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Probus

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The parish of Probus, (Cornish: Lannbroboes), is situated in the Deanery and Hundred of Powder. It is bounded on the north by Ladock and St Stephen-in-Brannel, on the east by Grampound, Creed, and Cuby, on the south by Cornelly, Lamorran, and Merther, and on the west by St Clement's and St Erme. It is named after St Probus, to whom the church is dedicated and about whom nothing is known. The parish is directly north of Tregony, the village being on the A390 between Truro and St.Austell. A new by-pass has considerably reduced traffic on this road through the village. The church, constructed of Cornish granite, dominates the village. The 125ft tower is the highest in the county.

The parish is mentioned in the Domesday Survey of 1086, as follows:

The Canons of St Probus hold PROBUS. During his life, King Edward (the Confessor) held it. 1 h. and 1 v. of land. It never paid tax. Land for for 8 ploughs; 4½ ploughs there; 5 slaves, 3 villagers and 8 smallholders. Pasture, 20 acres, 20 cattle; 160 sheep. Value 40 shillings.

The Churchtown is a large village; the other main village is Tresillian, part of which lies outside this parish.

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 (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:

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Church History

  • Anglican. The parish church is located in OS Grid Square SW8947 and was dedicated to St Probus & St Grace. It consists of a chancel, nave, and north and south aisles. The south arcade has five lofty pointed arches, and the north seven; the material is porcelain stone. The entrances are a south porch, a north porch, and a priest's door. The north wall of the church is heavily buttressed. The tower is the tallest in Cornwall; it is built entirely of St Stephen's porcelain stone. It has three stages, and is finished with battlements and eight crocketed pinnacles of 13 feet in height - each pinnacle supported by four lesser ones - making 40 altogether! This imposing structure is 108 feet in height to the battlements. The tower is buttressed on the square, every buttress terminating in a crocketed pinnacle.
  • Non-Conformist. There are Wesleyan Methodist chapels in the Churchtown and in that part of Tresillian village which is in this parish.
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Church Records

  • LDS Church Records.
    • The LDS Church batch numbers for Probus are: C053011/2, C023141, Wesleyan Methodists C065321. These are searchable by surname.
    • The IGI coverage of this parish is 1597 - 1875; it is NOT believed to be fully included in the LDS Church's International Genealogical Index (IGI).
  • The Cornwall Record Office holdings: Baptisms 1642 - 1979, Burials 1641 - 1939, Marriages 1641 - 1981, Boyds Marriage Index 1641 - 1812, BTs 1597 - 1670, Wesleyan Church Baptisms 1837 - 1910.
  • The Cornwall Family History Society have published on-line transcripts of:
    • Pre 1813 Marriages
    • 1813-37 Marriages
    • 1813-37 Burials.
  • Baptisms.
    • Baptisms 1813 to 1901 for this parish are available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (C-PROP).
    • Probus Wesleyan Chapel baptisms 1815 to 1837, and Wesleyan-Methodist Chapel baptisms 1837 to 1903, are available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (C-PROP).
    • The Parish Chest have published on CD, baptisms 1694 to 1850 for the parish of Probus.
    • The Cornish Forefathers' Society have also published on CD, baptisms 1694 to 1850 for this parish which can be purchased on Parish Chest
  • Marriages.
    • The Cornwall Family History Society have published transcripts of: Parish Marriages 1597 to 1837, which is available in Book, CD or downloadable .pdf file formats.
    • Phillimore's marriages 1641 to 1812, and marriage transcriptions 1813 to 1900, for this parish are available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (C-PROP).
    • Phillimore's Marriages of Probus 1641 to 1812 are also available on-line from UK Genealogy Archives.
  • Burials.
    • Burials 1700 to 1901 for this parish are available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (C-PROP).
    • The Cornwall Family History Society have published transcripts of: Parish Burials 1813 to 1837, which is available in Book or CD formats.
  • Other Non-Conformist Records. OPC Coverage of Non-Conformist records of this parish is available.
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Civil Registration

The parish of Probus has been in the Truro Registration District continuously from 1st July 1837. 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 Registration Office is: Dalvenie House, New County Hall, Truro, TR1 3AY.
Tel: 01872 322241.

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Description & Travel

You can see pictures of Probus which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland - 1868

"PROBUS, a parish in the W. division of the hundred of Powder, county Cornwall, 4 miles N.E. of Truro, its post town, 2 S.W. of Grampound, and 5½ N.E. of the West Cornwall railway. The parish, which is extensive, comprises a part of the borough of Grampound, and the hamlet of Tresillian. It is a healthy village, being situated on an eminence over 300 feet above sea level. The inhabitants are chiefly engaged in agriculture. The soil is of a loamy nature. A market was formerly held in the village, which skirts the road from London through Plymouth to the Land's End. At the time of the Domesday Survey there was a college for 5 prebends, founded and endowed by Edward the Confessor, and afterwards given by Henry I. to the bishop and church at Exeter. There are traces of an ancient chapel at Golden. The living is a vicarage* in the diocese of Exeter, value, £509, in the patronage of the bishop. The church, dedicated to SS. Probus and Grace, has a lofty pinnacled tower, containing seven bells. The church is constructed of granite, and was erected by the parishioners in 1550, but has since been enlarged. The interior contains tombs of the Hawkins family, of Trevithian. The parochial charities produce about £110 per annum, of which £10 goes to Williams's school. There are National and parochial schools for both sexes. The Wesleyans have a place of worship. Near Carvoza are traces of a Roman camp, extending over 7 acres. In the reign of Queen Elizabeth, Walvedon and Golden were forfeited by Tregion for harbouring a priest named Mayne, who was hung. C. H. Hawkins, Esq., is lord of the manor and principal landowner. Fairs for cattle and sheep are held on 5th and 23rd April, 5th July, and 17th September."

"GRAMPOUND, a township and post town in the parishes of Creed and Probus, W. division of the hundred of Powder, county Cornwall, 7 miles N.E. of Truro, and 14 S.W. of Bodmin.

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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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Historical Geography

The Domesday Settlements of Cornwall, a study undertaken by the Cornwall Branch of the Historical Association, has identified and located settlements listed in the Exeter and Exchequer Domesday Survey of AD 1086. The following places have been identified in Probus ecclesiastical parish:

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Land & Property

  • The parish and town tithe maps, and accompanying survey books of c1840, provide a fascinating snap-shot of land use and ownership in the 19th century. In order to preserve the documents and improve access to them, the Cornwall Record Office are digitising these maps and survey books. The CD ROM tithe package include a map and survey books, together with a reader, for this parish; it is now available from the Cornwall Record Office. Details are on their website.
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Maps

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SW894482 (Lat/Lon: 50.296084, -4.958278), Probus which are provided by:

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Names, Geographical

Places in Probus parish are listed on-line. ( not currently available online 8/18)

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Names, Personal

Family names of Probus and Cornelly families which appear most frequently in the OPC's database are listed.( not currently available online 8/18)

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Occupations

Apprenticeship Indentures for Probus (1740 - 1830) can be found in the Cornwall Record Office.

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Poor Houses, Poor Law

  • Probus parish was part of the Truro Union for Poor Law administration and parish relief.
  • Overseers' Accounts (1731 to 1820), Settlement Papers (1706 to 1718) and Bastardy Bonds (1737 to 1810), are available in the Cornwall Record Office.
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Population

From 1951, the population figures include Cornelly.

  • Population in 1801 - 1013 persons
  • Population in 1811 - 1163 persons
  • Population in 1821 - 1353 persons
  • Population in 1831 - 1350 persons
  • Population in 1841 - 1586 persons, plus 81 in Probus Workhouse
  • Population in 1851 - 1433 persons
  • Population in 1861 - 1448 persons
  • Population in 1871 - 1296 persons
  • Population in 1881 - 1273 persons
  • Population in 1891 - 1225 persons
  • Population in 1901 - 1207 persons
  • Population in 1911 - 1259 persons
  • Population in 1921 - 1214 persons
  • Population in 1931 - 1100 persons
  • Population in 1951 - 1097 persons
  • Population in 1961 - 1244 persons
  • Population in 1971 - 1427 persons
  • Population in 1981 - 1320 persons
  • Population in 1991 - 1820 persons
  • Population in 2001 - 2082 persons
  • Population in 2011 - 2299 persons
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Religion & Religious Life

In the May of 1641 it was agreed and ordered that every Member of the House of Commons and House of Lords should make a protestation (declaration of loyalty) to the crown. The Protestation was printed and then distributed by the Members to their counties. The Protestation was to be made by everyone and the Rectors, Churchwardens and Overseers of the Poor, had to appear before the Justices of the Peace in their Hundred to make their protestation and, on returning to their parishes, any two of them were to witness the taking of the Protestation Oath by all males over the age of 18 years. All names were listed and anyone who refused was to be noted.

The Protestation Returns of 1642 for Probus are available on-line.

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Statistics

The parish comprises 8084 acres of land, 12 acres of water and one acre of tidal water.