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St Issey

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St Issey, (Cornish: Egloskrug), is situated in the Deanery and Hundred of Pydar. It is bounded on the north by the River Camel which separates it from the parishes of Padstow and St Minver, on the east by St Breock, on the south by St Wenn and St Columb Major, and on the west by Little Petherick. The parish was founded by St Yse, who according to legend was one of the 24 children of the Welsh King Broccan of Breconshire. The parish is situated just south of Padstow and on the old Saints' Way from that parish to Fowey on the south coast The smaller parish of Little Petherick is on the western boundary. Both parishes are served by the same council. While mining in the area has ceased, quarrying for decorative stone is still important. Other main industries are farming and tourism. In the 18th and 19th centuries sea walls were constructed which harnessed the power of the tides to run a grist mill at Sea Mills. The remains of the walls may still be seen today.

Villages in the parish are the Churchtown, Tredinnick, Trenance and Trevance. In 1934 the civil parish of Little Petherick was added into St Issey.

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 - 461 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:

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Church History

  • Anglican. The parish church is located in OS Grid Square SW9271 and was originally dedicated to St Issey (or Itha or Ida); it has also been dedicated to St Filius. St Issey was an Abbess who was born in Ireland around 480 AD; she was Baptised by Dairdre. The first church at St Issey was built sometime during the 7th or 8th Century.
    The church of Egloscruc, alias St Issey, in the deed of appropriation to the chapter of Exeter, of John Fitz-duke, then bishop of the diocease between the years 1186 and 1191, is described as being within the episcopal manor of Polton. This is the Pautone of the Exchequer Domesday, and the Pautona of the Exeter, and the most valuable possession of the See in Cornwall.
    The church comprises a chancel, nave, south aisle, narrow north aisle, north transept and vestry. The south arcade has five arches, of which the two adjoining the chancel are lower than the others; they are supported on monolith pillars with well-sculptures caps. The north arcade has three lofty pointed arches supported on short massive clustered pillars. The arcades are held together with iron bars across the nave. The northern part of the church is of a much earlier date than the southern. There is a south porch, a north door and a priest's door. The south wall of the church was rebuilt in 1767. The tower is of three stages, buttressed on the square, and finished with battlements and stump pinnacles. There is a good tower doorway carved in Catacleuse stone, and the tower contained five bells.
    There have been many church buildings on this ancient site and there are records of repairs to the chancel in 1390. The church was last rebuilt in 1870/1 because the tower dramatically fell on February 1st 1869 carrying with it a portion of the nave and the whole of the gallery. The present building was consecrated in 1871 by the Bishop of Exeter.
  • Non-Conformist. The Bible Christians had chapels at Burgoose and on Canalidgey, the Weseyan Methodists at Trenance, and the Independents at the Churchtown.
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Church Records

  • LDS Church Records.
    • The LDS Church batch numbers for St Issey are: C002342, P002341. These are searchable by surname.
    • The IGI coverage of this parish is 1596 - 1875; it is NOT believed to be fully included in the LDS Church's International Genealogical Index (IGI).
  • The Cornwall Record Office holdings: Baptisms 1596 - 1863, Burials 1602 - 1872, Marriages 1597 - 1837, Boyd's Marriage Index 1596 - 1812, Pallot's Marriage Index 1800 - 1812.
  • The Cornwall Family History Society have published on-line transcripts of:
    • Pre 1813 Marriages
    • 1813-37 Marriages
    • 1813-37 Burials.
  • Baptisms.
    • Baptisms 1596 to 1895 for this parish are available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (C-PROP).
    • The Cornish Forefathers' Society have published on CD, baptisms 1689 to 1853 for this parish which can be purchased on Parish Chest.
  • Marriages.
  • Burials. 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

The parish of St Issey was originally in the St Columb Registration District. There were sub-districts at Newlyn, Padstow and St Columb Major, but these have now been abolished. It is now in the Bodmin Registration District. Parishes within the old St Columb district were: Colan, Crantock, Cubert, Little Petherick, Mawgan-in-Pydar, Newlyn, Newquay, Padstow, St. Breock, St. Columb Major, St. Columb Minor, St. Enoder, St. Ervan, St. Eval, St. Issey, St. Merryn, St. Wenn.

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 Issey which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland - 1868

"ST. ISSEY, a parish in the hundred of Pyder, county Cornwall, 3 miles S.E. of Padstow, and 5 N.E. of St. Columb-Major. This parish, which is of considerable extent, is separated from that of Little Petherick by a tributary of the river Camel. The surface is varied and the substratum is chiefly stone, which is quarried for building purposes. Veins of copper and lead ore were discovered here in 1832, while sinking the foundations for the vicarage. The rectorial tithes have been commuted for a rent-charge of £465, and the vicarial for £223 Is. 2d. The living is a vicarage* in the diocese of Exeter, value £246, in the patronage of the dean and chapter. The church, dedicated to St. Issey, is an ancient structure. There are places of worship for the Independents, Wesleyans, and Bryanites; also a National school. Halwyn House was a seat of the Champernownes. In the vicinity is an ancient encampment called the Rounds.

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Genealogy

  • 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 SW935714 (Lat/Lon: 50.505631, -4.913302), St Issey which are provided by:

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Poor Houses, Poor Law

St Issey parish was part of the St Columb Major Union for Poor Law administration and parish relief.

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Population

Little Petherick was added in 1934 for civil purposes; therefore the population figures of that parish have been added from 1951.

  • Population in 1801 - 522 persons
  • Population in 1811 - 632 persons
  • Population in 1821 - 660 persons
  • Population in 1831 - 720 persons
  • Population in 1841 - 748 persons
  • Population in 1851 - 794 persons
  • Population in 1861 - 756 persons
  • Population in 1871 - 724 persons
  • Population in 1881 - 677 persons
  • Population in 1891 - 557 persons
  • Population in 1901 - 463 persons
  • Population in 1911 - 411 persons
  • Population in 1921 - 444 persons
  • Population in 1931 - 433 persons
  • Population in 1951 - 653 persons
  • Population in 1961 - 601 persons
  • Population in 1971 - 599 persons
  • Population in 1981 - 645 persons
  • Population in 1991 - 765 persons
  • Population in 2001 - 881 persons
  • Population in 2011 - 940 persons
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Statistics

The parish comprises 5724 acres of land.