Problems in Perranarworthal

[marktrengove]

As I think I have said before, the parish registers in Perranarworthal are lost prior to 1739, so we have to fall back on the Bishop's Transcripts, as the LDS did.

A Cornish contact, Nancy Tonkin, kindly did a 'look-up' of all the Trengove entries in the Transcripts. As I had not seen the microfiche in the CRO, I was somewhat perturbed that a number of entries I had expected to see were not in the details Nancy sent to me.

Guided by our Great Moderator Zenobia, I took a look in the Library section of the LDS website to see what details it had of the Bishop's Transcripts for Perranarworthal.

Now my confusion becomes clear. The Bishop's Transcripts for Perranarworthal only cover 1684-1687, 1690-1691, 1694-1695, 1697-1699, 1700-1701, 1701-1702, 1704-1705, 1710-1712, 1714-1715, 1716-1717, 1721-1737 and 1742-1772.

To my reckoning, that leaves a 'black hole' in the records of some 20-25 years, not to mention bits of other years, assuming the records run from Easter to Easter.

This leaves a big gap in many of the years when key members of the Trengove family were being baptised, married and buried. These people we will never know about unless, by some miracle, the parish registers turn up.

All rather depressing to genealogists interested in Perranarworthal people like myself!

C'est la vie (ou la morte?)!

[Cornish Terrier]

Mark - we do not need another funeral just yet. ;D

I can see your point about the PR's for Perranaworthal and I have had to deal with similar in the likes of Zennor and Towednack for quite some time.
Believe I have already mentioned the Isles of Scilly where I believe the earliest available record is now about 1724.

Really helpful when I have a Will dated 1699 on the Scillies.

Many Parishes have similar problems and it will be a very rare occurrence now that any of the missing PR's, in particular, will come to the surface.

There was one West Penwith Parish I was told about some years back where a lot of the records were lost but I just cannot think which Parish it was. (That part is irrelevant)
However, the Parish Register (obviously in use) was kept in a 'safe' in the wall of the Church (vestry?).

Problem was that this 'safe' was not damp proof and, over time, the rot set into the PR and it was ultimately (mostly) lost.

I think this happened in a number of Churches which is partly why we have only partly surviving records.

The other problem in some Parishes was their reluctance to succumb to the orders that records of all BDM's should be recorded and kept.

BUT - we still have other possible avenues to pursue which might help - so do not despair too much.

There are likely many Wills and Admons you have not found, Deeds and other documents etc. which may be of use in helping solve the problem.

A few years ago an abstract of a Will turned up on either Kathie's site or Dee's site which proved quite useful.
It was the Will of either father or relative of a girl who had married a Trewella (possibly even grandfather's Will).
There was enough in this to tell me the name of the wife of my elusive Trewella and to then connect some other relatives into the scenario.

Do not despair my friend - if the information is there to be found then it will be found eventually.

I always worked on the principal - if the information ain't where I think it should be then start looking at other places it may be.

[marktrengove]

Such words of comfort!

I see a good long stretch for me at the CRO next year looking at wills and admons, though I might be able to get to a LDS centre some time to see what can be done.

And there's always leases, which have been of help to me already.

[Cornish Terrier]

Exactly right Mark. ;D

Never give up as there is always the possibility of finding information via another means.

Sometimes that 'other means' can be hard to find - but you may now get an idea of why Nancy labelled me the 'Cornish Terrier'. ;D