Hide

Trevalga

hide
Hide

The parish of Trevalga (also spelled as Trevelga), (Cornish: Trevelgi), is situated in the Hundred of Lesnewth and Deanery of Trigg Minor. It is bounded on the north by the sea and Forrabury, on the east and south by Minster, and on the west by Tintagel.

The village of Trevalga nestles on the seaward side of the road from Boscastle to Tintagel and is a remarkable 'time capsule'. The village is unusual in that it belongs to Marlborough College: it was left to his old school by the last Lord of the Manor Mr. Gerald Curgenven, to preserve its character-in which he has been admirably successful. The Manor of Trevalga is mentioned in Domesday Book of 1086. Clusters of slate roofed cottages huddle the road, every little angle and opportunity for plants, driftwood and sculpture - for which the villagers seem to have a particular talent. At the heart of the cottages a narrow track leads to the parish church.

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)

Hide
topup

Cemeteries

The Cornwall Family History Society have published Monumental Inscriptions for the Parish Church - 256 entries.

topup

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 Trevalga (HO107/140), Enumeration District 4, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
  • 1851.
    • The 1851 Census of Trevalga (HO107/1898), Enumeration District 6, 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; Trevalga is listed in Volume 4. 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 Trevalga (RG9/1515), Enumeration District 7, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
  • 1871 The 1871 Census of Trevalga (RG10/2218), Enumeration District 7, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
  • 1881. The 1881 Census of Trevalga (RG11/2272), Enumeration District 7, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
  • 1891. The 1891 Census of Trevalga (RG12/1799), Enumeration District 6, is available on-line from the Cornwall Online Census project.
topup

Church History

  • Anglican. The parish church is located in OS Grid Square SX0890 and was dedicated to St Petroc. It is an ancient building of stone which comprises a chancel, nave, and north transept, which was very dilapidated. The whole church was repaired in 1854. There is a south porch and a north door. The tower has three stages, and is finished with battlements; it contains three bells. The church at Trevalga is dedicated to one of Cornwall's greatest Saints of the 6th Century - Petroc, and incidents of his life are recorded in the panels to the pulpit: the stag - his emblem; the Saint being woken by an angel and commanded to go to Brittany, and his sheepskin and staff - guarded by a wolf! Whilst most of what is to be seen today is 13th and 15th Century there is still much evidence of the Norman church. The western tower is plain and unbuttressed, faces the ocean's gales; it was built in the 13th Century and remodelled two hundred years later.
  • Non-Conformist. The Bible Christians also had a chapel here, and there was a small United Methodist chapel, which seated 84, and erected in 1872.
topup

Church Records

  • LDS Church Records.
    • The LDS Church batch numbers for Trevalga are: C025251, E025251, M025251. These are searchable by surname.
    • The IGI coverage of this parish is 1539 - 1812.
  • The Cornwall Record Office holdings: Baptisms 1538 - 1975, Burials 1691 - 1977, Marriages 1539 - 1933, Boyd's Marriage Index 1539 - 1812, Pallot's Marriage Index 1790 - 1812.
  • The Cornwall Family History Society have published on-line transcripts of:
    • Pre 1813 Marriages
    • 1813-37 Marriages
    • 1813-37 Burials.
  • Baptisms.
    • Baptisms 1538 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 1720 to 1850 for this parish which can be purchased on Parish Chest.
  • Marriages.
    • Phillimore marriages 1539 to 1812, and parish transcriptions 1695 to 1911 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 1539 to 1838, which is available in CD or downloadable .pdf file formats.
    • The Cornish Forefathers' Society have published on CD, marriages 1693 to 1838 for this parish which can be purchased on Parish Chest.
  • Burials.
topup

Civil Registration

Although originally in the Camelford Registration District, the parish of Trevalga is now in the Bodmin Registration District; there were sub-districts at Boscastle and Camelford but these are now abolished. Parishes within the Camelford district were: Advent, Davidstow, Forrabury, Lanteglos, Lesnewth, Michaelstow, Minster, Otterham, St. Breward, St. Clether, St. Juliot, St. Teath, Tintagel, Trevalga.

The Superintendant Registrar of Bodmin can be contacted at: Lyndhurst, 66 Nicholas Street, Bodmin, Cornwall, PL31 2AG. Tel: 01208 73677.

topup

Description & Travel

    You can see pictures of Trevalga which are provided by:

    topup

    Gazetteers

    The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland - 1868

    "TREVALGA, a parish in the hundred of Lesnewth, county Cornwall, 1½ mile N. of Boscastle, its post town, 3 miles W. of Tintagel, and 4½ N.W. of Camelford. The village is situated in a wild spot on the Bristol Channel. It was held at the time of Domesday survey by Robert Earl of Mortaigne. The surface is hilly and the soil various. Slate abounds and is worked to some extent. In this parish is Nathan's waterfall. The living is a rectory* in the diocese of Exeter, value £146, in the patronage of the dean and chapter. The church is dedicated to St. Petrock. A Sunday-school is held at the church. The Duke of Devonshire is lord of the manor and principal landowner."

    topup

    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.

    topup

    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 Trevalga ecclesiastical parish:

    topup

    Maps

    You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SX089891 (Lat/Lon: 50.670222, -4.706263), Trevalga which are provided by:

    topup

    Poor Houses, Poor Law

    Trevalga parish was part of the Camelford Union for Poor Law administration and parish relief.

    topup

    Population

    • Population in 1801 - 100 persons
    • Population in 1811 - 112 persons
    • Population in 1821 - 133 persons
    • Population in 1831 - 192 persons
    • Population in 1841 - 184 persons
    • Population in 1851 - 126 persons
    • Population in 1861 - 158 persons
    • Population in 1871 - 158 persons
    • Population in 1881 - 141 persons
    • Population in 1891 - 126 persons
    • Population in 1901 - 94 persons
    • Population in 1911 - 81 persons
    • Population in 1921 - 105 persons
    • Population in 1931 - 93 persons
    • Population in 1951 - 86 persons
    • Population in 1961 - 79 persons
    • Population in 1971 - 71 persons
    • Population in 1981 - 95 persons
    • Population in 1991 - 86 persons
    • Population in 2001 - 83 persons
    • Population in 2011 - 72 persons
    topup

    Statistics

    The parish comprises 1325 acres of land