Post Office Directory of Cornwall 1856

ST AGNES or ST ANN’S, formerly called Breanick is a large parish and market town, bounded on the east by Perranzabuloe and Kenwyn, on the south by Gwennap, on the west by Redruth, and on the north by the sea. It is called St Ann’s, so that it may be distinguished from St Agnes, one of the Scilly Isles.

St Agnes Church Town, which is distant 8 miles north-west from Truro, 6 south from Redruth, and 267 miles from London, contains a number of houses. The parish comprises 8,660 statute acres, and, according to the return of the last census, in 1851, contained 6,674 inhabitants. It possesses but little importance as a seaport, the harbour being nearly choked up with sand. At the Church Town is held a weekly market on Thursday, for the sale of all sorts of wares: and a fair for cattle is held yearly, on the 30^th of April.

The parish of St Agnes is situtated in the Hundred of Pyder, Truro Union, and western division of the county, in the deanery of Pyder, archdeaconry of Cornwall, and bishopric of Exeter. The church of St Agnes consists of a nave and chancel, with a spire and bells. The chapelries of Mithian and Mounthawke are formed in part out of the parish of Perranzabuloe: and there once existed a chapel at Dingle Combe, near to the sea side. Off the coast are the rocks called ‘The Cow and Calf’ or ‘Man and his Man’.

The benefice is a vicarage, in the patronage of the Dean and Chapter of Exeter: the Rev. Alexander Allen Vawdrey is the incumbent. The Rev. William Richards was vicar of the united parishes of St Agnes and Perranzabuloe in the reign of Queen Anne, after which the Rev. James Walker held the living for many years.

On 3^rd February 1830 a fearful accident occurred at the United Hills Mine in this parish, by the bursting of an engine boiler: nine were killed on the spot, or died shortly afterwards, out of thirteen persons who were on the premises at the time of the accident.

Nicholas Kent of Mongoose, by his will bearing date 1688 gave, for the term of 499 years, a dwelling house divided into four tenements, and a garden, for poor widows of this parish. Here are chapels for Wesleyans and Independents, and a National school for boys and girls.

In the year 1632 an attempt was made to form a harbour at Trevaunance, and after repeated failures the effort was resumed in 1710. The Tonkin family, at a very great cost, said to be about £6,000, renewed the attempt, and their labour was so far successful that it remained nearly a century: some parts having become decayed, the work was again undertaken in the year 1794, by a company of gentlemen, by whom a pier of moorstone was erected, at a cost of £10,000.

This place was formerly the property and residence of Thomas Tonkin Esq., the annotator on "Carew’s Survey of Cornwall" and author of the parochial history of the county. From this place a considerable trade is carried on with Ireland and Wales. A pilchard fishery was established here, but it has not proved very profitable.

The celebrated Opie, son of a carpenter, was born here: his genius for painting soon became perceptible to Dr. Wolcot (Peter Pindar) who was so highly gratified with his juvenile attainments in the art, that he took him to London, where he much distinguished himself as an artist: he also possessed great literary ability, and was the author of the "Life of Reynolds" published in Dr. Wolcot’s edition of "Pilkington’s Dictionary". He afterwards published a letter in a daily paper "The True Briton" entitled "An Enquiry into the Requisite Cultivation of the Arts of Design in England". In this he proposed a distinct plan for the formation of a National Gallery, tending at once to exalt the arts of his country and immortalise its glories. To this he appended his name, in consistence with the openness of his character, which at all times distinguished his actions. He afterwards was elected professor of painting at the Royal Academy. Mr Opie however, still retained his rough manners and simplicity of character, long after his introduction into polished society: he died in the year 1807.

At Trevaunance clay works are carried on, and there are several good mines in the parish. At St Agnes is a high hill, called St Agnes Beacon, of singular geological character: it rises pyramidically nearly 600 feet above the level of the sea, having on its summit three barrows, and commanding extensive views. In a large entrenchment, called the Gorres, a gold coin of Valentinian was ploughed up. Borlase particularly describes the extraordinary stratification of this stupendous mountain, as deserving the attention of the geologists.

At the Church Town is a National school for girls and boys, and in the hamlet of Mounthawke is a chapel of ease: the Rev. Edward Hamilton M.A. is the curate. Here is a Mechanics’ Institute, Odd Fellows’ Lodge and Tradesmen’s Club.

The following hamlets re in the parish of St Agnes:- Mounthawke, Peterville, Mingoose, Gwanvrea, Wheal Butson, Wheal Rose, Skinner’s Bottom, Silver Well, Gwolbell, Gwonown, Gwonlaze, Mithan, Trevellas, and a portion of the hamlet of Blackwater.

Near Scorrier, at a spot called "Kyvere Ankow" signifying "the place of death" (because there they buried, in an unhallowed grave, those who had committed suicide), the four parishes of Gwennap, Redruth, Kenwyn and St Agnes, and the four hundreds of Pyder, Powder, Kerrier and Penwith, meet.

Gentry

Traders

POST OFFICE, Church Town. – Thomas Angwin, sub post master. Letters arrive from Truro at ½ past 3 pm & are dispatched thereto at ½ past 8 per messenger. Money orders are granted and made payable at this office.

INSURANCE AGENTS

British Provident Life & Fire, John Johns

Briton Life, N Bryant

Clerical & Medical Life & Phoenix Fire, Thomas Blenkinsop, Vicarage

Globe, Thomas Martin

London Assurance, John Goyne

National Live Stock, John Goyne jun.

Sun Life & Fire, Richard Newton, Church town

Travellers & Marine, Thomas Blenkinsop

PUBLIC ESTABLISHMENTS

Mechanics’ Institute, Church Town, Richard Newton president: John Goyne, secretary: Richard Martin, treasurer

Odd Fellows’ Lodge, held at the White Hart, Church Town

Tradesmen’s Club, Smiths’ Arms, Vicarage, Richard Newton, president & trustee

PUBLIC OFFICERS

Registrar of Births & Deaths for the Parish of St Agnes, Richard Newton, Church Town

Medical Officer to St Agnes district of the Truro Union, John Henry Lambrick, Church Town

PLACES OF WORSHIP

Wesleyan Chapel, Revs. Humphry Trehewey & Frederick Haine, ministers

Independent Chapel, Rev. Richard Whetter, minister

National School (for boys & girls) Timothy James, master

CARRIERS TO TRURO

James, Stribley & Bray from the church town, wednesday & saturday, returning same days; Libby, from Mounthawke, wednesday & saturday, returning same days.