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This article is about the ethnic group and worldwide diaspora. For the inhabitants of Cornwall, seeDemographics of Cornwall.
"Cornishman" redirects here. For the passenger train, seeThe Cornishman (train).For the newspaper, seeThe Cornishman (newspaper).
Cornish people
Kernowyon
Total population
6–11 millionworldwide[1][2]
  • Population of Cornwall from 2021 UK Census 532,300;[3]
  • 99,754 stating their national identity as Cornish or Cornish and British in theUnited Kingdom Census 2021in England and Wales (in Cornwall, 15.6% of the population);[4]
  • 26% of the population of Cornwall identified as Cornish in the Cornwall Quality of Life Survey 2007;[5]
  • 32,254 – 46% of school pupils in Cornwall recorded as having Cornish ethnicity in 2013, rising to 51.1% in 2017;[6][7]
  • 37,500 identifying their ethnicity as Cornish in theUnited Kingdom Census 2001;[8]
  • 1,975 identifying as having Cornish ethnic origins in theCanada 2016 Census[9]
Regions with significant populations
United KingdomUnited Kingdom
EnglandandWales) 99,754 (2021)[4]
(Scotland) 467 (2011)[10]
Significant Cornish diaspora in
United States1,000,000 – 2,500,000[11][12][13]
Australia1,000,000[14][11]
Canada1,975[15]
Mexico[11][16]
New Zealand[17][18]
South Africa[11][19]
Languages
Religion
Related ethnic groups
aCornish American,bCornish Australian

TheCornish peopleorCornish(Cornish:Kernowyon,Old English:Cornƿīelisċ) are anethnic groupnative to, or associated withCornwall[20][21]and a recognised national minority in theUnited Kingdom,[22]which (like theWelshandBretons) can trace its roots to the Brittonic Celticancient Britonswho inhabitedGreat Britainfrom somewhere between the 11th and 7th centuries BC[citation needed]and inhabited Britain at the time of theRoman conquest.[23]Many in Cornwall today continue to assert a distinct identity separate from or in addition toEnglishorBritishidentities. Cornish identity has also been adopted by some migrants into Cornwall, as well as by emigrant and descendant communities from Cornwall, the latter sometimes referred to as theCornish diaspora.[12]Although not included as a tick-box option in the UK census, the numbers of those writing in a Cornish ethnic and national identity are officially recognised and recorded.[24][25]

Throughoutclassical antiquity,the ancientCeltic Britonsformed a series oftribes,kingdoms, cultures and identities throughout Great Britain; theDumnoniiandCornoviiwere theCeltic tribeswho inhabited what was to become Cornwall during theIron Age,Romanandpost-Romanperiods.[26]The name Cornwall and itsdemonymCornish are derived from the Celtic Cornovii tribe.[26][27]TheAnglo-Saxon invasion and settlement of Britainstarting from the late 5th and early 6th centuries and the arrival ofScotsfrom Ireland during the same period gradually restricted the Romano-British culture and Brittonic language into parts of the north and west of Great Britain by the 10th century, whilst the inhabitants of southern, central and eastern Britain became English and much of the north became Scottish. The Cornish people, who shared theBrythonic languagewith the Welsh, Cumbrics and Pics, and also the Bretons who had migrated across the sea to escape the Anglo-Saxon invasions, were referred to in theOld Englishlanguage as the "Westwalas" meaning West Welsh.[26]TheBattle of Deorhambetween the Britons andAnglo-Saxonsis thought to have resulted in a loss of land links with the people of Wales.[28]

The Cornish people and theirBrythonicCornish languageexperienced a slow process ofanglicisationandattritionduring themedievalandearly modern periods.By the 18th century, and following the creation of theKingdom of Great Britain,the Cornish language and to some degree identity had faded, largely replaced by theEnglish language(albeit Cornish-influencedWest Country dialectsandAnglo-Cornish) orBritish identity.[29][30]ACeltic revivalduring the early-20th century enabled a cultural self-consciousness in Cornwall that revitalised the Cornish language and roused the Cornish to express a distinctly Brittonic Celtic heritage. The Cornish language was granted official recognition under theEuropean Charter for Regional or Minority Languagesin 2002,[31]and in 2014 the Cornish people were recognised and afforded protection by the UK Government under theFramework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities.[22]

In the 2021 census, the population of Cornwall, including theIsles of Scilly,was recorded as 570,300.[3]TheCornish self-government movementhas called for greater recognition of Cornish culture, politics, and language, and urged that Cornish people be accorded greater status, exemplified by the call for them to be one of the listed ethnic groups in theUnited Kingdom Census 2011form.[32]

Classification[edit]

See also:British nationality law,Ethnic groups in the United Kingdom,andClassification of ethnicity in the United Kingdom
The Union and Cornish flags fluttering in the wind, against a grey, cloudy sky.
TheUnionandCornishflags.

Both geographic and historical factors distinguish the Cornish as an ethnic group[33]further supported by identifiable genetic variance between the populations of Cornwall, neighbouring Devon and England as published in a 2012 Oxford University study.[34]Throughout medieval andEarly Modern Britain,the Cornish were at some points accorded the same status as the English andWelshand considered a separateraceor nation, distinct from their neighbours, with their own language, society and customs.[35]A process ofAnglicisationbetween 1485 and 1700 led to the Cornish adopting English language, culture and civic identity, a view reinforced by Cornish historianA. L. Rowsewho said they were gradually "absorbed into the mainstream of English life".[35]Although "decidedly modern" and "largely retrospective" in itsidentity politics,Cornish and Celtic associations have advanced the notion of a distinct Cornish national and ethnic identity since the late 20th century.[36]In theUnited Kingdom Census 2001,despite no explicit "Cornish" option being available, approximately 34,000 people in Cornwall and 3,500 people elsewhere in the UK—a combined total equal to nearly 7 per cent of the population of Cornwall—identified themselves as ethnic Cornish by writing this in under the "other" ethnicity option.[8][37]The census figures show a change in identity from West to East, inPenwith9.2 per cent identified as ethnically Cornish, inKerrierit was 7.5 per cent, inCarrick6.6 per cent,Restormel6.3 per cent,North Cornwall6 per cent, andCaradon5.6 per cent. Weighting of the 2001 Census data gives a figure of 154,791 people with Cornish ethnicity living in Cornwall.[38]

The Cornish have been described as "a special case" in England, with an "ethnic rather than regional identity".[39]Structural changes to thepolitics of the United Kingdom,particularly theEuropean Unionanddevolution,have been cited as the main stimulus to "a growing interest in Cornish identity and distinctiveness" in late-20th century Britain.[35]The British are the citizens of the United Kingdom, a people who by convention consist of four national groups: theEnglish,Northern Irish,ScotsandWelsh.[35]In the 1990s it was said that the notion that the Cornish are to be classified as a nation comparable to the English, Irish, Scots and Welsh, "has practically vanished from the popular consciousness" outside Cornwall,[35]and that, despite a "real and substantive" identity, the Cornish "struggle for recognition as a national group distinct from the English".[36]However, in 2014, after a 15-year campaign, the UK government officially recognised the Cornish as a national minority under theCouncil of Europe'sFramework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities,giving the Cornish the same status as the Welsh, Scots and Irish within the UK.[22]

Inhabitants of Cornwall may have multiplepoliticalallegiances, adopting mixed, dual or hyphenated identities such as "Cornish first and British second",[32]"Cornish and British and European",[40]or, likePhil Vickery(arugby unionprop for theEngland national rugby union teamandBritish and Irish Lions), describe themselves as "Cornish" and "English".[41]Meanwhile, another international rugby union player,Josh Matavesi,describes himself as Cornish-Fi gianand Cornish not English.[42]

A survey byPlymouth Universityin 2000 found that 30% of children in Cornwall felt "Cornish, not English".[43]A 2004 survey on national identity by the finance firmMorgan Stanleyfound that 44% of respondents in Cornwall saw themselves as Cornish rather than British or English.[44]A 2008University of Exeterstudy conducted in 16 towns across Cornwall found that 59% felt themselves to be Cornish and 41% felt "More Cornish than English", while for over a third of respondents the Cornish identity formed their primarynationalidentity. Genealogy and family history were considered to be the chief criteria for 'being' Cornish, particularly among those who possessed such ties, while being born in Cornwall was also held to be important.[45]

A 2008 study by theUniversity of Edinburghof 15- and 16-year-old schoolchildren in Cornwall found that 58% of respondents felt themselves to be either 'Fairly' or 'Very much' Cornish. The other 42% may be the result of in-migration to the area during the second half of the twentieth century.[46]

A 2010 study by theUniversity of Exeterinto the meaning of contemporary Cornish identity across Cornwall found that there was a "west-east distance decay in the strength of the Cornish identity." The study was conducted amongst the farming community as they were deemed to be the socio-professional group most objectively representative of Cornishness. All participants categorised themselves as Cornish and identified Cornish as their primary ethnic group orientation. Those in the west primarily thought of themselves as Cornish and British/Celtic, while those in the east tended to think of themselves as Cornish and English. All participants in West Cornwall who identified as Cornish and not English described people in East Cornwall, without hesitation, as equally Cornish as themselves. Those who identified as Cornish and English stressed the primacy of their Cornishness and a capacity to distance themselves from their Englishness. Ancestry was seen as the most important criterion for being categorised as Cornish, above place of birth or growing up in Cornwall. This study supports a 1988 study by Mary McArthur that had found that the meanings of Cornishness varied substantially, from local to national identity. Both studies also observed that the Cornish were less materialistic than the English. The Cornish generally saw the English, or city people, as being "less friendly and more aggressively self-promoting and insensitive". The Cornish saw themselves as friendly, welcoming and caring.[47]

In November 2010 British Prime Minister,David Cameron,said "I think Cornish national identity is very powerful" and that his government would "devolve a lot of power to Cornwall – that will go to theCornish unitary authority."[48]

2011 and 2021 UK Census[edit]

A poster inCornwalltelling people how to describe their ethnicity and national identity as Cornish in the2011 census

A campaign for the inclusion of a Cornish tick-box in the nationality section of the2011 censusfailed to win the support of Parliament in 2009.[37][49]As a consequence, posters were created by the census organisation andCornwall Councilwhich advised residents how they could identify themselves as Cornish by writing it in the national identity and ethnicity sections and record Cornish in the main language section.[25]Additionally, people could record Cornwall as their country of birth.[50]

Like other identities, Cornish has an allocated census code, (06), the same as for 2001,[51]which applied and was counted throughout Britain.[52]People were first able to record their ethnicity as Cornish in the 2001 UK Census, and some 37,000 people did so by writing it in.[53]

A total of 83,499 people in England and Wales were described as having a Cornish national identity. 59,456 of these were described as Cornish only, 6,261 as Cornish and British, and 17,782 as Cornish and at least one other identity, with or without British. Within Cornwall the total was 73,220 (14% of the population) with 52,793 (9.9%) as Cornish only, 5,185 (1%) as Cornish and British, and 15,242 (2.9%) as Cornish and at least one other identity, with or without British.[54]

In Scotland 467 people described themselves as having Cornish national identity. 254 with Cornish identity only, 39 as Scottish and Cornish, and 174 having Cornish identity and at least one other UK identity (excluding Scottish).[10]

In the 2021 census, 89,084 people in England and Wales described their national identity as Cornish only and 10,670 as Cornish and British.[4]Within Cornwall, 79,938 people (14.0% of the population) specified a Cornish only identity and 9,146 (1.6%) Cornish in combination with British.[55][56]

Schools census (PLASC)[edit]

Since 2006 school children in Cornwall have been able to record themselves as ethnically Cornish on the annual Schools Census (PLASC). Since then the number identifying as Cornish has risen from 24% to 51% in 2017. The Department for Education recommends that parents and guardians determine the ethnicity of children at primary schools whilst pupils at secondary schools can decide their own ethnicity.[57]

  • 2006: 23.7 percent – 17,218 pupils out of 72,571
  • 2007: 27.3 percent – 19,988 pupils out of 72,842[58]
  • 2008: 30.3 percent – 21,610 pupils out of 71,302
  • 2009: 33.9 percent – 23,808 pupils out of 70,275
  • 2010: 37.2 percent – 26,140 pupils out of 69,950[59]
  • 2011: 40.9 percent – 28,584 pupils out of 69,811[57]
  • 2012: 43.0 percent – 30,181 pupils out of 69,909
  • 2013: 46.0 percent – 32,254 pupils out of 70,097[6]
  • 2014: 48.0 percent[60]
  • 2017: 51.1 percent
  • 2020: 45.9 percent - due to an error in the management system of a number of schools, pupils identifying asWhite Cornishwere inadvertently changed toAny Other Whiteresulting in a reduced figure for the year 2020.[7]

History[edit]

Main article:History of Cornwall

Ancestral roots[edit]

Further information:Genetic history of the British IslesandHistorical immigration to Great Britain
See also:Tre Pol and PenandCornish surnames
two weathered stones standing at an angle on a grassy hill, with a third doughnut-shaped stone between them
Mên-an-Tolis an ancientlithsite in Cornwall

Traditionally, the Cornish are thought to have been descended from the Iron AgeCelts,making them distinct from the English, many (but not all) of whom are descended from theAnglo-Saxonswho colonised Great Britain from their homelands in northern Europe and drove the Celts to Britain's western and northern fringes.[61][62][63]Recent genetic studies based on ancient DNA have complicated this picture, however. During theBronze Age,most of the people that had inhabited Britain since the Neolithic era were replaced byBeaker People,[64]while scholars have argued that the introduction of the Celtic languages and material culture into Britain and Ireland was by means of cultural diffusion, rather than any substantial migration.[65]Genetic evidence has also suggested that while ancestry inherited from the Anglo-Saxons makes up a significant part of the modern English gene pool (one study suggested an average 38% contribution in eastern England), they did not displace all of the previous inhabitants.[66][67]A 2015 study found that modern Cornish populations had less Anglo-Saxon ancestry than people from central and southern England, and that they were genetically distinct from their neighbors inDevon.The study also suggested that populations traditionally labelled as "Celtic" showed significant diversity, rather than a unified genetic identity.[68]

The British Isles appear on a pale and yellowed map. The isles are divided into political territories.
An 18th century map of Great Britain based on accounts from theAnglo-Saxon Chronicle,showing "Cornweallas"

Throughoutclassical antiquitythe Celts spokeCeltic languages,and formed a series of tribes, cultures and identities, notably thePictsandGaelsin the north and theBritonsin the south.[citation needed]The Britons were themselves a divided people;[69]although they shared theBrythonic languages,they were tribal, and divided into regional societies, and within them sub-groups. Examples of these tribal societies were theBrigantesin the north, and theOrdovices,theDemetae,theSiluresand theDeceangliin the west.[70]In the extreme southwest, what was to become Cornwall, were theDumnoniiandCornovii,who lived in the Kingdom ofDumnonia.[26]TheRoman conquest of Britainin the 1st century introducedRomansto Britain, who upon their arrival initially recorded the Dumnonii, but later reported on the Cornovii, who were possibly a sub-group of the Dumnonii.[71][72][73]Although the Romans colonised much of central and southern Britain, Dumnonia was "virtually unaffected" by the conquest;[29][74]Roman rule had little or no impact on the region,[23][27]meaning it could flourish as a semi- or fully independent kingdom which evidence shows was sometimes under the dominion of thekings of the Britons,and sometimes to have been governed by its ownDumnonian monarchy,either by the title of duke or king.[75]Thispetty kingdomshared strong linguistic, political and cultural links withBrittany,a peninsula oncontinental Europesouth of Cornwall inhabited by Britons; the Cornish andBreton languageswere nearly indistinguishable in this period, and both Cornwall and Brittany remain dotted with dedications to the same Celticsaints.[76]

TheSack of Romein the year 410 prompted a completeRoman departure from Britain,and Cornwall then experienced an influx ofCeltic Christianmissionaries from Ireland who had a profound effect upon the early Cornish people, their culture, faith and architecture.[23]The ensuingdecline of the Roman Empireencouraged theAnglo-Saxon invasion of Britain.[74]TheAngles,Jutes,FrisiiandSaxons,Germanic peoplesfrom northern Europe, established petty kingdoms and settled in different regions of what was to become England, and parts of southernScotland,progressively defeating the Britons in battle. The Saxons of the Kingdom ofWessexin particular were expanding their territory westwards towards Cornwall.[23]The Cornish were frequently embattled with the West Saxons, who used theirGermanicwordwalha(modern English: Welsh) meaning "stranger" or "foreigner", to describe their opponents,[77]later specifying them as theWestwalas(West Welsh) orCornwalas(the Cornish).[26][74]Conflict continued until KingAthelstan of Englanddetermined that theRiver Tamarbe the formal boundary between the West Saxons and the Cornish in the year 936,[78]making Cornwall one of the last retreats of the Britons encouraging the development of a distinct Cornish identity;[75]Brittonic culture in Britain became confined to Cornwall, parts ofDevon,North West England,South West ScotlandandWales.[61][63][74]Although a treaty was agreed,[when?]Anglo-Saxon political influence stretched westwards until some time in the late 10th century when "Cornwall was definitively incorporated into theKingdom of England".[23]

Anglicisation and rebellion[edit]

Further information:Cornish rebellion of 1497andPrayer Book Rebellion
European nations inAD998

TheNorman conquest of England,which began with an invasion by the troops of William, Duke of Normandy (later, KingWilliam I of England) in 1066, resulted in the removal of the Anglo-Saxon derived monarchy, aristocracy, and clerical hierarchy and its replacement byNormans,Scandinavian Vikings from northern France[79][80]and their Breton allies, who, in many cases, maintained rule in the Brittonic-speaking parts of the conquered lands.[81]Theshiresof England were progressively divided amongst thecompanions of William I of England,who served as England's new nobility.[79]The English would come to absorb the Normans,[82]but the Cornish "vigorously resisted" their influence.[19]At the time of the conquest, legend has it that Cornwall was under the governance ofCondor,reported by laterantiquariansto be the last Earl of Cornwall to be directly descended from the ancient monarchy of Cornwall.[83][84]TheEarldom of Cornwallhad helddevolvedsemi-sovereigntyfrom England,[85][86]but in 1067 was granted toRobert, Count of Mortain,King William I's half-brother, and ruled thereafter by anAnglo-Normanaristocracy;[27][87]in theDomesday Book,the record of the great survey of England completed in 1086, "virtually all" landowners in Cornwall "had English names, making it impossible to be sure who was Cornish and who was English by race".[88][incomplete short citation]However, there was a persistent and "continuing differentiation" between the English and Cornish peoples during the Middle Ages, as evidenced by documents such as the 1173charterofTrurowhich made explicit mention of both peoples as distinct.[89]

The Earldom of Cornwall passed to various Englishnoblesthroughout theHigh Middle Ages,[90]but in 1337 the earldom was given the status of aduchy,andEdward, the Black Prince,the first son and heir of KingEdward III of England,became the firstDuke of Cornwallas a means for the prince to raise his own capital.[89][91]Large parts of Cornwall were owned by Edward, 1st Duke of Cornwall, and successive English Dukes of Cornwall became the largest landowners in Cornwall;[23]Themonarchy of Englandestablished two special administrative institutions in Cornwall, the first being theDuchy of Cornwall(one of only two in the Kingdom of England)[92]and the second being the CornishStannary Courts and Parliaments(which governed Cornwall's tin industry).[75]These two institutions allowed "ordinary Cornish people to believe that they had been granted a unique constitutional status to reflect their unique cultural identity".[63]However, the Duchy of Cornwall gradually lost its political autonomy from England, a state which became increasingly centralised in London,[23]and by the early-Tudor periodthe Cornish had begun to see themselves as "a conquered people whose culture, liberties, and prosperity had been downgraded by the English".[93]This view was exacerbated in the 1490s by heavy taxation imposed by KingHenry VII of Englandupon the impoverished Cornish to raise funds for his military campaigns against KingJames IV of ScotlandandPerkin Warbeck,[93]as well as Henry VII's suspension of the privileges of the Cornish Stannaries.[94]Having provided "more than their fair share of soldiers and sailors" for the conflict innorthern England,[94]and feeling aggrieved at "Cornwall's status as England's poorest county",[93]apopular uprisingout of Cornwall ensued—theCornish rebellion of 1497.The rebellion was initially a political march fromSt Keverneto London led byThomas FlamankandMichael An Gof,motivated by a "mixture of reasons"; to raise money for charity; to celebrate their community; to present their grievances to theParliament of England,[93][94]but gathered pace across theWest Countryas a revolt against the king.[95]

A colour-coded map of Cornwall, surrounded by a blue sea. Cornwall is shaded dark red in the east and pale pink in the west, with a range of intermediate shades of red between, intended to represent periods of time in which the Cornish language was used.
TheCornish languageexperienced ashiftbetween 1300 and 1750, with the Cornish people gradually adopting English as their common language.

Cornish was the most widely spoken language west of the River Tamar until around the mid-1300s, whenMiddle Englishbegan to be adopted as a common language of the Cornish people.[74]As late as 1542Andrew Boorde,an English traveller, physician and writer, wrote that in Cornwall there were two languages, "Cornysshe" and "Englysshe", but that "there may be many men and women" in Cornwall who could not understand English.[89]While theNorman languagewas in use by much of the English aristocracy, Cornish was used as alingua franca,particularly in the remote far west of Cornwall.[96]Many Cornishlanded gentrychose mottos in the Cornish language for theircoat of arms,highlighting its socially high status.[97]However, in 1549 and following theEnglish Reformation,KingEdward VI of Englandcommanded that theBook of Common Prayer,anAnglicanliturgical text in the English language, should be introduced to all churches in his kingdom, meaning thatLatinand Celtic customs and services should be discontinued.[74]ThePrayer Book Rebellionwas a militant revolt in Cornwall and parts of neighbouringDevonagainst theAct of Uniformity 1549,which outlawed all languages from church services apart from English,[98]and is specified as a testament to the affection and loyalty the Cornish people held for the Cornish language.[97]In the rebellion, separate risings occurred simultaneously inBodminin Cornwall, andSampford Courtenayin Devon—which would both converge atExeter,laying siege to the region's largest Protestant city.[99]However, the rebellion was suppressed, thanks largely to the aid of foreign mercenaries in a series of battles in which "hundreds were killed",[27]effectively ending Cornish as the common language of the Cornish people.[74][89]The Anglicanism of the Reformation served as a vehicle for Anglicisation in Cornwall; Protestantism had a lasting cultural effect upon the Cornish by way of linking Cornwall more closely with England, while lessening political and linguistic ties with theBretonsof Brittany.[100]

TheEnglish Civil War,a series of armed conflicts and political machinations betweenParliamentariansandRoyalists,polarised the populations of England and Wales. However,Cornwall in the English Civil Warwas a staunchly Royalist enclave, an "important focus of support for the Royalist cause".[101]Cornish soldiers were used as scouts and spies during the war, for their language was not understood by English Parliamentarians.[101]The peace that followed the close of the war led to a further shift to the English language by the Cornish people, which encouraged an influx of English people to Cornwall. By the mid-17th century the use of the Cornish language had retreated far enough west to prompt concern and investigation byantiquarians,such asWilliam Scawen.[100][101]As the Cornish language diminished the people of Cornwall underwent a process of Englishenculturationandassimilation,[102]becoming "absorbed into the mainstream of English life".[35]

Industry, revival and the modern period[edit]

See also:Celtic RevivalandHome Nations
A square consisting of crossed lines of vivid colours. Yellow and black form thick, crossed lines producing large squares of colour, intersected by thinner lines of white, blue and red. The design is symmetrical and repeating.
The National Tartan of Cornwall.Cornish kilts and tartansare emblematic of a resurgent,pan-CelticCornish identity developed during Cornwall'sCeltic Revival.[103]

TheIndustrial Revolutionhad a major impact upon the Cornish people.[102][104]Cornwall's economy was fully integrated into England's,[102]andmining in Cornwall,always an important source of employment and stability of the Cornish, experienced a process of industrialisation resulting in 30 per cent of Cornwall's adult population being employed by its mines.[104]During this period, efforts were made by Cornish engineers to designsteam engineswith which to power water pumps for Cornish mines thus aiding the extraction of mineral ore.[citation needed]Industrial scale tin and copper mining operations in Cornwall melded Cornish identity with engines and heavy industry,[104]and Cornwall's leadingmining engineer,Richard Trevithick,became "as much a part of Cornwall's heritage as any legendary giant from its Celtic past".[105]Trevithick's most significant success was a high-pressure steam engine used to pump water and refuse from mines, but he was also the builder of the first full-scale working railwaysteam locomotive.[106]On 21 February 1804, the world's first locomotive-hauled railway journey took place as Trevithick's unnamed steam locomotive hauled a train along thetramwayof thePenydarrenironworks, nearMerthyr Tydfilin Wales.[106]

The construction of theGreat Western Railwayduring theVictorian eraallowed for an influx of tourists to Cornwall from across Great Britain. Well into theEdwardian eraandinterwar period,Cornwall was branded as a rural retreat, a "primitive land of magic and romance", and as an "earlier incarnation of Englishness, a place more English than an England ravaged by modernity".[107]Cornwall, the United Kingdom's only region with asubtropical-like climate,[108]became a centre forEnglish tourism,its coastline dominated byresort townsincreasingly composed ofbungalowsandvillas.[107]John Nichols Thom,or Mad Tom, (1799 – 31 May 1838) was a Cornishman self-declared messiah who, in the 19th century led the last battle to be fought on English soil, known as theBattle of Bossenden Wood.While not akin to the Cornish rebellions of the past, he did attract some Cornish support as well as mostly Kentish labourers, although his support was primarily of religious followers.

In the latter half of the 19th century Cornwall experienced rapid deindustrialisation,[109]with the closure of mines in particular considered by the Cornish to be both an economic and cultural disaster.[108]This, coupled with the rise ofRomantic nationalismin Europe inspired and influenced aCeltic Revivalin Cornwall,[109]a social, linguistic and artistic movement interested in Cornish medievalethnology.This Revivalist upsurge investigated Cornwall's pre-industrial culture, using the Cornish language as the "principal badge of [Cornish] nationality and ethnic kinship".[109]The first effective revival of Cornish began in 1904 whenHenry Jenner,a Celtic language enthusiast, published his bookHandbook of the Cornish Language.[110]Hisorthography,Unified Cornish,was based on Cornish as it was spoken in the 18th century, although his pupilRobert Morton Nancelater steered the revival more towards theMiddle Cornishthat had been used in the 16th century, before the language became influenced by English.[111]

Thevisit of King George IV to Scotlandin 1822 reinvigoratedScottish national identity,melding it with romanticist notions oftartan,kiltsand theScottish Highlands.[112]AsPan-Celticismgathered pace in the early 20th century, CornishmanL. C. R. Duncombe-Jewelland the Cowethas Kelto-Kernuak (a Cornish language interest group) asserted the use ofCornish kilts and tartansas a "national dress... common to all Celtic countries".[112][113]In 1924 theFederation of Old Cornwall Societieswas formed to facilitate, preserve and maintain Celticity in Cornwall,[114]followed by the similarGorseth Kernowin 1928,[115]and the formation of the Cornish nationalist political partyMebyon Kernowin 1951.[116]Increased interest and communication across theCeltic nationsin Celtic languages and culture during the 1960s and 1970s spurred on the popularisation of theCornish self-government movement.[108]Sincedevolutionin Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, enthusiasts for Cornish culture have pressed for the Cornish language to be taught formally in Cornish schools, while Cornish nationalists have demanded greater political autonomy for Cornwall, for example that it be constituted as theUnited Kingdom's fifth constituent countrywith its ownCornish Assembly.[108]

Geographic distribution[edit]

Main article:Cornish diaspora
Two men wearing mining attire look at one-another in this black line drawing. Both wear dark clothing and mining helmets. The man on the right holds a long tool.
Cornish miners in the mid-19th century. A demise inmining in Cornwallprompted an exodus of Cornish miners and families resulting in a displacedCornish diaspora.

The Cornish people are concentrated in Cornwall, but after theAge of Discoveryin the early modern period were involved in theBritish colonisation of the Americasand other transcontinental andtransatlantic migrations.Initially, the number of migrants was comparatively small, with those who left Cornwall typically settling in North America or else amongst the ports andplantationsof theCaribbean.[12]

In the first half of the 19th century, the Cornish people were leaders intinand copper smelting, whilemining in Cornwallwas the people's major occupation.[23]Increased competition from Australia,British MalayaandBolivia,coupled with the depletion of mineral deposits brought about an economic decline for Cornish mining lasting half a century, and prompting masshuman migrationfrom Cornwall.[12][23]In each decade from 1861 to 1901, "around 20% of the Cornish male population migrated abroad" —three times that of the average ofEngland and Wales—and totalling over a quarter of a million people lost to emigration between 1841 and 1901.[12]There was a displacement of skilled Cornish engineers, farmers, merchants, miners and tradesmen, but their commercial and occupational expertise, particularly inhard rock mining,was highly valued by the communities they met.[12][23]Within Great Britain, Cornish families were attracted from Cornwall toNorth East England—particularly onTeesside—to partake in coal mining as a means to earn wealth by using their mining skill. This has resulted in a concentration of Cornish names on and around Teesside that persists into the 21st century.[117]

Large numbers of the 19th century Cornish emigrants eventually returned to Cornwall, whilst the rate of emigration from Cornwall declined after World War I.[118]However, the global connections of the remainingCornish diaspora,which is concentrated inEnglish-speaking countriessuch as Australia, Canada, South Africa and the United States, are "very strong".[11][12][19][119]Their outreach has contributed to the international spread ofMethodism,a movement withinProtestantChristianity that was popular with the Cornish people at the time of their mass migration.[120]"Cousin Jacks" is a nickname for the overseas Cornish, thought to derive from the practice of Cornishmen asking if job vacancies could be filled by their cousin named Jack in Cornwall.[33][121]

Australia[edit]

See also:Cornish Australian
William "Harold" Oliverwas the son of Australian Cornish immigrants who lived in the mining town ofWaukaringa.Harold Oliver was a three time national champion with thePort Adelaide Football Clubin 1910, 1913 and 1914.

From thebeginning of Australia's colonial perioduntil after the Second World War, people from the United Kingdom made up a large majority of people coming to Australia, meaning that many Australian-born people can trace their origins to Britain.[122]The Cornish people in particular were actively encouraged to emigrate to Australia following the demise ofCornish miningin the 19th century. A "vigorous recruiting campaign" was launched to encourage the Cornish to aid withmining in Australiabecause of their experience and expertise.[123]Free passage to South Australia in particular was granted to hundreds of Cornish miners and their families,[123]so much so, that a large Cornish community gathered in Australia'sCopper Coast,and South Australia'sYorke Peninsulabecame known as "Little Cornwall".[11]It has been estimated between 1837 and 1840, 15 per cent of all assisted migrants to South Australia were Cornish.[123]

Cornish settlement impacted upon social, cultural and religious life throughout thehistory of South Australia.Cornish identity was embraced strongly in the Yorke Peninsula, but also in the more outlying mining towns ofKapundaandBurra,where Cornish miners constituted a sizeable community.[124]Methodism,was the main form of religious practice for the Cornish. Methodist sensibilities were held with strong conviction by the migrant Cornish in a direct rivalry with CatholicIrish peoplein Australia.[124]TheKernewek Lowenderis the largest Cornish festival in the world, held in theKadina,MoontaandWallarootowns on the Yorke Peninsula, which attracts tens of thousands of visitors bi-annually.[119][121]

Canada[edit]

See also:Cornish Canadian

European fishing ventures in and aroundNewfoundlandduring the 16th century were the earliest Cornish activity in what was to become Canada. However, permanent settlement by the Cornish across the Atlantic Ocean was rare until at least the 19th century.[23]TheBritish colonisation of the Americasencouraged additional migration of the Cornish tothe Canadas,particularly by those who served in Great Britain'sRoyal Navy.[23]The creation of the colony ofBritish North Americaspurred more people from Cornwall to settle in North America; they were registered as English migrants.[23]Many Cornish (and other West Country) immigrants who had been agricultural labourers settled in an area of what is now South Central Ontario in what were the counties of Northumberland, Durham and Ontario, ranging from the towns of Port Hope and Cobourg in the east, to Whitby in the west and to the north ends of those counties.[125]

Mexico[edit]

See also:White Mexican
A dark angular structure viewed from its base upwards fills the scene. The sky appears light-grey and cloudy. The structure is made of a dark metal frame surmounted by platform.
Asilver miningmuseum inMineral del Monte,a remnant of the Cornish migration toMexicoduring the early-19th century.

In 1825 a band of 60 Cornishmen leftFalmouthforMineral del Montein centralMexicowith 1,500tonnes(1,500long tons;1,700short tons) of mining machinery with which to apply their mining skill and technologies to resuscitate Mexico's ailingsilver miningindustry after the neglect caused by theMexican War of Independence.[16]Following their sea voyage they attempted to dock atVeracruzbut were forced away by the Spanish to a beach at Mocambo from where they hauled their machinery through jungle and swamp toSanta Fe.[16]During this haul through the jungle, the Cornishmen and their Mexican helpers fell victim toyellow fever,resulting in 30 Cornish and 100 Mexican fatalities.[16]The fever forced the survivors to abandon their equipment and head inland up into the mountains to Xalapa to try to escape the mosquitos for three months, until the end of the rainy season. Once the rainy season closed the Cornish and Mexican miners continued their 250-mile (402 km) "Great Trek" to Mineral del Monte, transporting their machinery to an altitude of 10,000 feet (3,048 m) above sea level and arriving at their destination on 1 May 1826.[16]Following their arrival, the Cornish community flourished and stayed in central Mexico until theMexican Revolutionin 1910. Although the Cornish community in Mexico broadly returned to Cornwall, they left a cultural legacy;Cornish pasties,Cornish mining museums and aCornish Mexican Cultural Societyare all part of the local heritage and tradition in and around Mineral del Monte.[16]

South Africa[edit]

See also:White South African

TheWitwatersrand Gold Rushof 1886 encouraged large numbers of Cornish miners to migrate to theSouth African Republic.[126]Although an international gold rush, the Cornish overwhelmingly formed the skilled labour force in theWitwatersrand,until the outbreak of theSecond Boer Warprompted a retreat.[126]

United States[edit]

Main article:Cornish American

The discovery oflead oreand copper in North America prompted an influx of Cornish miners to the continent, particularly around theUpper Mississippi River.[23]By the early 19th century Cornish people were present in theUpper Peninsula of Michigan—particularly the mining town ofIshpeming.[127][128]Additional waves of Cornish migrants followed theCalifornia Gold Rushof the mid-19th century;[23]in the 1890s it was estimated that inCalifornia'sGrass Valley,over 60 per cent of the population was Cornish.[11]It has a tradition ofcarolsstemming from the Cornish who settled the area as gold miners in the 19th century. The carols have become "the identity of the town", some of the members of the Grass Valley Cornish Carol Choir are descendants of the original Cornish settlers.[119]

Most migratory Cornish to the United States were classified as English or British, meaning that the precise number ofCornish Americansis difficult to estimate. The aggregate number of immigrants from Cornwall to the United States before World War I is suggested to be around 100,000.[33]

Culture[edit]

Further information:Culture of Cornwall
A street lined with shops is filled with hundreds of people. In the foreground are children wearing black vests each one defaced with a large white cross. The children surround a fiddler. In the background are spectators.
St. Piran's Dayis an annual patronalCornish festivalcelebrating Cornish culture and history every 5 March.

The survival of a distinctCornish culturehas been attributed to Cornwall's geographic isolation.[19][129]Contemporaneously, the underlying notion of Cornish culture is that it is distinct from theculture of England,despite itsanglicisation,and that it is instead part of a Celtic tradition.[23]According to American academicPaul Robert Magocsi,modern-day Cornish activists have claimed severalVictorian erainventions including theCornish engine,Christmas carols,rugby footballandbrass bandsas part of this Cornish tradition.[23]Cornish cultural tradition is most strongly associated with the people's most historical occupation, mining,[130]an aspect of Cornish history and culture that has influenced its cuisine, symbols and identity. The Cornish writer C. C. Vyvyan wrote in her 1948 bookOur Cornwall:"A man might live and die among us and never gain throughout his allotted span of life one glimpse of the essential Cornwall or the essential Cornishman."[131]

Cornwall hasits own tradition of Christian saints,derived from Celtic extraction, that have given rise to localised dedications.[76]Saint Piranis the 5th century Christian abbot, supposedly of Irish origin, who is patron saint of both tin miners and Cornwall.[132]According to popular mythology, Piran, an Irish scholar who studied Christianity inAncient Romewas to be drowned in theIrish Seaby theHigh Kings of Ireland,but instead floated across toPerranporthin Cornwall by the will of God to preach theGospel.[132]Saint Piran's Flag,a centred white cross on a black field,[133]was described as the "Standard of Cornwall" in 1838 and was re-introduced byCeltic Revivaliststhereafter as acounty flagof Cornwall.[133]It has been seized upon by the Cornish people as a symbol of their identity, displayed on cars and flying from buildings including those ofCornwall Council.[32][109]St Piran's Dayis an annual patronalfête,and the pre-eminentCornish festivalcelebrating Cornish culture and history on 5 March.[132]

Language[edit]

Further information:Cornish language
See also:Anglo-Cornish,West Country dialects,andList of Cornish dialect words
Awelcome signtoPenzance,in the English andCornishlanguages
A Cornish speaker, recorded in theUnited Kingdom

TheCornish languageis derived from theBrythonicbranch of theInsular Celtic languages.It is closely related to theBreton language,and to a lesser extent shares commonalities with theWelsh language,[134]although they are notmutually intelligible.[135]The language functioned as a community language in Cornwall until alanguage shiftto the English language was completed during the late 18th century. The demise of the Cornish language is attributed to English cultural influence, particularly the political and religious dominance of theEnglish Reformationand theAct of Uniformity 1549which outlawed all church services within the Kingdom of England that were not in English.[98]The exact date of the death of using the Cornish language is unclear and disputed, but popularly it is claimed that the lastmonolingualCornish speaker wasDolly Pentreath,aMouseholeresident who died in 1777.[136][137]

The revival of Cornish began in 1904 whenHenry Jenner,a Celtic language enthusiast, published his bookHandbook of the Cornish Language.[110]He based his work on Cornish as it was spoken in the 18th century, although his pupilRobert Morton Nance,with his orthography,Unified Cornish,later steered the revival more towards theMiddle Cornishthat had been used in the 16th century, before the language became more heavily influenced by English.[111]This set the tone for the next few decades; as the revival gained pace, learners of the language disagreed on which style of Cornish to use, and a number of competing orthographies—Unified Cornish,Unified Cornish Revised,Modern Cornish,Kernewek Kemmyn—were in use by the end of the 20th century. Astandard written formwas agreed in 2008.[138]

Cornish is a restored and livingmodern language,but most of its speakers are enthusiasts, persons who have learned the language through private study.[139]Cornish speakers are geographically dispersed, meaning there is no part of Cornwall where it is spoken as a community language.[139]As of 2009, it is taught in fifty primary schools,[32]although regular broadcast in Cornish is limited to a weekly bilingual programme onBBC Radio Cornwall.[139]Daily life in Cornwall therefore is conducted in the English language, albeit withsome regional peculiarities.[33]

Legends of the Fall,a novella by American authorJim Harrison,detailing the lives of aCornish Americanfamily in the early 20th century, contains several Cornish language terms. These were also included in theAcademy Awardwinningfilm of the same namestarringAnthony Hopkinsas Col. William Ludlow andBrad Pittas Tristan Ludlow.[140]

Literature and folklore[edit]

Main article:Cornish literature
See also:Matter of BritainandHistoria Regum Britanniae

Early medievalCornwall was associated with theMatter of Britain,anational mythrecounting a legendary Celtic history of Brittonic warriors, includingKing Arthur.[19][29]The Matter of Britain was supported by texts such as theHistoria Regum Britanniae,apseudohistoricalaccount of the history of the ancient Britons, written in the mid-12th century byGeoffrey of Monmouth.[141]TheHistoria Regum Britanniaechronicled the lives oflegendary kings of the Britonsin a narrative spanning a time of two thousand years, beginning with theTrojansfounding the ancient British nation and continuing until the Anglo-Saxon invasion of Britain in the 5th century forced the Celtic Britons to the west coast, namelyWalesand Cornwall.[141][142]Although broadly thought of as a work of fiction, Geoffrey of Monmouth's work had a lasting effect upon the identity of the Cornish.[143]His "historical construct" characterised the ancient Britons as heroes, which later helped Celtic revivalists to redefine Cornishness as an identity closely related to ancient heroic Celtic folklore.[143]

Another strand of Cornish folklore is derived from tales of seafaringpiratesandsmugglerswho thrived in and around Cornwall from the early modern period through to the 19th century.[29]Cornish pirates exploited both their knowledge of the Cornish coastline as well as its sheltered creeks and hidden anchorages.[29]For manyfishing villages,loot and contraband provided by pirates supported a strong and secretiveunderground economyin Cornwall.[29]

Legendary creaturesthat appear in Cornish folklore includebuccas,knockersandpiskies.[144]Tales of these creatures are thought to have developed assupernaturalexplanations for the frequent and deadlycave-insthat occurred during 18th-century Cornish tin mining, or else a creation of the oxygen-starved minds of exhausted miners who returned from the underground.[144]

Performing and visual arts[edit]

Further information:Cornish danceandMusic of Cornwall
The'Obby 'Oss festivalis a Cornish May Day festival celebrated inPadstow.

Celtic crosses,many dating from between the 7th and 15th centuries, are found in Cornwall and have been used as inspiration in modern and contemporary Cornish visual arts.[145][146]In the 1780s,John Opiewas the first Cornish-born painter to gain widespread attention; his work was exhibited at theRoyal Academyand he was described byJoshua Reynoldsas "likeCaravaggioandVelázquezin one ".[147]Artists who appreciated the quality of Cornwall'snatural light,such asJ. M. W. Turner,began to visit, with more following after the opening of theGreat Western Railway,includingWhistlerandSickert.Stanhope ForbesandFrank Bramleysettled in Cornwall in the 1880s, establishing theNewlyn Schoolof paintingen plein air.By the 1920s, theceramicistBernard Leachwas established atSt Ives,and theSt Ives Schoolfor abstract artists formed there, influenced bynaivepainters such asAlfred Wallis,and involving the work ofBen Nicholson,his wifeBarbara Hepworth,Naum GaboandPatrick Heron.

Religion[edit]

See also:List of Cornish saintsandChristianity in Cornwall

Anciently, the religion of the Cornish Britons wasCeltic polytheism,apagan,animisticfaith, assumed to be led byDruidsin full or in part.[148]Early Christianityis thought to have existed in Cornwall during the 1st century, but limited to individual travellers and visitors, possibly includingPriscillian,a Galician theologian who may have been exiled to theIsles of Scilly.[88][incomplete short citation]Celtic Christianitywas introduced to Cornwall in the year 520 bySaint Petroc,[27]a Brython from the kingdom ofGlywysing,and other missionaries from Wales, as well as byGaelicmonks and holy women from Ireland;[29]this "formative period" has left a legacy of granitehigh crossmonuments throughout Cornwall.[29]Dedications to many differentCornish saintscan also be traced to this period.[29]In the Middle Ages, Roman Catholicism was dominant in Cornwall,[19]and even in the 17th century the Cornish were "fervently Roman Catholic", slow to accept theProtestant Reformation,according to some scholars.[108]The adoption ofAnglicanismwas, eventually, near-universal in Cornwall and facilitated theanglicisationof the Cornish people.[100]A variety of dissenting congregations such as the Quakers and Baptists were to be found in certain districts. Through a combination of tours of Cornwall byJohn Wesley,rural isolation and compatibility with Cornish tastes and sensibilities,[120]Methodism,an evangelical revival movement within theChurch of England,[149][150]became the form of Christianity practised by the majority of the population all over Cornwall during the 19th century.[19][120][151]During this time other kinds of Methodist churches appeared such as the Bible Christians and there were also Evangelical andAnglo-Catholicrevivals within the Church of England.

Cuisine[edit]

Further information:Cornish cuisine
A light brown pastry case is on a white plate
ACornish pasty

Cornish cuisine is a regional variety ofBritish cuisine,strongly rooted in a tradition of using local produce,[152]which is used to create relatively simple dishes.[153]Most prominent in Cornish cuisine is thepasty(sometimes known as the Cornish pasty) made from diced beef, potato, onion and swede (commonly called 'turnip' by the Cornish), enclosed within a pastry crust and then baked.[154]One idea of its origins suggests that it evolved as a portable lunch for Cornish miners, the crust serving as a disposable handle that could be held by a miner's hand without soiling the filling.[153]Fish was an important element of the Cornish diet, but internationalcommercial fishingwas also well established by the 16th century, and tons ofpilchardswere exported from Cornwall to France, Italy and Spain every year.[152]Stargazy pieis an occasional festive Cornish dish with the heads of fish standing on their tails, originallypilchards,piercing a pastry crust.[153][154]Thesaffron bun,also known as the tea treat bun, is a sweet bread with its origins in Cornwall.[124]

Sport[edit]

Main article:Sport in Cornwall
Two men in combat appear on a green lawn in front of a shrubbery. Both men are wearing dark coloured shorts and cream coloured tops. One man has a tactical advantage, and is throwing his opponent head-first towards the ground.
Cornish wrestlingis a contact sport, a style of folk martial arts, that has its origins in Cornwall

With its comparatively small, rural population, major contribution by the Cornish to nationalsport in the United Kingdomhas been limited.[155]There are no teams affiliated to theCornwall County Football Associationthat play in theFootball LeagueofEngland and Wales,and theCornwall County Cricket Clubplays as one of theminor counties of English cricket.[155]Viewed as an "important identifier of ethnic affiliation",rugby unionhas become a sport strongly tied with notions of Cornishness,[156]and since the 20th century,rugby union in Cornwallhas emerged as one of the most popular spectator and team sports in Cornwall, with professional Cornish rugby footballers being described as a "formidable force",[155]"naturally independent, both in thought and deed, yet paradoxically staunch English patriots whose top players have represented England with pride and passion".[157]In 1985, sports journalistAlan Gibsonmade a direct connection between love of rugby in Cornwall and the ancient parish games of hurling and wrestling that existed for centuries before rugby officially began.[157]

Cornish wrestling(also known as Wrasslin')[156]is a regional, folk style ofgrapplingor martial arts. The Cornwall County Wrestling Association was formed in 1923, to standardise the rules of the sport and to promote Cornish wrestling throughout Cornwall and the world.[158]Together withCornish hurling(a localised form ofmedieval football), Wrasslin' has been promoted as a distinctly Celtic game, tied closely with Cornish identity.[156]

Surfingwas popularised in Cornwall during the late 20th century, and has since become readily associated with Cornishness.[156][159]The waves around the Cornish coastline are created by low pressure systems from the Atlantic Ocean which unleash powerful swells eastwards creating multiple, excellent surfing conditions in some parts of the coast of Cornwall.[159]Newquay,one of Britain's "premier surfing towns", regularly hosts world championship surfing events.[156][159]

Institutions and politics[edit]

Main article:Politics of Cornwall
The surviving part of the formerDuchy PalaceinLostwithiel,the former administrative seat of theDuke of Cornwallfromc. 1265to 1874.
The Old County Hall inTruro,the former seat ofCornwall Council.

Thepolitics of Cornwalltake place within a wider national political framework of aconstitutional monarchy,in which theUnited Kingdom's monarchishead of stateand thePrime Minister of the United Kingdomis thehead of government.Cornish politics are marked by a long tradition of Liberalism.[23][160]

Important historical institutions were theDuchy of Cornwalland the CornishStannary Courts and Parliaments.[75]The Stannary court administeredequity,through special laws and legal exemptions, for all matters relating to the tin mines and tin trade in Cornwall. Cornish miners were effectively exempt from the jurisdiction of the law courts atWestminster,except "in such cases as should affect land, life or limb".[75]The ancient privileges of the Stannary Courts and Parliaments were confirmed by successiveRoyal Chartersin the Middle Ages, including those administered by KingsJohn,Edward IandEdward III of England.[75]As the tin mines of Cornwall lost their economic importance during the 18th and 19th centuries, so the Stannary institutions lost political power. The last Stannary parliament was held atTruroin 1752, and continued, by adjournments, until 11 September 1753.[75]

As in the rest of Great Britain, theLiberal Partydominated Cornish politics during the 19th century,[161]although Socialism gained limited support in western Cornwall,[162]and theLabour Partywon preference after World War I.[163]Nationalism (orregionalism)[164]in Cornwall traces its roots to theIrish Home Rule billsof the late 19th century,[160]and is represented by theCornish self-government movement,a political action group that is predominantly organised to promote Cornwall as the national homeland of the Cornish, campaign fordevolution,and win it the status as a fifthcountry within the UKrather than outrightseparatism.[165]More "militant" variants of Cornish nationalism however claim that because of historical constitutional peculiarities regarding thestatus of Cornwall,thelaw of the European Uniondoes or should not have jurisdiction over Cornwall until Cornish sovereignty is recognised.[165]Popularisation of Cornish nationalism is attributed to a Celtic cultural revival in Cornwall which itself began with a renewed interest in the Cornish language in the 1920s.[165]The revival of the Cornish language encouraged a parallel revival of Celtic traditions, which by the 1970s had spurred on Cornish nationalism.[165]The United Kingdom's entry into theEuropean Economic Communityin 1973 prompted claims that the Cornish should be granted their owndevolvednational assembly—theCornish Assembly—comparable to that of theNational Assembly for Wales.[164][165]Mebyon Kernowis aleft-wing political partybased in Cornwall, founded in 1951.[116]Its main objective is attaining greater autonomy for Cornwall through the establishment of a legislative Cornish Assembly.[166]As at 2009 Mebyon Kernow has no Members of Parliament elected to theHouse of Commons of the United Kingdom,and in the2009 United Kingdom local electionsreceived 4 per cent of votes to elect councillors toCornwall Council,behind theConservative Party(34 per cent),Liberal Democrats(28 per cent), andIndependents(23 per cent)[167]Since the2009 structural changes to local government in England,Cornwall Council has been aunitary authority,[168][169]serving as the sole executive,deliberative,andlegislativebody responsible for local policy, settingcouncil tax,and allocating budgets.

Following the Cornwall Council election in May 2013, the council remained as "no overall control", with the Independent politicians becoming the largest grouping on the council through a modest gain of councillors from the previous election. The Liberal Democrats remained the second largest party after losing 2 councillors and the Conservatives slipped to third after losing over a third of their councillors. The Labour Party (+8), UKIP (+6), and the Green Party (+1) all gained seats, with UKIP and the Greens entering Cornwall Council for the first time. Mebyon Kernow had 6 councilors prior to the election, having added 2 since the 2009 election, their total following the election was reduced to 4.[170]

In the2015 general electionall Cornish seats were won by the Conservatives. This was repeated in the2017 general election.

A study was carried out Willett, JMA; Tidy, R; Tregidga, G; et al. through Exeter University[171]using data from January to April 2017 to understand why Cornwall voted leave in the Brexit referendum when it benefitted greatly from EU funding, such as the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Growth Programme[172]which was worth £600 million and supported over a hundred projects such infrastructure, agriculture, employment and low carbon initiatives. In this study people from lots of different backgrounds and jobs where interviewed and asked about their reasoning for voting leave, farmers described the EU policies as being overly complicated and taking the "fun" out of farming, many had issues with infrastructure and many others stated that with Brexit they were reclaiming sovereignty from the EU and there were underlying issues with the EUs lack of border control. It was found that the what linked the reasoning for leaving the EU was the uncertainty that they were experiencing, their inability to get any real change even with the EUs funding and a lack of knowledge about where the funding was spent as a whole.

In the UK's 2021 census plans, a "tickbox" for claiming "Cornish" as a national minority status has not been implemented and is under debate. Since Cornwall was officially given "official national minority status" in 2014, the Cornwall Council's Party Leaders have submitted a letter to the cabinet office of Chloe Smith for the Minister of State. In the coming weeks, Parliament is set to debate The Census Order. If enough Members of Parliament side with the Cornish people and stand in solidarity with their cause, a box to select a "Cornish" identity could be added—reaffirming the official identity they established 6 years prior.[173]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

Citations[edit]

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Sources[edit]

Further reading[edit]

  • Miles, SibellaOriginal Cornish Ballads: chiefly founded on stories humorously told by Mr. Tregellas in his popular lectures on "Peculiarities": to which are appended some drafts of kindred character from the portfolio of the editress: the whole prefixed by an introductory essay on the peculiar characteristics of the Cornish peasantry.London: Simpkin, Marshall, 1846.

External links[edit]

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