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Mount Hawke

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Mount Hawke, (Cornish: Menydhhok), is in the Deanery and Hundred of Powder. It lies to the south of St Agnes and just inland from the sea; it is believed to be named after a family of ropemakers called Hawke. A document dated 1820 related to land for building a Methodist Meeting House 'at a place called Mount Hawke'. The parish containing the village was created from the south-west part of the parish of St Agnes and a small part of the civil parish of Illogan in 1847. Since 1965 many bungalows have been built and the population has trebled. A new school was built in 1980 to replace the first one built in 1870.

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

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Census

Census information for this parish (1851 - 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:

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Church History

  • Anglican. The ecclesiastical parish of Mount Hawke was created by an Order in Council in 1846. Before the formation of the ecclesiastical parish in 1847, the inhabitants had used a small building at the bottom of the village in preference to travelling to St Agnes. The parish church is located in OS Grid Square SW7147 and was dedicated to St John the Baptist; it was consecrated by the Bishop of Exeter on 5th August 1878. It is constructed of local stone with Bath stone dressings in the Perpendicular style. It consists of a chancel, nave, south porch and a bell turret containing one bell. The registers date from 1846.
  • Non-Conformist. There were Wesleyan chapels at Mawla, Mount Hawke, Skinner's Bottom and Porth Towan; Bible Christian chapels at Wheal Rose and a Primitive Methodist chapel at Skinner's Bottom. There is still a Methodist chapel in the parish which was still flourishing at the end of the 20th century.
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Church Records

  • The Cornwall Record Office holdings: Baptisms 1847 - 1906, Marriages 1878 - 1975.
  • Baptisms.
    • Baptisms 1876 to 1906 are also available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (COCP).
    • Mount Hawke Wesleyan Chapel baptisms 1850 to 1867 are available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (C-PROP).
  • Banns. Banns 1878 to 1911 for this parish are available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (C-PROP).
  • Marriages. Marriages 1878 to 1911 for this parish are available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (C-PROP).
  • Non-Conformist Records. OPC Coverage of Non-Conformist records of this parish is available.
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Civil Registration

The parish of Mount Hawke has been in the Truro Registration District since its creation. There were sub-districts at Kea, Kenwyn, Probus, St. Agnes, St. Clement and St Just-in-Roseland, but these have now been abolished. Parishes in this registration district are: Cornelly, Cuby, Feock, Gerrans, Kea, Kenwyn, Ladock, Lamorran, Merther, Perranzabuloe, Philleigh, Probus, Ruan Lanihorne, St. Agnes, St. Allen, St. Anthony in Roseland, St. Clement, St. Erme, St. Feock, St. Just in Roseland, St. Michael Penkevil, Tregavethan, Tregony St. James, Truro St. Mary, Veryan.

The address of the Superintendant Registrar is: Dalvenie House, New County Hall, Truro, TR1 3AY.
Tel: 01872 322241.

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Description & Travel

You can see pictures of Mount Hawke which are provided by:

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Directories

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Gazetteers

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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 SW715474 (Lat/Lon: 50.282225, -5.20873), Mount Hawke which are provided by:

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Poor Houses, Poor Law

Mount Hawke parish was originally part of St Agnes. When it was created it became part of the Truro Union for Poor Law administration and parish relief.

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Population

Up to 1971, population figures of St Agnes include Mount Hawke and Mithian; from 1981, the figures for Mount Hawke were counted as part of St Agnes. The following figures apply only to Mount Hawke.

  • Population in 1851 - 2153 persons
  • Population in 1861 - 2226 persons
  • Population in 1871 - 500 persons
  • Population in 1881 - 1261 persons
  • Population in 1891 - 1339 persons
  • Population in 1901 - 1298 persons
  • Population in 1911 - 1228 persons
  • Population in 1921 - 1160 persons
  • Population in 1931 - 1105 persons
  • Population in 1951 - 1316 persons
  • Population in 1961 - 520 persons
  • Population in 1971 - 600 persons
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Statistics

The ecclesiastical parish comprises 3500 acres.