Treverbyn, Cornwall Genealogy

Guide to Treverbyn, Cornwall ancestry, family history, and genealogy: parish registers, transcripts, census records, birth records, marriage records, and death records.

Parish History
TREVERBYN, a chapelry in St. Austell parish, Cornwall; near St. Austell r. station. It was constituted in 1846.

Treverbyn Parish appeared in the Domesday Book as voke lands of an ancient manor. Walter Treverbyn was Sheriff of Cornwall in 1223; the property descended through generations of family, until Henry Courtenay, Marquess of Exon and Earl of Devon, son of a Treverbyn heiress, forfeited his lands to the crown for treason against Henry VIII. Another Treverbyn heiress married into the Trevannion family, and that family retained their land holdings for more centuries, while much of Treverbyn Courtenay was sold to local families such as the Rashleighs, Sawles, and Carlyons under the Land-Tax Redemption Act. The Duchy, of course, retained its interest[s] in the land as well.

As the soil of the parish was thinly spread over a granite base, farming was very difficult. However, tin and copper did exist, so many followed three or four occupations, tinning as well as farming and perhaps shop-keeping, etc.

After the discovery of the importance of china clay (a by-product of granite), Treverbyn changed immensely. The clay mines expanded, causing hamlets and villages to disappear, while "The Cornish Alps" - looming mountains of pure white clay residue - were raised. (These were also called 'clay tips'.) Other abodes changed names; Carne Rosemary became Bugle, while Greensplat became a hole.

Church Records
parish registers of christenings, marriages and burials are available online for the following years:

Non Conformist Records
Trethurgy Methodist Chapel registers are transcribed and available as described above, as well as many Methodist circuits.

Burials have been made in the church graveyard, which contains 308 memorials, located near the Primary School, on Treverbyn Road, since its establishment. The Treverbyn Cemetery, located next to the Primary School, contains 1550 memorials, is of a more-current vintage, and remains open to this day.

CFHS has conducted a survey of Memorial Inscriptions in this cemetery; please contact them via their website for details.

There were many non-conformist chapels throughout the parish, including Methodist chapels at Rescorla, Stenalees, Molinnis, Greensplat, Trelowth, and Sticker. There was a Bible Christian chapel at Bugle, and another at Carthew. Many have been re-purposed or closed, and records have been lost. However, those that remain have been largely transcribed and put on the St. Austell website for free access.

Cornwall Online Parish Clerks
An extremely useful resource is the Cornwall Online Parish Clerks page for the parish.

Poor Law Union
Treverbyn was a participant in the St Austell Poor Law Union.

Census
All Cornish census entries 1841 through 1891 have been transcribed by volunteers and checked by 2 additional persons conversant with the names in the area; they're available online for free. As the names were transcribed as written, and some writing was very difficult to decipher, be sure to check for alternative spellings! Census data 1841 through 1891 is online for free at free cen.

The 1901 census is available online for a fee.

Maps and Gazetteers
There are many maps and gazetteers showing English places. Valuable websites are:


 * 1851 Jurisdiction Maps
 * Vision of Britain

Websites
Treverbyn in GENUKI

St. Austell Genealogy and History

Free website with all baptism, marriage, and burial records from various sources, as well as many Manorial records, court cases, Tithe Index, and photographs of the parish, as well as the 1810 Ordnance survey map; site built and maintained by the St. Austell OPC.

Cornwall Online Parish Clerks

Free Database containing some of the same material as above, which covers all of Cornwall,and links to people willing to help researchers within individual parishes.

FreeBMD

Registrar's Index from July 1 1837 to current day - indicates Quarter and DISTRICT in which the event was registered; Information can be used to order certificate copies

FreeCens-UK - transcriptions of all the Cornish census records,

1841 to 1891, checked by 3 people; uses original spelling, so please be sure to try various spelling alternatives.