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St Martin In Meneage

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The Parish of St. Martin, (Cornish: Didemin), is situated in the Deanery and Hundred of Kerrier. It is bounded on the north by the Helford estuary which separates it from Constantine, on the east by Manaccan, from which it is separated by Frenchman's Creek and its tributary rivulet, on the south by St. Keverne, and on the west by Mawgan-in-Meneage.

The name is derived from the dedication of the Church to St Martin of Tours. Other centres of population include the village of Newtown, which together with St. Martins Green are the principal villages in the 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:

  • 1841. The 1841 Census of St Martin-in-Meneage (HO107/138), Enumeration District 9, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
  • 1851.
    • The 1851 Census of St Martin-in-Meneage (HO107/1913), Enumeration District 1, 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 Martin-in-Meneage is listed in Volume 32. 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 Martin-in-Meneage (RG9/1573), Enumeration District 1, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
  • 1871.
    • The 1871 Census of St Martin-in-Meneage (RG10/2305), Enumeration District 1, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
  • 1881. The 1881 Census of St Martin-in-Meneage (RG11/2324), Enumeration District 1, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
  • 1891. The 1891 Census of St Martin-in-Meneage (RG12/1841), Enumeration District 1, 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 SW7323; it is dedicated to St Martin. The present church was built in 1830 and is dedicated to St. Martin. It is a plain parallelogram with a south porch. The font is of native elvan and it rests on a round shaft and four small pillars. The tower belonged to the former church. It consists of two stages, is 45 feet in height, and is finished with battlements and pinnacles. The belfry contains one bell, dated 1826.
    The parish of St Anthony became a united benefice with Manaccan by an order in council dated 15 February 1916. St Martin was added to this benefice by another order in council dated 22 December 1982, since when Mawgan has been added.
  • Non-Conformist. There was a Wesleyan Methodist chapel at Newtown, a Bible Christian chapel at Tregiddon, and a United Methodist Free Church chapel at St. Martins Green.
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Church Records

  • LDS Church Records.
    • The LDS Church batch numbers for St Martin-in-Meneage are: C0218112/3, P021811. These are searchable by surname.
    • The IGI coverage of this parish is 1571 - 1875; it is NOT believed to be fully included in the LDS Church's International Genealogical Index (IGI).
  • The Cornwall Record Office holdings: Baptisms 1571 - 1909, Burials 1571 - 1958, Marriages 1571 - 1963, Boyd's Marriage Index 1571 - 1812, Pallot's Marriage Index 1800 - 1812.
  • The Cornwall Family History Society have published on-line transcripts of:
    • Marriages Pre 1813
    • Marriages 1813-1837
    • Burials 1813-1837.
    The CFHS also have transcriptions of Baptisms 1841 - 1957.
  • Baptisms.
  • Banns. Banns 1860 to 1910 for this parish are available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (C-PROP).
  • Marriages.
  • Burials.
    • The Cornwall Family History Society have published transcripts of: Parish Burials 1813 to 1837, which is available in Book format.
    • Burials 1571 to 1901 for this parish are available on-line through the OPC Search Facility - (C-PROP).
    • The OPC has produced a list, searchable by surname, for burials in St Martin 1571 to 1959.
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Civil Registration

The parish of St Martin-in-Meneage was originally in the Helston Registration District; there were sub-districts at Breage, Crowan, Helston, St Keverne and Wendron. It is now in the Kerrier Registration District. Parishes in this registration district are: Breage, Crowan, Cury, Germoe, Gunwalloe, Grade, Helston, Landewednack, Manaccan, Mawgan in Meneage, Mullion, Ruan Major, Ruan Minor, St. Anthony in Meneage, St. Keverne, St. Martin in Meneage, Sithney, Wendron.

The address of the Registration Office is: The Willows, Church Street, Helston, TR13 8NJ.
Tel: 01326 562848.

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Description & Travel

You can see pictures of St Martin In Meneage which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland - 1868

"ST. MARTIN IN MENEAGE, a parish in the W. division of the hundred of Kerrier, county Cornwall, 7 miles E. of Helston. The village, which is small, is situated on the navigable river Hel. The tithes have been commuted for a rent-charge of £300. The church, with the exception of the tower, was rebuilt in 1830. The Wesleyans have a chapel. There is a National school. The principal residence is Tremayne, where Captain Wallis, the circumnavigator, once resided. At Carvallack and Gear are ancient encampments, the latter, surrounded by a very deep fosse, encloses an area of 14 acres.

"GWEEK, a small seaport in the parish of St. Martin in Meneage, hundred of Kerrier, county Cornwall, 3 miles S.E. of Helston. It is situated on Helford river, and the port is protected by Durgan Island. In addition to the fishery, which employs about 200 boats, the chief trade consists in the exportation of pilchards, copper ore, corn, moor-stone, grey agates, and oysters; and in the importation of timber, coal, and limestone. There are about 10 vessels belonging to the port chiefly engaged in the coasting trade."

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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.
  • The OPC has produced a genealogical website for St Martin-in-Meneage to assist those researching their ancestry in the parish.
  • 'Strays' of persons whose parish of birth in the 1861 Census was given as St Martin-in-Meneage but who appear in Census records elswhere, is available on-line:
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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 St Martin-in-Meneage ecclesiastical parish:

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Maps

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SW735237 (Lat/Lon: 50.070563, -5.166519), St Martin In Meneage which are provided by:

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Poor Houses, Poor Law

  • St Martin-in-Meneage parish was part of the Helston Union for Poor Law administration and parish relief.
  • Overseers' Accounts (1772 to 1797, 1830 to 1848) are available in the Cornwall Record Office.
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Population

  • Population in 1801 - 363 persons
  • Population in 1811 - 391 persons
  • Population in 1821 - 504 persons
  • Population in 1831 - 508 persons
  • Population in 1841 - 565 persons
  • Population in 1851 - 522 persons
  • Population in 1861 - 419 persons
  • Population in 1871 - 424 persons
  • Population in 1881 - 397 persons
  • Population in 1891 - 336 persons
  • Population in 1901 - 322 persons
  • Population in 1911 - 341 persons
  • Population in 1921 - 287 persons
  • Population in 1931 - 262 persons
  • Population in 1951 - 291 persons
  • Population in 1961 - 242 persons
  • Population in 1971 - 270 persons
  • Population in 1981 - 275 persons
  • Population in 1991 - 308 persons
  • Population in 2001 - 343 persons
  • Population in 2011 - 377 persons
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Statistics

The parish comprises 2372 acres of land, 46 acres of tidal water and 63 acres of foreshore.