To understand the history of the region, it is first necessary to understand the environment that created the Cornish character, that ultimately influenced our history.

The people of Cornwall often refer to themselves as being Celtic. Anthropologists would argue that this is a modern interpretation; for the purpose of “Pathwaysofdiscovery”, we are going to say that the Cornish share a sense of ethnicity with the peoples of the western most fringes of Europe and the British Isles. Modern DNA studies tends to agree with this view, with the strongest DNA connection with Wales. The Cornish people have also had very close ties with Brittany; in trade and the two-way movement of people over time. In fact some will know that Brittany (little Britain) was given this name when the Cornish migrated to Brittany with the withdrawing Romans in 410AD.

But the people and culture of Cornwall are not defined by ethnicity alone; it could be argued that the cultural characteristic of the Cornish has been defined by its geography and geology. The River Tamar nearly severs the County from the rest of England and presented a major obstacle to potential invaders. As if guarding the northern reaches of the County, Dartmoor and Bodmin Moor, both presented an inhospitable and dangerous terrain for the cross-country traveller, friend or foe. Running the length of the County there is a narrow watershed from which the post-glacial waters cut deep incised valleys as the rivers made their journey to the Atlantic shoreline. To the south of the County these rivers cut deep Ria inlets, so favoured by modern tourists but an added trap to potential invaders. of old. This terrain and topography left the early travellers with limited options to reach into Cornwall for trade or movement of peoples. Our region, by contrast offered an easy crossing of the Tamar and the early travellers could then make their way by packhorse routes and ancient trackways to, say, Week Saint Mary and then down the spine of the County, along the watershed.

The wide diversity of habitats within the County, the poor quality of the soil of the granite uplands, the mix of accessibility and inaccessibility of the various coastal areas and the local, difficult, topography, together with the Moorland divide resulted in a people isolated in small communities, resilient and with a deep appreciation and affinity with nature. This resulted in a people self-sufficient, of independent mind; a people close to nature, physically and spiritually. Above all, the people of our region were industrious and significant traders of goods both with the peoples of Britain and with strong sea trading links with the Mediterranean. Their land had much to offer the early peoples of Europe with tin, copper and iron and this did influence the relationship of the Cornish with later invaders of eastern England and with their rulers.

We shall see from the detailed histories that follow, that this strong sense of community, of affinity with nature and resilience led to a defining characteristic of the Cornish and their dealings with the Church of England, political leaders, governments and Kings. As one leader of the Parliamentary forces during the English Civil war of 1640’s put it, “the Cornish have no fear of God or King”! A characteristic demonstrated most vividly during the local battle of Stamford Hill in May 1643 when the local hero Sir Bevill Grenville led his men uphill and against all odds, with little remaining ammunition, with such ferocity that the ensconced Parliamentarian army fled their positions. Parson Hawker also invoked this spirit in the first lines of his ballad “Trelawny”, known as the Cornish Anthem, “Song of the Cornish Men”; he wrote:

A good sword and a trusty hand!
A merry heart and true!
King James's men shall understand
What Cornish lads can do!

The Cornish of today have developed a distinct sense of their identity, which has come to be defined as Celtic, an identity defined by association with the western peoples of Britain and their common linguistic and cultural heritage rather than a true tribal ethnicity