Scilly Islands, of which it is the capital, county Cornwall. It is situated on a sandy peninsula between St. Mary's Pool and Port Cressa, and has a small pier, about 400 feet long. The town is small, consisting chiefly of one crooked street of stone houses, roughly built. It contains a prison, court-house, steward's house, with several shops and inns. The church stands at Old Town. On Heugh Hill, a short distance from the town, stands Star Castle Fort and the barracks. The living is a perpetual cur: in the diocese of Exeter."

"SAMPSON, one of the Scilly Islands, in the parish of St. Mary, county Cornwall. It comprises about 80 acres, and has several ancient barrows."

"ST. AGNES, the southernmost of the Scilly Islands in the parish of St. Mary, on the western coast of Cornwall, about 1 mile in length, and half a mile in breadth. A lighthouse, 60 feet in height, with a revolving light of Argand lamps and reflectors, seen all round once a minute, has been erected on one of the highest points of the island. It is an important mark for seamen, and is visible to a distance of 16 miles. It was first established by Adam Walker, in the year 1680. The Gilstone Rock, where Sir Cloudesley Shovel was lost, in 1707, lies a little westward of this island. The island comprises an area of nearly 650 acres, and in 1851 had 204 inhabitants. The church of St. Agnes is a small, plain edifice, containing a nave, one aisle, chancel, and transept. The clergyman is appointed by A. Smith, Esq., lord proprietor of the isles. There is an infant school, and a meeting-house of the Bible Christians.

"ST. HELEN'S, one of the smaller Scilly Islands, in the parish of St. Mary, county Cornwall, N. of Tresco Island, with an old church, good pasture, but no inhabitants.

"ST. MARTIN, one of the Scilly Islands in the parish of St. Mary, off the western coast of Cornwall, 3 miles N. of St. Mary's. It is chiefly used for sheep pasture, and is inhabited by fishermen. On the S.E. side of the island is a channel, or sound, and on the shore a landmark, 40 feet high.

"TRESCOE, an island in the parish of St. Mary, Scilly Islands, county Cornwall, 2 miles N.W. of St. Mary's. The principal village is called Dolphin. It has a good anchorage at New Grimsby. There are traces of a priory cell, and of Old and Oliver's Castles, where Asker and Blake formed intrenchments for the purpose of capturing St. Mary's Island, the last retreat of the adherents of King Charles I. This island measures about 2 miles in length by 1 mile in breadth. The land is generally fertile. The living is a curacy in the diocese of Exeter. The church is dedicated to St. Nicholas."

Ask for a calculation of the distance from Isles of Scilly to another place.

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.
The OPC has produced a Genealogy site available.

Maps

Map of the Penzance Registration District in which the parish had links.
Old maps of the Scilly Islands in 1701, 1750-1800, 1805 are available on-line from Cartophilia.

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SV882116 (Lat/Lon: 49.923115, -6.345806), Isles of Scilly which are provided by:

OpenStreetMap
Google Maps
StreetMap (Current Ordnance Survey maps)
Bing (was Multimap)
Old Maps Online
National Library of Scotland (Old Ordnance Survey maps)
Vision of Britain (Click "Historical units & statistics" for administrative areas.)
English Jurisdictions in 1851 (Unfortunately the LDS have removed the facility to enable us to specify a starting location, you will need to search yourself on their map.)
Magic (Geographic information) (Click + on map if it doesn't show)
GeoHack (Links to on-line maps and location specific services.)

All places within the same township/parish shown on an Openstreetmap map.
Nearby townships/parishes shown on an Openstreetmap map.
Nearby places shown on an Openstreetmap map.

Names, Personal

The family trees of Some Scillonian families are available on the OPC's website.

Poor Houses, Poor Law

The Isles of Scilly parish was part of the Penzance Union for Poor Law administration and parish relief.

Population

Some 2000 people were living in the Scilly Isles in 1995. Census population figures (by island) have been:

St Agnes. In 1878 the population of St Agnes was estimated to be nearly 150 arranged in 25 households; the heads of 17 of these were surnamed HICKS and this is still a common surname on the island.

Population in 1841 - 243 persons
Population in 1851 - no figures separately recorded
Population in 1861 - 200 persons
Population in 1871 - 179 persons
Population in 1881 - 148 persons
Population in 1891 - 130 persons
Population in 1901 - 134 persons
Population in 1911 - 102 persons

Population in 1921 - 101 persons
Population in 1931 - 78 persons
Population in 1951 - 78 persons
Population in 1961 - 85 persons
Population in 1971 - 63 persons
Population in 1981 - 80 persons
Population in 1991 - 90 persons
Population in 2001 - 73 persons

Bryher

Population in 1841 - 121 persons
Population in 1851 - no figures separately recorded
Population in 1861 - 115 persons
Population in 1871 - 104 persons
Population in 1881 - 103 persons
Population in 1891 - 91 persons
Population in 1901 - 97 persons
Population in 1911 - 113 persons

Population in 1921 - 101 persons
Population in 1931 - 64 persons
Population in 1951 - 117 persons
Population in 1961 - 66 persons
Population in 1971 - 57 persons
Population in 1981 - 66 persons
Population in 1991 - 80 persons
population in 2001 - 92 persons

St Martin

Population in 1841 - 214 persons
Population in 1851 - no figures separately recorded
Population in 1861 - 185 persons
Population in 1871 - 158 persons
Population in 1881 - 175 persons
Population in 1891 - 174 persons
Population in 1901 - 175 persons
Population in 1911 - 191 persons

Population in 1921 - 134 persons
Population in 1931 - 134 persons
Population in 1951 - 131 persons
Population in 1961 - 118 persons
Population in 1971 - 106 persons
Population in 1981 - 118 persons
Population in 1991 - 110 persons
Population in 2001 - 142 persons

St Mary

Population in 1841 - 1519 persons persons plus 26 in the Garrison
Population in 1851 - no figures separately recorded
Population in 1861 - 1424 persons
Population in 1871 - 1368 persons
Population in 1881 - 1290 persons
Population in 1891 - 1201 persons
Population in 1901 - 1355 persons
Population in 1911 - 1376 persons

Population in 1921 - 1196 persons
Population in 1931 - 1216 persons
Population in 1951 - 1625 persons
Population in 1961 - 1736 persons
Population in 1971 - 1958 persons
Population in 1981 - 2073 persons
Population in 1991 - 1600 persons
Population in 2001 - 1666 persons

Samson

The island of Samson was inhabited by just one family in 1669 which had increased to six dwelling houses and 30 inhabitants by 1794. In 1829 there were 36 residents. The population in 1841 had reduced 29 persons. In 1855, the last 10 residents were ordered by the Lord Proprietor to evacuate the island. It has been uninhabited since.

Tresco

Population in 1841 - 430 persons
Population in 1851 - no figures separately recorded
Population in 1861 - 399 persons
Population in 1871 - 266 persons
Population in 1881 - no figures separately recorded
Population in 1891 - 315 persons
Population in 1901 - 331 persons
Population in 1911 - 315 persons

Population in 1921 - 217 persons
Population in 1931 - 248 persons
Population in 1951 - 243 persons
Population in 1961 - 283 persons
Population in 1971 - 246 persons
Population in 1981 - no figures separately recorded
Population in 1991 - 170 persons
Population in 2001 - 180 persons

Probate Records

Index to WILLS & ADMONS for SCILLY, CORNWALL, 1674-1730

Societies

There is a Isles of Scilly Family History Group available that is willing to help with Family History research. Initial contact, for anyone interested should be through the Isles of Scilly Museum's curator, Amanda Martin or Roger Banfield, Church Street, St. Mary's. Tel: 01720 422337. E-mail: roger[at]rwbanfield.freeserve.co[dot]uk.

Statistics

The Isles of Scilly comprise 3963 acres of land comprising:

St Mary's - 1554 acres
Tresco - 735 acres
St Martin's and White Island - 586 acres
St Agnes and the Gugh - 366 acres
Bryher and Gweal - 327 acres
Samson - 95 acres

Annet - 53 acres
St Helen's - 49 acres
Teän - 40 acres
Great Ganilly - 33 acres
Other islands - 125 acres