GENUKI: St Stephens by Saltash, Cornwall

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The parish of St Stephens-by-Saltash, (Cornish: Treveu), is situated in the Deanery and Hundred of East. It is bounded on the north by Botus Fleming and Landulph, on the east by the River Tamar, the town of Saltash and the (once) Cornish part of St Budeaux, on the south by St Germans Creek, and on the west by the River Lynher which separates it from St Erney and Landrake. A detached part of the parish, called Howton, is bounded by Pillaton, Botus Fleming, Landrake and Quethiock.

This parish originally covered the town of Saltash, until a separate ecclesiastical parish of Saltash was formed in 1881. It still covers the area west of the town of Saltash, and is the remnant of the original parish when the town was separated from it in 1697. The neighbouring village of St Germans is on the lower reaches of the River Tiddy.
The name of the village is taken from the Bishop of Auxerre, to whom the original church was dedicated. Early in the 12th century it became a priory of Augustinian canons. The manor and castle of Trematon, is the Tremetone in the Domesday Survey of 1086. The remains of the castle comprise a keep, gateway and the bass-court. Quarrying was an important industry in this parish.

The main villages are the Churchtown, Burraton, Elmgate, Forder, Longlands, Notter, Trehan, Trematon, Trevollard, Wearde, Antony Passage and Carkeel. The Churchtown is now just a suburb of Saltash town; in 1951, St Stephens became part of Saltash civil parish again.

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

Monumental inscriptions for this parish have not yet been recorded.

Census

Census information for parishes in this town (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 Stephens-by-Saltash (HO107/135), Enumeration Districts 2 to 4 [including schools], is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
- The 1841 census for this parish has also been filmed by the LDS church - film No. 241259.
1851.
- The 1851 Census of St Stephen-by-Saltash (HO107/1900), Enumeration Districts 3a and 3b [including schools], 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 Stephens-by-Saltash is listed in Volume 9. 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 Stephen-by-Saltash (RG9/1525), Enumeration Districts 8 and 9 [including Schools], is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
1871. The 1871 Census of St Stephen-by-Saltash (RG10/2232), Enumeration Districts 9 and 10 [including Schools], is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
1881. The 1881 Census of St Stephens-by-Saltash (RG11/2282), Enumeration Districts 10 and 11 [including Reform Schools], is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
1891. The 1891 Census of Stephens-by-Saltash (RG12/1808), Enumeration Districts 10 and 11 - including schools, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.

Churches

**Anglican**
St Stephen, St Stephens by Saltash, Church of England

Church History

Anglican. The parish church is located in OS Grid Square SX4158 and was dedicated to St Stephen. It is built in a Perpendicular style, comprises a chancel, nave, north and south aisles, and a vestry. The arches on each side of the chancel are supported on piers each pierced by two openings, one over the other. The south arcade has five four-centred arches, and the north four; the pillars are fine granite monoliths. The vestry adjoins the east end of the north aisle. The entrances are a south porch and a north door. The tower, said to be 100 feet high, has three stages, is buttressed on the square, and finished with battlements and stump pinnacles. The newel projects from the centre of the north side. The belfry contains six bells all cast in 1760. The registers date from 1545.
Non-Conformist. There were Wesleyan Methodist chapels at Trematon, Forder and Burraton; at Burraton there was also a chapel for the Plymouth Brethren.

Church Records

LDS Church Records.
- The LDS Church batch numbers for St Stephens are: C023031/2. These are searchable by surname.
- The IGI coverage of this parish is 1679 - 1772.
The Cornwall Record Office holdings: Baptisms 1545 - 1973, Burials 1545 - 1974, Marriages 1545 - 1978, Boyd's Marriage Index 1599 - 1673, Non-Conformist records 1820 - 1837, BTs 1599 - 1673.
The Cornwall Family History Society have published on-line transcripts of:
- 1813-37 Marriages
- 1813-37 Burials
Churchwardens accounts for St Stephens-by-Saltash (1729-1750) are available in the Lambeth Palace Library.
Baptisms.
- Baptisms 1679 to 1772 (Bishop's transcripts), and 1900 to 1911, for this parish are available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (C-PROP).
- The Cornish Forefathers' Society have published on CD, baptisms 1728 to 1842 for this parish which can be purchased on Parish Chest.
Banns. Banns 1848 to 1911 for this parish are available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (C-PROP).
Marriages.
- Marriages 1679 to 1772 (Bishop's transcripts) for this parish are available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (C-PROP).
- The Cornwall Family History Society have published transcripts of: Marriages in the Parish 1546 to 1837, which is available in Book, CD or downloadable .pdf file formats.
Burials.
- Burials 1679 to 1773 (Bishop's transcripts), and 1894 to 1937 (transcripts), for this parish are available on-line through the OPC search Facility - (C-PROP).
- The Cornwall Family History Society have published transcripts of: Burials in the Parish 1813 to 1837, which is available in Bork and CD file formats.

Civil Registration

The parish of St Stephens-by-Saltash is in the St Germans Registration District, and has been since 1st July 1837; there were sub-districts at Antony, St Germans and Saltash but they have now been abolished. Parishes within the district were: Antony, Botusfleming, Landrake, Landulph, Maker, Millbrook, Pillaton, Quethiock, Rame, St. Erney, St. Germans, St. John's, St. Mellion, St. Stephen's, Saltash, Sheviock, Torpoint.

The Superintendant Registrar of St Germans can be contacted at: Ploughastel Drive, St Germans, Cornwall. Tel: 01752 842624.

Description & Travel

You can see pictures of St Stephens by Saltash which are provided by:

Gazetteers

The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland - 1868

"ST. STEPHEN'S BY SALTASH, a parish in the hundred of East, county Cornwall, 1 mile S.W. of Saltash, its post town, and 9 miles from St. Germans. It contains the town and chapelry of Saltash-on-Hamoaze, and the remains of Trematon Castle, built before the Norman conquest, and subsequently the seat of the Valletorts. The principal gateway consists of three arches, supporting a square embattled tower, now appropriated as a museum for natural curiosities. The soil is shallow, on a substratum of slaty rock. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Exeter, value £139. The church is situated on a hill. It has a lich-gate, and contains tombs of the Bullers of Shillingham, and of the Bonds of Earth. There is also a district church at Saltash, the living of which is a perpetual curacy, value £100. The parochial charities produce about £79 per annum. Ince Castle is the principal residence.

"SALTASH, (or Essay), a chapelry, market town, and municipal borough in the parish of St. Stephen's by Saltash, S. division of East hundred, county Cornwall, 4 miles N.W. of Plymouth, and 20 S.E. of Launceston. It is a station on the junction line connecting the South Devon with the West of Cornwall railway, and has hourly communication with Devonport by steamboat. It was anciently a place of more importance than at present, and in the 14th century the assizes for the county were regularly held in the town. During the civil war in the reign of Charles I. it was fortified for the king, but was alternately possessed by both parties. The town, which belongs to the Duchy of Cornwall, was made a borough by the Valletorts of Trematon under charter of Henry III., and is now governed under a charter of George III. by a mayor, six aldermen, recorder, town clerk, and freemen, with the style of the "council of the borough of Saltash." The mayor is water coroner over all the liberties of the Tamar water, as well as coroner for the town.

The property of the oyster fishery to the mouth of the Tamar, except between Candlemas and Easter, with river dues for anchorage, buoyage, and salvage, and a right of ferry, is vested in the corporation. From the reign of Edward VI. it returned two members to parliament till disfranchised by the Reform Act. It contains only about 1,900 inhabitants, but is an improving place, and has recently been greatly enlarged. The town, which consists principally of three narrow streets irregularly formed, is built on a steep rocky acclivity rising abruptly from the western bank of the river Tamar, which is here crossed by a steam ferry bridge free to the inhabitants. The houses in the older part of the town are in general of ancient appearance, but an entirely new town has risen up within the last few years at Port View. The corporation have recently reformed the paving and sewage of the town, which was formerly defective. There are still some extensive malting establishments, for which the place was formerly celebrated, but the chief industries are now connected with the fisheries and the coasting trade. It is also considered as a nursery for seamen for the royal navy. Many of the women are employed in the cockle and mussel fisheries, and are celebrated for their achievements as rowers, having won prizes at many regattas. The principal public buildings are the townhall, called Tamar Hall, built on pillars, and used for assemblies and exhibitions as well as municipal purposes; conduit for the supply of the town with water, and a tubular bridge constructed by Brunel, by which the railway is carried across the Tamar at such an elevation as to allow of the largest ships passing beneath it. There is a mechanics' institute with library attached, but the lectures are held in the townhall. It forms a Poor-law Union of itself, maintaining its own poor. The great tithes belong to the Dean and Canons of Windsor, by whom they are leased to a lay proprietor. The glebe comprises about 4 acres, besides 7 acres belonging to the mother church of St. Stephen's. The living is a perpetual curacy* in the diocese of Exeter, value £120. The church, dedicated to St. Nicholas, is an ancient structure with a massive tower. The parish church of St. Stephen's is about 1½ mile from Saltash. The Baptists and Wesleyans have each a place of worship. There are National schools for boys and girls, both at Saltash and St. Stephen's, partially endowed. The charities produce about £60 per annum. From Trematon Castle, about a mile from the town, a view is obtained over the surrounding country and the shores of the bay. Market days are Tuesday and Saturday, also quarterly great markets on the Tuesday preceding each quarter day. Fairs are held on 2nd February and 25th July for cattle, and on 26th July for pleasure.

Ask for a calculation of the distance from St Stephens by Saltash 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.

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 Stephens-by-Saltash ecclesiastical parish:

Trematon Castle (Tremetona, Tremetone), Grid Reference 410580.

Maps

Map of the St Germans Registration District in which the parish lies.

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SX404583 (Lat/Lon: 50.40329, -4.247026), St Stephens by Saltash 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.

Occupations

Apprenticeship Indentures for St Stephens-by-Saltash (1744 - 1832) can be found in the Cornwall Record Office.

Poor Houses, Poor Law

St Stephens-by-Saltash parish was part of the St Germans Union for Poor Law administration and parish relief. Overseers' Accounts (1673 to 1718, 1739 to 1780, 1782 to 1837), Settlement Papers (1718 to 1852) and Bastardy Bonds (1715 to 1832), are available in the Cornwall Record Office.
Some Overseers' Rates, Accounts and Records have been transcribed by Rita Bone Kopp and are available on-line.

Population

The parish was created from part of Saltash parish in 1697. From 1951 onwards St Stephens became part of Saltash civil parish again.

Population in 1801 - 1004 persons
Population in 1811 - 1121 persons
Population in 1821 - 1325 persons
Population in 1831 - 1455 persons
Population in 1841 - 1422 persons
Population in 1851 - 1374 persons
Population in 1861 - 1387 persons

Population in 1871 - 1377 persons
Population in 1881 - 1421 persons
Population in 1891 - 1516 persons
Population in 1901 - 2109 persons
Population in 1911 - 2422 persons
Population in 1921 - 2925 persons
Population in 1931 - 2727 persons

Statistics

The parish comprises 5833 acres of land and 1200 acres of water.