Two new biographies of the Brontës’ mother Maria and aunt Elizabeth Branwell create divergent impressions of their childhood home and family in Penzance. Neither woman had previously been the subject of an individual biography despite their formative role in the lives of the Brontë sisters. With journalistic flair Sharon Wright sets out Maria Branwell’s literary,…Continue Reading “Penzance and the Brontës”
From Beltane bonfires to Samhain dancing, there has been a resurgence in traditional Celtic rituals across both Cornwall and the western world. Perform a quick Instagram search for the Celtic holiday of #Imbolc and you will come across almost 100,000 photos including candle-adorned altars, floral offerings and old-fashioned herbal tinctures. It is not just seasonal…Continue Reading “The Rise of Celtic Rituals in the 21st Century: Lessons for Cornish Heritage”
The top photograph is the first view of Blackwater gained when travelling westwards (Photo: Clive Benney) Tony Mansell’s second article in this series places a magnifying glass over the village of Blackwater where he attended primary school, broke his leg in the playground and regularly “raided” the local shop for sweets on his long…Continue Reading “Blackwater”
The Drollercoaster series continues with another folktale from Cornwall’s eastern land of Wivelshire provided by Robert Burroughs. In this case the story relates to the former fishing village of Portwrinkle, or Porth Wrickle as it is known locally, that is located at the western end of Whitsand Bay. The story is followed by background notes…Continue Reading “The Hudol of Porth Wrickle”
Robert Burroughs explores the legends and drolls of Wivelshire in the introduction to a new series. South East Cornwall is often referred to as ‘Cornwall’s Forgotten Corner’ in part due to its geography, but also to its local history. It was traditionally made up of the parishes of one of the old Hundreds of Wivelshire;…Continue Reading “Drollercoaster”
Thomas J. Kennedy is a sub editor with Cornish Story Online and an active contributor to the cultural research of the Institute of Cornish Studies. In this article he focuses on the charming art work of the Probus-based Cathy Stringer as the first instalment of a new series highlighting the work of present day Cornish…Continue Reading “Cathy Stringer of Probus”